what is the difference between round and flat characters

They tend not to narrate stories and often operate in secret. Still, 95% of the time, the protag is the hero and the “antag” is the villain.Īntagonists usually play just as important a role in a story as their protagonistic counterparts, but they may not be seen as much.

This isn’t always the case - especially if the protagonist is an anti-hero who lacks typical heroic attributes, or the antagonist is an anti-villain who has noble characteristics. Most of the time, the protagonist is good and the antagonist is evil, and such is the source of their conflict. If you’re an antagonist, you antagonize - it’s what you do.Specifically, you undermine, thwart, battle, or otherwise oppose one character: the protagonist. Indiana Jones - a classic protag if there ever was one. Protagonist examples: Harry Potter, Frodo Baggins, Katniss Everdeen, John McClane, Dorothy Gale, Hercule Poirot, Indiana Jones, Walter White ( who is actually an anti-hero, as opposed to the traditional hero). Remember, all other roles are defined in relation to the protagonist - so if you’re currently planning a story, this should be the very first character you flesh out. The narrator can also be someone close to the MC (like Nick in The Great Gatsby), or e someone completely removed (though this is relatively rare).Įvery single story has to have a protagonist, no matter what. In stories written with a first-person point of view, the protagonist is usually the narrator, but not always. Most of the action centers around them, and they’re the one we’re meant to care about the most. The protagonist is likely a pretty familiar concept for most of us: this is the main character, the big cheese, the star of the show. This means all other roles stem from their relationship to the protagonist.

As you probably know, the most important role in any story is the protagonist (which we’ll discuss below). Character Types by RoleĬharacter role refers to the part that one plays in the story.

In this post, we will explore 12 different types of characters, divided by their role in a story, and by their quality. Most writers understand how to categorize their characters based on classic, “comic book-style” labels: heroes, villains, sidekicks, etc.But in the ever-intricate realm of stories, there are many more nuanced types to consider.

What is the difference between round and flat characters