How To Write The Perfect Protagonist

Summary

The video script delves into the concept of the protagonist in storytelling, tracing its origins back to ancient Greek drama. It emphasizes the importance of character introduction, attachment, and development in creating a relatable and compelling protagonist. The protagonist's role is to embody the story's themes and messages, with their journey serving as a means to explore these elements. The video also discusses the dynamic between the protagonist and antagonist, highlighting how their conflict drives the plot and adds depth to the narrative. The ultimate goal of the protagonist is to resonate with the audience and bring the story's core ideas to life, making for a memorable and impactful experience.

Takeaways

• 🎭 The term 'protagonist' originates from ancient Greek drama, where it referred to the chief actor or the player of the first part.
• 📚 In modern media, the protagonist is the main character of the story, embodying various traits whether good or evil.
• 📈 Character introduction is crucial as it sets the stage for understanding the protagonist's personality and goals.
• 🧲 Creating an emotional attachment between the reader and the protagonist is key, often stemming from shared emotional or intellectual experiences.
• 🤔 Five essential questions to consider when developing a protagonist: What do they want, why, what's in their way, what do they need, and what's at stake if they fail.
• 🌟 A protagonist's motivation is critical for maintaining reader interest and should go beyond surface-level traits.
• 🔄 Understanding the difference between static and dynamic characters is important; static characters remain unchanged at their core, while dynamic characters undergo significant change.
• 🌱 Character development should be clear to the audience, whether it's shown through imagery or dialogue.
• 🤼‍♂️ The antagonist serves as a foil to the protagonist, driving the plot and creating conflict that the protagonist must overcome.
• 🎯 The protagonist's goal should align with the themes of the story, allowing these themes to come to life through their journey.
• 🌟 The ultimate purpose of the protagonist is to embody the story's messages and themes, providing a character that resonates with the audience.

Q & A

What does the term 'protagonist' originally mean in the context of ancient Greek drama?

The term 'protagonist' in ancient Greek drama originally referred to the chief actor or the player of the first part.

How did the concept of the protagonist evolve from Greek dramas to modern film and media?

Initially, Greek dramas consisted mainly of choruses and dancing. The introduction of 'poetics' led to the idea of one actor engaging in dialogue with the chorus. Later, the addition of a second actor created the concept of dialogue between two characters. In modern times, film and media feature many characters, with the protagonist being the main character of the story.

What is the importance of character introduction in developing a reader's or viewer's understanding of the protagonist?

Character introduction is crucial as it provides the audience with the initial impression of the protagonist's personality and goals. This first introduction often involves a cliché trait or behavior and sets the stage for understanding the character's actions throughout the story.

How does the concept of character attachment work in relation to the protagonist?

Character attachment involves creating an empathic connection between the reader and the protagonist. This connection often stems from an emotional or intellectual message that resonates with the audience, allowing them to relate to the character on a deeper level.

What are the five key questions to consider when developing or analyzing a protagonist?

The five key questions are: What does the protagonist want? Why does he or she want it? What's standing in his or her way? What does the protagonist need? What's at stake if he or she fails?

How do motivations differ between static and dynamic characters?

Static characters do not undergo significant change and remain essentially the same at their core throughout the story. Dynamic characters, on the other hand, experience important changes in their motivations and core character traits as the story progresses.

What is the role of the antagonist in relation to the protagonist and the plot?

The antagonist serves as a dominant force that challenges the protagonist and drives the plot forward. The protagonist's role is to take action against the antagonist, pushing the plot towards the climax where ideologies and motivations are defended and contested.

Why is it important for the protagonist's goal to align with the themes and messages of the story?

The protagonist's goal should align with the story's themes and messages to give life to these elements and make them visible to the audience. This alignment ensures that the protagonist's journey explores and embodies the core ideas of the narrative.

How does the concept of 'good versus evil' play a role in the conflict between the protagonist and antagonist?

While 'good versus evil' is a common theme, it is not the only framework for conflict. Some stories present nuanced perspectives where both the protagonist and antagonist offer valid ideologies, each with their own flaws, making their conflict more complex and engaging.

What is the ultimate purpose of the protagonist in a story?

The ultimate purpose of the protagonist is to serve as the primary character through whom the story's themes and messages are explored and made visible, providing a memorable plot and a character that resonates with the audience.

