The Importance Of Side Characters / Secondary Characters In Manga Stories

Summary

The video script from 'Monitor Comics' YouTube channel discusses the importance of creating well-written side characters in comic, manga, and webtoon projects. It emphasizes that side characters, also known as secondary or supporting characters, are crucial for world-building and plot progression. They can serve as foils to highlight the protagonist's traits, or take on roles such as mentors, romantic interests, or comic relief. The script advises giving side characters their own unique traits, backstory, and development to avoid them feeling flat or like mere plot devices. It also warns against common mistakes like letting side characters overshadow the protagonist or introducing too many without clear purpose. The video encourages treating side characters with the same depth as main characters to create a rich and dynamic story world.

Takeaways

• 🎨 **Importance of Side Characters**: Side characters are crucial for world-building and providing context in a story, often taking on roles like crewmates on a spaceship or knights in a medieval kingdom.
• 🚀 **Role in Plot Development**: They help move the plot forward, motivate the protagonist, and can serve as foils to highlight the protagonist's qualities.
• 🤔 **Distinction from Background Characters**: Side characters are more than just world fillers; they have opinions, beliefs, and points of view that interact with the protagonist's journey.
• 🧩 **Foil Characters**: Foil characters are designed to emphasize another character's strengths or weaknesses, either through opposition or support.
• 🌟 **Supporting Character Types**: Side characters can be sidekicks, romantic interests, henchmen, mentors, best friends, rivals, or comic relief, each serving a unique purpose in the story.
• 🌱 **Character Growth**: Like main characters, side characters should grow and evolve over time, adding depth and realism to the narrative.
• 📚 **Backstories and Personalities**: Well-developed side characters have detailed backstories and personalities that influence their reactions and decisions within the story.
• 👥 **Unique Traits for Recognition**: Giving side characters unique traits, appearances, or mannerisms helps readers distinguish and remember them.
• 🎭 **Agency and Motivation**: Side characters should have their own goals and fears, acting with agency rather than merely as plot devices.
• ⚔️ **Strategic Usage**: Not all side characters need extensive development; some can be combined or used as one-off characters to maintain focus on the main narrative.
• 💥 **Purposeful Character Exits**: When side characters are written out or killed off, it should serve the story's progression or character development, not just for shock value.

Q & A

What is the primary focus of the video?

The primary focus of the video is to discuss how to create well-written side characters for comics, manga, and webtoon projects.

What is the importance of side characters in storytelling?

Side characters are important because they complement the protagonist and/or antagonist, help move the plot forward, motivate the protagonist to act, and add context and life to the world of the story.

What is a common mistake made when developing side characters?

A common mistake is unintentionally making side characters more interesting than the protagonist, which can steal the spotlight and detract from the main story.

What is the role of a 'foil' character?

A foil character is used to highlight or draw attention to the qualities of another character, emphasizing their strengths or weaknesses.

How can side characters be used to enhance the world-building in a story?

Side characters can establish context for the world, provide information and guidance, and reveal key details that define the story setting.

What are some types of side characters?

Types of side characters include supporters, antagonizers, informers, sidekicks, romantic interests, henchmen, mentors, best friends, rivals, and comic relief.

Why should side characters not be static or flat?

Side characters should not be static or flat because they should grow and evolve over time, just like main characters, to feel three-dimensional and believable.

How can a side character be distinguished from a background character?

A side character is distinguished from a background character by having a more significant role in the story, including their own opinions, beliefs, and point of view, while a background character only exists to fill the world of the story.

What is the recommended approach to learning new skills for creating comics and manga as mentioned in the video?

The video recommends using Skillshare, an online learning community with classes ranging from photography, illustration, graphic design, animation, freelancing, and more, to learn new skills and improve in creating comics and manga.

What is the significance of the '28 day drawing challenge anatomy for illustration and comics' class mentioned in the video?

The '28 day drawing challenge anatomy for illustration and comics' class is significant because it provides a simplified understanding of human anatomy tailored for comic artists, which is beneficial for improving anatomy drawings in comics, manga, and webtoon illustrations.

Why is it important to give side characters a unique trait or physical appearance?

It is important to give side characters a unique trait or physical appearance to make them easily distinguishable and memorable for the readers, especially when there are numerous side characters in a story.

What should be the goal of side characters in a story?

