12 types of characters that every writer should know (2023)

They say it takes all kinds to make the world work – and the same goes for stories. If you write fantasy, romance or action adventure,You will need certain types of characters to keep the plot moving and intrigue your readers!

That's why we've put together this handy dandy guide.12 types of characters that appear in almost every story:to help you figure out which ones you need, how they relate to each other, and what purposes they can serve.

Most writers know how to categorize their characters based on classic "comic book style" labels:Heroes, villains, minions, etc.But in the increasingly complicated realm of stories, there are many more subtle types to consider.

In this post, we're going to examine 12 different types of characters, divided by their role in the story and by their quality.

Character types by role

character rolerefers to the role someone plays in the story. As you probably know, the most important role in any story is the protagonist (which we'll discuss next). That is, all other roles arise from their relationship with the protagonist.

1. Protagonist

DieHerois probably a very familiar conceptfor most of us: this is the main character, the big guy, the star of the show. Most actions revolve around them, and they are the ones we should be most concerned about.

In stories written in the first person perspective, the protagonist is usually the narrator, but not always. The narrator can also be someone close to the MC (like Nick in The Great Gatsby) or someone completely distant (although this is relatively rare).

Every story has to have a protagonist, no matter what.Simply put, no protagonist = no plot.Remember that all other roles are defined in relation to the protagonist - so if you're planning a story, this should be the first character you develop.

Examples of protagonists:Harry Potter, Frodo Beutlin, Katniss Everdeen, John McClane, Dorothy Gale, Hercule Poirot, Indiana Jones, Walter White (who is actually an antihero, as opposed to the traditional hero).

2. Antagonist

if you are aOpponent,you contradict -What do you do. Specifically, one harms, thwarts, fights, or struggles against one character: the protagonist.

More often than not, the protagonist is good and the antagonist is evil, and this is the source of their conflict. This is not always the case - especially when the protagonist is an anti-hero without typical heroic attributes, or the antagonist isan anti-villain who has noble qualities. Still, 95% of the time, the protag is the hero and the "antag" is the villain.

Antagonists often play as important a role in a story as its protagonists, but they may not be seen as often. They tend not to tell stories and often operate in secret. Indeed, the question “What will the antagonist do next?” can be a source of great narrative tension in a story.

Examples of antagonists:Sauron, Voldemort, The White Witch, Count Olaf, Maleficent, Iago, Regina George

3. Deuteragonista

Most stories have a main and a secondary protagonist.Deuteragonista(or group of deuteragonists). This is the character that isn't exactly in the spotlight, but it's pretty close.

A do deuteragonistaComic-BuchEquivalent would probably be the helper. They are often seen accompanying the protagonist - giving advice, scheming against their rivals, and generally helping out. His presence and close relationship with the protagonist lend warmth and emotion to the story,So it's not just about the hero's journey,but about the friends they make along the way (aww). Of course, not all supporting characters are friends - some are sworn enemies - but even these less friendly deuteragonists still add depth to the story.

Examples of deuteragonists:Ron e Hermione, Samwise Gamgee, Jane Bennet, Dr. Watson, Mercutio

4. Tertiary Characters

The reason thattertiary charactersNot being called "tertagonists" is because they aren't important enough to be realtormentnothing or nobody. They flit into the MC's life and may only appear in one or two scenes throughout the book.

However, a complete story still requires some tertiaries. After all, we all have them in real life - the barista you only see once a week, the random guy next to you in class - so any realistic fictional story should include them too.

In the list of examples below, we've included the sources for these tertiary characters, as well as their names, in case you don't recognize them. (We certainly can't blame him.)

Tertiary examples:Sir. to surroundA chain of unfortunate eventsRadagast in the film version ofO Hobbit,Padma e Parvati Patil emHarry Potter,Calo and Fabrizio inThe Godfather,Ms. Stahl aAnna Karenina

5. Love interest

Most novels contain romance in one form or another. It could be the main plot, a subplot, or just a tiny blip on the storytelling radar – but no matter what it looks like, there has to be some sort ofdear interestinvolved. This love interest is typically a deuteragonist, but not exclusively (hence this separate category).

You recognize a love interest by the protagonist's strong reaction to it, although that reaction can vary greatly. Some love interests make your MC swoon; others make them mock. Often, the protagonist initially denies his feelings for that person or vice versa, which is a great tool to thicken the plot.

No matter what, if they're well written, you should be curious (if not always rooting for them) to know which love interests appear on the page.

Examples of love interests:Mr. Darcy, Daisy Buchanan, Romeo/Julia, Peeta Mellark, Edward Cullen, Mary Jane Watson

6. Familiar

This is even harder to pin down, especially since many stories focus so much on their MC's love interest that other relationships are left out. However, thefamiliarit may yet be one of the protagonist's deepest relationships in a novel.

Confidants are often best friends, but they can also be a potential love interest.or even a mentor. The protagonist shares his thoughts and feelings with this person, even if he is reluctant to share them with anyone else. However, the familiar can also be someone the MC addresses, not because he iswillbut because they feel they have no other choice (like the last example on this list).

