Viewpoint Characters Types You Love/Hate To Play?

[mother of sorrows]

heyo! so i've been kind of revamping some of my old characters and while doing that, i came to a conclusion; i definitively have a type when it comes to characters. while not the same, a lot of my characters have the same personality type. a lot of them are, well, asshats i always found mean and argumentative characters the most fun to write, seeing as they're often in the midst of drama (within reason, of course)! plus, when done well, it can be really awesome to see them develop into a better person. still, i noticed that like 70% of my characters are like that lmao.

that got me thinking - what kind of personality/archtype do you guys personally find the most fun to roleplay? would you say most of you characters fall into that category? alternatively, which are some personality types you just can't roleplay with or hate writing?

for me, i just can't play 'soft uwu shy' characters. i just... can't. i have nothing against personalities like that per se, but whenever i tried to write a character like that, they either fail spectacularly or i lose interest in them. they're just not very interesting to me.

 

[Grey]

I don't play very much, but I try to diversify my roster when I do.
I think the only consistent things about my characters is they're usually good at what they do, try to be charming, and are often strange in some way (dependant on the setting; for example I always play Warlocks in D&D). I think I tend to make a lot of mystics, academics, and theologians.

I wouldn't say there's a character I hate playing, but anyone that's too passive is poison to the RP unless they grow out of it or other characters are meant to play off that trait until they do grow out of it.

 

[natsukashii]

In my writing group (as well as on the site I mainly RP on), I have been known to gravitate towards the types who are loud, obnoxious, and headstrong. I also have a particular lean towards flawed arrogant bois. As far as female characters are concerned, my typical tropes/personality traits are those who fall into the wild child category, as well as perky and sugary positive.

I do try my best to be as diverse as I can. Whether this involves me using different face claims of varying ethnic origins or not is up for debate, but I do try to go out of my comfort zone. I try and write characters who might not get enough representation, but old habits really are stubborn and I'll retreat to my bubble if things get too complicated for me. I mean, I know they (the royal they) say to write what you know, but I like to challenge myself a lot. It's not always a winning scenario but I like to do it regardless so I can say that I gave it my best shot.

 

[voracity]

I'm in the unfortunate position where people in the roleplays are incapable able to write anything other than [popular, rich, adored], [omega, bullied, secret genius billionare that runs the street race of Miami at night], [has heterochromia iridium, glorified/romanticized abuse backstory, knows every martial art under the sun] ... so I get the fun opportunity to fill and play in literally every thing else! The only drawback is that they're so aggressive in their thirst for popularity and total control of everyone worshiping their popular/mysterious/aloof character that the mere weakness of 'gullible' is exploited to hell and back as a stepping stone for their characters' development, or to demonstrate how exactly popular, adored, or rich they actually are. I basically write NPC characters, which is good practice, all told.

For soft 'uwu' characters, have you ever tried to put them directly in a scenario where you get punished for it? For instance, I always like to throw people who decide to write 'shy, unsocial' in their weaknesses into a position of leadership - a good player would stay in character and write out how their troops/people disrespect them, ignore their orders because they're 'shy and unsocial' and probably fail a mission or two in their backstory given the situation. But they'd still be in character! And then you can grow out from 'shy soft uwu' into 'depressed uwu but I'll change and maybe turn vindictive and get revenge'. Super long way to answer the question, but playing as a helpless coward of a civilian is always an amazing experience. An absolute average person who, when encountering the supernatural, can scream, can shake, stutter, cry, trip, perform the sheer miracle of just .... shutting the door - no dramatics, no heroics, only sheer human ingenuity and maybe grow a pair as the roleplay progresses.

 

[Sludge]

I find it the easiest to write extroverted characters who are open about their feelings. Especially if I don't have to be super realistic about it. A big friendly guy. A cheeky prankster. An eccentric wizard who welcomes company.

Lately I've been pushing myself to make more reserved characters. Mostly because I feel like it is my weak spot in personal projects that I hope to get better at. It is challenging to rp characters who aren't super sociable because I have to always search for ways to open them up. Not sure if it comes out believable but I try. As long as the character doesn't just stand quietly in a corner.

Still new to dnd tho, so I go for safer stuff there.