How can external developments in a character's story, such as power-ups or new forms, relate to internal developments?

External developments can symbolize or parallel internal developments, showing character growth or change in a tangible way. While not a substitute for internal development, they can complement and enhance the character's journey and transformation.

What advice is given for ensuring clarity in character motivations and scene agendas in storytelling?

Writers are advised to be clear on every character's agenda in each scene and the agendas within the conflict. It's recommended to take a moment to jot down what each character in a scene wants, no matter how small or large their desire, to maintain clarity in storytelling.

Outlines

00:00

😀 Understanding the Role of Protagonist

This paragraph delves into the origin of the term 'protagonist' from ancient Greek drama, where it referred to the main actor. It highlights the evolution of protagonists from Greek dramas to modern films and media. The importance of protagonists, regardless of their moral alignment, is emphasized. The paragraph also addresses common misconceptions in character development, particularly in the anime and manga community, stressing the need for nuanced characterization.

05:02

😊 Building Emotional Attachment to Protagonists

The focus here is on creating emotional attachment between the audience and the protagonist. It discusses how character introductions play a crucial role in establishing this connection by revealing traits and goals. The paragraph explores the subjective nature of attachment, citing personal preferences and biases. It suggests that a protagonist's motivation is key to fostering attachment, which can be achieved through various factors like beliefs, fears, relationships, and desires.

10:02

🤔 Exploring Character Development: Static vs Dynamic

This section outlines the distinction between static and dynamic characters, with static ones remaining unchanged while dynamic ones undergo significant development. It explores how character progression is intertwined with plot advancement, particularly in manga. The paragraph provides examples of dynamic characters like Guts from Berserk and Thorfin from Vinland Saga, highlighting their internal transformations. It emphasizes the importance of clear portrayal of character changes to the audience.

📚 Understanding the Protagonist-Antagonist Relationship

The protagonist-antagonist dynamic is central to plot progression, where the antagonist often drives the plot forward, challenging the protagonist. This paragraph discusses how conflicts between them contribute to narrative depth, whether they embody nuanced ideologies or represent more traditional good versus evil dichotomies. It underscores the protagonist's role in embodying story themes and messages, with the antagonist serving to impede their progress and enhance narrative tension.

Keywords

💡Protagonist

The protagonist is the main character of a story, who traditionally drives the narrative and with whom the audience is meant to empathize. In the video, the protagonist's role is discussed in the context of ancient Greek drama and how it has evolved in modern storytelling, particularly in anime and manga. The script emphasizes the importance of the protagonist's goal and personality in engaging the audience.

💡Character Introduction

Character introduction refers to how a character is first presented to the audience, which often involves revealing their traits, behaviors, or goals. The video discusses the significance of the protagonist's introduction in establishing an initial connection with the audience. For instance, the script mentions Lelouch playing chess in 'Code Geass,' which foreshadows his strategic approach to the story.

💡Character Attachment

Character attachment is the emotional bond that forms between the audience and a character, which is crucial for maintaining audience interest. The video suggests that this attachment often stems from a character's motivation and the emotional or intellectual resonance they have with the audience. The script uses the example of a character dealing with depression to illustrate how different characters can connect with different individuals.

💡Motivation

Motivation is the driving force behind a character's actions and decisions. It is a key element in character development and is deeply intertwined with a character's personality, beliefs, fears, relationships, and desires. The video emphasizes that understanding a protagonist's motivation is vital for creating a character that resonates with the audience, as seen in the questions proposed for analyzing a protagonist's wants and needs.

💡Static Character

A static character is one that does not undergo significant change throughout the story, remaining essentially the same at the core. The video contrasts static characters with dynamic ones, noting that while static characters might experience some external changes related to the plot, they do not fundamentally change. This concept is important for understanding character development and how it contributes to the story's themes.

💡Dynamic Character

A dynamic character is one that undergoes significant internal or external changes throughout the story. The video discusses dynamic characters in the context of character development, using examples like Guts from 'Berserk' and Thorfinn from 'Vinland Saga' to illustrate characters who experience profound transformations that are central to the narrative.

