> The opposing view is weirder, why should characters be preserved for consumption by the audience?

I don't see how characters are "consumed" by the audience, unless the audience is vampires.

But my answer would be: Because the entire story exists for the audience. There isn't actually a separate universe that lives on independently of the people watching or reading the story.

>But my answer would be: Because the entire story exists for the audience.

Fan service maximalism? Authors should avoid treading on favourite characters, erring on the side of making them immortal?