So I have one particular character archetype I just can't get a way from, and though I don't play them all the time, I've played them a lot now. They have gone by many different names and appearances, but they are essentially the same character - [b]the scarred mage who has done something terrible.[/b] 

The thing I really like about this character its juxtapositions between things like frailty and power, intelligence and madness, vengeance and guilt. The character is always a frail mage, damaged both physically and emotionally by something they themselves have done, normally dabbling with powers and forces far beyond their ability to control. They often deflect their responsibility in whatever terrible thing has happened and externalise it in a misguided revenge quest. Often foolishly dabbling further with powerful magic in an attempt to gain greater powers in order to fulfil said misguided revenge  

The intended character arc is them realising the futility of their vengeance and them learning to live with what happened to them. They cannot undo the past, they can only learn from it and move on. Giving up on forever chasing greater powers and learning to live by the maxim of doing what one must, rather than what one wills. 

I know where loads of this characterisation comes from - damaged mages who do bad things are two of my favourite characters in literature, Ged from Earthsea and Kvothe from the Kingkiller Chronicles. Maybe if I have a real long running RP with this character I'll finally get it out of my system, but somehow I doubt it considering I've been writing variations of this character for over ten years now.