💡Character Development

Character development refers to the process by which a character evolves over the course of a story. The video differentiates between external developments, such as power-ups or new forms in manga, and internal developments, such as changes in a character's goals or beliefs. The script argues that clear communication of these changes to the audience is essential for a compelling narrative.

💡Antagonist

The antagonist is a character that opposes the protagonist, creating conflict and driving the plot forward. The video discusses the antagonist's role as a force that challenges the protagonist, leading to a climax where ideologies and motivations are defended and contested. The script also touches on the nuance of having both the protagonist and antagonist present flawed but convincing perspectives.

💡Theme

A theme is the central idea or underlying message of a story. The video posits that the ultimate purpose of the protagonist is to serve as the primary vehicle through which the story's themes are explored and brought to life. The protagonist's journey and the obstacles they face should reflect and amplify the story's thematic concerns.

💡Good vs. Evil

Good versus evil is a classic narrative conflict often found in stories. The video discusses how this conflict can be portrayed in various ways, from straightforward moral battles to more nuanced confrontations where both the protagonist and antagonist have relatable ideologies. The script suggests that the execution of this conflict is key to engaging the audience.

💡Emotional Investment

Emotional investment refers to the degree to which the audience becomes emotionally involved in the story and its characters. The video emphasizes that while a creator may believe their protagonist is the epitome of the medium, it is important to recognize that not all audience members will connect with the character in the same way. Emotional investment is crucial for maintaining audience engagement and driving the narrative.

Highlights

The term 'protagonist' originates from ancient Greek drama, where it referred to the chief actor.

Greek dramas initially involved choruses and dancing, evolving to include dialogue between actors and the chorus.

In modern film and media, the protagonist is the main character, embodying good or evil.

The channel encourages viewers to like, comment, subscribe, and turn on notifications for updates.

The concept of a 'perfect protagonist' is subjective and varies based on interpretation.

Misunderstandings in the anime and manga community often oversimplify character development.

Different protagonists connect with different readers, based on emotional or intellectual messages.

Character introduction is crucial as it sets the stage for understanding the protagonist's actions.

Introductions can hint at the character's goal or reveal it outright, setting the tone for their journey.

Emotional attachment to the protagonist is built through shared experiences and subjectivity in art and media.

Five key questions to consider when developing a protagonist: their wants, obstacles, needs, and the stakes of failure.

Character motivations are deeper than surface traits and are crucial for maintaining reader interest.

Different types of motivations include beliefs, fears, relationships, and desires, often intertwined with backstory.

Static characters do not change significantly throughout the story, while dynamic characters undergo fundamental changes.

External developments, like power-ups in manga, do not negate the possibility of internal developments.

The protagonist's goal should align with the story's themes, making their journey a vehicle for exploring these themes.

The antagonist's role is to challenge the protagonist, creating tension and driving the plot towards a climax.

The protagonist's ultimate purpose is to bring the story's themes and messages to life, leaving a lasting impression on the audience.

Transcripts

english term of protagonist goes all the

way back to an ancient greek drama which

originally meant the player of the first

part or the chief actor during this time

greek dramas mostly consisted of

recruiting choruses and dancing around

that is until poetics came along which

introduced the idea of one actor

stepping out and engaging in a dialogue

with the chorus later on we get to see

the addition of another actor added to

the mix and which created the idea of

dialogue between two characters as of

modern times in film and media we now

have many characters acting in their own

separate roles with the primary role

being that of the protagonist so to make

it clear in case there were any

misconceptions regarding this the

protagonist is the main character of the

story despite good or evil now before we

do move on any further to the video i do

want to say if you are new to the

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now of course there's no such thing as

