Have you ever noticed how there are many side characters who are cooler than the hero? I don’t know why this is. Perhaps it’s because the hero is meant to portray the “everyday man,” and we’re all flawed. Let me give you some examples. Samwise Gamgee. Now, granted, Sam didn’t have to carry the ring as long as Frodo, and at the start of the story, Frodo was a fairly good character. He certainly was brave to speak up and offer to continue to carry the ring. But as the story goes on, we see Sam, stalwart and loyal, stand by Frodo despite the worst treatment. I don’t know… I just really love that hobbit.
I also have to point out that Han Solo and Princess Leia are both so much more interesting than Luke Skywalker. Perhaps it’s because they know things about the galaxy and Luke is so naïve—and sometimes whiny.
All this to say, be careful when you plan out your cast of characters. Make sure that your hero is interesting too. Give your hero a fascinating trait or two, even if they are an “everyman.” Let them have some kind of unique interest or skill that sets them apart. They shouldn’t be perfect, though. And their personality should rub up against some of your side characters to provide interesting conflict. Just make sure that your reader has no reason to say, “I wish the best friend was the main character.”
Now, you might as, “Why?” I mean, I mentioned The Lord of the Rings and Star Wars, which are two of the most popular series of all time. The same applies to Harry Potter, which is another megahit. Frodo, Luke, and Harry all seemed to work just fine as the lead characters for those series. So why not make your main character ordinary? In fact, many writing teachers tell you to make your hero an everyman. The idea is to make him “normal” so that the reader can relate to him.
I want to know your take on this. Do you think main characters should be ordinary, “normal” characters so that readers can relate to them? Or are you tired of wishing that side characters played the lead in the books you read?
Share in the comments. I’m curious to hear your ideas.
Jill Williamson is a chocolate loving, daydreaming, creator of kingdoms, and the author of several young adult fantasy novels including the Blood of Kings trilogy. She loves teaching about writing. She blogs at goteenwriters.com and also posts writing videos on her YouTube channel and on Instagram. Jill is a Whovian, a Photoshop addict, and a recovering fashion design assistant. She grew up in Alaska without running water or electricity and now lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and two kids. Find Jill online at jillwilliamson.com or on Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter.
(This is going to be a long one.) Yeah, I’ve noticed this too. Side characters are sometimes much more likeable. I think some of it has to do is that a lot of the time it’s the side character helping the MC pull through. They are the ones who stand by in the most dire of times when they could run away. We don’t always see the MC making the choice to stand more of just that he/she has no choice.
I think your MC should have something that makes him/her unique. Because as people none of us are “normal” we all have some quirk and definitely a ton of flaws. *I could go on about this for hours…*
Another reason we may like side characters much more is because we see their likeable traits through the eyes of the MC, oftentimes the friend. So if there was some flaw, if the MC is a friend, he/she would overlook it while on the same time he/she is pounding him/herself over all his/her mistakes. And since that’s what we see, sometimes that’s what we mimic.
In most books I like the side characters better, only exception is Sage from The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen. Because he has such a distinct, unique personality and character voice, and is overly flawed and not afraid to admit that he’s scared at times… I don’t know something about him is just likeable. (A whole lot more than most of the side characters…)
If anyone made it through my long comment, I highly respect you.
OMG, so true Maggie. I think this is exactly why we like main characters. Most best friends that are in *insert dangerous situation here* with the MC are like the pillar of stability for the MC. And often, the side character is the one with most of the funny lines, and whatever. Thank you for the looooong comment!
Glad you liked it, Ally! I honestly had thought nobody would read it!!
I definitely agree with the fact that my side characters are more interesting, like for example, in one of my stories, a side character named Heather definitely has more depth than my main protagonist.
Another good example is Hazel Lancaster from The Fault in Our Stars by John Green (this is an incredible book, if you haven’t read it yet, I HIGHLY recommend!) I never felt that well, at least in the book, that Hazel was a well-fleshed out character. When the book ended, I felt like John Green could have done so much more in the novel. Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying that Hazel is a bad character, I just feel like she was a bit too bland. I feel that side characters like Isaac were a lot more entertaining to read about. I find that in the movie adaptation (I don’t know if it was because of Shailene Woodley’s performance, or possible scripting) but I felt that Hazel was a lot better and more developed in this adaptation. I don’t know, just my thoughts :p
I agree with you, Maggie. I couldn’t have said it better myself. I read your comment all the way through – thank you for respecting me now 🙂
I made it through your long comment and greatly enjoyed your insight. I like Sage too, btw.
*gasps* You like SAGE!!!! *high-fives*
Characters are my favorite part of stories. I love them. I do find that I sometimes like side characters more than main characters but I guess I’m content that they are only side characters. I think that side characters should have just the same importance as the MC, like be flawed as well. And the MC plus the side characters help each other to work through whatever they’re working through,or push through their flaws. If that makes any sense.
