Shallow story characters may be suitable for sitcoms or simple flash fiction. Yet, deeper characters engender audience connection.
Common Character Tropes
Travis Bickle from Taxi Driver is both a hero and a danger to everyone around him. Michael Corleone begins The Godfather as a reluctant outsider and slowly becomes the very thing he once resisted. Characters like these endure because they resist simple labels.
The villain and the hero. The funny man and the straight. The sane and the mentally disturbed. These dynamics are easy for both writers and audiences to recognize. The simple distinctions make them easy to spot in sitcoms. Yet, the reality of human nature includes more behavioral nuance.
A hero may have a mental illness. A villain can be sane. Humor can mask trauma. The character who makes everyone laugh may also be the one hiding the deepest wounds. A character’s upbringing and environment shape nearly every decision they make. Ignoring that history often leads to flat characters.
These contradictions make scenes less predictable and force the audience to reconsider what they believe about the character. Unexpected decisions may initially feel like plot twists, but when grounded in a character’s past, they reveal the deeper logic behind the story.
Building a Foundation
Since upbringing has a great effect on adult pathways, consider ways to work it in. A story can begin with a pivotal childhood experience, then fast-forward. Another technique is to open with a shocking event before looking at a future time period.
Flashback movie examples:
- Memento
- Manchester by the Sea
- Saving Private Ryan
- The Social Network
Writers can reveal backstory gradually through dialogue, conflicting memories, or moments where a character reacts unexpectedly to an otherwise ordinary event. By allowing the audience to feel the effect, they may not condone malfeasance, but empathize with the outcome.
Examples of Complex Characters in Film
- Fight Club – The protagonist is literally in conflict with himself, emerging as the embodiment of everything he represses.
- The Dark Knight – The Joker is not simply evil. His philosophy directly challenges Batman’s belief in order and justice. This ideological conflict gives both characters greater depth.
- There Will Be Blood – Daniel is a deeply complex character who embodies the brutal, self-destructive, and misanthropic spirit of American capitalism, yet he exhibits fleeting, nuanced moments of genuine care for his adopted son.
A Balanced Approach
In a story with many characters, it isn’t necessary to build everyone’s background. Perhaps focus on one or two key players. Entire alternate timelines for multiple characters may also work well. A strong foundation adds layered motivations that feel closer to real people than simple archetypes.
Audiences rarely remember plots as vividly as they remember people. When characters feel contradictory, flawed, and human, audiences carry them beyond the final scene.
FAQ: How to improve character-building when storytelling
Why are complex characters important in storytelling?
Complex characters help audiences form stronger emotional connections with a story. When characters behave in ways that feel authentic—even when flawed or contradictory—viewers and readers become more invested in the outcome.
How can writers avoid stereotypical characters?
Writers can move beyond stereotypes by exploring a character’s background, motivations, and internal conflicts. Traits that appear contradictory—such as humor masking trauma or heroism mixed with insecurity—can add depth and realism.
Do all characters in a story need detailed backstories?
Not necessarily. Many stories benefit from focusing on one or two primary characters with well-developed histories, while supporting characters can remain more lightly sketched.
Can villains be complex characters?
Yes. Some of the most memorable villains possess understandable motivations or philosophies. Characters like the Joker in The Dark Knight or Michael Corleone in The Godfather illustrate how morally ambiguous figures can drive compelling narratives.