Known examples:Horatio, Friar Laurence, Alfred Pennyworth, Mrs. Lovett, Jacob Black, Dumbledore, Hannibal Lecter

7. Leaf character

ANleaf characteris someone whose personality and values ​​fundamentally clash with those of the protagonist. This matchup highlights the MC's signature attributes and gives us a better picture of who they really are.

While these two often have an antagonistic relationship, foil is usually not the main antagonist. Sometimes, the MC and his role initially clash, but eventually see their differences to become friends... or even more. (Think of the protagonists ofWhen Harry Met Sally:first they are contrasts, then friends, and finally lovers.)

The exact relationship of the slide to the protagonist depends on the differences between them. For example, if the MC is introverted, their foil might be super extroverted, but that wouldn't necessarily stop the two from becoming friends. However, if the MC is kind and selfless and their foil is extremely selfish, they probably won't get along.

Examples of slides:Draco Malfoy, Effie Trinket, Lydia Bennet, George e Lennie, Kirk e Spock

Some of these roles may overlap. A deuteragonist can be the MC's confidant. The antagonist can be your foil. Or the antagonist may eventually become the protagonist's love interest! (All fans of Trope of enemies to lovers up here?)

But we overstepped. Let's briefly consider the second main category of character types.

Character types by quality

character qualityit has to do with what kind of character someone is. This does not refer to his temperament, like B. being good or bad, but rather his nature within the story, such. B. dynamic or static.

These types tend to define your narrative purpose in a story. For example, a dynamic figurecreates a compelling arcfor readers to follow, and a symbolic one represents an underlying theme or moral.

These types can also overlap, although to a lesser extent than roles.

8. Dynamic/changeable character

This is pretty self-explanatory: adynamic characteris the one thatchanges throughout history. They often evolve to become better or wiser, but sometimes they can evolve too - many villains are created through a shift from good to evil, such as Anakin Skywalker and Harvey Dent.

Your story's protagonist should always be dynamic, and most deuteragonists should too. However, you don't have to make the changes particularly obvious for your audience to understand. Along your narrative journey, these changes should occur subtly and naturally.

Dynamic examples:Elizabeth Bennet, Dom Quixote,Ebenezer Scrooge, Neville Longbottom, Han Solo, Walter White

9. Static/Unchanging Character

Then, on the other side, there is thestatic character– the one who does not change. Many static characters are just flat,and having too many is usually a symptom of lazy writing. However, certain species can serve a greater purpose in a story.

These static characters tend to be unsympathetic, like Cinderella's stepsisters and Harry Potter's uncles - their ignorance of how they mistreat our hero makes them people we "love to hate" and fuels our sympathy for the protagonist. They might also teach the reader a lesson: you don't want to end up like me.

Static examples:Collins, Miss Havisham, Harry and Zinnia Wormwood (Matilda's parents), Sherlock Holmes (a rare static protagonist), Karen Smith

10. Stock sign

characters in stockthey aren't necessarily flat either, although you should be careful with them. similar to archetypes,Root characters are the familiar characters that keep popping up in stories: the chosen one, the wild card, the mentor. You shouldn't abuse them, but they can really help round out your cast and make readers feel "at home" in your story.

The trick to using this type is not to rely solely on your archetypal traits. So when planning a character, you might start with a stock, but you need to embellish it and add other unique elements to give it depth.

Take Albus Dumbledore: he might seem like a handsome 'standard' mentor with his wizened appearance and wise manners. However, his lighthearted quips and foibles shown later in the series show that while he is based on a well-worn archetype, he is a complete character in his own right.

storage examples(who are effectively embellished or spun): Scout Finch (the boy), Nick Bottom (the fool), Haymitch Abernathy (the mentor)

11. Symbolic character

As already mentioned, acharacter symbolsused to represent something bigger and more important than oneself, which often feeds into the overall message of the book or series. This type also needs to be used sparingly - or at least subtly, so the reader doesn't feel the symbolism is too heavy. As a result, the true nature of a symbolic figure can only be fully understood at the end of a story.

Symbolic examples:Aslan (symbolizes God/Jesus inThe Chronicles of Narnia), Jonah (symbolizes hopeThe donor), Gregor Samsa (symbolizes the difficulty of changing/being differentThe transformation)

12. Round character

Don't confuse this with humpty-dumpty. ANround characteris very similar to a dynamic as both are typicalchange throughout your character arc. The crucial difference is that we as readers can guess that the round character has nuances and nuances.contains tons before any major changes occur.

The round character has a complete story (although not always revealed in the narrative), complex emotions andrealistic motivations for what they do. It doesn't necessarily mean they're a good person - in fact, many of the more well-rounded characters are deeply flawed. But you still have to be interested and excited to follow their arc because you can never be sure where they'll be led or how they'll change. Most great protagonists are not only dynamic, but complete.

Round examples:Amy Dunne, Atticus Finch, Humbert Humbert, Randle McMurphy, Michael Corleone

With this wide arsenal of character types at your fingertips, your story might just be the stuff of legends (or bestseller lists). Use them now - if you haven't already!

Which of these types appear in your story? How do they overlap? Tell us in the comments below.