The Art of Subversion in Storytelling: How It Works and How It Fails

Subversion is one of the most powerful tools a writer can use to surprise and engage an audience. However, it is also one of the most misunderstood and misused tools in modern storytelling. When done right, subversion deepens a story, reinforces its themes, and makes the audience rethink their expectations in a meaningful way. When done wrong, it feels cheap, random, and frustrating, leaving audiences dissatisfied or even outright angry.

This in-depth exploration will break down how subversion works, the different ways it can fail, and what writers should learn from these pitfalls to make their stories stronger.

I. What is Subversion?

At its core, subversion is the act of challenging, twisting, or overturning expectations. This can apply to plot developments, character arcs, genre conventions, or thematic conclusions.

Effective subversion follows a key principle:

• It must feel inevitable in hindsight.

  • Good subversion makes the audience think, "Oh, of course! That actually makes sense!" even if they didn’t see it coming.

  • Bad subversion makes them think, "Wait, what? That makes no sense!" or "Why did that even happen?"

Three Forms of Effective Subversion

1. Subverting Clichés – Taking an overused trope and giving it a fresh, meaningful twist.

   • Example: In The Last of Us: Part I, the story sets up Joel as a traditional action hero who will heroically save Ellie. But in the end, his love for her leads him to make a morally grey, selfish decision that leaves the audience conflicted rather than triumphant.

2. Subverting Character Expectations – Making a character behave in a way that challenges the audience’s assumptions, but in a way that is consistent with their established traits.

   • Example: In Breaking Bad, Walter White starts as a mild-mannered teacher, but his choices gradually turn him into a ruthless criminal. This arc is both shocking and completely logical.

3. Subverting Plot Structures – Avoiding predictable outcomes while still delivering an emotionally satisfying resolution.

   • Example: In Game of Thrones Season 1, Ned Stark, the supposed main protagonist, is executed. This subverts the idea that noble heroes always survive, but it works because it follows the logic of the world’s brutal politics.

II. How Subversion Goes Wrong

Bad subversion happens when writers prioritize surprise over story integrity. There are several ways subversion can fail:

1. Subversion for Subversion’s Sake

This happens when a story is changed purely to be shocking, without regard for coherence, character arcs, or theme. The result? A moment that feels forced, arbitrary, or pointless.

🔴 Example: Game of Thrones Season 8

• The entire buildup of Daenerys as a revolutionary leader is discarded in the final episodes when she suddenly becomes a genocidal maniac in one battle.

• The writers defended this as "unexpected," but it lacked proper setup and betrayed her previous development.

👉 Lesson: Subversion should emerge naturally from the story, not be shoehorned in just to surprise the audience.

2. Ignoring Narrative Payoff

One of the biggest sins of bad subversion is denying the audience an earned resolution to the story's central conflicts.

🔴 Example: Star Wars: The Last Jedi (Luke Skywalker’s Arc)

• The film subverts expectations by making Luke an isolated, cynical recluse who refuses to help the Resistance.

• While this could have been a powerful exploration of failure, his arc feels incomplete, as it doesn’t meaningfully build back up to a triumphant or thematically fitting resolution.

👉 Lesson: If you're going to subvert expectations, make sure the audience still gets an emotionally satisfying resolution.

This is the terrible type of writing fans can suggest because they aren't thinking about things beyond their "What ifs?"

3. Replacing Meaning with Randomness

Some writers mistake randomness for subversion, thinking that an unexpected event inherently makes a story better. This often leads to frustrating or nonsensical endings.

🔴 Example: "Some Random German Guy Wins the Seikai Taikai" in Cobra Kai

• The audience has spent years emotionally invested in Robby, Miguel, and the main characters.

• Letting a nobody win the tournament might be “realistic,” but it doesn’t mean anything.

👉 Lesson: Subversion should feel like a clever reinterpretation, not a meaningless coin flip.

4. Betraying Character Arcs

Subversion fails when a character behaves in a way that contradicts their established personality and motivations.

🔴 Example: The Final Twist in How I Met Your Mother

• The entire show builds up to Ted meeting the love of his life.

• In the final episode, the mother dies quickly, and he ends up with Robin—undoing years of emotional investment in his romantic journey.

👉 Lesson: A good character arc follows internal logic. Subversion should challenge a character’s development, not erase it.

5. Undermining the Story’s Themes

Subversion is most powerful when it reinforces the central themes of a story. When subversion contradicts those themes, it can ruin the entire message.

🔴 Example: The Rise of Skywalker Undoing The Last Jedi

• The Last Jedi subverts Star Wars tropes by making Rey’s parents nobodies, reinforcing the theme that anyone can be a hero.

• The Rise of Skywalker then re-subverts this by making her the granddaughter of Palpatine, contradicting the previous film’s message.

👉 Lesson: Subversion should work with a story’s themes, not against them.

III. How to Do Subversion Right

✅ 1. Build Up to It Properly

• Subversion should feel earned rather than random.

• If a major twist is coming, seed hints and foreshadowing so that, in retrospect, it makes perfect sense.

✅ 2. Make Sure the Story Still Delivers an Emotional Payoff

• Even if expectations are subverted, the ending should feel satisfying.

• A subversion should reframe the journey, not make it feel pointless.

✅ 3. Subvert Expectations, Not Audience Investment

• It’s fine to defy genre conventions, but don’t betray what people care about.

✅ 4. Keep Character Motivations Consistent

• If a character changes in an unexpected way, show the progression.

✅ 5. Subversion Should Enhance, Not Undermine

• The best subversions deepen the story.

• If a subversion makes the narrative feel weaker, it’s not good subversion.

IV. Conclusion: The Golden Rule of Subversion

Subversion only works if it makes the story better. It should challenge expectations in a way that enhances theme, character, and narrative payoff. If a subversion weakens or contradicts those elements, it’s not clever— it's terrible writing.

The best subversions don’t just shock—they make everything fall into place. If your subversion doesn’t add to the story’s power, it’s just a gimmick.