Pitch Dictionary by pitch.dog
Character interiority & motivation · Working

Fatal flaw

Also called: hamartia

ELI5

A recurring limitation or behaviour that contributes materially to a character's difficulties or downfall.

Used in conversation

“Can we make the fatal flaw more specific in the pitch?”

Pitch context

Use this when a deck or treatment needs to describe the people, world, tone or audience promise precisely.

Why it matters: Helps describe who the project follows, where it lives and what kind of experience it promises.

Caution

This usage is established in practice but is not fully standardised. A domain specialist should review it before release as canon.

Connected terms

  • FlawA flaw is any limiting trait; a fatal flaw is one framed as causing catastrophic downfall or decisive failure.
Sources & evidence · 6

Direct term-level sources and supporting source families.