When we watch a movie or read a novel, we momentarily experience a perspective and world outside of our own. Most often, we do this through a character. Through stylistic prose or cinematic perspective, we can step into their shoes and experience the story through their eyes. Without characters, storytelling would merely be a recounting of circumstances without any real perspective.
What is a Character in a Story?
First, let’s define a character
Characters are found in every form of storytelling from cinema to literature to music. They are an integral part of storytelling and the vehicle through which we experience a narrative. But what exactly is a character and why are they so important in storytelling?
CHARACTER DEFINITION
What is a character in a story?
In storytelling, a character is any person, animal, or entity that takes part in the action of the narrative. Characters are essential because they carry out the actions and decisions that carry the story forward.
They provide a human (or relatable) element that readers or viewers can connect with, making a story engaging, immersive, and experiential. Without characters, a story becomes a mere collection of plot points and events.
Character Meaning and Roles
Types of Characters
If we look at specific traits and personalities, there can be as many different types of characters as there are people on this planet. But in a story, characters also serve a function within a narrative outside of being unique individuals.
These functions within a narrative are how we can define different types of characters. As we define these types of characters, we'll give examples from Francis Ford Coppola's seminal film The Godfather.
Protagonist
The protagonist is the main character around whom the story revolves. This character experiences the central conflict and undergoes significant development throughout the narrative. The audience often identifies with the protagonist, rooting for their success and growth.
The Godfather example: Michael Corleone
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Antagonist
The antagonist opposes the protagonist and creates conflict within the story. This character is not necessarily evil but works against the protagonist's goals, providing obstacles and challenges that the protagonist must overcome.
The Godfather example: Virgil Sollozzo
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Supporting Characters
Supporting characters enrich the story by adding depth and complexity. They can be friends, family members, mentors, or colleagues who interact with the protagonist and antagonist, influencing the plot in various ways. They may also serve as foil characters to the main characters, highlighting their strengths and flaws.
The Godfather example: Tom Hagen, Sonny Corleone
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Dynamic vs. Static Characters
Dynamic Characters: These characters undergo significant changes or development throughout the story. Their experiences lead to personal growth or transformation. They are often protagonists.
The Godfather example: Michael Corleone
Static Characters: These characters do not undergo significant changes or development. They remain relatively consistent throughout the story, providing a point of reference for other characters' growth and development.
The Godfather example: Vito Corleone
Round vs. Flat Characters
Round Characters: Well-developed and complex, round characters have multiple facets and evolve over time. They are believable and relatable. These characters are often protagonists or supporting characters.
The Godfather example: Michael Corleone
Flat Characters: Flat characters lack depth and complexity. They may have one dominant trait or characteristic and generally serve a specific function within the story. They are not as developed as round characters and usually do not undergo significant changes.
The Godfather example: Moe Greene
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No matter what type of character they are, a character must be fleshed out and written to a degree of detail that is believable and makes sense within a story. These details are informed by different components that make up a character.
What Defines a Character?
Components of a Character
Characterization is the process of creating and developing a character. This involves various elements that contribute to making a character well-rounded, believable, and memorable. These elements are both external and internal accounting for every aspect of what defines a character.
Physical Appearance
A character’s physical attributes, including their appearance, clothing, and mannerisms, can significantly impact how they are perceived by the audience. Descriptions help create a vivid mental image, making characters more memorable.
The Killer (2023) • Character Examples
Background/Backstory
A character’s history and experiences shape their behavior, motivations, and personality. Understanding a character's backstory provides insight into why they act and react in certain ways, adding depth to their portrayal.
Personality Traits
Personality traits define how a character thinks, feels, and behaves. These traits make characters unique and relatable, contributing to their overall believability.
Wants and Needs
Every character has desires and objectives that drive their actions. Some call these goals and motivation, but a better, more story-driven way to describe them is wants and needs.
Nightcrawler (2014) • Character Examples
What a character wants and needs helps explain and determine their decisions. Their wants and needs, both internally and externally driven, are at the core of a story along with conflict. Whether or not a character gets what they want and/or need often determines the ending of a film.
Internal Conflicts
Internal conflicts are struggles within the character’s mind, such as moral dilemmas, fears, or insecurities. These conflicts add complexity to the characters and make their journey more compelling and relatable.
What stands within a character's way that is within themself? This is the catalyst of the internal journey of some great characters.
Related Posts
What is a Character Arc?
The Importance of Character Arcs
Well-written characters will hook us into a story and anchor us within the experience. Once we become invested, there is a sense of anticipation and curiosity that pulls us in even further along their journey. This anticipation largely has to do with the question "What will happen to this character?"
This trajectory of a character throughout a story is known as a character arc.
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Character arcs are impacted mainly by a character's wants/needs and the conflicts they face. Do they get what they want/need? Do they overcome the conflict standing in their way? How do they overcome this conflict? How does this cause them to change or not change? The answers to these questions determine the type of arc a character goes through.
Positive Arc: The character grows and improves.
Negative Arc: The character deteriorates or falls from grace.
Flat Arc: The character remains unchanged but impacts those around them.
Character arcs can show progression and change or resistance and stagnation. They are a reflection of human nature and a study on how different types of characters react and behave under certain circumstances.
Components of a Great Fictional Character
What Makes a Great Character?
While there is no definite formula for creating a great character, some characteristics stand out in many iconic characters. They are general traits that can be utilized in a multitude of ways.
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Complexity
Well-developed characters have multiple layers, making them feel real and relatable. These complexities often derive from details and a character's history.
When writers dive deep into character writing, they may begin from their birth and analyze how their life has been until the moment we meet them in the story. This sort of analysis results in complex, believable characters with idiosyncrasies that make a story better.
Flaws
Imperfections make characters more human and interesting. Even heroes are flawed. Without flaws, characters will have difficulty relating to an audience. Flaws also help amplify conflict as conflict is often tied into the flaws of a character.
Relatability
Audiences connect with characters that they see themselves in, making the story more immersive. This does not mean writing characters that are similar in personality traits as your audience, but rather in how they share the same human experience.
Great heroes may fall in love. Villainous criminals may have a troubled childhood. Friends may have a romantic tension. The more specific you can be with your characters' traits and draw from personal experiences or real people, the more relatable you can make them.
A character is our entry point into the world of a story. When well-written, they can become the most memorable part of a tale, lingering with us over time.
Through characters, we can expand our perspective and gain a better understanding of worlds beyond our own. We can also gain deeper insight into the human experience through a character's narrative journey, whether they teach us new lessons or reflect our own experiences.
Up Next
How To Write a Character Arc
The details of a memorable character are only a part of what makes them great. How they take on conflict, realize their goals, and change throughout a story are also massively important elements of a great character. Learn more about character arcs in our next article.