The goal of side characters should be to push the story forward or to influence the main characters in some way, whether it's through their actions, decisions, or the information they provide.

Outlines

00:00

🎨 Introduction to Creating Side Characters

This paragraph introduces the topic of creating well-written side characters in comics, manga, and webtoon projects. It emphasizes the importance of side characters in storytelling, their role in world-building, and how they can influence the protagonist. The video also mentions the different types of side characters, such as foils, sidekicks, and mentors, and the need for them to be dynamic, with their own beliefs and growth. The paragraph concludes with a sponsorship message from Skillshare, an online learning platform with classes on various creative subjects, including comic and manga creation.

05:00

📚 Developing Three-Dimensional Side Characters

The second paragraph delves into the development of side characters, discussing the need for them to feel as real and complex as the main character. It outlines the different roles side characters can play, such as supporters, antagonizers, and informers, and how they can challenge or guide the protagonist. The paragraph also stresses the importance of giving side characters unique traits and backstories to distinguish them and make them memorable. Additionally, it addresses common mistakes made when developing side characters, such as stealing the spotlight from the protagonist or creating too many secondary characters without clear purpose.

10:01

🌟 Balancing Side Character Roles and Impact

The final paragraph focuses on the strategic use of side characters in storytelling. It discusses how to avoid overshadowing the main character and the importance of assigning specific roles and locations to side characters to maintain narrative clarity. The paragraph also touches on the use of side characters to advance the plot, influence the main characters, and the potential for their removal or 'killing off' to serve the story's purpose. It concludes with a call to action for viewers to engage with the content, subscribe to the channel, and share their thoughts on side characters from various series or their own projects.

Keywords

💡Side Characters

Side characters, also known as secondary or supporting characters, are integral to storytelling as they complement the protagonist and/or antagonist. They are used for world-building, providing context, and moving the plot forward. In the video, examples such as Levi Ackerman from 'Attack on Titan' illustrate the role side characters play in enriching the narrative and influencing the protagonist's actions.

💡Foil Characters

Foil characters are a type of side character designed to highlight or emphasize the qualities of another character, typically the protagonist. The term originates from a jewelry photography technique. In the script, it is mentioned that foil characters may not necessarily create opposition, but their purpose is to emphasize another character's strengths or weaknesses, thus adding depth to the story.

💡Plot Devices

Plot devices are mechanisms or techniques used to advance the story. They can include specific events, objects, or characters whose primary function is to move the plot forward. The video warns against overuse or misuse of clichéd plot devices, which can disrupt the reader's immersion. An example from the script is the caution to treat side characters with depth to avoid them feeling like mere plot devices.

💡Character Development

Character development refers to the process by which a character evolves over the course of a story. It is important for side characters to grow and evolve as well, making them feel three-dimensional and real. The video emphasizes that side characters should not be static but should have their own backstory, fears, and goals, which contribute to the overall narrative.

💡Supporting Characters

Supporting characters play a variety of roles in a story, such as sidekicks, romantic interests, mentors, or comic relief. They provide context and add life to the world of the story. The video explains that supporting characters should act as a reference point for the reader and should be as well-developed as the main characters to enhance the believability of the story.

💡Antagonizers

Antagonizers are side characters who challenge the protagonist in a negative way. They serve as minor antagonists and are crucial for creating conflict and tension in the story. The script mentions that antagonizers are not necessarily villains and can oppose the main character for reasons other than being evil, such as through misunderstandings or accidents.

💡Informers

Informers are side characters that act as sources of information and guidance for the main character. They are important for providing context and details that help the protagonist navigate the story's world. The video stresses that informers should be fully developed characters, not just plot devices, and should contribute to the three-dimensionality of the story world.

💡Unique Traits

Unique traits are distinctive features or characteristics that help to differentiate side characters from one another. The video suggests that giving side characters unique traits, whether it's a physical appearance, verbal mannerism, or personality quirk, can make them more memorable and easier for readers to distinguish, especially in stories with a large cast.

💡Agency

Agency in characters refers to their ability to make choices and influence the story's direction. The video highlights that supporting characters should not be mere tools for the protagonist's actions but should have their own goals and motivations. This gives them a sense of autonomy and makes their actions feel organic to the story.

