“Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely”

“Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely”

Character parallels between Stiles and Peter that prove how power corrupts character (also, why it would make sense if Derek was the main character).

I’ve seen this post going around a lot lately and I love the parallels between the two characters, but then I realised that as similar as Stiles and Peter are, they are also drastically different.

1 - 

They both have the same determination when held at gunpoint, but Peter faces it with anger in his eyes, and again without a care in the world when Sheriff Stilinski aims his gun at Peter after killing the Mute, and Peter just walks away. Peter feels unstoppbale, like his powers mean he’s untouchable.

Stiles, however, faces the Chemist and is held at gunpoint becasue he refuses to tell him where his friends are. He is well aware of his mortality, but is willing to die in order to protect his friends.

2 - 

Despite threatening the same thing, the difference is Stiles would never go through with it; Peter would.

Stiles is talking about torturing the Surgeon (one of the Dread Doctors), and despite wanting revenge for what the Dread Doctors have done to the people he knew and a lot more people he didn’t know, he wouldn’t actually go through with it; it’s just an empty suggestion that he puts out there to vent it.

Peter, however, is talking about torturing Jenifer (the Durach), and has every intention of following through with his threat.

3 - 

Whiles both can be a bit overly dramatic when they’re frustrated, the difference lies in where their frustration is. Peter gets mad at people, Stiles gets mad at inanimate objects (in this case a printer). Another example is when everything came to a head in season 5; Stiles was overwhelmed with everything that had happened and he couldn’t tell anyone, but he didn’t take his anger out on anyone, he took it out on an inanimate object–his Jeep–becasue he would never intentionally hurt anyone.

Despite how many times Stiles has been frustrated with his friends (especially Scott), it’s very rare that he ever gets angry at them.

4 - 

In this case, both of them are helplessly reaching for the thing they care about most. Stiles is unable to move and desperately reaching for his father–the last piece of family he has, and the person he cares about most in the world. Peter’s reaching for his family wealth. You can see the desperation in his face, the tears as he realises he’s helpless; he’s terrified of losing his dad and there’s nothing he can do.

Peter, however, is reaching for the Hale family fortune. You could argue that it’s way of holding on to his family, but in the scenes that follow, he does nothing but complain about being without money. He prioritises his wealth over his family, while Derek is outside the vault fighting Berserkers.

5 - 

The difference here is Peter’s trying to convince the others that he’s okay and that they can trust him, whereas Stiles is trying to convince himself. Being possessed by the Nogitsune really took it’s toll on Stiles and when asked what he is now, he hesitates for a moment and his voice is quieter when he answers, “Better.” as if he is unsure of it.

6 - 

While both are gentlemanly gestures, they have seriously different motives. Peter is trying to win over Melissa and use his relationship with her as leverage over Scott to convince him to join his pack. Stiles, however, is being sincere to Lydia. He just stood by and watches as Jackson verbally attacked her and has been with her every other time that Jackson has abused her, and wants to walk her into the dance like the queen she is–no ulterior motives.

[GIFs by prettiestcaptain]

Despite the parallels, the motives behind the characters and the delivery of lines are so drastically different. Stiles is still human, and he’s a devoted friend who wants to protect the people he cares about, and is scared of the shadows in his mind. Peter was corrupted by his power: ever since the fire, he’s been power-hungry, selfish, aggressive–and even more so after he killed Laura to become the alpha.

The only time Stiles began to act like Peter is when he’s possessed by the Nogitsune and corrupted by it’s power.

And it all comes back to Stiles’ line: “I don’t want to be like you.” (s1 ep12).

So, why would Derek make a better protagonist? Because Peter and Stiles are the two most prominent people in his life after Laura’s death, and they stand as the examples of what Derek is - Stiles: a good man, devoted friend, and a little bit sassy - and what he could have been - Peter: power-hungry, selfish, destructive. For a while, Derek began to follow in Peter’s footsteps, when he began an alpha, 

But later learnt he could be a better alpha and a better person if he stopped trying to gain power.

(It kind of makes sense for Scott to be the main character too since it shows the divide between his human side and his werewolf side–but then they brought in that ‘true alpha’ shit and threw it all out the window)