 

[defenderofberk]

I usually like to rp quite arrogant characters that believe they are entitled to the entire universe except deep down they know they're not. They're flamboyant with their false emotions, reserved with their true ones and usually look at most things with a level of distain, except for a few things which they have begrudging admiration for. This only really applies to female characters though; whenever I try this with a male they just turn into your stereotypical jock.

Apart from that I usually role play quite reserved characters, not necessarily because I enjoy it but because I find it easier. If I'm role playing several characters I'll normally have at least one quiet intellectual, although their personalities can differ greatly. Some are really modest, some a nigh on evil scientists and some are manipulate bastards.

The only character I actively dislike playing is the soft girl/boy "help me uwu" trope. It really annoys me for some reason, so much so that I've called off entire role plays because they've said they only play that type of character. Even my characters that aren't very old and don't have a great understanding of the world aren't like this; they have their own minds, they're just often not that well informed and are often too trusting of people. They would be scared if they got dropped off in a bad part of town for example, but they'd try and keep a level head, not just immediately collapse.

 

[Ayama]

I definitely have a set roster of types I default to, but the two most enjoyable to play are the young and obnoxious guy who never takes anything seriously and the psychotically insane woman who just wants to hurt people. Wonder what liking those characters says about me xD
Ooh, and the taciturn female badass- a classic ;P

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[Crayons]

I definitely have a set roster of types I default to, but the two most enjoyable to play are the young and obnoxious guy who never takes anything seriously and the psychotically insane woman who just wants to hurt people. Wonder what liking those characters says about me xD
Ooh, and the taciturn female badass- a classic ;P

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I feel seen. XD

I have character types I default to as well. I love playing trickster characters, as well as anti-villains. The most fun characters are those who have some kind of agenda that they are really focused on. Could be a revolutionary type who wants to change the world, or someone who has an ambition for themselves, or even someone blindly following a tradition. I especially like this if the goal they are focused on is something I personally disagree with. Also comedy thugs. I love comedy thugs and funny characters in general and I honestly don't know where I would be if I had to play 100% serious characters all the time. I also like characters where I can plot and scheme and generally machinate to my little heart's content because I am secretly evil.

 

[XuilansSoul]

Personally, my favorite one is the "motherly" type, kind, caring, shy but with a little extra temper. That's the usual character I like to play. There's been times where I throw in one that's completely that opposite personality and I have a lot of fun with it. Like on oc, she was rash, irritable, ill-tempered, and overall didn't trust people. It was so much fun working with her!

 

[Onmyoji]

I love to play characters that are 'cold on the outside, passionate on the inside'.
In my recent roleplays probably like 90% of characters would fall under this type. No, I'm not bored and no, it's not the same character with different names. They're all unique in their own way even if they share the personality type.
And I also enjoy to play the 'Paladin' archetype. The characters that would be like FOR JUSTICEEEE! but when presented with a choice between being lawful or good would do good disregarding the laws.
Usually it's those two tropes combined and bam you have my favorite type of character in every way.


What I don't like to play... immoral characters. While it can be interesting to rp and challenging, but I just don't think I can portray them well enough.

 

[banyanya]

As much as I try not to limit myself to certain tropes, there's just something about gruff jerks with a heart of gold ... in the right plot / setting, they're a crowd pleaser.

 

[Emotional Enigma]

I love playing rich, snobby characters who don't really care about anything lol they make for good character development like an Emperors New Groove movie.

I HATE playing the damsel in distress characters who always need help or get too scared to do fight back or say anything.

 

[Crayons]

Oh! Character types I don't like playing: Anything too straightforward - I'm not keen on honorable knights who speak their mind and things like that because I get bored. (Unless they are comedy dumbasses then I'm in.) Not a big fan of extremely macho guys and extremely girly women. Macho women and girly men - YES. Out and out evil characters. It just makes me feel uncomfortable playing really evil and cruel people, and I find it hard to engage with their motivation.

 

[ashwynne]

Oooooh for me it jumps all over the map. I like dabbling with a wide array of different personality types. The biggest consistency across my characters is that they’re all well spoken and moderately intelligent but how that manifests will vary.

All that said.... I think my favourite character type is a tie between an immorally droll survivalist/villain with a sliver of potential for redemption, and an impulsive optimist who consistently lands in trouble because of this.

As for character types I hate and won’t touch with a ten foot pole? Shy wallflowers. Too boring for me, arguably too similar to me too Half the fun of writing varying personality types for me is to get ideas for self improvement and what life might be like in those other shoes. Helps to grow as a person and while writing a shy wallflower would probably come easily, it wouldn’t be interesting to me.

