Character Theory What makes a compelling character?

[Daisie]

So I've hit a bit of a snag.

After a short hiatus from both of my RPs, something has stood out to me about one of them. It's been creeping up gradually for awhile now. My partner and I have discussed this time and time again, we simply can't seem to find a solution...

2 of our 4 main characters are just... boring.

We share one bland character each, but both of them are boring and we simply can't figure out why... Especially when the other two are absolute blasts to play. We also can't figure out what to do about it... or if there's anything we can do. We've tried everything we can think of...

I get the impression that in order to even begin to try and make changes to fix our conundrum, we need to figure out what makes a character compelling in the first place.
I'm not talking about fixing a Mary Sue, here. Even Mary Sues have flavour.

I'm asking you: what gets you invested in your characters? What makes them unique? Are there dos and dont's? Is there a recipe for making a good character structure, or do some of them just... flop sometimes?

I'm starting to get desperate here, and would be happy to hear your thoughts. Thanks, fellas.

 

[Chordling]

We've tried everything we can think of...

So... what have you tried?

The best way I like to fix problems like this is to ask myself why I don't like it or what makes it "boring".

 

[Daisie]

So... what have you tried?

The best way I like to fix problems like this is to ask myself why I don't like it or what makes it "boring".

I mean mostly I was just looking for people's opinions on what makes a character compelling, rather than a solution to the issue, itself... Whoops, lol.

But if you really want to know, we've attempted putting them through all sorts of situations. We attempted adding to their physical appearance (also causing them to have sort of a crisis about being something "other than human"), we've tried having them conquer their fears, we've given them losses to grieve over... we've tried to put them in interesting situations, but for some reason, they're just not interesting to us.

We were talking and we may have discovered that it stems from a lack of a proper character motivation... Which we're trying to brainstorm ideas to fix. Though it's difficult to do much of anything when the characters have always been like this.

Again though, what I really want is people's opinions on what makes characters interesting in general. Unbiased and whatnot.

 

[Simon_Hawk]

They shouldn't be too serious. They need to have a fun quirk like being a badminton champion, or their families have a long lineage of being bacon cheeseburger connoisseurs.

 

[AAM]

All my favorite characters are a mess of contradiction. They have some traits that seem conflicting, or some form of cognitive dissonance that they struggle to resolve.

That can help with making their motivations more interesting, because the characters themselves aren't always entirely certain of how they need to go about their quest or their relationships. It can also be as simple as behavior that conflicts with their emotions, like an energetic charmer being depressed or afraid. Perhaps these characters are too "straightforward?"

 

[Crow]

Most of the characters I find fun to play spew fun dialogue and do borderline dumb shit that may or may not go off the rails.

Not every character trope will be fun for everyone, so maybe you're not doing anything wrong in this case.

I think what makes a character REALLY fun is interactions. How would they play off with other characters?

 

[Daisie]

Wow, so much diversity in responses
I'll have you know that every reply here is also going straight to my partner. We're compiling them and having a big ol' discussion. It's already helping us think.

 

[Phantom Thief of Hearts]

Honestly, it's a thing called humanity. The tricky thing about that is that one has to define what makes the character feel human. Be it be through their flaws or their morals.

 

[Andei]

Hmm... I like scrutinising the setting, identifying what are some of the unspoken standards or rules or norms, and seeing how I can create a tension of native absurdity, which is basically just a stupid fancy way of saying 'throwing a wrench into the works in such a way so it actually belongs, but it's still a wrench'. The character makes sense in the world, but because they are subverting such a fundamental underlying norm in the world or situation, you're naturally forced to think laterally. Examples might be:

Spoiler: High Fantasy Setting

The Typical Hero
Makes sense because: he is morally upright, a powerful warrior and just a really nice guy
Is a wrench because: prefers to talk things out with demon lords, but has a face so scary that it's actually more intimidating for said demon lords

Spoiler: Superhero School Setting

The Loner Girl
Makes sense because: she doesn't speak much, has a cynical edge and pushes people away
Is a wrench because: she is actually a totally normal human who accidentally enrolled in this school for superheroes and doesn't want to get found out because she would just die of embarrassment

Spoiler: Cyberpunk Setting

The Cyber Detective
Makes sense because: he is acutely observant, a technological genius and speaks in a cold, clinical, almost robotic way
Is a wrench because: he thinks he is an actual cyborg who is constantly fighting with an internal AI to maintain his humanity (and everybody on his team knows the truth and thinks he's a big nerd)

Hope that helps!

