What is a Protagonist?
In storytelling, the protagonist is the central character around whom the story revolves. They are often the hero or main character whose actions, decisions, and growth are at the heart of the narrative. The protagonist's journey is what compels readers to turn the page, eager to see how the character evolves and overcomes obstacles.
Who Should Be Your Protagonist?
Always tell a story about your best character.
âJohn Truby, Anatomy of Story
When we talk about the âbestâ characters, itâs important to remember that it doesn't always mean they are the ânicest.â Instead, these characters are often the most fascinating, challenging, and complex, even if they aren't particularly likable.
Why should you focus on telling a story about your best character? Because thatâs where both your interest and your audience's interest will naturally gravitate. This character should be the one driving the action in your narrative.
Essential Elements Every Protagonist Should Have
To create a protagonist that resonates with your audience, consider incorporating the following elements:
Clear Goals
A protagonist should have well-defined objectives that drive the narrative. These goals create direction and purpose, making the story engaging as the audience roots for the protagonist to succeed.
Strong Motivations
To truly resonate with your audience, the reasons behind your protagonist's actions need to be both compelling and relatable. Think about what drives your characterâthese motivations add essential depth and help the audience grasp why the protagonist is ready to tackle challenges.
Relatable Flaws
Flaws are what make the protagonist truly human and relatable. They present opportunities for growth and development, inviting the audience to emotionally engage with the character's journey.
Complex Backstory
A well-crafted backstory is crucial for understanding a protagonist's actions and decisions. It shapes their personality, values, and motivations, making them feel more authentic and engaging. Have you thought about how a characterâs past influences their present choices? Exploring this backstory can enhance your writing and foster a deeper connection with your audience.
Character Growth
Throughout the story, the protagonist should undergo significant development. This growth can be in response to overcoming obstacles or changing perspectives, offering a satisfying arc for the audience.
Unique Personality Traits
Distinct characteristics and quirks are essential for making your protagonist memorable and unique. How can these traits enrich your story? They can add humor, build tension, or deepen emotional connections, enhancing your narrative. Consider the unique traits that define your protagonist. What makes them stand out?
Agency
A strong protagonist doesnât just react to events; they actively shape the story. Their decisions and actions should drive the plot forward, highlighting their significance in the narrative.
Remember, your character's journey is about not just what happens to them, but how they respond and take charge, guiding the narrative in exciting directions.
Emotional Depth
The protagonist should experience a range of emotions that reflect their journey. This depth helps the audience empathize with them, making their victories and losses more impactful.
Relationships with Other Characters
Interactions with supporting characters are key to showcasing different sides of the protagonist's personality and helping them grow. Think about how these relationships add depth to the story, making it more interesting and engaging.
Step-by-Step Guide to Creating a Protagonist
Define the Protagonist's Core Role
Establish the protagonist's central role and how they will drive the narrative. This foundational step sets the direction for their journey and influences their interactions with other characters.
Ask Yourself: What is my protagonist's primary purpose in the story? How do they influence the main plot and other characters?
Establish their Goals and Motivations
Define clear goals that your protagonist strives to achieve in the story. Consider what drives them and why these goals are significant. The motivations should be compelling and relatable, providing a strong reason for the protagonist to pursue these objectives.
Ask Yourself: What does my protagonist want to achieve, and why is it important to them? What drives them to take action?
Develop their Backstory
Now that weâve established the protagonist's goals and motivations, letâs dive into their backstory. Understanding their family background, significant childhood experiences, and key relationships is crucial. These elements shape their personality and guide their decisions throughout their journey.
Ask Yourself: What past events have defined my protagonist's goals and motivations? How does their history influence their present actions?
Craft Unique Personality Traits
Develop distinct personality traits and quirks that make your protagonist memorable. These characteristics should add depth and help them stand out.
Ask Yourself: What unique traits make my protagonist stand out? How do these traits influence their interactions with others?
Introduce Internal and External Conflicts
Identify conflicts that challenge the protagonistâs goals and traits. Combine internal struggles, like personal fears, with external obstacles, such as antagonists or societal pressures.
Ask Yourself: What internal fears or doubts does my protagonist face? What external challenges stand in their way?
Build Their Character Arc
Plan how your protagonist will grow throughout the story in a character arc. This evolution should be a response to the conflicts they face, demonstrating change in beliefs or skills.
Ask Yourself: How will my protagonist evolve by the end of the story? What lessons will they learn from their journey?
Craft a Compelling Antagonist
Develop an antagonist that complements and challenges the protagonist, enhancing the story's tension and depth. The antagonist's motivations should be believable and align with the story's themes, providing a formidable challenge.
Ask Yourself: What are the antagonist's motivations and how do they conflict with the protagonist's goals? What is their relationship with the protagonist, and how does this drive the narrative?
More Tips for Crafting a Protagonist
- Focus on the protagonist's interactions with the antagonist to drive the plot and explore thematic elements.
- A successful protagonist often struggles against the status quo and embodies the themes the story seeks to convey.
