One thing that stands out about our changing habits in entertainment and marketing is a greater focus on characters.
In recent years, we’ve seen blockbuster movies like The Joker and Oppenheimer which zoom in on specific individuals. They explore their choices, inner battles and personal journeys in interesting, refreshing and relatable ways.
Fiction books have also enjoyed a shift toward more character-centric stories. However, the characters they zoom in on differ from what we’ve seen before. There’s a far greater focus on morally grey characters, those with a foot in the camps of both right and wrong.
Marketing companies have also zoomed in on their customers to portray them in advertising campaigns, all in the hope of connecting with customers.
Below, we explore the shifting trends and appearances in the fictional characters we see in books, TV and film and marketing, and what methods writers are employing to incorporate these methods.
About Fictional Characters And How They’re Created
For many of us, we watch TV shows or films or read books to follow the stories of interesting characters as they navigate their way through a series of conflicts and obstacles.
Some types of stories focus more on the obstacles and conflicts. Others might focus on the unique setting in which the story takes place. And others, the type we’re concerned with here, focus on the characters and how they respond, react and grow as they progress through the tale.
For a long time we’ve seen many common character tropes, like the drunken middle-aged policeman, or the long-bearded wizard. Readers and writers alike are, quite rightly, bored of these character tropes. They crave freshness, and in the past few years a number of books have hit the shelves to give us just that.
Before we look at examples of these changing trends, let’s take a look at how writers create characters to gain a true appreciation for the process.
How Fictional Characters Are Created
In order to achieve these more fully fleshed and realistic characters, complete with all their flaws and insecurities, writers need to delve deeper into the character creation process.
One particularly influential method is known as The Bone Structure and was set out in Lajos Egri’s masterpiece, The Art of Dramatic Writing.
At the core of this method lies a meticulous exploration of our characters—their bone structure, as Egri aptly puts it. Understanding who they are, what propels them, and the depths of their desires. According to Egri, it’s not just about knowing what a character wants for breakfast; it’s about comprehending the underlying motivations.
To achieve this it’s necessary to define their physiology (how they appear), their sociology (how society responds to them), and their psychology, which is the product of the first two. In doing so, we begin to create a character with three dimensions.
Once we grasp the essence of our characters, their reactions to conflicts and obstacles become more evident. They may lack the necessary skills to overcome a hurdle and experience failure. This failure, in turn, can propel our plot along a trajectory of growth and development.
The manner in which characters navigate conflicts has the potential to shape the course of the plot. Surprising twists may emerge, steering the narrative in directions that captivate readers.
So character creation now embodies entire tales, looking at the causes and effects, which in turn has helped see a huge shift in the characters we now see in fiction.
The Role Of Characterization
Many contemporary writers in all types of genres, from fantasy fiction to literary fiction are placing greater emphasis on characterization within a story.
This term simply refers to the process of creating a fictional character as well as the descriptions of their nature, features, mannerisms and the like.
Modern fantasy authors like Joe Abercrombie, George RR Martin and Richie Billing have written and spoken extensively about the influence and power likeable (and unlikeable) characters can have on a story. They quite simply become the glue that bonds readers hooked on the book and is why readers of books written by these authors get through their novels in a matter of mere days.
Examples Of Character Types In Older Fiction Works
To understand the differing types of characters we see in contemporary fiction, it’s helpful to look at some of the classic tropes we’re used to seeing on the silver screen or in the books some of us grew up reading.
Here’s a breakdown of some of the most common classic character tropes:
- The Hero – Often the central character who embarks on a quest, possessing noble qualities and facing monumental challenges to achieve a goal. King Arthur, the legendary king in Arthurian tales is a good example of a hero character type.
- The Villain – The antagonist and opposite to our hero, they embody malevolence. Count Dracula from “Dracula” symbolizes the classic, formidable antagonist.
- The Mentor – Often a wise and experienced guide who imparts knowledge and guidance to the protagonist. Gandalf, the wizard in “The Lord of the Rings,” serves as a mentor to Frodo and is a great example here.
- The Sidekick – Usually a loyal companion to the protagonist, providing support and sometimes contrasting characteristics. Ron Weasley from the “Harry Potter” series is Harry’s steadfast and humorous sidekick, for example
- The Femme Fatale – This is often a mysterious and seductive woman who ensnares the protagonist in her web of intrigue. Brigid O’Shaughnessy in “The Maltese Falcon” is a classic example of this trope.
- The Everyman – Usually an ordinary person thrust into extraordinary circumstances. They often add a relatability factor to the story. Bilbo Baggins from “The Hobbit” is an unassuming hobbit caught up in an epic adventure.
Characters In Contemporary Fiction And Marketing
So we’ve seen a list of some of the classic character types and tropes. Let’s explore some examples of characters who have appeared in more contemporary works as well as in marketing campaigns, paying particular focus to their distinguishing features:
- The Antihero – This character type often sees someone go from a position of good to one of evil, or perhaps they break accepted norms, rules or laws. Walter White from Breaking Bad is a good example. He transforms from a mild-mannered teacher to a ruthless drug lord, challenging traditional notions of the hero.
- The Strong, Independent Woman – In the last 20 years we’ve seen more strong, powerful women take centre stage in stories. Lisbeth Salander in Stieg Larsson’s “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” is a fine example. Lisbeth is a complex and resilient character who defies conventional gender roles.
- The Reluctant Hero – Another common character type in contemporary works is the character who does not want to be the hero but circumstances have put them in that situation. Katniss Everdeen in Suzanne Collins’ “The Hunger Games” is a great example. Katniss is thrust into a leadership role against her will, embodying the reluctant hero archetype.
- The Complex Villain – A much more common and enjoyable character type is the complex villain. Erik Killmonger in “Black Panther” embodies this well. Killmonger is a villain with a compelling backstory and motivations, challenging the simplistic portrayal of antagonists.
As you can see, very contrasting character types have emerged in fiction and marketing campaigns over recent years. They’re no doubt spurred on by readers and writers both being bored and tired out by the usual tropes they see. It’s led to swathes of new and interesting characters who crucially, we feel more connected to. This, in turn, has allowed companies to sell their products in better and more inventive ways.