the perfect protagonist as in reality

all of that is really up to

interpretation and every character in

general has their own faults so the term

perfect doesn't really match up here

it's just used for the title's sake but

still many times there are many

misconceptions especially in the anime

manga community oftentimes

oversimplifying the progression or

development of the character and

honestly speaking this is probably one

of the most annoying things possible to

see i don't know where the stigma comes

from that people think that good

development is people going from

non-edgy to edgy when i think most

characters that are like the examples of

great character development do the

opposite of that but whatever moving on

though it needs to be said that each

protagonist isn't going to connect with

every reader you can go on and

faithfully believe that your protagonist

is the peak of the medium but you would

also have to understand that some people

aren't just gonna get emotionally

invested as you think they would this is

why we have a variety of genres filled

with multitudes of protagonists that

give certain readers the abilities to

relate to despite popular opinion in

order to create the perfect protagonist

quote unquote there's going to be a lot

of nuances that have to be structurally

layered out for the protagonist now

don't see this as specific rules you

have to follow see this as vague

guidelines based off of analysis of all

the different protagonists i've read and

seen throughout media that i'm kind of

presenting to you and the first thing we

need to begin with is the character

introduction this part is important

because it gives the reader slash viewer

the idea of what kind of character the

protagonist is most of the time in

character introductions the protagonist

is likely going to identify with a

certain cliche trait or behavior this

can range from pretty much anything and

having the character introduction given

first to the reader viewer means a lot

going forward because we will start to

sort of understand some of the

characters actions later on character

introductions can vary in many different

ways many times a character's

introduction can either be hinted kind

of shown to us give us an idea of what

the goal is or outright just tell us

what it is and this can span from a few

chapters up until an entire arc a quick

example of this can be found in code

geass when in the very first episode we

see lelouch playing chess and we see him

move the king piece first little did we

know this would tie into his entire

philosophy and how he would carry the

plot taking the course of action and

allowing others to follow other quick

examples can be luffy and naruto who

both give a pretty clear idea of what

their goal is for the end of the series

the idea of the character introduction

is to show the personality and the goal

of the protagonist for the rest of the

series to develop that more this is

pretty simple and there's not really one

way to go about this so we can keep this

segment short and concise as i think it

really transitions into the next one

which would be character attachment

quote i think there has to be an

empathic strike between the reader and

the protagonist there has to be

something said and known that can

connect the reader to this person

michael connolly so this segment might

be a little messy but i'll try to make

it as simple as the quote did from here

on the main goal of the character

introduction outside of introducing us

to the protagonist is to create some

sort of emotional attachment this is

where the true beauty of subjectivity

plays in art and media because even

though we build stronger attachments to

the protagonist as the series goes on

many times our investment in the

protagonist comes from what sort of

emotional or intellectual message

connects with us for example it is no

secret that i'm a big fan of stoic gone

angry characters correction well done

angry characters now there's more to a

character usually than just one emotion

well at least there should be but there

will always be emotional biases that we

will always have and messages that will

connect to us way more than others in

other words a protagonist that tackles

the theme of depression may connect to

one individual more than others and even

though it may be well done the reader

may never find that appreciation for

said character what's important though

is that your protagonist offers

something to somebody this can be later

expanded upon even more through

character development and character

change but what matters is that you lead

up to that the moment you introduce your

character give the protagonist a purpose

here are five questions i think you

might want to keep in mind while writing

and or analyzing a protagonist what does

my protagonist want why does he or she

want it what's standing in his or her

way what does my protagonist need and

what's at stake if he or she fails these

are just overall general questions for

the outline of the protagonist and some

authors will admittedly delve under some

of these points more than others but the

main thing that will build emotional

attachment is the character's motivation

on the surface what grasps the reader

should be the protagonist's personality

but what is truly important what will

truly keep the reader interested in said

character is the character's motivation

and it's a lot deeper than i think some

people are willing to think some things

to take into consideration when once

again writing or analyzing the

protagonist are these different types of

motivations so these can break down into

many different areas for example you

have their beliefs their fears their

relationships desires and usually in

between all of that is their backstory

now there are subsections to all of that

and different types of beliefs and fears

and relationships and desires so as you

can see having a motivation for your

character is important now at least

every character should have a motivation

on top of their personality that will

give them the deeper attachment that is

needed for the audience and so once we

get a little bit into this character

attachment after the introduction this

attachment is built on furthermore

through the character development quote

character is not created in isolation or

repose it is forged through interaction

with others and the world david corbett

first we need to give the definition of

what a static and dynamic character is a