 

[Daisie]

The tricky thing about that is that one has to define what makes the character feel human.

S'what I'm attempting to do via this thread, lol

 

[Ace Cream]

I think what makes a character REALLY fun is interactions

I think this is it. I am mostly a group RPer and the characters that give me the most fun are the characters that aren't afraid to interact with other player's character. My dragonshifter character is more or less an asshole, she tried to eat the team's robot, riles up the team's short-tempered giant and keep trolling the NPCs. Then there's my bookworm priestess that likes to barge into everyone's love stories, overworking herself to help another character's trivial issue and just being an annoying but soothing person. Both of them are fun and I think that because I make them irreplacable for the team, not through their skillset but through their personality. They're both the carry of their respective RPs.

 

[Chordling]

A compelling character comes with story development. What matters most to me, however, is that I can connect with the character and portray them well with consistency rather than how compelling they are. That is how I become invested in the characters I make. I believe that most creative work breaks "formulas" and there's not much sense trying to fit them into one. A formula generates products that are similar to each other which may not be what you want. Each character is different just as real people are so I don't believe that formulas work well when you're trying to meet unique goals. Sometimes the process is similar but there is always something that will deviate away from past experience.

Edit: I find it a lot harder to relate and connect with a new character if I do not understand the setting well.

 

[Phantom Thief of Hearts]

S'what I'm attempting to do via this thread, lol

True that, it's really complicated and varies between person to person but in my opinion... It's challenging them, be it physical, psychological or even ideological. Present the character with a challenge that they have to overcome to be better.

 

[Onmyoji]

This is my personal opinion and this may or may not work for you.
But for me a compelling character is a relatable character. I don't mean it should be a self-insert, but it has to be a character whose motivations I understand myself. When I don't - it may still be fun and challenging to play for a while but in many cases would end up shooting yourself in the foot because you wouldn't know how to deal with character motivation and it will quickly become boring to play.

 

[Crayons]

I too have made boring characters in the past ... but I've also made plenty of good n entertaining ones so:

a) Motivation is a must. They have to have an internal motive even if they don't know what it is. It could be as simple as defining what their most important value is: duty, honour, love, friendship, piety, respect, knowledge. Or you can give them something more specific - a need for revenge perhaps, or a feeling of having to prove themselves.
b) They need to have room to develop. Plant the seeds, maybe at first they are a little bit tropey, or you don't fully understand them yet, and give them room to grow.
c) Some kind of purpose and a will to achieve it. Do they have a job of some kind? A certain status with responsibilities? Are they really good at one particular thing and fill a role in a group where they need to do this on the regular?
d) Vulnerability. I think this is super important, but it has to be in balance with also giving them purpose and motivation too. It's not so much about giving them a weakness or flaw, but about letting them be vulnerable, be human, have doubts, be scared. Let them open up about this to other characters. This is what makes a good character great imo. It's a little hard to define though, and don't go overboard on it and accidentally make a Pity Sue.
e) Humour. If you can't make fun of your character, or they can't make fun of themselves, or they won't do trash talk, burn it. I'm serious.

There's probably more but those will do for now!

 

[TPBx]

Just dont be boring /s

Real talk now. The characters I find most appealing/not boring are those that walk the fine line between grounded in reality and outlandish. There's a reason why we find certain characters to be exciting. Part of that is the relatability, Superman isnt just Superman, he's Clark Kent. A normal guy who lives a regular life in love with the woman of his dreams. But beyond that he's something more than we expect him to be. He's the Man of Steel and Defender of Earth. Faster than jet stronger than a locomotive. Shoots fricking lasers from his eyes. And its the balance of the human and inhuman that makes him interesting.

Lets go to say a different scenario and talk about more normal characters like Dwight Schrute from The Office. Or Pam and Jim. Or just the whole cast. They are all normal people working a normal job. But theyre interesting in that we see outlandish caricatures of the types of people you would see in an office. Michael the clueless boss. Pam and Jim the office couple. Dwight the overzealous kiss-up. Ryan the doofus who gets promoted to high positions but never deserves it. The ties to reality are what draw us to them but the fantasy is what makes them entertaining to watch and why we want to see them develop as characters as the series progresses.

This same treading of the fine line between reality and fantasy is what also make impactful antagonists. Or at least the breed of antagonists unlike the cartoonishly evil characters of yesteryear (though thats not to say they dont have their place in fiction). Characters like the Joker (both Joaquin Phoenix and Heath Ledger versions), Killmonger, Iron Man (Civil War) and Mysterio.

