I've always like those time-travel stories where the MC goes back in time and gets another chance at life. However, those that seem to to irk me the most are stories like Tales of Demons and Gods where The Returner blatantly speaks of how everyone isn't as impressive as he is despite how he's thousands of years old (on the inside) and has a head start against literally everyone his own age group.

To me, the best point of a 'Returner' isn't the main character himself nor is it how the world changes and starts to revolve around the MC. Instead I think this trope's best point is seeing how his relationships change due to him not being the same person he was in the past. 

Stories where 'The Returner' ends up doing everything to benefit only those he likes and so on have been done to death already but I haven't really seen anyone touch on the topics if 'destiny' really is as stable as we think is it.

Let's take, for example, the difference between the MC's past self and future self. If his past self made a lot of friends because he was easygoing and hyperactive, will his sudden change into a mature veteran of many battles not cause those who liked in the past to instead keep their distance?

In that one novel called Apocalypse Meltdown where the Author decides that all the traits that would usually classify the protagonist as a sociopath are actually good things, I actually felt disappointed... The Returner ends up even more liked by those around him despite his cold and sometimes even unstable personality. Why is that?

Reality is cruel and sometimes, no matter what you're intentions are, there is no way to properly form meaningful bonds if you don't let down your guard a little. Having a cold and calculating character who is always on edge WOULD make the protagonist of an apocalypse story survive longer than others, but that also means that he'll end up a loner unless there's someone who in the cast of characters who'll drag him out of his comfort zone.

Now let's take the 'apocalypse' part out of mix and instead make The Returner a Eastern Fantasy protagonist in those novels where martial arts means everything. The standard format I've seen for that kind of Returner is that he's a pitiful nobody in his first try of his life who works hard but ends up being a tragic protagonist by the end of his life. In the second chance he gets, the MC suddenly becomes everything he wants to be and the story ends up becoming nothing but a Power Fantasy.

I really don't get these kind of stories. While having a Power Fantasy about an awesome protagonist is all good when done right, it wastes the best aspects of 'The Returner' since becoming powerful is easy if you got hundreds of years of experience despite having been born ten years ago.

For an Eastern Fantasy that's all about getting stronger, there's no longer any tension because if our MC (who has hundreds of years of experience at a young age) can't handle something than no one can. If the central focus of a story is about the becoming stronger, then even a normal talented person who isn't a Returner can do a lot and build tension since he is bound to make mistakes.

Though that doesn't mean a Xianxia or Wuxia can't be interesting if it has a Returner. The most important point to keep in mind when using this trope is what the MC's goals and achievements in his first run and how they have changed in his second run. If he wasn't that strong in his first run but ends up flooring his peers because he's a Returner, then there won't be any tension.

However, if he really WAS weak in his first run and still applies to his second run, then the Author can switch things up in how he benefited from his first run. For example: What if he was a Spear User in his first run but now has to learn swordsmanship in his second run from scratch because of a strong technique he obtained? That's what happened in Human Emperor and worked to great effects to not make him OP once he became a Returner.

Even if you do make him overpowered, just use OnePunch Man's motto of focusing on aspects that isn't powerful enemies and you'll have a better story than trashy fantasies about having a Superiority Complex once The Returner goes to the past.

All in all, I really love this trope and would like to see stories mixing up the formula more. Like would the main character get with the heroine in his second run? The younger version of his love interest might not be the same as his future self remembers and even the maturity of the main character will get in the way since people change over time.

There's a lot of ways to play with this trope and keeping The Returner strictly as a Tragic Hero in his first run isn't a necessity. There are many ways to use The Returner trope without adding tragedy.

He could have been a normal guy in the future who suddenly finds that he's stuck in the past despite not having things he wants to change, but ends up doing so anyway because of the difference between him and his past self. Or maybe he could regret his career choice as a Magic Soldier in the future and decides to choose another option after 'returning'.

Either way, I'd love to what those who read this thread come up with~ There are so many possibilities but the trends usually stop Authors from having imaginative ideas when using tropes. I find how people writing Xianxia tend to think they HAVE TO follow the whole standard villain-of-the-week format as an example of this. Sometimes Authors feel like they are obligated to play a storyline a certain way because they wouldn't be able to fit the current trend if they didn't do so.

I'd be happy if someone takes this bit of advice and improves their craft as a Writer. I hope you all have fun and just think of this Trope Analysis not as factual information but as food for thought.

Thank you for reading~! ?