CHARACTER TYPES

ROUND CHARACTERS• WE KNOW A LOT ABOUT THEM

• POSSESS A VARIETY OF TRAITS

• SHOULD KNOW AT LEAST 5 THINGS ABOUT THEM

EXAMPLE:

JASON AND AMANDA ARE BEST FRIENDS. JASON IN 14 YEARS OLD. HE LIKES TO HIKE AND ENJOYS EATING PIZZA. DURING THE SUMMER HE WORKS ON HIS GRANDPA’S FARM FOR EXTRA SPENDING MONEY. HE HOPES TO ONE DAY GO TO COLLEGE AND BECOME A DOCTOR.

JASON IS A ROUND CHARACTER

FLAT CHARACTERS• WE DON’T KNOW A LOT ABOUT THEM

• BASIC, BORING

• LACKS DESCRIPTION

• LACKS IMPORTANT TRAITS

EXAMPLE: JASON AND AMANDA ARE BEST FRIENDS. JASON IN 14 YEARS OLD. HE LIKES TO HIKE AND ENJOYS EATING PIZZA. DURING THE SUMMER HE WORKS ON HIS GRANDPA’S FARM FOR EXTRA SPENDING MONEY. HE HOPES TO ONE DAY GO TO COLLEGE AND BECOME A DOCTOR.

AMANDA IS A FLAT CHARACTER

STATIC CHARACTERS• A CHARACTER WHO DOES NOT CHANGE SIGNIFICANTLY THROUGHOUT A

WORK

• DOES NOT GROW/DEVELOP

• MAINTAINS THE SAME

EXAMPLE:

BARRY ALWAYS KEEPS $20 IN HIS WALLET. ON THE WAY HOME FROM SCHOOL ONE DAY BARRY WAS MUGGED BY TWO GUYS IN SKI MASKS. BARRY WAS REALLY SHAKEN UP, BUT HE FIGURES IT WAS JUST A ONE TIME MUGGING SO HE CONTINUES TO CARRY $20 IN HIS WALLET.

DYNAMIC CHARACTER•A CHARACTER WHO CHANGES SIGNIFICANTLY THROUGHOUT A WORK

•UNDERGOES A MEANINGFUL/IMPORTANT GROWTH/DEVELOPMENT

EXAMPLE:

JENNY LOVES ICE CREAM! SHE HAS A BOWL EVERYDAY WHEN SHE GETS HOME FROM SCHOOL. ONE DAY JENNY WANTED ICE CREAM SO BAD THAT SHE HAD 3 BOWLS WHEN SHE GOT HOME. JENNY GOT VERY SICK OVER HER 3 BOWLS OF ICE CREAM. NOW AFTER SCHOOL, SHE JUST EATS COOKIES.

STOCK CHARACTERS

•A GENERIC, REOCCURRING CHARACTER

SUBORDINATE CHARACTER

•A SUPPORTING CHARACTER

•NOT A CRUCIAL MEMBER OF THE CAST

•SERVES A PURPOSE, BUT NOT CENTRAL TO THE PLOT

•OFTEN FLAT AND STATIC

PROTAGONIST•THE MAIN POSITIVE CHARACTER

•MUST FACE AND OVERCOME CONFLICT

•HERO

•GOOD GUY

• WE ROOT FOR THIS CHARACTER

EXAMPLES: HARRY POTTER, SUPERMAN, THOR,

ANTAGONIST

•THE MAIN NEGATIVE CHARACTER

•OPPOSES THE PROTAGONIST

•CREATES CONFLICT

•VILLAINS

•BAD GUYS

EXAMPLES: LORD VOLDEMORT, DARTH VADER, EVIL QUEEN

ANTI-HERO

•PROTAGONIST WHO SHARES THE QUALITIES OF AN ANTAGONIST

•BLURS THE LINES BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL

•WE ROOT FOR THEM, BUT THEY HAVE A NEGATIVE SIDE

EXAMPLES: DR. HOUSE, BATMAN,