How do I subvert these action tropes?

Instead of going for something like verbal tics, which can seem tacked-on for ID purposes, like a tattoo, why not explore what the non-aliens think of this character? What is their initial reaction when they first meet her? Do they misunderstand her? Either verbally, or by not understanding what the character does? Maybe because of cultural differences which are still fairly strange to them? What is the humans' reaction to her physical appearance? Maybe her voice or how she communicates? Do they think she's stupid, or slow, or scary, or loveable, or just strange or what? Are they happy to have her along for the ride? If so, why? Does she develop friendships with these humans? If so, on what basis?

Just avoid the notion of tacking something on to the character to make her 'different.' Explore what the difference actually does for your story. If it's a verbal tic, make that count in some way. Maybe it means she's misunderstood a lot ...which might be frustrating for her. Maybe it means it takes her ages to make herself understood, which annoys everybody else? Maybe there's one person who makes more of an effort to understand the tic ...not only for the verbal meaning, but the reasons behind why it is different. Is it because of how the tongue meets the teeth (if the alien has these?) Or does the tic signify something in the alien's own language that means she will continue to use it when speaking to the humans? Maybe the tic means a bit of information doesn't register right, and people get killed as a result.

Dig in. Push things. And don't pick the easiest option, or the most obvious one.

 

Oh, now I see what you mean. That makes sense.

Thanks for the all wonderful suggestions!

This may seem a little cliche too, but maybe the Alien is at first a little standoffish towards humans. She's cool, calm, and collected, but maybe she's a little tough to work with because where she comes from, her people have little patience for nonsense. She may come off as cold to them, but she's very kind and driven by honor.

As the story goes on, she warms up to them and comes to appreciate them because she finds them very interesting and changes whatever opinion she had on humans before. Once she's loyal to them, they can rely on her and she'd fight to protect them with her life. Maybe along the way, reveal little things about her like how she knows how to cook, by correcting somebody on how they're making something.

 

I just realized my issue (well, one of my issues) with the "goes crazy and super strong when (whatever)" trope: Because it is often treated as separating the character from responsibility for their actions. Separating killing from the decision to kill is a simplification that largely eliminates the significance of killing. If killing is the main thing that the character does, then it largely eliminates the significance of the character, in terms of, well, character and personality.

 

I've started to notice the problem with that too. I think I'm going to get rid of it. I mentioned in an earlier post, I might make the Alien like a Stealth/Medic skill set type of person.

 

I'm not clear on what Stealth means, and how it would combine with Medic? Medic, in an alien, sounds interesting.

 

I was going to give her both skills -- a Medic/Healer, along with being a skilled combatant with stealth skills.

You know what, maybe the second part is overdoing it. I'll stick with her being a Medic.