Supporting character
Supporting characters aid protagonists and advance the plot.
A supporting character, also known as a secondary character or side character, is a character in a narrative that is not the focus of the primary storyline but is important to the plot or protagonist. They appear or are mentioned in the story enough to be more than just a minor character or a cameo appearance, and they differ from minor characters because they have a complex backstory of their own, desires, and emotions. While this is usually in relation to the main character, developed supporting characters add layers and dimension to the story and the protagonist.
- definition
- Character in a narrative not the focus of the primary storyline
- distinction
- Has complex backstory, desires, and emotions
- common types
- Love interest, antagonist, best friend, mentor, sidekick, comic relief, caregiver
- broad categories
- Supporters, antagonists, informants
- examples
- Watson (Sherlock Holmes), Donkey (Shrek), Ron Weasley (Harry Potter)
Lore & Background
Supporting characters fit into three broad categories: supporters, antagonists, and informants. Supporters include caregivers, love interests, comedic relief, and close friends. They are generally important to the protagonist, so they often become the target or victim of the antagonist. They also characterize the protagonist through dialogue and their relationship, offering aid, companionship, and physical or emotional help. Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter series are examples of supporters.
Reader's Guide
Antagonists are the opposite of the protagonists and act as the conflict of the story. They challenge the protagonist and aid in teaching them a lesson, as seen with the Joker in the Batman series. Informants help the protagonist on a journey of personal growth or information; they can be mentors, guides, or messengers, providing wisdom and direction at a crossroads in the journey, such as Yoda in the Star Wars franchise. In television, supporting characters may appear in more than half of episodes per season, and in ongoing material like comic books and television series, they may become main characters in a spin-off if they gain sufficient audience approval.
Did You Know?
- Supporting characters differ from minor characters because they have a complex backstory, desires, and emotions.
- Common types of supporting characters include love interest, antagonist, best friend, mentor, sidekick, comic relief, and caregiver.
- Supporting characters fit into three broad categories: supporters, antagonists, and informants.
- In television, supporting characters may appear in more than half of episodes per season.
More in Narrative Forms And Devices 1-23
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