You’ve seen this plenty of times in fiction: A woman dies horribly, thus fueling the male protagonist’s journey. This is a controversial storytelling technique called “fridging”.
Is it a legitimate way to create progress, or will you alienate readers who crave meaningful characters and interactions?
What is Fridging?
Fridging refers to when a character is killed, harmed, or experiences a major tragedy solely to advance another character’s story. While it’s most common with female characters, it can happen to others as well.
Gail Simone, a comic book fan (and later writer), coined the term on her website, Women in Refrigerators. There, she compiled a list of women in comics who were brutalized to serve the plot.
The website’s name originated from a Green Lantern comic in which Kyle Rayner discovers his girlfriend murdered and stuffed into a refrigerator. Since then, it has fueled debates about sexism in comics and storytelling as a whole.
Examples of Fridging
Fridging isn’t confined to comics. It shows up in literature, films, TV shows, and even video games. Some examples are:
- Gladiator
Maximus is betrayed and wounded before managing to escape. He rides home, only to find his wife and son executed. He becomes a gladiator, swearing revenge on those responsible. - The Crow
Shelly Webster is raped, wounded, and later dies in the hospital while her fiance Eric is shot and thrown out the window to his death. A year later, Eric resurrects and goes on a mission of vengeance. - Supernatural
Mary Winchester’s death drives her husband and sons to become hunters, setting up the story’s premise. Years later, in the pilot episode, Sam’s girlfriend, Jessica, is killed, pulling him back into hunting. - John Wick
John Wick is grieving his wife’s recent death, only alleviated by her last present to him: a puppy. Sadly, gangsters break into his home, beat him up, kill his dog, and steal his car. This drives him to return to his old life as a legendary hitman. - Injustice: Gods Among Us
The Joker tricks Superman into killing a pregnant Louis Lane. This turns him mad, becoming a ruthless dictator who rules Earth through fear. - Gears of War 2
Dom finds his wife in a horrifying state after being tortured. He euthanizes her to end her suffering, pushing him further into the fight. - The Amazing Spiderman 2
Gwen Stacy, Peter’s first girlfriend, is thrown off a bridge by the Green Goblin. Peter manages to catch her with his web but the whiplash snaps her neck. This is one of the most controversial examples. Before this, superheroes rarely failed so disastrously—except in their origin stories.
Why Fridging Hurts Stories
Many view fridging as lazy writing. Using a character’s death or harm as a quick way to create drama often feels clichéd. Readers and viewers want genuine emotion, not cheap tricks.
When a character’s only purpose is to die or suffer for someone else’s growth, they lose their individuality. This reduces them to a plot device rather than a person with their own story.
Worse, it can normalize violence, especially when certain groups—like women or marginalized characters—are disproportionately the ones sacrificed. This can make the story feel dismissive to readers who identify with those characters.
Fridging will alienate your readers, especially those who want nuanced storytelling. Relying on it limits your ability to explore more creative and layered ways to develop your characters and plot.
How to Avoid Fridging in Your Stories
Want to tell compelling stories while avoiding the fridging trap? Here are seven practical tips:
Give Every Character a Purpose
Before you harm or kill a character, ask yourself: What’s their story? Do they have thoughts, goals, and a role outside of another character’s journey?
Let every character have agency. If a character faces harm, make sure it plays an active role in their story. Don’t let them be passive victims.
Throughout your writing process, evaluate your characters’ arcs. Is each character progressing in a way that feels authentic and necessary to the story?
Diversify Motivations
Your protagonist doesn’t need a tragic loss to grow. Try using motivations like ambition, relationships, or personal challenges instead.
Show the importance of a relationship while the character is alive, rather than relying on their death to highlight it. This makes the story feel more emotional and genuine.
Subvert Expectations
If a character’s tragedy seems inevitable, find ways to twist the trope. Let them survive, fight back, or reclaim their agency instead of being sidelined. Readers love surprises when done well.
Let Characters Grow Together
Instead of using one character’s pain to push another forward, explore how they can grow through mutual struggle. Explore the complexities of their relationships. What internal and external conflicts will push them together or break them apart? How will they respond?
Avoid Tokenism
Don’t include marginalized characters for the sake of having them. Ensure they have active roles and aren’t there simply to be sacrificed. Representation matters, but it needs to be meaningful.
Make Every Death Count
If you’re tempted to include a tragic event, ask yourself: does this character’s suffering advance their story or someone else’s? If it’s only for another character, reconsider how to achieve the same effect without resorting to harm or death.
If a character must die, let their death serve their own arc as much as anyone else’s. Give them closure or a triumphant moment.
Get Feedback
Ask beta readers or critique partners to weigh in on how your characters are treated. They might notice unintended patterns or tropes and suggest ways for improvement.
Conclusion
Fridging might seem like an easy way to create emotional stakes, but it often does more harm than good. By reducing characters to tools for someone else’s story, you weaken your narrative.
Instead, aim for more meaningful character development. Give every character a purpose, show their agency, and avoid leaning on clichés. If a death must happen, make it matter to the story. And take the time to explore different ways to raise the stakes.
How do you avoid fridging in your stories? Share your thoughts below!
If you enjoyed this post, then you might also like:
- How To Kill A Character Without Ruining the Story
- How to Write Engaging Character Dynamics
- Character Regression: How to Use Setbacks to Create Better Characters
- How to Write Character Flaws: The Importance of Imperfect Characters
Cole is a blog writer and aspiring novelist. He has a degree in Communications and is an advocate of media and information literacy and responsible media practices. Aside from his interest in technology, crafts, and food, he’s also your typical science fiction and fantasy junkie, spending most of his free time reading through an ever-growing to-be-read list. It’s either that or procrastinating over actually writing his book. Wish him luck!
