Character Theory [Help needed!] How to make a character likeable

[Daisie]

So I have this character that I'm trying to add a little bit more likeability to, and I figured I'd come here and get some advice on it.
I don't think she's even particularly unlikeable, but because of her backstory, I do feel like I'm starting off at a bit of a handicap. I'll explain.

Lucia was originally the character of a friend of mine, and I'm taking her over for a writing project of mine (with permission of course). Lucia has a defined role in her relationships throughout the story and I do like her, but all of the other characters (both my friend's and my own) are coming off more appealing to me, and I suspect it isn't just a matter of personal preference. I think I've isolated that I'm at a bit of a disadvantage for a few reasons.

1. She comes from wealth. Now this isn't a damning sentence or anything. My favourite character is an exorbitantly wealthy person. But I also think that having grown up in a very upper-class background does make it so that there's naturally a little less relatability than the average person. It may not be a huge issue, but it's something to note anyways.
2. Maybe more of an addendum to the first one, but she's very posh. She's not just wealthy, but she does subtly project herself as above others. It's a big factor.
3. My friend and I have always struggled to give her some sort of purpose among her compatriots. For the most part, she's soft-willed and doesn't like getting dirty with her hands, so she's historically been very passive, especially in a high-action and high-emotion story.
4. Respect. She's a bit difficult to hold respect for because it's a habit of hers to ignore or run away from her problems. I'm cool with slowly fixing that over the course of the project, but at the same time, I do feel the need to give her something else until then. I'm in need of redeeming qualities, lol.

So if you have any general advice on how to make likeable characters or how to make an unlikeable character more appealing, feel free. But also I would love advice on Lucia specifically, and maybe even some ideas for what her strengths could be. Cause right now as it goes, my characters take the loose pattern of:
Reavis - Strong, stubborn leader who takes responsibility for the others
Stan - Also strong, but way more selfish, as such usually winds up being crude comic relief
Nate - Voice of logic, and oftentimes a voice of morality.
Lucia - ???

I get the vague feeling that having her be the more emotional core of the group is a good idea, but I'm nervous on how to go about that. I don't want to wind up making it feel forced and have her become preachy or annoying in a new way. These kinds of characters seem pretty difficult to work with. For anyone who's seen The Good Place, I think of Tahani - She's very similar. I don't outright dislike her, but I don't think I've met a lot of people who she's the favourite of, and she is probably my least favourite in the main lineup. I want to try and help Lucia avoid that, and give her a fighting chance against those around her.

Disclaimer: I'm perfectly aware that likeability isn't always objective. I'm not trying to make her appeal to the individual everyone, cause to be honest, no character is going to do that. But there are characters out there that are nearly universally disliked, so it's not completely subjective, either. I want to help her fare in general, and a little bit for myself (Shocker, but I feel so-so about writing for a character I don't mesh with as well).

As such, if you'd like, I wouldn't mind if you told me your personal take on what you find likeable or unlikeable, just to gauge what others have to say on the matter. Have you seen characters similar to Lucia before? Have you liked them or not? For the likeable ones, how do you think they pulled it off, and for the unlikeable ones, how do you think they could have been improved? I'm looking for all forms of advice!

 

[nerdy tangents]

I think the problem isn’t likeability because she doesn’t seem particularly unlikeable from what you described.

I think the problem is simply you find the character archetype unlikeable.

Tahani is a good example actually because I have a completely different take on her. She’s one of my favorite characters in the show because I empathize with her need to be perfect and her desire to feel seen.

Her posh attitude and name dropping don’t actually bother me because I can read it as just insecurity. Which I personally fine deeply sympathetic in a character.

For your character I also read her as being insecure and probably a little anxious. As a lot of times those who attempt to appear superior are doing so because of insecurity and a need of external validation. As for avoiding conflict? That’s a classic anxiety response.

Especially if she’s very rich she probably had a family similar to Tahani’s where percieved flaws were ruthlessly targeted.

So honestly I think the character itself is very sympathetic (and could be extremely likeable in the right group), it’s just you need to sort of look at her from a different perspective.

 

[Onmyoji]

Your character reminded me a bit of Lili from Tekken series. Lili is popular in Tekken fandom, although it's mostly due to her looks and gameplay, rather than personality.

Lili is rich and posh as well, comes across as dismissive, she has a sadistic side. So overall her character is not very likeable. But she has some distinct personality features that makes her more fleshed-out.
She is interested in fighting (Tekken is a fighting game so it's normal for the lore lol) and she fights despite that her father doesn't approve of it and secretly participates in tournaments while "going on vacation". She has a Rival (someone who defeated her in a tournament and now she wants to fight again), and her obsession with her rival is considered a form of affection. She also has a cause (to take back the assets that her father lost to the Evil Corporation). She also has a cute side - she likes tea and cats!

'Unlikeable' character can still have features that make it interesting.

 

[Daisie]

I think the problem isn’t likeability because she doesn’t seem particularly unlikeable from what you described.

I think the problem is simply you find the character archetype unlikeable.

Tahani is a good example actually because I have a completely different take on her. She’s one of my favorite characters in the show because I empathize with her need to be perfect and her desire to feel seen.

