8 replies to this topic

[RJMooreII]

I have seen the idea, in a few places online, that Conan is invincible or protected by plot mail. While he is vaguely demigod like sometimes, and just plain lucky others, he never seems invincible. He has met men that nearly matched him in fights, and in The Phoenix on the Sword it is implied that twenty-half trained men cornering him was not something he could be expected to win. As a military commander he is skilled and adaptable, but he frankly loses most of the major battles he's engaged in and often ends up getting captured or beaten to a pulp himself.

[KG Thunder]

For the most part I agree, but I'm not really sure what we're meant to be discussing here.
I've never talked to anyone who thought of Conan as immortal or demi-goddish (thankfully), and I've never liked it in pastiche stories where he is presented as some sort of 'chosen one', since that really doesn't suit the character in my opinion.

[Ironhand]

Conan really thinks he can die. He suffers, and tires with exertion, and when he pushes his body to the limit.

[ZackDavisson]

And sometimes he just gets drunk and knocks himself out running into a door frame ...

[Kortoso]

Conan really thinks he can die. He suffers, and tires with exertion, and when he pushes his body to the limit.

That's a good point. Perhaps he's the only one among who believes that he can die.

For a continuing character in a series of short stories, of course he's not going to get killed off. Of course plot armor persists in the yarns.

I think in terms of Bruce Willis' character in the Die Hard series of movies. You know he's going to survive; the surprise has to be, then, how much punishment he's going to take and how many scars he will have at the end of the adventure.

[RJMooreII]

One of the goals is to see how much trouble he can get into and to wonder how he can get out of it plausibly. Often times there is luck or almost unbelievable skill involved, but supposing for a second that there was such a fighting-man as Conan you can suppose that the slightest advantage he had would be seized upon ruthlessly. Conan messes up, but never badly enough to wind up getting him killed.

Conan actually seems a bit reckless at times. He certainly need not get into as much dirt as he does. He seems to enjoy a good fight enough to throw clear planning to the wind sometimes.

Edited by RJMooreII, 17 April 2012 - 01:44 AM.

[BasilBJr]

Conan never claimed to be invincible. He himself admitted he was vulnerable to sorcery. What he had was a "do not go gentle into that good night" type of attitude, and that was enough to put him over the top against those who are used to having people surrender to them right away.

[Rargentum]

Taken alive...

But it takes 100 men

Crucified,

But he kills a vulture with his teeth

And he kills a man with a beef joint

The Conan stories are insane alpha male fantasies, let's not forget it.

It's their charm and what can make them ludicrous! :-)

Conan seems gifted with physical prowess on an almost super hero level

[RJMooreII]

Conan seems gifted with physical prowess on an almost super hero level

He is of the physical type of Captain America, I believe. Superhuman enough fight more like a tiger with a sword than a man, the sort of animal that can break your neck with an open-handed blow. But he's still on the level of animal power; he hasn't transcended the world of mammal flesh into the realms of the Higher-Gods like Spider-Man who can throw a tank and twist steel in his bare hands.