Fictional Character Definition and Examples

A fictional character is an invented person or entity in a narrative, such as a book or a movie. Writers base fictional characters on historical figures, stories they hear, people they know, or characters from other works. A well-written character will help you connect to your audience and may even spawn a fandom.

Comic-book and cartoon characters like Batman, Captain America, Mickey Mouse, Pinocchio, and Spider-Man are instantly recognizable by their physical appearance. In contrast, memorable book characters rely on the reader’s imagination—although they often spawn TV, film, and video game adaptations.

These popular fictional characters can serve as role models, like the lead female character in The Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) or Jon Snow (Kit Harrington) in Game of Thrones. Other characters, like Miguel de Cervantes’ Don Quixote, Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes, and Mark Twain’s Tom Sawyer, are beloved for their eccentricities.

Delve deeper into the attributes and creation of four very different famous fictional characters:

1. 1. Bart Simpson: One of the best-known young male characters of all time, Bart (Nancy Cartright) of The Simpsons (1989) is an animated icon with a spiky yellow head and an ever-present skateboard. His spunky personality, visual signatures, and distinctive voice made Bart famous.
2. 2. Gandalf: Although he isn’t the main character in The Hobbit (1937) or The Lord of the Rings (1954) by J.R.R. Tolkien, the wizard Gandalf is memorable because he exemplifies the “wise old man” archetype. Dumbledore in J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter (1997) and Merlin (of Medieval legend) also fall under this archetype. Starting with a character archetype is a simple way to help your reader connect to and remember your supporting characters.
3. 3. Mike Wheeler: When expanding on the idea for the main character of their TV show Stranger Things (2016), the Duffer Brothers took inspiration from the movie E.T. (1982), in which the main character develops a special connection with an otherworldy character. Mike Wheeler (Finn Wolfhard) discovers a girl with superpowers known as Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown), and the two form a unique bond while fighting evil and hiding from authorities. Learn more about the Duffer Brothers’ character development process.
4. 4. Rose DeWitt Bukater: Although James Cameron based Titanic (1997) on historical events, the fictional story of Rose (Kate Winslet) anchors the movie. “The first moments of a character should somehow resonate with the entire film,” says James. In his breakdown of the introduction of Rose, James explains how slowly revealing Rose’s face for the first time sets a classic tone for the film.

Certain characters have transcended the span of literary history, from Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina to F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Jay Gatsby to Edith Wharton’s Lily Bart to Toni Morrison’s Sethe. Here’s what these characters have in common:

• They represent a clear point of view. A memorable character’s personality tends to be rooted in a strong point of view. When you think of Jay Gatsby, you immediately think of his fetishization of high society. Gatsby’s point of view is well-defined and keeps him memorable.
• They remind readers and viewers of real people. Fictional characters can run the gamut from measured to outlandish, but the most believable characters are the most memorable. (This is particularly important when writing the main character. Supporting characters can have more eccentric quirks and mannerisms yet still delight an audience.) J.D. Salinger’s Holden Caulfield resonates with readers because he feels like a real person living in real-life New York City. Many teenagers have read Holden’s first-person narration in The Catcher in the Rye (1951) with the feeling that the young man could be their best friend—or even themselves. The most memorable literary characters are, at their core, human beings.
• They have a backstory that goes deeper than what’s on the page. An author knows they’ve created a good character when they can tell you more about that character than could ever fit into a single work of fiction. In William Styron’s Sophie’s Choice (1979), an unspoken backstory consumes the titular character. It informs every aspect of her character’s personality throughout the events of the book. While Sophie ultimately reveals episodes from her experiences in a concentration camp during World War II, there is no doubt that Styron knew more about his densely layered character than he eventually typed onto the pages.

A genuinely memorable character will stick with the reader or viewer long after they forget the key plot points","category":"automated-link"}' automatic='true'>plot points of a movie, novel, or short story. How many people can recall the exact story arc of the 1983 film The King of Comedy? Perhaps not many.

But nearly everyone who saw the film can recall the character profile of Rupert Pupkin, played by Robert De Niro. Nor can readers recall most plot points of Ulysses (1922)—the story was far less important to James Joyce than language or character. But everyone who read that novel remembers Leopold Bloom, his personality traits, his tics, and his mesmerizing inner monologue.

If you want to create more memorable characters in your work, there are several essential things you should keep in mind.

1. 1. Base your characters on people you know. The adage goes, “write what you know” and truthfully, that tip can be too broadly applied. For instance, how many people who have written about outer space have been there? (Other than Chris Hadfield.) However, it is essential to create characters you understand. Consider crafting a fictional character in the image of someone in your own life. Perhaps your character will share a physical appearance with a real person—from hair color to eye color to minor vocal tics and physical mannerisms. Or maybe they will share personality traits with people you know. Grounding characters in the characteristics of actual people will help keep them memorable.
2. 2. Use indirect characterization. Another classic adage of writing is to “show, don’t tell.” In practical terms, this means favoring indirect characterization over direct characterization. Resist the urge to spend a lot of time describing a character when you could demonstrate their character profile via their actions, dialogue, and inner monologues. These are examples of indirect characterization and tend to be more effective for developing characters than stopping the action to describe every new character who crosses your page.
3. 3. Make your characters change throughout your novel, movie, or TV series. The main characters must change to stay in a reader’s or viewer’s memory. While secondary characters might be able to exist in a stable state, your protagonists must undergo a character arc that takes them through a range of emotions and perspectives. Shakespeare fans don’t remember Romeo and Juliet for their first scene alone. Their character development and tragic arcs are what sear them into our memories.
4. 4. Make sure your main characters are at least as interesting as your minor characters. Some authors, screenwriters, and playwrights have great ideas for two-dimensional sidekicks—think of Sir Andrew and Sir Toby in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night (1602) or Donnie in The Big Lebowski (1998), all of whom are indisputably great characters. Memorable minor characters offer valuable texture but cannot carry a story. If you want readers and viewers to invest in your vision, you must ensure they care about your main characters. Therefore, don’t waste your most complex traits, textured backstories, and vibrant language on secondary characters. The best fiction writing reserves its best moments for the protagonists. Service those characters first, and your readers will remember your work long after they’ve consumed it.

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