Just my 2 cents anyway.

 

[Simon_Hawk]

But for me a compelling character is a relatable character. I don't mean it should be a self-insert, but it has to be a character whose motivations I understand myself.

I agree with this, and didn't realize I was subconsciously doing this with my characters. Maybe not exactly like you mentioned but similar in that I added relatable things to them.
1.) The DnD Ranger - because my dad and I are outdoorsy
2.) The selfless sword fighter, because I believe in good and not being greedy and selfish
3.) The modern techno mage that used gadgets to battle - I'm mechanically inclined so it helped keeping me interested.

 

[Malphaestus]

As I see it, you cannot have an interesting character if it does not interact in a fascinating way with the backstory, or lore, behind the world itself.

 

[Zer0]

1. They have something that I like to explore. I've been fascinated, for example, by how to write redemption arcs, like Zuko from Avatar? So I made a character to learn how to write and apply what I've studied in telling a redemption story.
2. They have something I like that is relatable to the audience. Like loving animals.
3. This isn't part of the character per say, but what also makes me like them is how they are portrayed. Like, how they are written. Like the character becomes boring to me if everything about them is laid out in the open. I guess you can say that I know everything about them, so what? It's just that I like some showmanship in the delivery, I like putting some mystery, making the audience ask why, make them ask what's going to happen now? And just making my readers react. I like seeing them entertained and appreciative of my craft.
4. They look good. XD
5. They are allowed to fail, do crazy stuff, get stained, make choices that puts them in hot water and start some drama, and also grow. The growing part is what I like the most, like redeeming themselves. Especially when it's done through the help of other characters.
6. The connection they make with other characters. I like a wrench in the plans, and other players do this when their character is actively part of your character's life because your character is also a part of their life. I just like those family vibes. It colors my character when you see how they are affecting the lives of others. And the nice thing is you can never have the same connection because everyone is different and make different things, so the possible situations you end up together in are endless~
7. Risk. Another thing not really character related, but still affects you as the writer and in a way your link to them, and how you are feeling in the shoes of your character. The extra emotions from possible character death is a nice roller coaster, hence why I like dice roleplays. They are unpredictable, and coupled with possible character death leads to thrilling memorable moments. You know how we write sometimes to experience what we can't in reality? Risk makes action scenes feel more real. And when it's all of you in the group going, "Ahhhhh!!! You can do it!!! Roll well! You got this!" with bated breath, and then "Ohhhhh!! Success!" It just feels good, man.

 

[ashwynne]

Ooooooh my gosh, this is a really interesting question. What does make a character compelling?

I'd say motivation is definitely the primary big one. What pushes the character to keep existing? To put one foot in front of the other? It doesn't need to be dramatic. It can be anything from 'I shuffle through this wretched existence to carry on the memories of those I loved and lost,' to 'I live because I want to find love, settle down, and live a full life like everyone else.' The important thing is simply that they have a fundamental base motivation because as soon as they do... you have T O N S of room for character development/situational conflict which is--in my opinion--the most compelling aspect of most characters.

~E X A M P L E S:~
They're miserable and sad, living only to carry on their departed loved one's memories? BAM! They find themselves falling in love. Now they have a reason to live for themself, and very likely have to deal with the fallout that comes from previously living a life where they don't really care what happens to them.

They just want to find love, settle down, and live a standard full life? KABLAM! They're thrown headfirst into a chaotic situation where the summoning spell in a parallel world was messed up and now they find themselves in an entirely new world with this MASSIVE creature standing over them, frowning at them, and speaking at them in a language they don't understand.

Going to also agree that adding at least one relatable trait is massively important to cement that connection between yourself and the character. Breathes life into them a little more and tends to make it easier to get into their headspace. Even the most demented, psychopathic, and absolutely unredeemable character might have a compulsive need to drink a cup of lavender tulsi tea first thing in the morning. Or get migraines after a long day. It doesn't take away from the villainy but it does give the author and readers a toehold of relatability that binds everyone more tightly to the characters. It's doubly as effective with characters that are actually likeable. Have yourself an optimistic wayward adventurer whose skin burns just thinking about sunlight... they're slathered in SPF 100 at all times, looking like they're caked in chalk. Heaven forbid they ever lose or run out of their SPF 100... it'll be a lobster bake at that point.