 

[Grey]

Anything too straightforward - I'm not keen on honorable knights who speak their mind and things like that because I get bored.

I used to be very much the same way, but I found out in the right context this can actually be a blast. The trick seems to be throwing them into situations they can't fight or honestly talk their way out of, forcing them to work with or rely on more underhanded characters.
My main example is a character I played in an RP run by a friend of mine in a setting I wrote.

Wolkyr was a warrior-priest from a nomadic culture living on the periphery of a powerful kingdom, and he was believed by his people to the prophet of their death god. So he was forthright, honourable, illiterate, and had a very poor understanding of money. His main goals were to serve his god, destroy undead, and unite his people to overthrow the Kneelers who stole their land from them generations ago.
He also wanted to marry one of the other PCs because he thought she was the most beautiful and cunning woman he'd ever met, so along with some other factors he wound up spending a lot of time working with a family from the big city - a minor trading dynasty who were, at the time, trying to influence the politics of the kingdom so that it might become an oligarchy instead of a monarchy.
Which meant that despite being a very spiritual person, eloquent in his native language, he was often mistaken for dumb muscle and had to balance his personal sense of honour against the things the group had to do in order to succeed.
He was a lot more fun than I anticipated and I'm sad we never got to the final plot arc of that game.

 

[Melpomene]

Oooooh I love this question! In all honesty, I am all over the board with this as I love playing just about every type of character, but I think these would be my favorites.

I love playing characters that are usually stoic and jaded with optimism having to slowly be introduced to them again through the help of a good adventure and companionship. Oftentimes I like a Knight in Crude Armor type, good heroic people that have just become so jaded they are pessimist. As the Seven quote goes: "Hemingway said the 'the world is good and deserves saving.' I agree with the second part."

I love to play a woman that is outspoken and energetic with a large love for life and a want for adventure. I rarely play someone who cannot just throw themselves out there and talk to whomever they please. I think it is how I compensate for being so socially awkward irl, haha.

Finally, I have come to love the motherly/fatherly type. These characters will take yours in, smother them in affection and refuse to give up on you. They range from being outspoken to being shy, so it really isn't a solid personality but it is a feel that they give. That they are extremely caring and loving and their heart knows no bounds (which can very much get them in trouble)

As for the characters I hate to play, we'll there aren't many but I would say I really hate playing anyone who is mostly there to just look pretty. I hate when I feel my characters have been relegated to 'love interest' whether they be male or female. I've had that happen to me maaaany times when I have RP'd and I ended up hightailing it out of there each time lol.

 

[Lorsh]

-characters that have some kind of authority complex despite being incompetent

-characters that are authoritarian and uncharismatic

-characters that are desperate/forced to resort to violence

-characters that hold questionable moral views

-characters that are brainwashed in some way (usually politically)

 

[CrowOuttaHell]

I tend to bounce between various character archetypes depending on what I think the RP might need or just what I'm in the mood for, but I've definitely noticed a few recurring things in my characters that I end up doing a lot.

In more light-hearted RPs I like playing the token hearty, friendly and hardworking teammate who's always got your back as long as you have theirs, since I find having a confident character helps in getting early interactions in. Shift to darker plotlines though and I usually end up playing the serious, sometimes bordering into hardcore guys who may or may not have scumbag tendencies and harsh backstories. Though I do sometimes just play the token quiet teammate who, while not being exactly friendly, isn't really harsh either. They're just there. That on the other hand allows a little more flexibility with how to handle the character's story and actions.

For all his faults, one of my favorite OCs to this day is Ryoma the scumbag ronin turned yakuza (sometimes the other way around) since it's fun and even kinda engaging to just let loose and think of things from a less moral point of view. It's almost therapeutic.

If there's a chance to play nonhuman characters, I will most likely jump at that chance. I like playing around with the RP's lore especially if there are specialized ways in which these nonhuman characters live. Several of my favorite OCs so far in roleplay have been nonhuman; that list including a soldier robot, a lizardman, and even a slave giant with a speech impediment and OCD.