💡Killing Off

Killing off a character refers to the act of removing a character from the story, either through death or by having them leave for some reason. The video discusses that this should be done with purpose and not just for shock value. The death or departure of a side character can motivate other characters and advance the plot, provided it serves the story's themes and goals.

💡Character Backstory

A character's backstory provides the history and context that shapes who they are in the present. The video emphasizes the importance of understanding a side character's upbringing, lifestyle, and experiences to make their reactions to events in the story believable. Fleshed-out backstories add depth to characters and help readers to connect with them on a more personal level.

Highlights

The video discusses the importance of side characters in comics, manga, and webtoon projects.

Side characters are crucial for world-building and providing context within a story's setting.

Examples of well-known side characters include Levi Ackerman from Attack on Titan and Roy Mustang from Fullmetal Alchemist.

Skillshare is recommended for classes on creating comics and manga, with a focus on anatomy for illustration.

The class '28 Day Drawing Challenge: Anatomy for Illustration and Comics' by Jazza is highlighted for its simplicity and applicability to various mediums.

Foil characters are introduced as those that emphasize another character's strengths or weaknesses.

Supporting characters can take on roles such as sidekicks, romantic interests, mentors, or comic relief.

Side characters should not be static; they should grow and evolve over time.

Three types of secondary characters are identified: supporters, antagonizers, and informers.

The importance of giving side characters unique traits or appearances to distinguish them is emphasized.

Plot devices should be used carefully to avoid clichés and maintain reader immersion.

Side characters should have their own backstory, fears, and goals, similar to main characters.

The concept of killing off side characters for plot advancement is discussed, with examples from popular series.

Common mistakes in developing side characters include stealing the spotlight and creating too many secondary characters.

The video advises on how to avoid these mistakes by ensuring each side character has a specific role and purpose.

The narrator thanks the viewers for watching and encourages engagement and support for the channel.

Transcripts

[Music]

how's it going everyone welcome back to

monitor comics the channel will recreate

comics and manga if this is your first

time checking out my youtube channel

that i hope you can check out some of my

other videos after you are finished

watching this one we have already

covered a ton of cool comic making

tutorials such as how to create power

systems and shown in manga how to create

unique character designs and how to come

up with the perfect names for your

original characters in today's video we

will be discussing how to create

well-written side characters for your

comics manga and webtoon projects by the

end of this video you will know the

importance of side characters and how to

properly implement them into your

graphic novel projects but first let's

hear a word from today's sponsor this

video is proudly brought to you by

skillshare skillshare is an online

learning community with thousands of

online classes for anyone who loves

learning and wants to explore their

creativity skillshare is the perfect

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skillshare classes range from

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out skillshare's classes focused on

creating comics and manga there are so

many great resources for improving your

manga artwork and storytelling abilities

right now i am taking the class 28 day

drawing challenge anatomy for

illustration and comics by popular art

youtuber jazza throughout this class

jazza demonstrates how to draw human

anatomy in a way that is super simple to

understand this class is ideal for

beginner and intermediate illustrators

but will benefit anyone looking to

improve their anatomy drawings you can

follow along with your medium of choice

on paper or digitally even if you're

working with different tools jazz's tips

and techniques will still apply to your

process what's cool about this class is

it's catered towards comic artists

unlike traditional art classes taught in

school jazz's class shows you how to see

the basic shapes of the human body and

how to simplify it for comics manga and

webtoon illustrations by the end of this

class i definitely gained a better

understanding of how to draw the human

figure on screen you can see some figure

studies i illustrated while taking the

class what i love about this class is it

breaks down all the different body parts

arms legs torso and back into separate

lessons this allows you to focus on one

body part at a time jazza also provides

insight on the general muscle structure

and function of each body part giving

you an even better understanding of what

you are drawing and why it bends the way

it does if you are an aspiring comic

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highly recommend you check out this

