When you dive into a story, you can tell authors pour their heart into the main character. They work hard to make them pop, whether through epic quests or big personality traits. But let’s not forget the side characters—they’re just as crucial! Think of Ron and Hermione in Harry Potter, or Sam in Lord of the Rings. These characters don’t just tag along; they make the main character even better by showing new sides of their personality or pushing them to grow. So, what makes a side character stand out without stealing the spotlight from the main character?
Side characters can take on all sorts of roles, depending on your main character and what you want them to achieve in your story. You might go for a mentor vibe—like a wise wizard guiding your hero. They’re usually more skilled or experienced than your main character, at least early on, helping them grow through lessons or tough advice. Just make sure they have their own quirks, like a mentor with a hidden past.
Another option is making them friends and equals. I love a good friendship story because it lets your main character show fresh traits—like being goofy or vulnerable—around their buddies, compared to how they act solo. You can also think outside the box and make the side character a rival, but in a moral way, which is my favorite. Say your main character has a goal, like saving a kingdom, and their rival wants the same thing but takes a shadier path.
Make it a morally gray struggle—maybe the rival’s way seems faster but wrong—and show your main character wrestling with that choice. I’ve seen this work great in games like The Witcher, where allies and rivals push you to question your decisions. Whatever role you pick, give your side characters their own goals or quirks—a friend with a weird hobby or a rival with a chip on their shoulder—so they feel real and not just like a generic piece of your world.
First, figure out where your main character struggles the most. This helps you craft a side character who’s stronger in that area and can push your main character to grow. Often, this works well with a main character who lacks courage—throw them into a situation where they have no choice but to step up, like saving their friend from danger.
What I love is when this growth happens through intense dialogue. You can almost feel the words hit as hard as they hit the characters—like a heated exchange in The Witcher where a friend’s tough love forces the hero to face their fears. That kind of dialogue makes the side character’s impact real and shows the main character’s change in a way that sticks with readers.
When writing side characters, steer clear of clichés at all costs. I’ve seen way too many overdone tropes—like the boring best friend or the wise old mentor with zero personality. Sure, some clichés work for a reason, but you’ve got to add your own twist to keep them fresh and make them stand out in your story.
Don’t be afraid to take risks and give them depth—like a mentor with a dark backstory, maybe they lost everything to a war they caused. A well-written side character with their own story sparks so much interest. Think of someone like Yennefer in The Witcher—she’s a mentor figure, but her messy past makes her unforgettable. That’s the kind of flavor you want to bring.
My advice? Put just as much effort into your side characters as your main character. Work on them at the same time so you’ve got a clear outline for both. You can have more than one side character, but don’t go overboard—too many will make readers lose track, and we don’t want that.
At the end of the day, you might think the main character drives your story the most, but don’t be surprised if your side characters steal the show. They can be the key to getting the most out of your story, like how companions in Final Fantasy often make the journey unforgettable. So, go craft some side characters with their own spark!