Her posh attitude and name dropping don’t actually bother me because I can read it as just insecurity. Which I personally fine deeply sympathetic in a character.

For your character I also read her as being insecure and probably a little anxious. As a lot of times those who attempt to appear superior are doing so because of insecurity and a need of external validation. As for avoiding conflict? That’s a classic anxiety response.

Especially if she’s very rich she probably had a family similar to Tahani’s where percieved flaws were ruthlessly targeted.

So honestly I think the character itself is very sympathetic (and could be extremely likeable in the right group), it’s just you need to sort of look at her from a different perspective.

Interesting, thank you for that take! That does relieve a bit of the pressure, I was worried that because I'm not a fan of the archetype, no one would be. It's good to know that that's not the case.

Your character reminded me a bit of Lili from Tekken series. Lili is popular in Tekken fandom, although it's mostly due to her looks and gameplay, rather than personality.

Lili is rich and posh as well, comes across as dismissive, she has a sadistic side. So overall her character is not very likeable. But she has some distinct personality features that makes her more fleshed-out.
She is interested in fighting (Tekken is a fighting game so it's normal for the lore lol) and she fights despite that her father doesn't approve of it and secretly participates in tournaments while "going on vacation". She has a Rival (someone who defeated her in a tournament and now she wants to fight again), and her obsession with her rival is considered a form of affection. She also has a cause (to take back the assets that her father lost to the Evil Corporation). She also has a cute side - she likes tea and cats!

'Unlikeable' character can still have features that make it interesting.

Thank you for the example! I'll keep all this in mind. I think a big part of my character's issue, actually, is a lack of skills to offer the setting. She's a bit difficult to fit into a high-action world, but maybe I could work off of that intentionally.

 

[nerdy tangents]

In addition I think when it comes to writing likeable characters it really boils down to the writers investment in the character.

I had a character for a long time who was very much a “Mary Sue” which is an almost universally hated archetype.

She was very exciteable, arrogant, thought she was the center of the universe, always bragged about how she was better then everyone else at XYZ.

And people adored her, she was one of the most popular characters in the group.

Because I wrote her as a comedic over the top character that was not meant to be taken seriously. This made what would normally be an obnoxious archetype be really kinda fun and silly.

 

[Daisie]

In addition I think when it comes to writing likeable characters it really boils down to the writers investment in the character.

I had a character for a long time who was very much a “Mary Sue” which is an almost universally hated archetype.

She was very exciteable, arrogant, thought she was the center of the universe, always bragged about how she was better then everyone else at XYZ.

And people adored her, she was one of the most popular characters in the group.

Because I wrote her as a comedic over the top character that was not meant to be taken seriously. This made what would normally be an obnoxious archetype be really kinda fun and silly.

Yeah for sure. Actually, another character mentioned, Stan, is much the same way. He's wholly self-centered and manages to still be funny because the writing narrative itself KNOWS that he's terrible, and pokes fun at him for it. He usually gets his comeuppance.

 

[GrumpySwallow]

Maybe this wealthy character has a tendency to use money to solve their problems. Hungry? Buy a meal. Doesn't like getting her hands dirty? She hires someone to do the dirty work.

Maybe she used her wealth to buy the best equipment she could get (ex. a weapon and armor) but she's unskilled in using said equipment so she's still struggling? Money didn't help her in this case!

I don't know what the setting is, but she could learn she has a talent in spellcasting, if it's a high fantasy setting, or healing. She could be a spoiled and pampered brat who ends up humbled and becoming a much kinder person over the course of the adventure.

 

[Solivagante]

I think I have a tool which will help here: Writing Excuses 9.13: Three Pronged Character Development

It's been a while since I re-listened to the actual episode, but the basic idea is that you can describe a character according to three 'sliders': Sympathy, Proactivity, and Competence. Each of these are qualities which spark reader interest; you need at least one to keep your audience engaged, and can use the others as a foundation for character arcs over the course of the story. For instance, a character who is sympathetic and somewhat competent but passive may become more competent, more active, or both (and they could also get less sympathetic, if balanced with development in other areas).

From what you've described, your character is definitely not very proactive, so unless you want to change that about her (and it sounds fairly fundamental so I'm assuming you don't), I would suggest focusing on the 'sympathy' and 'competence' areas instead. Maybe whatever motivates her to get involved in the story inspires sympathy, or maybe she has hidden talents or passions which she displays exceptional competence in, even if they aren't (immediately) plot-relevant.

This won't necessarily make her more likeable, but it will help with making her more engaging, and I think that's maybe the more important concept. As someone who enjoys reading about people I wouldn't get along with in real life in the least, likeable is overrated.

 

[Daisie]

I think I have a tool which will help here: Writing Excuses 9.13: Three Pronged Character Development

It's been a while since I re-listened to the actual episode, but the basic idea is that you can describe a character according to three 'sliders': Sympathy, Proactivity, and Competence. Each of these are qualities which spark reader interest; you need at least one to keep your audience engaged, and can use the others as a foundation for character arcs over the course of the story. For instance, a character who is sympathetic and somewhat competent but passive may become more competent, more active, or both (and they could also get less sympathetic, if balanced with development in other areas).