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skillshare for continuing to support the

creative community now let's get back to

the video side characters also known as

secondary characters or supporting

characters are characters in a story who

compliment the protagonist and or the

antagonist character think of popular

side characters such as levi ackerman

from attack on titan kamina from gurren

lagann and roy mustang from fullmetal

alchemist a side character is commonly

used as a tool for world building they

allow you to establish context for your

world think about it if your story takes

place on a spaceship there have to be

crewmates on board to man the spaceship

if your story takes place in a medieval

kingdom there have to be knights and

kings secondary characters are

characters who are not your protagonist

or your antagonist think of parents

friends co-workers bosses or minor

villains side characters should not be

confused with background characters

characters who only exist to fill the

world of your story secondary characters

are essential to every good story they

help move the plot forward and motivate

the protagonist to act side characters

should have their own opinions beliefs

and point of view that complement or

contradict the protagonist they should

push the protagonist to make certain

decisions or perform certain actions

secondary characters can also stand in

opposition to the protagonist making

them rethink their reasoning or action

secondary characters who bring out the

best or the worst in your protagonist

are known as foil characters foil

characters exist to highlight or draw

attention to the qualities of another

character the term foil comes from a

jewelry photography technique where you

set a gem on a foil base to enhance its

shine foil characters don't necessarily

need to create opposition or conflict

some foil characters can even be a

friend of the character they are

designed to draw attention to the main

purpose of a foil character is to

emphasize another character's strengths

or weaknesses since loyal characters may

have different values and motivations

they may make different decisions than

the protagonists creating what-if plot

lines some examples of foil characters

in anime and manga include naruto and

sasuke from naruto lelouch and suzaku

from code geass tai and matt from

digimon adventure hinata and kagayama

from haiku kyonden haruhi from the

melancholy of haruhi samia and rey and

asuka from evangelion aside from foils

supporting characters can also be

sidekicks romantic interests henchmen

mentors best friends rivals and comic

relief a supporting character needs to

ground your story and act as a reference

point for the reader while your

protagonist is someone your reader

should see themselves in a side

character is someone who needs to add

context to the world side characters add

life to the world your story takes place

in making it feel more believable an

easy way to think about this is in an

isekai series the reincarnated main

character must rely on a supporting

chaos to learn more about the fantasy

world the power system and their role in

the story secondary characters reveal

key details define a story setting and

motivate or foil the protagonist it is

important to note that supporting

characters should not be static or flat

they should grow and evolve over time

remember your side character should feel

as three-dimensional as your main

character your secondary cast doesn't

have to be purely good or purely evil

all of the time they could be morally

gray there are three types of secondary

characters supporters antagonizers and

informers side characters who are

supporters act as safe spaces for the

main character they are the person your

main character confides in allowing us

to see how they are truly feeling or

thinking about a certain situation

supporters side characters can challenge

the protagonist by questioning their

judgment offering alternate solutions

and convincing them not to make certain

decisions examples of supporter type

side characters include karma akapane

from assassination classroom kilauea

from hunter hunter and rem from re-zero

secondary characters who are

antagonizers challenge the protagonist

in a negative way these characters are

minor antagonists and should not be

confused with your story's central

antagonist it is important to recognize

that antagonizer side characters are not

necessarily villains while some can be

some characters may oppose your main

character for non-villainous reasons

some other antagonizer side characters

may oppose your protagonist

unintentionally through a

misunderstanding or an accident examples

of antagonizer side characters include

kampachi from bleach itachi from naruto

and sedokaiba from yu-gi-oh supporting

characters who are informers act as

informational sources for your main

character their role is to provide

information and guidance it is important

to remember that side characters are not

just plot devices even a character like

an informer should be fully fleshed out

and three-dimensional examples of side

characters who are informers include

reagan from mobs like a 100 goju from

jiu-jitsu kaizen and master roshi from

dragon ball in real life our

personalities are the result of nurture

and nature our life experiences

influence the type of person we become

as an adult the same should be true for

the characters in your comics manga and

webtoon stories when writing side

characters you should take into

consideration their upbringing lifestyle

and experiences the author should

understand the character's hobbies

quirks and obsessions so that you are

able to understand how they react to the

events in your story examples of side

characters with fleshed out backstories

include todoroki shoto from my hero

academia mikey from tokyo revengers and

bishomon from norigami while there might

only be a few main characters in your

story you may encounter hundreds of side

characters throughout the course of your

comic for a reader it can be difficult

to remember every tom dick and harry for

this reason you should make it easier to

distinguish side characters by giving

them a unique trait or physical

appearance you could also give them a

unique verbal trait or personality trait

maybe make your side character speak in

a specific way or wear a unique outfit a

