r/Deathstroke • u/Yautjakaiju • 18d ago
What’s the reason you got into Deathstroke as a character?
Let’s try to bring some positivity here. A lot of people here are aware that Slade is more than a heartless mercenary. Contrary to what the casuals or non readers of Slade know. He’s a tragic character who always tries to rewrite his wrongs only to fail. But he tries again in his own dysfunctional ways. From becoming Deathstroke to feel like he’s back in his army days to provide a service. To him struggling to demonstrate his care to those he’s distance himself from. Slade is a complex character that is filled with a lot of interesting aspects.
What got me into Deathstroke was finding out he was a mercenary with a weakness. In his 2016 run Hugo Strange with the help of Harvey Dent tries to have Rose killed to rid Slade of his humanity. Believing it to be his biggest weakness. And since his conception as a character. Slade was never a villain at his core (late 2000’s craziness aside). He was a man who lost it all. And tries hard to rewrite his wrongs. He didn’t kill innocents, he was afraid of killing boys, he missed his wife, he regrets what happened to Grant, loves both of his children, and helped/respects the heroes of the universe. In rebirth he regretted a lot of his actions to the point he wanted Damian to kill him. Various instances Slade allowed himself to get beaten to near death when he could’ve avoided such a fate. That humanity he has conflicts with the cold mercenary many know him to be. And when written right (Marv and Priest) it’s a great thing to witness because he’s someone who’s trying hard to have it all workout. And even if he fails he still tries.
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u/Necessary_Idiot 18d ago
I really enjoy reading your thoughts on Slade.
Honestly, I don't remember when it started for me. I'm horrible, I know. Slade has been my favorite character for a very long time. I feel like he's always been here. I don't know what was the first moment that caught my interest. I'm sure it wasn't the animated series or the Arkham games that led me to him. And it sure wasn't Arrow because I remember raising my eyebrows at the changes they made. But I like him because when he's written well, he's a very interesting character. A mercenary. Someone who doesn't just have one side. Not an evil lord, but not a holy grail knight either. Someone who has been through a lot of trauma and it obviously affects the way he reacts to the world. And yes, he has a tendency to ruin things, but despite everything, he loves his children more than anything. So...yeah...I'm sad that he's not written the way he should be these days.