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I have an unfinished story that I eventually will get to writing the conclusion of. There's just one thing that I can't decide!

"Should I kill my main protagonist?"

I don't remember why my initial plans were to even kill him. He's just changed so much from the time I first imagined him to the time he was written down on paper.

2nd Lt. Aaron Sarant went from a selfish, manipulative, borderline villain in my head to an inexperienced, determined, and ultimately very selfless young man who knew he wasn't as much of a fighter as the other officers in his corps, but still would do anything he could to find his father who'd been taken as a prisoner of war.

I've made him very humble on paper, because I just couldn't write him the way I first imagined him.

Now I feel like I'm wimping out because I'm thinking about not killing him like I did before when he was selfish.

Should I off him?

It is always more unsettling to see people of virtue die, rather than those people which present bad traits as their key identifier. So, maybe you should, yes, kill him, for a deeper effect on the reader. I know it can be hard to kill a character you grew attached to while writing, though...

Regardless, you shouldn't be feeling like you're whimping out. The way you put it, looks like those are two completely different characters, so if you want to keep him alive, it's nothing like betraying your initial plan... is like planning the future of a different character, at least in the way that I see it...

XD I actually did this for another one of my stories. It worked quite well.

It's not so much Aaron's virtue that made me decide to let him live though, but the whole concept of killing him.

I couldn't think of a reason in the plot. When he was selfish, I was gonna show it being his one selfless act that kills him (but saves someone else), but now that he's the way he is, I just don't know where to go from it.

I agree with VenusRain, if there is no reason to kill him then don't. However if you do have a plot where he could potentially get killed then maybe try it both ways, write a version where he does get killed and see how that alters the remainder of the story and other where he lives. Then decide which you like best and go with that one.

if it suits the story and if its set up right... do it.

I defiantly agree with the idea of trying out different endings though, some where he dies some where he lives... maybe one where he lives but fails in his goal? Whatever... just so long as what you do makes sense to you and the plot. :3

the fun of playing with fate is a happy bonus~

LET HIM DIE