Characters are the lifeblood of any good novel. Without characters, you have no story. So, you need to take the time to create well-developed and believable characters. But there are many different types of characters and different terms to describe these types of characters, which can be confusing. Let’s look at each of these and discuss their similarities and differences, using characters from the Harry Potter series to demonstrate my points.
Main, Secondary and Tertiary Characters
As the name suggests, main characters are the person or people the story is/are about. They drive the plot, and they are the ones, as readers, we (should) connect to the most. They will get the most page time, and, most of the time, we will be told the story from their point of view.
Example: Harry Potter
The novels are about Harry, so he is the main character.
Secondary characters (sometimes called supporting characters) support the main character(s) by driving the plot forward, supporting their character arc or acting to build a character’s backstory. They are as integral to the plot as the main character and often have subplots devoted to them. There’s no hard and fast rule about how many secondary characters you can have, so include as many as you think is appropriate but not so many that you or your readers become confused or lost.
Example: Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger
Ron and Hermione feature heavily in the Harry Potter series, and it’s unlikely that Harry would have undertaken the fight against Voldemort without their support. They also have subplots devoted to them.
Tertiary characters are characters that only appear on the periphery of your story. They may only appear in a couple of scenes and usually only fulfil functional roles. You don’t have to build their backstory or figure out their arcs, so have as many as you need.
Example: Pansy Parkinson
Pansy Parkinson is a classmate of Harry’s, and she appears at various points in the novels and films, but she doesn’t affect the storyline in any meaningful way. She’s just part of the crowd.
Heroes and Villains
Heroes and villains are the most recognisable character types. They are characters we root for. In classical literature, heroes were God-like characters that were paragons of virtue. Today, readers tend to prefer more relatable and flawed characters that overcome (or do their best to overcome) these flaws. Villains are characters who oppose the hero. They are typically evil, sometimes stereotypically so.
Example: Harry (hero) and Voldemort (villain)
This goes without saying. Harry is working to make the wizarding community better for everyone; Voldemort is working to make the wizarding community better for ‘pure bloods’, and he uses large-scale genocide and torture to do so.
Protagonists and Antagonists
Protagonists and antagonists are very similar to heroes and villains, but there is one crucial difference: not every protagonist will be a hero and not every antagonist will be a villain. Your protagonist could be an awful person, and your antagonist could be great; it will really depend on what story you are telling. A protagonist is simply the character who the story is about; the antagonist is anyone or anything that stands in the way of the protagonist getting what they want. Your antagonist may not even be a person; it can be an inanimate object, like the weather.
Example: Harry (protagonist) and Snape (antagonist)
So, like the above, Harry is the protagonist because the story follows his fight for equality. The Harry Potter series has many antagonists, but the best character to illustrate my point is Snape. I said above that antagonist gets in the way of what the protagonist wants but is not necessarily evil. Snape gets in the way of Harry’s plans a lot, but we find out in The Deathly Hallows that Snape has actually been working for the same thing as Harry but has had to act the villain, so he is a good example of an antagonist that is not evil.
Anti-Heroes and Anti-Villains
Your protagonist may even be an anti-hero. An anti-hero is a character who lacks conventional heroic traits. These characters usually fall outside of society’ norms, but the readers admire the character for this perceived weakness. Conversely, an anti-villain is a character that is admirable, but they end up being the antagonist. This is usually because their actions are questionable. Both of these types of characters can be morally grey.
Example: Snape (anti-hero) and Draco Malfoy (anti-villain)
As I said above, Snape appears throughout the novel to be a villain, but it is revealed that he has been working for the greater good. He is brave and loyal, both heroic traits, despite his villainous actions throughout the novels. Draco Malfoy may be the best example of an anti-villain in the series, especially in the final two books. Draco does some horrific things and holds some troubling views, but he appears to only undertake these acts when his or his family’s lives are in danger. He becomes a sympathetic character because he doesn’t appear to be inherently evil; rather, he seems to be a misguided and terrified child that is forced to make adult decisions.
Sidekicks
Sidekicks are secondary characters that aid the protagonist’s journey. Sidekicks should play a pivotal role in the plot and not just be comic relief.
Example: Ron Weasley
Ron Weasley is Harry’s sidekick. He definitely does provide comic relief at points, but he is integral to the plot. In the first book alone, Harry would not have been able to confront Quirrell/Voldemort at the Climax without Ron’s skill at chess.
Love Interest
Love interests most commonly feature in romance novels (where they’re kind of essential), but they feature in a lot of other genres too. The protagonist is often romantically or sexually interested in this character, whether they are willing to admit it or not. These characters should be believable and well-developed because there’s nothing worse than a pathetic, emotionless love interest.
Example: Ginny Weasley
Harry has a couple of love interests over his time at Hogwarts, but the most important is Ginny Weasley. He begins his relationship with her in the sixth book. But Ginny is a fully fledged character in her own right, with her own storylines and goals.
Confidante
A confidante is similar to a sidekick, but they are often the person the protagonist turns to when they need advice or moral support. They act as a sounding board for the main character and a device to expose the main character’s thoughts and feelings.
Example: Hagrid
Hagrid often gives the trio advice and becomes a kind of father figure to Harry in particular. Many fans point out that Hagrid is the only person who cares for Harry without an ulterior motive. McGonagall could also be seen as a confidante for the trio.
Foil
A foil in literature is a character that highlights the qualities of another character, usually the protagonist. The foil often has the opposite characteristics to the main character to contrast these qualities.
Example: Draco Malfoy
Draco Malfoy acts as a foil to Harry Potter in the first five books. They both have come from great wizarding families and from great wealth. But Harry uses this privilege for good, while Draco uses his to further his own position. Draco is somewhat redeemed in theHalf-Blood Prince and the Deathly Hallows, but, for the most part, he acts as a foil to Harry.
Summary
There are many different types of characters – hero, villain, foil, love interest, foil – but you don’t have to fit your characters neatly into one. Every story needs a protagonist (who doesn’t need to be a hero) and an antagonist (who doesn’t need to be a villain or even human), but, other than that, you are free to include characters from these groups as you see fit.
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