Science fiction has led to some bizarre narratives, and in a serialized format, there’s even more room for character flaws that can be a little weird to explore. Out of context, these protagonist and antagonist weaknesses are likely to seem completely absurd, especially when placed in a different genre.
But within sci-fi, they show themselves, they somehow make sense and play into the narratives. These are some of the most popular science fiction series of recent times, and in each of them one of the main characters boasts an unexpected flaw that would certainly not affect anyone else in the history of cinema.
10 Contradictions of the Sun – The Mission
Opposites of the Sun might just be one of the weirdest sci-fi shows out there right now, following a family sent off their planet to try and find a new home. The group is so dependent on each other to complete their mission, but strangely enough, lack of focus has become their weakness.
If the team does not perform their daily tasks in relation to the current mission, then they fall apart. It’s not just metaphorical. The group’s leader, Korvo, literally melts down if the group doesn’t live up to their full potential. They have to get back to work so that he can just survive.
9 Daleks – Stairs
The Daleks in their earlier days had one fatal flaw. Doctor Who may now have created Dalek variants that can overcome this obstacle, but their original design meant that the monstrous robots were unable to climb on top. It was a source of constant embarrassment.
Humans can escape the attacking aliens quite easily if they manage to find some rough terrain. Now the Daleks have flying abilities, but when they used to hover just above the ground, anything too rocky would have been a real problem. The limitation certainly made them a little less intimidating.
8 Sabine Wren – Art
Sabine Wren is one of the bravest freedom fighters in Star Wars Rebels. She continues to protect the galaxy alongside the rest of her kind, the Mandalorians and the Phoenix Squadron. She has a very specific personality trait that has also become her weakness.
She is an avid artist, with the character herself making lots of symbolic pieces dedicated to the rebellion. But when faced with a threat like Thrawn, that art unfortunately becomes a weakness. The sharp mind of the Grand Admiral can get all the information he needs from Sabine’s talents.
7 Brad Boimler – Training
Brad Boimler is one of the most promising young cadets in the Lower deck. That Star Trek spinoff in some ways feels like a travesty, but the canon animated comedy actually boasts some of the most intriguing characters in Trek knowledge to date. Boimler’s fault is his penchant for following the rules.
His weakness, as absurd as it may seem, is his inability to ignore his training. It has taken a long time for Boimler’s partner in the field, Beckett Mariner, to break him out of the habits of his life and adapt to the current situation. With so many antiquated protocols to follow, the very sequences put in place to protect Boimler continue to put him in danger.
6 Westworld Hosts – Unexpected Encounters
All hosts in Westworld suffers from the same dangerous weakness. They are unable to truly break out of their narrative cycle and are often struck by unexpected encounters. In the early days of the park, the hosts were unable to react to things they were not programmed to understand.
As the series has progressed and they’ve seemingly come to terms, that bug remains. For example, when the hosts meet free people, they don’t know how to react and end up killing themselves. Unexpected meetings should be handled with ease, but they are the biggest danger for any host.
5 Sara Lance – Alien DNA
DC’s Sara Lance has been through it all. She was trained to be an assassin, died and resurrected, joined the Justice League and became the captain of a time-traveling superhero team. Within all of this though, becoming an alien wouldn’t have been on her radar.
It has become a gift and a curse, Sara Lance has been recreated with alien DNA. She can be invulnerable and boasts extra abilities. However, the unpredictability of her new physical form has also proven to be quite challenging, even weakening her in certain situations. That she has developed in this way is absurd in itself, let alone that it creates new conflicts.
4 Morty Smith – Love
Morty has continued to learn so much from his grandfather, Rick, and may just be the second most competent member of the Smith household. But Rick and Morty never fails to demonstrate the main character’s most inconvenient flaw, and for Morty it can seem a bit absurd.
Morty is quite obsessed with finding love. It’s usually celebrated and paid for in most movies and TV shows, but it’s only treated as a weakness in the Adult Swim series. Time and time again, Morty takes his eye off the ball for a chance to not be alone. He even destroyed entire worlds just for brief romances.
3 The Doctor – Memory
Doctor Who have created whole stories around the Doctor’s many flaws. Most of them are pretty obvious, but his memory is the one that continues to plague him, which is a strange flaw. It is, after all, the mind of a Time Lord; The doctor can remember everything.
But absurdly, the Doctor’s brain fuses a lot of things together, meaning they don’t always have the answer when they need it. What’s more, they get things wrong because their memory has mixed up different elements. For a time-traveling hero with infinite potential, it’s strange that something so human could hold them back.
2 Student – Aging
Eleven of Stranger Things fame is one of the most powerful beings in the world. She has taken on the beasts of the Upside Down and lived to tell the tale. Her powers are extraordinary and only improve with time and experience. However, that is not entirely true.
There is increasing evidence that as the Student ages, she becomes more disconnected from the period in which she developed her gifts. Despite making no sense in all sci-fi logic, Eleven seems to be losing her power throughout her growing up years.
1 Baymax – Charging
Baymax debuted in Big Hero 6 but he recently took center stage in the Disney+ spinoff Baymax! The android may spend his evenings with the rest of the team fighting crime as a superhero, but most of Baymax’s days are spent as a personal health assistant.
Sharp things are quite a threat to the balloon man, but what comes to Baymax is not charged. The climax of the Disney+ series saw Baymax lost and in trouble after he failed to connect. This is the robot that faced super villains, but strangely he will be affected by lack of electricity!