It makes total sense, Lacey. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
I’m kinda in the middle. I don’t tend to like most main characters. Percy Jackson is really the only one that I love and that’s cause he is a big dork. And side characters are awesome. (I really have no idea where I’m going with this). I hope that my MC ends up being really relatable and that people will actually like him.
I love Percy Jackson too. I’ve been wanting to reread that series for a while now…
The main characters that I love, like Linh Cinder, Sophie Foster, and Thrawn… I like their books a lot. But I also sometimes wish that someone else had a chance to lead the story. And, yes, The Lunar Chronicles does have multiple POV characters, but I really want an entire book through Wolf’s eyes. Same with Keeper. Keefe, Tam, and Sandor are some of my favorite characters of all time, so a story in Sandor’s golbliny, overprotective mind would be absolutely amazing. So, I guess I do like the main characters in their stories, but wish the side guys would have an different book for them.
I ADORE Keefe! And Sandor. Sophie is also a great main character; I love her. 🙂
Do you prefer books with one POV or multiple POVs that let us see into the side character’s minds?
I also love Sophie, but she can be clueless sometimes! I like Keefe and Tam and Dex the best. 🙂
PS If you go to the author’s website, she actually has a few chapters written from Keefe’s pov that happen during the 7th book.
Just finished re-re-re-rereading Keefe’s chapter. Excuse me while I go read it a few nine dozen more times.
Right?!?!?!?! ??
The main characters that I love, like Linh Cinder, Sophie Foster, and Thrawn… I like their books a lot. But I also sometimes wish that someone else had a chance to lead the story. And, yes, The Lunar Chronicles does have multiple POV characters, but I really want an entire book through Wolf’s eyes. Same with Keeper. Keefe, Tam, and Sandor are some of my favorite characters of all time, so a story in Sandor’s golbliny, overprotective mind would be absolutely amazing. So, I guess I do like the main characters in their stories, but wish the side guys would have an different book for them.
Books that dive into side characters’ POVs are always fun. There’s just something about seeing the story through new eyes. It’s a fresh take on a beloved story, and the side characters usually have fun, unique voices that make the story fun to listen to.
I recently read Madeline Miller’s “Song of Achilles,” a retelling of the Illiad. There are a lot of things I liked about that book, but I think a large part of its appeal was the fact that its POVC, Patroclus, held side character status for literally thousands of years!
I really enjoy writing multiple POVs for this very reason. 🙂
This is so interesting! I’ve always wondered why the side characters draw my interest more than the MC, and hearing your thoughts is truly enlightening! Sometimes I’ll even like that random, quirky bus driver from chapter 14 more than the hero
The one this I have to add is that we generally don’t know as much about side characters, so there’s a bit of mystery around each one. Most questions about the MC are answered throughout the book, whereas side characters get to keep their secrets. I think all the questions we have intrigue us.
Also, the one common thread of LOTR, HP, and SW is that they all have AMAZING plots and lovable side characters. So maybe they attract readers because of the plot, and keep them because of the side characters? Like, they compensate for the lacking MC.
*SPOILER FOR THOSE WHO HAVEN’T READ HARRY POTTER 5* I was talking with my mom and brother about Sirius’ death, and why we did/didn’t care. I said that it didn’t bring much grief, because the reason we were supposed to care was ’cause of Harry, and I think Harry is a jerk and frustrating to read about. The little bit of grief I DID feel was on Lupin’s behalf! Because I love and care about him more than Harry. Just kind of odd.
Wait, you think Harry’s a jerk too? I thought I was the only one!
Harry is really grouchy in that book. Grouchy characters can be difficult on readers.
You’re so right about the mystery of side characters. I often have so many questions about side characters that I wish those things were just stated in the book.
I definitely notice that side characters tend to be more likable or interesting than the MC. I think that’s because the purposes that side characters serve (comic relief, emotional support, knowledge on important topics, skills that benefit the goal, etc.) tend to make them fun, quirky, unique, or just overall easy to attach to, so we gravitate towards them.
I also think that just the IDEA of a side character has an appeal all of its own. We’re drawn to these characters even though it isn’t their story, so maybe we’re drawn to them BECAUSE it isn’t their story. We know less about them than the main character, the story means something different to them, and they’re bringing something else to the table, so they fascinate us. There’s just something about the nature of side characters as a whole that gives us an innate draw to them.
I do think it’s possible to have a lovable MC though. There seems to be this… I don’t know… connotation? Aura? Set of qualities?… that people associate with MCs. I guess you can call it the MC default setting. It’s what people expect the MC to be, so a lot of authors craft theirs in that fashion. Meanwhile, you see more variety in the side characters. There’s nothing wrong with that. But when you give your MC some unique qualities or an empowering arc or a twist of some kind, then they feel fresh and original and therefore more real. They’re easier to attach to, fun to spend time with, and they transform from a main character into a person.