I can safely say I dislike playing the token love interest in RPs nowadays, though, especially as male love interests. I once had to play a ton of those in a multiverse RP and if they ever had any problems, most of my partners would usually bring up their character's problems and so I had to ditch mine in order to help with theirs. Not to mention having to be generally the perfect love interest once the characters are in a relationship and losing most of the character's original personality in pursuit of this. Having another character take interest in mine without them being a designated love interest feels a lot more fulfilling to me nowadays due to that.

 

[Malphaestus]

I like roleplaying characters who just don't really fit in well with most settings, which is definitely an issue since the only time I can usually do them is for my own stories.

Most of my gripes with characters stem from their writers, so I can't quite say that I have any definitive opinion of any archetype. Though I don't really look at archetypes to begin with, I try to freeform.

 

[leviathan.]

i love building off and/or subverting archetypes! my favorites to riff off of are "cotton candy mean girl", "bitter crotchety bastard but deep down he's a bitterer crotchety bastard", "twitchy conspiracy theorist", and "redneck intellectual". basically characters with more vices than virtues.

i can't play characters who aren't a little bit nasty. relentlessly sunny characters are just not my cup of tea unless they're faking it.

 

[Archie]

I only have 3 rules:

1. I'll never play the same character twice. Every character has a different inspiration - sometimes they're not even based on people but on ideas I've read about.

2. They have to believe something I don't. That's not just to make it more fun, but because people with completely different experiences should have completely different outlooks on things.

3. Some of the other characters need to start as stronger than them. RPs don't usually last that long, but when they do this offers more opportunity for character growth/development.

Some characters I don't have a rule against playing but which I find hard to play:

1. Characters much shorter or taller than me

2. Non-conversational characters (just makes it hard to RP)

3. High school students

 

[TheInsanityOfBobSemple]

I tend to like to play what I like to call "Commissars." They sometimes do or don't have that rank. I don't know but I have a certain love for those types of characters. Very-by-the-book, stuck-up, even arrogant but are stalwart, unflinching, uncompromising, and never tolerates cowardice, willful incompetence, and treachery. They're very loyal to a fault. They are always behind your back, inspiring and encouraging you on to victory yet are also behind you to punish you if they find you wanting. They kinda serve at the spiritual support of a group and I like trying to explore that. Maybe even butts head with the leader over certain topics. Of course, I apply often variations to this trope. For example, maybe a corrupt version of the character that only puts on a facade to hide crimes they've done in the past or a ruthless pragmatist who doesn't care what it takes to do a job for their cause, seeing his teammates only as tools. I also like a shout one-liners with this character since their purpose is to inspire and motivate, typically through the cool factor.

 

[Tove]

Characters I hate that I have never played.
1.) The damn damsel. Sees the guy who rescued her get injured because of her, he's bleeding out from his wound, and doesn't lift a finger to help him or even if she doesn't know how to do anything at least try. The only thing she can do is say: "Oh my goodness, you're hurt! Oh no! What are you going to do?!" and manage to get kidnapped.

2.) All the Sue, Stu, perfect at everything adored by everyone, easily the person to fall in love with, can solve the world's hunger problems by pulling a sandwich out of nowhere type, is able to unite all the animals mythical creatures blah blah blah.


Characters I love playing. Antiheroes. The female warrior who has strength but isn't a super bitch about it or isn't afraid to ask for help. Characters that are smart without bragging about it to other characters. I like the non open book type of characters. Friendly but you still can't figure them out not in third post anyway.

 

[Tulik]

My favorite characters to play are ones stricken by madness, usually brought on by too much power of a deity or something g like that. It can be hard to play an insane character, knowing how to balance the fun aspects and not go overbearing with the fact that they are crazy. I have one character. Literally known as the “Mad God” and he is just a delight. He is insane, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t intelligent. Snarky, but wise. Sometimes maniacal and sometimes seemingly normal. It’s what makes him dangerous. I loosely gave him the idea of sheogorath from Elder Scrolls and then made it my own.

 

[alien-puke]

I will say, I love playing 'grouchy but has a soft side that's really difficult to get to' kind of characters. Dunno what I find so charming about them... However, I think only two of my characters are actually like that, out of the countless I have.

My least favourite type are the "straight up, unjustified assholes". They're not even going through any problems or anything (hence the unjustified part), so there's nothing for me to sympathize with. Not to mention that I don't really like those people in real life, so it becomes sort of cringey and dislikeable to me when I have to play someone who's picking pointless fights and acting harshly towards others (especially if they're other people's oc's...)