From what you've described, your character is definitely not very proactive, so unless you want to change that about her (and it sounds fairly fundamental so I'm assuming you don't), I would suggest focusing on the 'sympathy' and 'competence' areas instead. Maybe whatever motivates her to get involved in the story inspires sympathy, or maybe she has hidden talents or passions which she displays exceptional competence in, even if they aren't (immediately) plot-relevant.

This won't necessarily make her more likeable, but it will help with making her more engaging, and I think that's maybe the more important concept. As someone who enjoys reading about people I wouldn't get along with in real life in the least, likeable is overrated.

Yo that actually sounds MEGA useful, I will absolutely be checking that out. Thank you so much!

 

[GojiBean]

So I have this character that I'm trying to add a little bit more likeability to, and I figured I'd come here and get some advice on it.
I don't think she's even particularly unlikeable, but because of her backstory, I do feel like I'm starting off at a bit of a handicap. I'll explain.

Lucia was originally the character of a friend of mine, and I'm taking her over for a writing project of mine (with permission of course). Lucia has a defined role in her relationships throughout the story and I do like her, but all of the other characters (both my friend's and my own) are coming off more appealing to me, and I suspect it isn't just a matter of personal preference. I think I've isolated that I'm at a bit of a disadvantage for a few reasons.

1. She comes from wealth. Now this isn't a damning sentence or anything. My favourite character is an exorbitantly wealthy person. But I also think that having grown up in a very upper-class background does make it so that there's naturally a little less relatability than the average person. It may not be a huge issue, but it's something to note anyways.
2. Maybe more of an addendum to the first one, but she's very posh. She's not just wealthy, but she does subtly project herself as above others. It's a big factor.
3. My friend and I have always struggled to give her some sort of purpose among her compatriots. For the most part, she's soft-willed and doesn't like getting dirty with her hands, so she's historically been very passive, especially in a high-action and high-emotion story.
4. Respect. She's a bit difficult to hold respect for because it's a habit of hers to ignore or run away from her problems. I'm cool with slowly fixing that over the course of the project, but at the same time, I do feel the need to give her something else until then. I'm in need of redeeming qualities, lol.

So if you have any general advice on how to make likeable characters or how to make an unlikeable character more appealing, feel free. But also I would love advice on Lucia specifically, and maybe even some ideas for what her strengths could be. Cause right now as it goes, my characters take the loose pattern of:
Reavis - Strong, stubborn leader who takes responsibility for the others
Stan - Also strong, but way more selfish, as such usually winds up being crude comic relief
Nate - Voice of logic, and oftentimes a voice of morality.
Lucia - ???

I get the vague feeling that having her be the more emotional core of the group is a good idea, but I'm nervous on how to go about that. I don't want to wind up making it feel forced and have her become preachy or annoying in a new way. These kinds of characters seem pretty difficult to work with. For anyone who's seen The Good Place, I think of Tahani - She's very similar. I don't outright dislike her, but I don't think I've met a lot of people who she's the favourite of, and she is probably my least favourite in the main lineup. I want to try and help Lucia avoid that, and give her a fighting chance against those around her.

Disclaimer: I'm perfectly aware that likeability isn't always objective. I'm not trying to make her appeal to the individual everyone, cause to be honest, no character is going to do that. But there are characters out there that are nearly universally disliked, so it's not completely subjective, either. I want to help her fare in general, and a little bit for myself (Shocker, but I feel so-so about writing for a character I don't mesh with as well).

As such, if you'd like, I wouldn't mind if you told me your personal take on what you find likeable or unlikeable, just to gauge what others have to say on the matter. Have you seen characters similar to Lucia before? Have you liked them or not? For the likeable ones, how do you think they pulled it off, and for the unlikeable ones, how do you think they could have been improved? I'm looking for all forms of advice!

Hoyo Daisie!

Before I get to any "advice," since that's always a toss-up coming from me as to whether it counts as advice or just me rambling (lol), I want to say you did a great job summarizing both the character and the dilemma you're facing. You made it easy to understand where you are vs where you want to be with the character, as well as those in her circle, so to speak.

So, with any luck this'll help address the problem in a simple and straightforward way.

Warning: incoming wall of text.


Fun fact, likability is not a central requirement of your main character(s) when it comes to planning/designing them. Whether or not they are likable will be a natural byproduct of how well utilized their designs are in the overall narrative.

I would argue what's most important for you to focus on with Lucia at this stage is ensuring the audience understands who she is and why she does what she does. In short, audiences must understand the core of your character(s). Their essence, if you will. What makes them tick. So long as they understand that it doesn't matter if they're a likable person. The audience will invest in them because there's something there worth connecting with.

Take Scar from the Lion King as an example. He's the younger brother of the King, Mufasa, and was in line to become King until Simba was born and he was bounced from the line. His arc revolves around taking what he believes to be his, which is the seat of the King and rulership of the land. Who can relate to that? Nobody outside of modern Royalty, such as the King of the UK, would have a chance to relate. None of us grew up as brothers/sisters to a King/Queen or have been in line to take the throne of a country and sit as its ruler. We can't relate to Scar in that way. Yet, audiences connected with Scar as the central villain despite not being able to relate to him. Why? Because they understood the core of his character.