- Protagonists should embody the core themes of the story, facing challenges that push their development and growth.
- Allow the protagonist to take actions that may not always be helpful, but still move the plot forward.
- Avoid creating protagonists with a victim mentality unless it serves a specific narrative purpose.
- Use villainous characters that are easy to root against to enhance audience investment in the protagonist's journey.
- Justify the protagonist's actions morally or emotionally to maintain audience sympathy.
- Highlight the protagonist's strengths and weaknesses through their interactions with the antagonist.
- Introduce the protagonist effectively to establish their personality and goals early in the story.
- Audiences resonate more with misunderstood protagonists than those who simply save cats.
- You need to give your protagonist at least one moment of humanity, which will break through that resistance and bond the audience to the protagonist.
Mistakes to Avoid When Crafting a Protagonist
Lack of Depth
A protagonist without depth can fail to capture the reader's imagination, leading to a disengaged audience. Characters that lack a detailed backstory or complex motivations seem flat and unrelatable. To avoid this, ensure your protagonist has a rich internal world by delving into their past experiences and internal struggles, which will make them more compelling and authentic.
Unrealistic Traits
When protagonists possess exaggerated or overly perfect traits, it can break the suspension of disbelief and alienate readers. Characters should feel authentic, with strengths balanced by relatable flaws. To maintain believability, ensure their abilities and reactions are consistent with the story's setting and tone, providing a more grounded narrative.
Passive Behavior
A protagonist who merely reacts to events rather than influencing them can lead to a stagnant story. This passivity diminishes the narrative drive and reader engagement. To combat this, make your protagonist proactive by giving them clear goals and the agency to make decisions that propel the plot forward.
Lack of Growth
A protagonist that remains unchanged throughout the story can render the narrative flat and predictable, missing opportunities for emotional resonance. Character growth is crucial as it reflects the impact of the story's events. Plan a development arc that allows your protagonist to evolve in response to challenges, adding depth and interest to the narrative.
Inconsistent Motivation
Protagonists with unclear or shifting motivations can confuse readers and weaken the story's coherence. When a character's actions don't align with their goals, it disrupts the narrative flow. To avoid this, clearly define your protagonist's motivations early on and ensure they remain consistent, providing a solid foundation for their actions.
Over-reliance on Plot Armor
If a protagonist constantly escapes danger through implausible means, it can undermine narrative tension and credibility. Genuine stakes are essential to maintain engagement. Ensure your protagonist faces realistic challenges and consequences, making their journey more relatable and the stakes more thrilling.
One-Dimensional Relationships
Simplistic or nonexistent character relationships can make a protagonist feel isolated and underdeveloped. Relationships are vital for revealing different facets of your protagonist's personality and driving their growth. Craft interactions that are meaningful and dynamic, contributing to both character and plot development.
Ignoring Emotional Complexity
A protagonist lacking emotional depth can seem robotic, preventing readers from forming a connection. Emotions breathe life into characters and make them relatable. Explore a range of emotions through your protagonist's reactions and experiences, enriching their character and deepening the reader's investment in their journey.
Examples of Effective Protagonists from Media
Harry Potter (Harry Potter Series)
- Clear Goals: Harry's main goal is to defeat Voldemort and protect the wizarding world, which drives the story throughout the series. His quest for justice and peace gives him a clear sense of direction and purpose.
- Strong Motivations: Harry is motivated by the loss of his parents, his search for belonging, and his sense of duty.
- Relatable Flaws: Harry has flaws; he can be impulsive, stubborn, and sometimes struggles with anger.
- Complex Backstory: Harry's backstory, including being orphaned and the prophecy about him, shapes who he is and influences his decisions.
- Character Growth: Throughout the series, Harry grows significantly, learning about friendship, sacrifice, and leadership. His development creates a satisfying arc that resonates with readers.
- Unique Personality Traits: Harry's bravery, loyalty, and determination are standout traits that make him memorable.
- Agency: Harry actively influences the story through his choices and actions, whether it's forming Dumbledore's Army or facing Voldemort.
- Emotional Depth: Harry goes through a wide range of emotions, from joy and love to grief and fear. This emotional complexity helps readers empathize with him, making his victories and losses feel significant.
- Relationships with Other Characters: Harry's personality is profoundly shaped through his interactions with Hermione and Ron, showcasing his loyalty and bravery while valuing friendship. His mentorship with Dumbledore highlights his quest for knowledge and moral guidance, while his interactions with Snape reveal his anger and stubbornness.
Walter White (Breaking Bad)
- Clear Goals: Walter's initial goal is to secure his family's financial future after his terminal cancer diagnosis. This clear objective drives the narrative and his transformation throughout the series.
- Strong Motivations: His motivations are deeply rooted in fear, pride, and a desire for control. These motivations evolve as he becomes more entrenched in the drug trade, adding complexity to his character.
- Relatable Flaws: Walter's flaws, such as his pride, stubbornness, and moral ambiguity, make him relatable and human.
- Complex Backstory: Walter's past as a brilliant chemist who missed out on success adds depth to his character, influencing his decisions and justifying his descent into criminality.
