Let’s get started with Haru (Dreamer). He doesn’t have a clear memory of his childhood, but he’s been on the run from a shadowy organization for as long as he can remember. The organization is relentless and unpredictable in its pursuit, and Haru is terrified of anyone else getting hurt because of him. So, he drifts from place to place in less-than-safe conditions and keeps everyone at arm’s length, including the two who have come closest to being called his friends – Hikaru and Asha. His fear is justified but self-defeating, as it keeps him isolated and, in a way, under the organization’s control as long as he won’t seek out help.

Next up, with a related fear, is Takeshi (Eternal Rain universe). This post in Eternal World discussed how Takeshi came to be the leader of the Keyholder team despite his young age and lack of experience. That lack of experience and emotional maturity came with a high cost. In the team’s first real battle, Takeshi lost his childhood friend, Yuki. Even after fighting through those wounds for some time, he has a deep-seated fear of losing anyone else due to his lack of experience. Occasionally, this fear can paralyze him; but at other times, it positively drives him to better himself as a leader.

Then, there’s Naoyuki (So Distant) with his fear of rejection. Previous posts already discussed that the root of his fear was his parents’ desertion. Naoyuki believes that he did something wrong to warrant their leaving him. It hurts so much that, rather than risk further rejection, he cuts himself off from people by refusing to talk (elective mutism). Though that winds up causing him more trouble, he finally finds people who are willing to put forth the effort to befriend him despite the walls he puts up. He grapples with his fear, pushing them away at first and then slowly, bit by bit, letting them in.

Now for an OC we haven’t talked about yet – Everett (Pet Projects). A competitive, rough-and-tumble fox-hybrid with a big ego, he’s not someone who’d seem to be scared of much. But where does that big ego come from? Setting aside for the moment the possibility of him overcompensating for his fear of spiders, the source is really a fear of being seen as weak. He grew up in a stray colony, a community of hybrid kids that gather for safety in numbers and come and go as they please. He had a job with a local freight company but wasn’t treated well by his human employer. He ran away, joined Shay (whom he admires for her strength) in the L&F and learned to fight. And now he competes with Tristan to show off his perceived new strength. Unlike the characters in this post, Ev’s desire to be stronger comes from a selfish place. So, for him, “bravado” is the name of the game.

Fear is a big driver for these characters, but it’s how they react to it that determines whether their fear is self-defeating or helps them to grow. Either way, it’s a long road to overcome them.