What's the core of Scar's character?

Greed.

We're all guilty of having been greedy in our lives for one matter or another. Scar is greedy for the throne and covets the power it promises him when he becomes King. He says it himself, "I am the King. I can do whatever I want." However, what he doesn't even realize himself is that despite his hunger for the promise of power he doesn't understand what it truly means to be King. He saw it only as a seat of power. Not a seat of leadership or responsibility. His hunger for what the seat gave him blinded him to what that seat would also take away from others if he didn't use its influence properly.

Scar is a fantastic character not because he's likable or in any way relatable. But because he perfectly represents the darker side of human nature when it comes to greed and coveting power without understanding what that power represents and what's required to wield it properly. That is something we can all understand and connect with. We can't relate to his circumstances or his position in the lion pride. But we can connect with his inner demons as we share them in our own ways.

So, my suggestion for Lucia is to stop worrying about whether or not she comes off as likable and focus more on what she represents. What's the core of her character. What is within her as a person that audiences could connect with whether or not they like her as a person? Is she brave, or a coward? Is she compassionate, or cruel? Is she wise, or a total idiot? Is she (or can she be) clever, or is she totally dim witted and couldn't think on her feet to save her life (literally)?

Your first priority should be finding something about her which anyone can connect with, and then lean into that core element of her character.

Based on your description, the first thing which popped out to me as something I could connect with is exactly what you seem to feel is a negative, or at least less appealing part of her character which is her passivity.

That line about not wanting to get her hands dirty feels like she's the type of person who would accept a reward so long as she wasn't the one who had to do the work to earn said reward. Kind of like the owners of Roman gladiators. Their gladiator does the death fighting while they reap the monetary rewards and fame because they own the strongest gladiator. Make sense?

If you had to boil this core element of her character into a single word other than "passive," what word would you choose?

For me, the most appropriate word is "selfish."

She grew up in wealth and views herself being above others. She doesn't like getting her hands dirty. And she isn't the type to accept responsibility if and when she does something wrong or when a major problem arises which she should be confronting. Instead, she runs from those responsibilities and problems.

She's selfish.

Now, this obviously sounds like a negative. But, then again, so does Scar's greed, right?

You can turn this selfish element of her character into a positive element by presenting her in a way where her selfishness is a double-edged sword. While it can certainly force her to run from her responsibilities and come off as unlikable and haughty in lesser scenarios, it could also serve as the driving force as to why she does face down those responsibilities and problems in more important scenarios.

A fact of storytelling: Characters reveal their true essence when faced with incredible pressure, stress, danger, or all of the above.

(Disclaimer: The following is all hypothetical since I have no idea what kind of world this is or what the relationship between these characters is really like)

Let's say she's with Reavis, Stan, and Nate and they're all facing down a very dangerous individual whom Lucia knows from her younger years as a wealthy brat. This individual holds some sort of sway over Lucia's family. Perhaps an old favor which was never cashed in, or blackmail of some sort of dirty information on them which they've fought hard to smother so their reputation doesn't suffer. In this encounter the individual approaches Lucia specifically and confronts her with this favor/dirty information and tries to blackmail her into cooperating with them on some sort of nefarious undertaking which, if she accepts, is likely to end in her death or imprisonment. If she doesn't accept Reavis, Stan, and Nate will be shot dead right here, right now.

What does she do?

One would imagine her first instinct as a selfish person would be to refuse to bend to their "your family owes me a favor" shtick, or refuse to acknowledge their dirty information on her and her family, and let Reavis, Stan, and Nate die. Sure, she knows them. She might even feel at least some level of fondness for them. But for the most part she's been presented the entire time as someone who mostly is out for herself and views herself as superior. These idiots can die if it means she gets to live and just leave this all behind, right?

No.

In the moment of greatest pressure where the lives of these people she's come to spend so much time with are on the line... She makes the right choice. She accepts the call to return this favor or admit to the wrongdoing of her family for all to see/hear. She swallows her pride when it matters most because something buried beneath the selfishness is something else we all can connect with...

Loneliness.

The second core layer of her character is that of a lonely, neglected child from a wealthy family where mom and dad were often not around and her only "friends" were those who followed her around to suck up to her because she had money. Nobody's ever actually cared about her, treated her with genuine kindness out of the goodness of their hearts, joked with her, or sacrificed anything for her. Not really. Everyone before had an agenda. Everyone before was just as selfish as she was in one way, shape, or form.

But Reavis, Stan, and Nate aren't like the faceless ghouls who followed and enabled her for her whole life. They're actually her friends. She may come off as haughty and act like she's above them. But deep down, buried beneath her selfish veil, is a heart eager to show her appreciation for all they've done for her. All they've sacrificed. Every time they were injured protecting "little miss princess" (just spitting out an idea with this nickname, lol), every time one of them gave up part of their meal because she refused to eat what she was initially given, and every time one of them ever stood up for her in an argument whether she really deserved it or not, she remembers each and every instance of their kindness and generosity. She treasures it all and yearns to protect it even if she's not a physically gifted or emotionally well rounded person.