- Character Growth: Walter undergoes significant transformation, evolving from a mild-mannered teacher to a ruthless drug lord.
- Unique Personality Traits: Walter's intelligence, resourcefulness, and meticulous nature make him a memorable and formidable character, setting him apart in the narrative.
- Agency: Walter is a proactive character who makes decisive choices that drive the plot. His actions, whether calculated or impulsive, significantly impact the story's direction.
- Emotional Depth: Walter experiences a wide range of emotions, from desperation and fear to pride and satisfaction. This emotional complexity helps viewers empathize with him, even as he makes morally questionable decisions.
- Relationships with Other Characters: Walter's manipulative nature contrasts with moments of genuine care in his relationship with Jesse Pinkman, illustrating his internal struggle for control. His interactions with Skyler highlight his deceitful and protective instincts, while his dynamic with Hank Schrader underscores his cunning and moral decline as he juggles family ties with his criminal life.
Katniss Everdeen (The Hunger Games)
- Clear Goals: Katniss's primary goal is survival and protecting her family, particularly her sister Prim. This clear objective drives her actions throughout the series and provides a strong narrative focus.
- Strong Motivations: Her motivations are rooted in love for her family, a sense of justice, and a desire for freedom from oppressive control.
- Relatable Flaws: Katniss is often impulsive, distrustful, and struggles with vulnerability.
- Complex Backstory: Growing up in poverty in District 12 and losing her father at a young age shapes Katniss's resilience and survival skills.
- Character Growth: Throughout the series, Katniss evolves from a survival-focused teenager to a symbol of rebellion and leadership.
- Unique Personality Traits: Katniss's independence, resourcefulness, and archery skills make her memorable and distinct.
- Agency: Katniss actively shapes the story through her decisions and actions, whether it's volunteering for the Hunger Games or leading the rebellion.
- Emotional Depth: Katniss experiences a wide range of emotions, from fear and anger to love and hope.
- Relationships with Other Characters: Katniss's vulnerability and reluctance to trust are highlighted in her relationship with Peeta, while her dynamic with Gale underscores her conflict between personal desires and duty. Her interactions with Haymitch reveal her resilience and leadership potential, showcasing her adaptability in the face of adversity.
Tony Stark (Iron Man)
- Clear Goals: At first, Tony wants to escape captivity and survive, but his goal shifts to protecting the world and making up for his past as a weapons maker. These goals guide his actions and growth throughout the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
- Strong Motivations: Tony is driven by a desire for redemption, a sense of responsibility, and the need to protect those he loves.
- Relatable Flaws: Tony's arrogance, impulsiveness, and struggles with ego and guilt make him feel human and relatable.
- Complex Backstory: As a genius billionaire with a complicated family history, Tony's background influences his personality and choices..
- Character Growth: Tony undergoes significant development, transforming from a self-centered playboy to a selfless hero willing to sacrifice himself for the greater good. This change is central to his story and resonates with audiences.
- Unique Personality Traits: Tony's wit, intelligence, and charisma make him a memorable character.
- Agency: Tony is proactive and makes important choices that drive the plot, like building the Iron Man suit or leading the Avengers.
- Emotional Depth: Tony goes through a range of emotions, from fear and regret to love and determination.
- Relationships with Other Characters: Tony's softer side emerges in his relationship with Pepper Potts, balancing his impulsiveness with love and commitment. His complex interactions with Steve Rogers reflect his struggle between ego and teamwork, while mentoring Peter Parker highlights his protective instincts and desire for redemption through guiding the younger hero.
Daenerys Targaryen (Game of Thrones)
- Clear Goals: Daenerys's primary goal is to reclaim the Iron Throne and restore her family's legacy. This clear objective drives her actions and decisions throughout the series, providing a strong narrative focus.
- Strong Motivations: Her motivations are fueled by a desire for justice, power, and the liberation of oppressed people.
- Relatable Flaws: Daenerys's ambition, occasional impulsiveness, and struggle with power make her human and relatable.
- Complex Backstory: As the last surviving Targaryen in exile, Daenerys's backstory shapes her identity and decisions.
- Character Growth: Daenerys undergoes significant growth, evolving from a timid, powerless girl into a confident and powerful leader.
- Unique Personality Traits: Daenerys's determination, compassion, and ability to inspire loyalty make her memorable and distinct, enriching the story and highlighting her role as a leader.
- Agency: Daenerys actively shapes the story through her decisions and actions, whether it's freeing slaves or forming alliances. Her agency emphasizes her significance in the narrative.
- Emotional Depth: Daenerys experiences a wide range of emotions, from love and hope to anger and despair. This emotional complexity helps viewers empathize with her, making her victories and losses impactful.
- Relationships with Other Characters: Daenerys's compassionate and discerning nature is evident in her relationship with Jorah Mormont, while her strategic mind is highlighted through her counsel with Tyrion Lannister. Her interactions with Jon Snow reveal her internal conflict between love and duty, showcasing her emotional depth and ambition as a leader.
