Make the Most Out of Side Characters

Are you making the most of your side characters, or is your focus solely on creating an in-depth protagonist with a gripping backstory? Maybe you’re busy developing an unforgettable plot or honing a powerful universal theme?

While all these elements are important, side characters matter too. Often, these characters are overlooked during the writing process. We remember that we need other people for the protagonist to interact with, but we forget to develop these characters to fully enhance the story.

Are side characters really that important, or do they just exist to keep the protagonist company? Should we focus on crafting everything else first and add side characters only when convenient? In truth, side characters play a vital role in the writing process. So, how can you develop them in ways that truly strengthen your story?

First, you need to learn about the different type of side characters.

Types of Side Characters

Each type of side character plays a unique role in the story and impacts the protagonist in distinct ways.

• Antagonist: The “bad guy” who challenges the protagonist to overcome adversity. While antagonists are most common in genres with clear moral conflicts—like fantasy or murder mysteries—They can also serve as more abstract opponents in other genres. By giving the protagonist someone or something to fight against, antagonists highlight the main character’s strengths and weaknesses.
• Mentor: These characters play a vital role in guiding and shaping the protagonists’ journey. Often wise, experienced, or possessing unique skills, mentors provide the protagonist with knowledge, advice, and encouragement to help them overcome challenges while they grow. Mentors leave a lasting impact through their role as a moral compass, offering lessons that linger even after the mentor steps out of the protagonist’s immediate journey.
• Confidant: These characters serve as trusted allies, providing a safe space for the protagonist to reveal their thoughts, fears, and desires. Confidants offer emotional support, helping the protagonist process difficult decisions or reflect on their experiences.
• Static: Characters who remain unchanged throughout the story. Their constant beliefs act as a contrast to the evolving protagonist. For example, in Jane Ere, Helen remains true to her values despite hardship, providing Jane with an example of resilience that shapes her own choices later in life. Static characters help reinforce themes, showing the impact (positive or negative) of holding onto particular beliefs.
• Flat: Often mistaken for static characters, however, there is a simple difference; flat characters are undeveloped. They serve to populate the world and make it more realistic, like the acquaintances we know by face only in real life. Some characters may be both static and flat, while others are just flat. These characters serve as background figures that enhance the story’s authenticity without needing an extensive backstory.
• Dynamic: These characters undergo significant change during the story. Their transformation highlights the story’s themes, symbolizing growth, realization, or redemption. A dynamic character’s journey often mirrors or complements the protagonist’s arc, illustrating the story’s message or moral through their evolution.
• Round: Multi-dimensional characters with complex personalities, backgrounds, desires, and motivations. Though the protagonist is usually a round character, many key side characters are as well. These characters add depth and relatability to the story. Their layered personalities make the story feel authentic and believable, influencing the protagonist’s interactions. Dynamic and round are often confused. Round refers to complexity, while dynamic refers to transformation. Many round characters are also dynamic, but a round character can also be static.
• Foil: A character whose traits sharply contrast with the protagonist’s, revealing the protagonist’s strengths, flaws, or uniqueness. While an antagonist actively opposes the protagonist, a foil merely offers contrast and does not interfere with the protagonist’s goals directly. The best foils challenge the protagonist subtly, pushing them to address their weaknesses and prepare for their journey.

Now that you understand the types of side characters, it’s time to explore how to put them to work within your story.

1. Support the Protagonist

The primary role of a side character is to support the protagonist. Just as people in real life provide encouragement and motivation, these characters support the protagonist on their journey and overall development.

Whether through providing essential resources, challenging the protagonist’s beliefs, or simply being a comforting presence during difficult moments, these characters strengthen the protagonist’s arc. These characters allow the protagonists’ struggles and triumphs to feel more relatable.

Secondary characters offer guidance, companionship, and insight that shapes the protagonist’s choices and perspective. By challenging their beliefs, cheering them on, or standing by them during moments of doubt, side characters ensure that the protagonist doesn’t face the journey alone.

2. Flesh Out Themes

Side characters help flesh out themes. The protagonist’s journey can only reveal so much, but additional characters can drive the story forward in unique ways. Characters with different backgrounds can highlight things that the protagonist may overlook or take actions that the protagonist could not or would not take.

Just as we learn from people in our lives, protagonists learn from the characters they encounter along their journey. These side characters help guide the protagonist in the directions they need to go.

While the protagonist is set in a central role, side characters offer flexibility to address different symbolic or thematic needs. Often, the protagonist will react more strongly to other characters than to the plot alone.

If you want to expand or highlight certain thematic elements in your story, use additional characters to your advantage.

3. Add Complexity and Believability to the Story

Side characters add depth and complexity to your story, enriching the protagonist’s journey. They often intensify the story’s conflict by introducing interpersonal challenges on top of the existing drama.

Side characters may contribute in various ways—by acting as antagonistic forces (think of the flying monkeys hindering Dorothy’s journey in The Wizard of Oz) or well-meaning friends who still complicate the protagonist’s path (as seen in many school stories).

As the writer, your goal isn’t to make it easy for the protagonist to achieve their goals. Side characters play a crucial role in making that struggle real. They bring authenticity to the narrative because, just as in real life, people add complications to our journeys. However, avoid overcrowding your story with too many side characters, as readers need to know who each one is. Each side character should be distinct, with a personality that sets them apart. Too many characters can risk sounding alike or losing their uniqueness.

4. Aid the Novel’s Memorability

Think of your favorite novel—what makes it so memorable? Often, it’s the cast of characters. Side characters bring depth and make stories unforgettable. What is Anne of Green Gables without Rachel Lynn? Or Jane Eyre without Mr. Rochester?

Side characters offer the readers what the protagonist alone cannot give them. They add believable and memorable moments, and they bring humor that offers a refreshing break from the main conflict. Comic relief helps keep readers engaged but also gives the protagonist a break from intense themes.

In a world full of entertainment choices, your story needs to stand out and leave a lasting impression. Using well-crafted side characters is a powerful way to make that happen.

Side characters are essential in supporting your protagonist’s journey throughout the novel. Every strong protagonist benefits from a meaningful support system. These side characters enrich themes in ways the protagonist cannot. Side characters also add depth, show the protagonist new perspectives, and reinforce the story’s message.

Assign a clear role for each side character–-while they don’t all need epic backstories, they should each bring something unique and memorable. Once you create a side character, make sure they contribute purposefully.

By crafting well-developed side characters, you enhance your novel’s complexity, believability, and overall impact. Invest time to make your side characters as memorable as possible, and your story will have a lasting impact because of it.

Author Bio:

Emily Dean grew up as a missionary kid in Siberia, Russia, an experience that deeply influences the spiritual themes in her writing. Currently, a college senior studying professional writing, Emily has loved words since she learned how to read. When she’s not writing or working on homework, she enjoys curling up with a good book and a cup of tea.