But she can't do this openly yet. She's still too caught up in her old world and the lies and beliefs she was raised in. She was able to make the right choice this one time and raised a strong outer façade by smiling in the face of the dangerous individual this whole time. But inside she was borderline hysterical about the guns pointed at her friends and what even a single gunshot would mean if she heard it go off. What she would lose if that dreaded sound were to echo through the room. After the dangerous individual leaves and her friends all say she did a good job she's right back to the old Lucia, still mocking them for their incompetence and laughing haughtily about how she "saved them again" just like all the other times.

However, later that night she takes a walk outside by herself. She's unsteady on her feet. Her eyes are glazed over. And when she pauses on a street corner she drops to her knees and loses her dinner. Tears streak down her face as the weight of what transpired today, as well as the weight of her decision in that critical moment, comes crashing down on her.

Today, her wealth wasn't going to save anyone. Her connections were going to save anyone. Her lack of physical ability wasn't going to save anyone. And running away like she usually does wasn't going to save anyone. If she had remained true to who she believed she was her friends would have died. And it would have been her fault. She would have lost the only people she'd ever known who truly cared about her and weren't trying to suck up to her for her money or her family name.

She saved them not with anything material. She saved them by speaking true to her heart. But in the here and now when that critical moment has long since come and gone she doesn't even remember what that meant to her. Where did this suddenly come from? Where did this hysteria and desire to ensure the safety of these people come from? Why did she ever dare to confront that dangerous person when she knew doing so meant going against everything she ever said she stood for previously? This isn't like her!

Her own decision's weight has hit home. But the reason why it affects her so much eludes her.

She's not ready to awaken to her truest inner essence yet. She's not ready to shed the arrogant, haughty veil and reveal the lonely girl desperate to be part of a family. So, for the time being, the haughty Lucia of old remains. But another layer has been peeled away. What was once buried deep beneath a veil of wealthy arrogance is now peeking through a little more. And from this moment on, it shows. Every time she speaks there's a momentary pause before that haughty laugh she's known for. Every time she comes to a decision there's a flicker of hesitation in her eyes whenever that decision is one of selfishness whereas previously there was no hesitation at all. Every time she takes an action there's a tiny hint of desire for compassion behind it such as during meals where she previously refused to eat certain foods. Now, she eats all of her meals without an audible protest until the very end when she sets down the empty plate and says "That was truly awful. Next time, I expect something of greater quality to match my immaculate taste."

But once she's alone we see her lick that last little spec of sauce off her lips and smile before going about her business...

Moments like these where her decisions and actions really matter are the moments when audiences will make their decision as to whether or not they "like" her. And, again, it won't come down to likability in the end regardless. It will come down to whether or not they connect with who she is and why she does what she does, and how strong you can make that connection become with the before and after. In the case of this character audiences will likely find her to be something of an irritant throughout most of her journey until those layers of selfishness begin to peel away revealing whatever lies beneath which is the true essence of her character.

So long as you give the audiences even brief glimpses of what lies beneath her selfish veil from time to time, and let her truly shine in moments where it matters most, they'll be willing to forgive that arrogant and haughty brat she comes off as during the earlier stages of her journey. By the end, she will become a fan favorite if you've handled these kinds of moments correctly.

- - - - - - - - - -

The following section is an analysis on the potential function of Lucia's character.

You mentioned she doesn't seem to have a purpose compared to her comrades. However, based on your description of her upbringing and personality I don't believe this is necessarily true. I feel it's maybe more due to a simple lack of further consideration of the perks of coming from such a background. For example, consider the following ideas:

• money (obviously she can most easily afford anything new the group requires, or knows folks who can get it for them more easily)
• highbrow connections to persons of political/social importance
• knowledge of the inner workings of the "upper class" (be it nobility, royalty, aristocracy, etc)
• knowledge of important societal functions such as banking, trade, real estate, political functions (official gatherings, voting processes, etc)

This is a very short list. One could easily come up with more. Bu the ungodly wall of text in the above section has made this drag on long enough. So I'll try to keep this part shorter. XD

You can see just from these four examples there's a lot she could contribute while remaining true to herself which would both improve her sense of purpose as well as give her room to breathe in her journey of growth across the project.

For example: Let's say for the sake of argument her comrades/friends are planning on trying to sneak into a highbrow event like a ball in order to observe and protect a person of importance. Who among their group has the deepest level of knowledge of not only how the event works (from who can/will receive an invitation to how it will flow from one "stage" to the next until it reaches its conclusion at the end of the night), but also knowledge on who's likely to be in attendance (including any potentially shady people they should keep a closer watch on), what the venue will look/feel like, and what the potential weakest areas would be to defend based on the layout of the venue?

She does.

Her wealth and upbringing give her the most openings to have knowledge of this type of event to a degree she would effectively be the central figure in planning how to get themselves invited in the first place to how they should move, speak, and interact with other guests, and where they should focus their attention if they want to succeed in this plan.

This is just a hypothetical example. I have no idea what kind of world she actually inhabits. But if in the case something like this were ever to happen in your project she's primed for a leadership role in the stages leading up to the actual event in which the others would handle the bulk of the "dirty work" while she's there to be a pretty face and help them keep an eye out without getting too involved (so as not to break any nails or ruin her gown).