static character is one that does not

undergo important change under the

course of the story remaining

essentially the same at the end to make

it clear a static character might go

through some changes here and there but

one can go and look at their current

state now and look back through the

beginning and you can still see that

they haven't changed at their core

usually static characters are limited to

changes tied into the plot in contrast

to the dynamic characters dynamic

characters undergo important change

through the course of the story going

through fundamental changes of what

their motivation and character is at

their core however what makes this

tricky is progression and development

are many times intertwined especially in

the external sense shown in manga for

example are probably best known for

these external developments which the

characters go through at first glance

with their power ups and new forms

that's not to say that shonen characters

can't go through internal developments

however the big ones that stand out do

tend to be the external ones again the

super saiyan sage naruto all of the

different forms ichigo has and etc etc

etc and just to be extra clear all

because a character goes through some

massive external developments doesn't

mean they can't go through equally big

internal developments however some good

examples of these dynamic characters

would be guts from berserk and thorfin

from villain saga who are definitely

going to be in the thumbnail and are

probably the best examples in the medium

of anime and manga when it comes to the

internal character development and a

dynamic protagonist now once again i'm

really speaking in these broad terms and

i'm not always bringing up these

specific examples because i don't want

you to be tempted into thinking these

are the only characters that did it

right i want you to think of your

favorite protagonist or some of the

protagonists that you consider to be the

best and see how they kind of fit within

these categories but going back to it

internal developments would go along the

lines of changes and goals the driving

force of their quests and many times

questioning the possibility of failure

once again being completely different

characters now compared to who they were

at the beginning versus a more static

character which will go through some

external changes here and there and will

definitely mature but at their core will

pretty much stay the same as they were

at the beginning these are characters

that are more about changing the world

around them than letting the world and

their events change who they are any

sort of development or change in a

character can be shown symbolically or

literally through imagery or told

through dialogue between characters

either ways whether static or dynamic

and this is the important part is that

whatever type of change the character

goes through whether small or large it

is made clear towards the audience

quote be clear on every character's

agenda in the scene and the agendas in

the conflict before you write take a

moment just to jot down what each

character in the scene wants even if as

kurt von go once said it is only a glass

of water so i touched on this concept a

little more over a year ago now on my

video on how to write the perfect

antagonist

but the foil in the relationship between

the protagonist and the antagonist is

the most essential in the entire plot in

that video i discussed how the

antagonist more often than not serves as

the dominant force that pushes the plot

the job of the protagonist is to take

action and push the plot further by

taking the antagonist to his or her

limit just as previously the antagonist

did for the protagonist in other words

it's one big game of pushing and pulling

which leads towards the climax and it is

at the climax where the main character

and the main enemy will fight to defend

their ideology and protect their

motivations while destroying the others

again this is a concept i talked more

about in my how to write the perfect

antagonist video so if you are

interested in that link will be in the

description below however this does not

simply have to confine to the idea of

good or evil some of my favorite stories

have a protagonist and antagonist that

each offer a good perspective on their

own ideology and are both each extremely

flawed therefore making their conflict

much more nuanced and interesting

however that is not to say that your

typical good versus evil conflict cannot

be just as good in the end this is all a

little bit of literature theory and

concepts if you will so what matters is

good execution but how do i kind of

encompass all of this what is the goal

of writing the protagonist what is the

purpose of the protagonist in the end

the ultimate purpose of the characters

in your story is to give the themes and

messages in your story life therefore

the ultimate purpose of the protagonist

is to serve as the primary character who

will allow those themes to be made

visible therefore whatever goal you give

to your protagonist should be with the

intention that you explore those themes

throughout their journey the purpose of

the antagonists and the difficulties

they go through is to slow down the

protagonist from reaching said goal

therefore making the story interesting

in the first place luffy's goal in one

piece is to become the pirate king and

find the one piece if we were to

condense it right the difficulties that

luffy goes through makes the journey

much more credible and memorable some

characters have a much more nuanced goal

like guts essentially still trying to

find out what his goal is and what the

purpose of life is just like many of us

and i don't think i need to get into

what kind of opposition he faced i've

talked about that plenty so in the end

the protagonist should capture the

reader and serve as the clear example of

what the story is about pushing a

memorable plot and providing a character

that will stay in the heart of the

audience forever i really hope you

enjoyed this video and let me know if

there's any sort of other type of

concepts when it comes to writing you

would like me to tackle i'm not a

professional writer i'm just a 19 year

old kid that really likes manga

nonetheless if you are new here make

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favorite anime manga whatever content as

always this has been the masked man hope

everyone has a blessed rest of the day

and peace