People with far more eloquence than I have posted their opinions above, but I'll throw in my two cents.
Death doesn't have to be the only way to shelve a character, if you feel their arc has come to an end. They can retire to a peaceful life with no interruptions or adventures. I've thrown characters into prison or on a long, off-camera journey in case I ever want to bring them back as a plot device, or perhaps re-introduce them as the same character but with a different personality and motivations. There's a lot of ways you can tackle this.
On the flipside, you can interpret this as a sort of writing challenge. People in real life, too, have moments in their lives where they feel aimless after achieving their goals, or restless because they have no prospects to focus on. You can bring these feelings to your character and perhaps introduce the theme of "Finding a purpose" as a new arc, which might cause your character to seek new acquaintances or places in an effort to find a cause that truly defines them.
-What motivated your character before? Why did it motivate them?
-What has your character learned from their finished arc? How might they apply this knowledge to the people around them?
-It's common for people to feel as if they can no longer grow; if your character feels restless or directionless, how do you imagine they would cope with that feeling? Would this feeling of purposeless lead them to develop new vices or flaws in their efforts to contend with it?
-Your character has reached closure about much of their past. How does your character approach the future? What is their perspective of spending time? Do they think long-term, planning ahead, or do they live day-by-day, taking each moment at its fullest?
Those are just a few questions to think about. However, I'd like to make a point that if you feel as if roleplaying your character has become more of a chore than a fun activity, then please do not feel obligated to play it for other people's sake. If you're not having fun, then there's no point in keeping the character around.
Death doesn't have to be the only way to shelve a character, if you feel their arc has come to an end. They can retire to a peaceful life with no interruptions or adventures. I've thrown characters into prison or on a long, off-camera journey in case I ever want to bring them back as a plot device, or perhaps re-introduce them as the same character but with a different personality and motivations. There's a lot of ways you can tackle this.
On the flipside, you can interpret this as a sort of writing challenge. People in real life, too, have moments in their lives where they feel aimless after achieving their goals, or restless because they have no prospects to focus on. You can bring these feelings to your character and perhaps introduce the theme of "Finding a purpose" as a new arc, which might cause your character to seek new acquaintances or places in an effort to find a cause that truly defines them.
-What motivated your character before? Why did it motivate them?
-What has your character learned from their finished arc? How might they apply this knowledge to the people around them?
-It's common for people to feel as if they can no longer grow; if your character feels restless or directionless, how do you imagine they would cope with that feeling? Would this feeling of purposeless lead them to develop new vices or flaws in their efforts to contend with it?
-Your character has reached closure about much of their past. How does your character approach the future? What is their perspective of spending time? Do they think long-term, planning ahead, or do they live day-by-day, taking each moment at its fullest?
Those are just a few questions to think about. However, I'd like to make a point that if you feel as if roleplaying your character has become more of a chore than a fun activity, then please do not feel obligated to play it for other people's sake. If you're not having fun, then there's no point in keeping the character around.