Her ability to occupy this role may be more specific than the others who have broader traits of active protagonists. However, just because her ability to take on this role is less frequently utilized doesn't make it any less important.

Hopefully that made sense.

- - - - - - - - - -

Anyway, that's enough out of me. I've rambled more than long enough.

Hopefully this was all helpful!

Cheers!

- GojiBean

 

[Daisie]

Hoyo Daisie!

Before I get to any "advice," since that's always a toss-up coming from me as to whether it counts as advice or just me rambling (lol), I want to say you did a great job summarizing both the character and the dilemma you're facing. You made it easy to understand where you are vs where you want to be with the character, as well as those in her circle, so to speak.

So, with any luck this'll help address the problem in a simple and straightforward way.

Warning: incoming wall of text.


Fun fact, likability is not a central requirement of your main character(s) when it comes to planning/designing them. Whether or not they are likable will be a natural byproduct of how well utilized their designs are in the overall narrative.

I would argue what's most important for you to focus on with Lucia at this stage is ensuring the audience understands who she is and why she does what she does. In short, audiences must understand the core of your character(s). Their essence, if you will. What makes them tick. So long as they understand that it doesn't matter if they're a likable person. The audience will invest in them because there's something there worth connecting with.

Take Scar from the Lion King as an example. He's the younger brother of the King, Mufasa, and was in line to become King until Simba was born and he was bounced from the line. His arc revolves around taking what he believes to be his, which is the seat of the King and rulership of the land. Who can relate to that? Nobody outside of modern Royalty, such as the King of the UK, would have a chance to relate. None of us grew up as brothers/sisters to a King/Queen or have been in line to take the throne of a country and sit as its ruler. We can't relate to Scar in that way. Yet, audiences connected with Scar as the central villain despite not being able to relate to him. Why? Because they understood the core of his character.

What's the core of Scar's character?

Greed.

We're all guilty of having been greedy in our lives for one matter or another. Scar is greedy for the throne and covets the power it promises him when he becomes King. He says it himself, "I am the King. I can do whatever I want." However, what he doesn't even realize himself is that despite his hunger for the promise of power he doesn't understand what it truly means to be King. He saw it only as a seat of power. Not a seat of leadership or responsibility. His hunger for what the seat gave him blinded him to what that seat would also take away from others if he didn't use its influence properly.

Scar is a fantastic character not because he's likable or in any way relatable. But because he perfectly represents the darker side of human nature when it comes to greed and coveting power without understanding what that power represents and what's required to wield it properly. That is something we can all understand and connect with. We can't relate to his circumstances or his position in the lion pride. But we can connect with his inner demons as we share them in our own ways.

So, my suggestion for Lucia is to stop worrying about whether or not she comes off as likable and focus more on what she represents. What's the core of her character. What is within her as a person that audiences could connect with whether or not they like her as a person? Is she brave, or a coward? Is she compassionate, or cruel? Is she wise, or a total idiot? Is she (or can she be) clever, or is she totally dim witted and couldn't think on her feet to save her life (literally)?

Your first priority should be finding something about her which anyone can connect with, and then lean into that core element of her character.

Based on your description, the first thing which popped out to me as something I could connect with is exactly what you seem to feel is a negative, or at least less appealing part of her character which is her passivity.

That line about not wanting to get her hands dirty feels like she's the type of person who would accept a reward so long as she wasn't the one who had to do the work to earn said reward. Kind of like the owners of Roman gladiators. Their gladiator does the death fighting while they reap the monetary rewards and fame because they own the strongest gladiator. Make sense?

If you had to boil this core element of her character into a single word other than "passive," what word would you choose?

For me, the most appropriate word is "selfish."

She grew up in wealth and views herself being above others. She doesn't like getting her hands dirty. And she isn't the type to accept responsibility if and when she does something wrong or when a major problem arises which she should be confronting. Instead, she runs from those responsibilities and problems.

She's selfish.

Now, this obviously sounds like a negative. But, then again, so does Scar's greed, right?

You can turn this selfish element of her character into a positive element by presenting her in a way where her selfishness is a double-edged sword. While it can certainly force her to run from her responsibilities and come off as unlikable and haughty in lesser scenarios, it could also serve as the driving force as to why she does face down those responsibilities and problems in more important scenarios.

A fact of storytelling: Characters reveal their true essence when faced with incredible pressure, stress, danger, or all of the above.

(Disclaimer: The following is all hypothetical since I have no idea what kind of world this is or what the relationship between these characters is really like)

Let's say she's with Reavis, Stan, and Nate and they're all facing down a very dangerous individual whom Lucia knows from her younger years as a wealthy brat. This individual holds some sort of sway over Lucia's family. Perhaps an old favor which was never cashed in, or blackmail of some sort of dirty information on them which they've fought hard to smother so their reputation doesn't suffer. In this encounter the individual approaches Lucia specifically and confronts her with this favor/dirty information and tries to blackmail her into cooperating with them on some sort of nefarious undertaking which, if she accepts, is likely to end in her death or imprisonment. If she doesn't accept Reavis, Stan, and Nate will be shot dead right here, right now.