plot device or plot mechanism is a

technique used to move the plot of your

story forward be careful when using plot

devices a cliche plot device may annoy

your reader and an arbitrary plot device

make a fusion reader by misusing plot

devices you can break your reader's

immersion and negatively impact their

reading experience an easy way to avoid

making your sia character feel like a

plot device is to treat them like you

would a main character your side

characters should have their own

backstory fears and goals each

supporting character in your story

should want something out of whatever

situation they are put into they

shouldn't just mindlessly do whatever

the protagonist tells them to do

examples of supporting characters with

agency include paul greyrat from ashoka

tensei kokuchi oma from danganronpa v3

and shinobu kocho from demon slayer

let's face it some side characters are

going to be more important than others

some secondary characters may only

appear briefly while others may stick

around for an entire story arc the goal

of your side character should be to push

the story forward or to influence your

main characters in some way pick and

choose which side characters to flesh

out so you don't get distracted by

details that don't really matter you can

avoid creating unnecessary side

characters by combining characters

together during the rough draft phase

you can also get rid of potential side

characters by making them one-off

background characters unlike your main

characters side characters can easily be

put into dangerous situations or killed

off the term killing off doesn't always

have to literally mean killing off a

character it could relate to a character

who has to move or go away for some

reason it is important to remember that

your side character should be written

off with purpose shock value is not a

good enough reason it is a side effect

by writing off side characters you can

push the plot forward a secondary

character's death may motivate another

character or help the main characters

achieve their goal if your main

characters are in a dangerous situation

it might be realistic for several side

characters that die or be injured you

can easily remove side characters that

are no longer necessary to your story

and give their sacrifice purpose spoiler

alert please skip ahead to this point in

the video if you did not want to hear

examples of side characters whose desk

greatly enhanced the plot of their

series

character deaths like marco bolt from

attack on titan ace from one piece and

uriah from naruto left a huge impression

on the main characters and the readers

alike their deaths led to interesting

plot developments and substantial

character growth here are a few common

mistakes writers make when developing

side characters mistake number one

stealing the spotlight one common

mistake when writing side characters is

unintentionally making them more

interesting than the protagonist think

of characters like yuno ghazai from

future diary l from death note and

makima from chainsaw man these

characters are debatably more popular

than their series protagonists an easy

way to run into this problem is by

focusing too much on a side character's

backstory or character arc you should

always be asking yourself if your

secondary characters add to the moral of

your story or take away from it another

way of running into this problem is by

creating a secondary character who is

more powerful or cooler than the

protagonist remember your main character

should be the focus of your story things

can get messy if you let more powerful

side characters handle every conflict an

easy way to resolve this is to give your

side character a specific reason for why

they are accompanying your protagonist

maybe they got caught up in a situation

where they are unable to use their full

power forcing the main character to take

back the spotlight a good example of

this can be seen in the shonen manga

series boruto borito is the sequel

series to naruto an incredibly popular

manga series that used to be published

in weekly shonen jump naruto finished

its publication with 72 manga volumes as

you can imagine many characters have

achieved tremendous feats and acquired

powerful abilities by the end of the

story so how could the new characters in

boruto a sequel series about the next

generation of characters compete with

the pre-existing characters in naruto

the answer is by creating circumstances

where the more powerful adult characters

are unable to use their full power or

are unable to take part in the battle

while this may feel like a cheap gimmick

especially for the devoted fans of the

original series it creates an

opportunity for the kids and boards to

take the spotlight and tell their own

story mistake number two is creating too

many secondary characters it is very

easy to create more side characters than

your story actually needs as previously

stated each supporting character should

have a purpose they should be playing

some role in a story to help move things

forward or develop your main characters

if you take the time to explore each and

every character's backstory and

character arc your story could easily

become drawn out and confusing to follow

an easy way to fix this is to assign

each side character a specific location

in your story what i mean by this is

your specific side character should only

show up when your protagonist is in that

specific location instead of having side

characters randomly visit your

protagonist have your protagonist travel

to that one designated location to see

that side character doing this will

allow your reader to easily remember

your side character because they will

have created an association between the

character and the setting in conclusion

supporting characters are essential for

every story without side characters the

worlds in your comic manga and webtoons

will feel empty lifeless and static your

main character needs to be able to

interact with many different types of

people to grow and evolve creating

secondary characters adds context to

your story and helps develop your main

cast it is important to treat them with

just as much respect as you would give

your main characters thank you so much

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characters down in the description below

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