You worded that really great. I am amazed at the things I can learn in the comments.
I couldn’t agree more with you!! Sooooooo true!!
I love this: “MC default setting”
Also, slightly off topic, but slightly on topic: I’ve noticed that in love triangles, the guy I like best as a character is seldom the same as the guy I want the girl to end up with. (Example: With the Iron Fey series, I’m Team Ash, but I still LOVE Puck. He makes me laugh out loud, and *SPOILER ALERT* I felt really bad for him when he didn’t end up with Meghan.)
I don’t know… does anyone else know what I mean/have any thoughts on this?
I know exactly what you mean. Shipping is a complicated art… we best not try and undermine the delicate threads keeping it together. Remember, Ship Wars can start at the slightest mention of a couple…
Also, Team Ash all the way!
I ADORE side characters! On my current WIP, two of my friends read some of my draft, and they both like my side characters more than they did my main character. To be honest, I have a couple side characters I like better then my MC. (I still like my MC, don’t get me wrong.)
I totally agree, Sam Gamgee is AWESOME!
I really like the humorous side characters, especially when they’re not trying to be funny, and I love when you have two certain characters who argue all the time.
Some other side characters I love are Nat in the Witch of Blackbird Pond, Chet in the Hardy Boys series, Tock and Humbug in The Phantom Tollbooth, Grumio in The Taming of the Shrew, Calvin and Charles Wallace in A Wrinkle in Time, and the Quagmire Triplets in A Series of Unfortunate Events. I love the MCs in all of those books too.
Question: One character of mine has a very dark (or, well… It’s not dark at all, but the character would say it’s dark, since he’s rather dramatic.) secret, and he hints about it a couple times. Would it be okay to reveal his secret, or should I not, since he’s only a side character???
Riley, I’m not a writing expert, but I think that if you hint at something you should fulfill it to your reader. They will be expecting the answer to be revealed eventually. I hope that helps!
Also, Sam Gamgee is the BEST!!!! And I’ve always liked Calvin, too.
Yessss… Sam is awesome.
I’ve read The Phantom Tollbooth. It’s really good.
Same! Love that book!
I’m with Issabelle on secrets. If you set it up to make the reader curious, you should really let it pay off in the end. Otherwise you annoy readers.
I love the Humbug too! The Phantom Tollbooth is one of my favorite books.
I do tend to love side characters more than main characters. I think it’s because the side character doesn’t have to grow like main characters do. They are literally supporting cast. But they still have to seem “real” like they are living their own story, if only an author were to tell it. The irony is when they become main characters, the reader tends to find new side characters to wish for! The Savvy series is a good example of this.
I Always love the side characters more. I guess its because they are not the ones who get the most attention. I also feel like I don’t have a spotlight, so I feel more connected to them than the MC, who often will be the special one who will save the world, or the only one who can do something dramatic. The side characters are more realistic. (To me at least)
I get that, Anna. Most stories take an ordinary person and send them on an overly extraordinary adventure. So readers can relate to that normal person at the start of the story, and then as they become that special “chosen one,” we readers gravitate toward the side characters, who at that point, are now more realistic.
I had never even thought of this, though now that you brought it up I can see that I often have this problem in my stories. Now I know of one more problem to watch for! ?
Ha ha. There really is TOO MUCH to watch for sometimes, isn’t there?
I think it depends on the story whether the hero should be an “everyman” or not. In cases like Harry Potter, the story is essentially about everyman Harry becoming more. In cases like Beowulf, or with characters like Batman, the protagonist is necessarily not an everyman, because the story is about legendary deeds/superhuman heroics.
That being said, I don’t think non-everyman heroes are necessarily not relatable, nor do I think all everyman heroes *are* relatable (Frodo, while being an everyman, isn’t particularly relatable to me for whatever reason). In my current WIP, the main character is a highly competent, powerful, and venerable pyromancer. He’s definitely not meant to be an everyman, but he’s designed to be likable and interesting despite being a crabby old guy. I’m hoping readers can relate to his problems working with a team and his (hopefully) believable foibles. I actually have more of a problem with the side characters at the moment–the MC is so interesting to me that the rest are kind of marginal at the moment.
Colin, I’m having that SAME kind of problem. I feel like my MC is a lot more interesting than my side characters because I’ve put a lot of time and energy in him.
(P.S. I just had to say my MC is actually named Colin, so great name!!)
Great points, Colin. Thanks for sharing. Your pyromancer sounds super interesting, and I hope you can give him the supporting cast he needs!