What does she do?

One would imagine her first instinct as a selfish person would be to refuse to bend to their "your family owes me a favor" shtick, or refuse to acknowledge their dirty information on her and her family, and let Reavis, Stan, and Nate die. Sure, she knows them. She might even feel at least some level of fondness for them. But for the most part she's been presented the entire time as someone who mostly is out for herself and views herself as superior. These idiots can die if it means she gets to live and just leave this all behind, right?

No.

In the moment of greatest pressure where the lives of these people she's come to spend so much time with are on the line... She makes the right choice. She accepts the call to return this favor or admit to the wrongdoing of her family for all to see/hear. She swallows her pride when it matters most because something buried beneath the selfishness is something else we all can connect with...

Loneliness.

The second core layer of her character is that of a lonely, neglected child from a wealthy family where mom and dad were often not around and her only "friends" were those who followed her around to suck up to her because she had money. Nobody's ever actually cared about her, treated her with genuine kindness out of the goodness of their hearts, joked with her, or sacrificed anything for her. Not really. Everyone before had an agenda. Everyone before was just as selfish as she was in one way, shape, or form.

But Reavis, Stan, and Nate aren't like the faceless ghouls who followed and enabled her for her whole life. They're actually her friends. She may come off as haughty and act like she's above them. But deep down, buried beneath her selfish veil, is a heart eager to show her appreciation for all they've done for her. All they've sacrificed. Every time they were injured protecting "little miss princess" (just spitting out an idea with this nickname, lol), every time one of them gave up part of their meal because she refused to eat what she was initially given, and every time one of them ever stood up for her in an argument whether she really deserved it or not, she remembers each and every instance of their kindness and generosity. She treasures it all and yearns to protect it even if she's not a physically gifted or emotionally well rounded person.

But she can't do this openly yet. She's still too caught up in her old world and the lies and beliefs she was raised in. She was able to make the right choice this one time and raised a strong outer façade by smiling in the face of the dangerous individual this whole time. But inside she was borderline hysterical about the guns pointed at her friends and what even a single gunshot would mean if she heard it go off. What she would lose if that dreaded sound were to echo through the room. After the dangerous individual leaves and her friends all say she did a good job she's right back to the old Lucia, still mocking them for their incompetence and laughing haughtily about how she "saved them again" just like all the other times.

However, later that night she takes a walk outside by herself. She's unsteady on her feet. Her eyes are glazed over. And when she pauses on a street corner she drops to her knees and loses her dinner. Tears streak down her face as the weight of what transpired today, as well as the weight of her decision in that critical moment, comes crashing down on her.

Today, her wealth wasn't going to save anyone. Her connections were going to save anyone. Her lack of physical ability wasn't going to save anyone. And running away like she usually does wasn't going to save anyone. If she had remained true to who she believed she was her friends would have died. And it would have been her fault. She would have lost the only people she'd ever known who truly cared about her and weren't trying to suck up to her for her money or her family name.

She saved them not with anything material. She saved them by speaking true to her heart. But in the here and now when that critical moment has long since come and gone she doesn't even remember what that meant to her. Where did this suddenly come from? Where did this hysteria and desire to ensure the safety of these people come from? Why did she ever dare to confront that dangerous person when she knew doing so meant going against everything she ever said she stood for previously? This isn't like her!

Her own decision's weight has hit home. But the reason why it affects her so much eludes her.

She's not ready to awaken to her truest inner essence yet. She's not ready to shed the arrogant, haughty veil and reveal the lonely girl desperate to be part of a family. So, for the time being, the haughty Lucia of old remains. But another layer has been peeled away. What was once buried deep beneath a veil of wealthy arrogance is now peeking through a little more. And from this moment on, it shows. Every time she speaks there's a momentary pause before that haughty laugh she's known for. Every time she comes to a decision there's a flicker of hesitation in her eyes whenever that decision is one of selfishness whereas previously there was no hesitation at all. Every time she takes an action there's a tiny hint of desire for compassion behind it such as during meals where she previously refused to eat certain foods. Now, she eats all of her meals without an audible protest until the very end when she sets down the empty plate and says "That was truly awful. Next time, I expect something of greater quality to match my immaculate taste."

But once she's alone we see her lick that last little spec of sauce off her lips and smile before going about her business...

Moments like these where her decisions and actions really matter are the moments when audiences will make their decision as to whether or not they "like" her. And, again, it won't come down to likability in the end regardless. It will come down to whether or not they connect with who she is and why she does what she does, and how strong you can make that connection become with the before and after. In the case of this character audiences will likely find her to be something of an irritant throughout most of her journey until those layers of selfishness begin to peel away revealing whatever lies beneath which is the true essence of her character.

So long as you give the audiences even brief glimpses of what lies beneath her selfish veil from time to time, and let her truly shine in moments where it matters most, they'll be willing to forgive that arrogant and haughty brat she comes off as during the earlier stages of her journey. By the end, she will become a fan favorite if you've handled these kinds of moments correctly.