And these kind of traits--in and of themselves--present options for further character development and conflict. What happens when Mr. Villain doesn't get his lavender tulsi tea? What happens when all the lavender fields are afflicted with an unknown disease and he has to go without it entirely in perpetuity? Does the villainy increase? Does he take a hiatus from harassing other characters to search for a cure to this botany bungle? It just... adds flavour in the best kind of way, especially when you sit down and think how that trait can potentially impact everything else in the character's life.

Options are basically endless, but in my opinion what it boils down to, what truly makes a character interesting, is their voice. That distinctive sound to their dialogue, actions, and even how they interact with the world that is completely theirs. It's an amalgamation of their worldviews, past experiences, education level, quirks and personality. If it's done really well, that character will have a distinct 'sound' in the writing that is visibly different from your other characters. If they lack that and you're not enjoying writing them... then the answer is simple: add some S P I C E. Throw in an interesting character motivation that would be intriguing within your established story setting (or invent a new story setting that would be interesting with their motivation), add in some quirks that humanize them/make them more relatable and see how you can twist those to make them even more dynamic. Start there and see how it's looking. Are you more excited to write them after that? If yes, great! If no... what spice is still missing? Filling out one of those "Character Interview" prompts you can find via a quick google search is sometimes a good way to suss out what gaps/boring parts exist that simply don't excite you... and then the fun of spicing those up into something more engaging can begin!

 

[Daisie]

Update: We've got a game plan to make our characters more interesting. We're going to...

1. Add more flaws to them. They have rocky pasts, and admittedly we haven't been the best at letting that ripple through our RP. Both of them are (or were supposed to be at one point) very clingy people, and we're planning on having them attach to each other to an unhealthy extent.
2. Take advantage of the fact that we don't know exactly who they are. If we don't know who or what their motivations are, then how can we expect them to? Realizing that your entire world centers around your crush (in this case, each other) and you don't know who you are without them can be a mortifying thought. One that I'm more than happy to dig deeper into.
3. Try to add more focus to their dialogue. If they don't speak distinctly, chances are their actions are going to fade in uniqueness, too.
4. Eventually have them split off, which is a huge change from where we originally wanted them to go. We wanted to give them their picture-perfect happily-ever-after, a long life of marriage and whatnot, but we realized that probably wouldn't be possible or healthy if they were smack in the middle of an identity crisis. So the general plan for them is to have them mutually split up in the end as to try and find themselves. A mature acknowledgement that neither of them are ready or healthy enough for romance just yet.

On an unrelated-yet-somewhat-related note...
I was thinking about character development, ya know, and I was speculating as to if relatability is something truly necessary in creating a good character. We've always said that being able to relate to someone, even a villain, was a good thing... but now I'm curious as to why.
Couldn't you completely and utterly hate a character - not relate to them in the slightest - and have them still be thought-out and well-rounded? I'd really like to hear your thoughts.

 

[Zer0]

Yeah, it's possible. But they just shifted to something boring? Like, yeah, felt very human, but I didn't care about what's going to happen to them next.

 

[Crayons]

Glad you guys have a direction to go in now!

On an unrelated-yet-somewhat-related note...
I was thinking about character development, ya know, and I was speculating as to if relatability is something truly necessary in creating a good character. We've always said that being able to relate to someone, even a villain, was a good thing... but now I'm curious as to why.
Couldn't you completely and utterly hate a character - not relate to them in the slightest - and have them still be thought-out and well-rounded? I'd really like to hear your thoughts.

I don't think hating a character and them being relatable in that sense, are mutually exclusive.... I mean sometimes the reason you hate something is because you see a reflection of yourself in it.

I think that the main thing with a villain character is they have to be relatable in that you have to feel like they have some kind of relatable motive. You may not identify with that character but you might understand, for example, how jealousy can make you do things that harm other people, or how good motives can make people commit crimes, or how a small amount of power can corrupt (literally anyone who has had a manager at work can relate to that, lol), or how the downtrodden can resent those who have more than them, or how faith taken to an extreme can mean opposition to people of other faiths. So ... yeah I think you need to be able to relate to them in the sense that you need to understand and believe why the villain is the way they are.

I find it very difficult to hate a villain who doesn't have relatable motives, because it's hard to hate a cardboard cutout. (Although if they do enough dastardly things to the protags I might. XD )

As to why - it's about empathising. The more you can empathise with a character the more you feel attached to the story, the more drawn into it you become. It feels more real. Do you need to empathise with a bad guy? Well ... I'd say yes, ideally. Because the inner conflict that you have empathising with them while despising their actions at the same time is a great feeling. Uncomfortable, but great.