- - - - - - - - - -

The following section is an analysis on the potential function of Lucia's character.

You mentioned she doesn't seem to have a purpose compared to her comrades. However, based on your description of her upbringing and personality I don't believe this is necessarily true. I feel it's maybe more due to a simple lack of further consideration of the perks of coming from such a background. For example, consider the following ideas:

• money (obviously she can most easily afford anything new the group requires, or knows folks who can get it for them more easily)
• highbrow connections to persons of political/social importance
• knowledge of the inner workings of the "upper class" (be it nobility, royalty, aristocracy, etc)
• knowledge of important societal functions such as banking, trade, real estate, political functions (official gatherings, voting processes, etc)

This is a very short list. One could easily come up with more. Bu the ungodly wall of text in the above section has made this drag on long enough. So I'll try to keep this part shorter. XD

You can see just from these four examples there's a lot she could contribute while remaining true to herself which would both improve her sense of purpose as well as give her room to breathe in her journey of growth across the project.

For example: Let's say for the sake of argument her comrades/friends are planning on trying to sneak into a highbrow event like a ball in order to observe and protect a person of importance. Who among their group has the deepest level of knowledge of not only how the event works (from who can/will receive an invitation to how it will flow from one "stage" to the next until it reaches its conclusion at the end of the night), but also knowledge on who's likely to be in attendance (including any potentially shady people they should keep a closer watch on), what the venue will look/feel like, and what the potential weakest areas would be to defend based on the layout of the venue?

She does.

Her wealth and upbringing give her the most openings to have knowledge of this type of event to a degree she would effectively be the central figure in planning how to get themselves invited in the first place to how they should move, speak, and interact with other guests, and where they should focus their attention if they want to succeed in this plan.

This is just a hypothetical example. I have no idea what kind of world she actually inhabits. But if in the case something like this were ever to happen in your project she's primed for a leadership role in the stages leading up to the actual event in which the others would handle the bulk of the "dirty work" while she's there to be a pretty face and help them keep an eye out without getting too involved (so as not to break any nails or ruin her gown).

Her ability to occupy this role may be more specific than the others who have broader traits of active protagonists. However, just because her ability to take on this role is less frequently utilized doesn't make it any less important.

Hopefully that made sense.

- - - - - - - - - -

Anyway, that's enough out of me. I've rambled more than long enough.

Hopefully this was all helpful!

Cheers!

- GojiBean

Ngl, I did create this thread with the partial hope that I'd receive the classic Goji wall of text, and I was not disappointed. You've given me a lot to think and chew on! Thank you for the depth of your thought and the directness of your response.

A lot of the hypothetical you gave doesn't DIRECTLY apply because of the incredibly specific setting she's in, but the message comes through nonetheless: there are situations in which her growth and struggles can be meaningful. If you can come up with something like that off the top of your head, and you don't even know the character, then surely I can come up with something as well.

It's just a matter of putting the effort and thought into her growth and motivations.

That might be another reason the character feels so foreign to me, actually. Because she isn't originally mine to begin with. But I want to do her justice, nonetheless.

Thanks for your help!

 

[Perpetual Zen]

Very old response but I find a very simple answer clear. Animals. Your character can be the meanest person but if their at least taking care of an animal. It shows they have a nurturing site or at least want to be moral

 

[Jet]

Give them flaws that actually change scenes, not just flaws on paper. Make them look stupid on occasion, prove them wrong a few times. Have them be confident that something will work and then fail miserably. You don't want to make them useless of course, but make them human, make them fallible.

Your character is rich so make them terrible with money, naive and susceptible to scams. They never needed to care about money so why would they be guarded? Have them get scammed by an obviously sketchy lowlife.

They're posh so put them with characters who aren't, let them get mocked for their prissy rules and mannerisms, or put them with posh people from another culture she doesnt know about, so that shes the uncultured one — or hell, let her make some etiquette mistakes and beat herself up about them. It could be silly and comedic; she used the wrong fork and now she's having a mental breakdown.

"HOW COULD I BE SO STUPID!"

Just because she is posh doesn't mean your prose needs to support her. You can mock your own character when they're being ridiculous.

You say that she doesn't get involved because she's very passive, well make her get angry about that. Make her tired of being useless and angry that others outperform her, maybe introduce a character that pushes her forwards, mocking her for doing nothing. Then your character can snap and finally contribute to an action scene, and maybe she goes overboard, keeps kicking a bad guy when he's down. Takes out her self directed anger on a henchmen.

And lastly, respect isn't needed for a good character. There are plenty of bums who do nothing, aren't respectable and yet they're loved. Look at Dandelion from the Witcher. He's a total jackass who constantly makes up stories, hides behind Geralt and can't throw a punch, but he's great.

If you're really bent on making her respected, then have a scene where etiquette is required, where being posh is needed. You could have a meeting with nobility or going undercover at a fancy ball, and she's the only one who can do it. The other characters could fuck up and she bails them out, as they almost offend the king and get beheaded, or say the wrong thing and almost blow their cover. You could use the opportunity to make the other characters look foolish which again, is a really good thing on occasion. Like in Inglorious Bastards when the main characters are undercover at the movie theater, and look like complete idiots.