Perhaps the most fundamental building blocks of story, characters are the people we love, hate, scrutinize, and try to understand. They’re our way in the gritty underworld of drug empires or a perspective into a far-flung fantastical sci-fi society. So let’s get familiar with the 5 main types of movie characters you should be using in your screenplay. We'll be your guide.

The 5 main types of movie characters

Like cogs in a machine, each type of character, while related to one another, has a different function and serves to make your story that much more powerful. First I’ll go over the core trinity of characters (the protagonist, antagonist, and deuteragonist) and afterwards I’ll delve into the most popular kinds of side characters (the mentor and the love interest).

The protagonist (main character)

Undoubtedly the most crucial type of movie character in a story is the protagonist or "main character." Conventionally, we meet the protagonist at the beginning of a story and follow them through a series of trials and tribulations before leaving them in a new form at the end of the story.

Each scene should bring out something new in the protagonist, inviting the audience into their head to try and figure them out. Additionally, the protagonist usually directly connects to the story's theme, and the plot will have them reckon with and ultimately change their relationship with that theme.

Some of the greatest examples of protagonists come from the realm of Shakespeare. These include Hamlet, Macbeth and Romeo from Romeo and Juliet.

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Another example of a proatgonist is Walter White from Breaking Bad. Throughout the series, we are invited to understand Walt, his relationship to the theme (what does it mean to "break bad"?), and how he as a character transforms.

Usually, the protagonist of the story is the hero but this isn't always the case, as seen in Breaking Bad. At the start of the show, Walt is an ineffectual and under appreciated chemistry teacher. By the end, he is a hardened, cynical, and world-weary drug kingpin. In short he is a round character and not necessarly one of the heroes. He’s also our entry point into the criminal world of Albuquerque and beyond, letting us explore a whole suite of peripheral characters. One such character is the antagonist.

Due to the amount of screen time a protagonist gets, this character needs to be fleshed out the most. For example, giving your protagonist a tangible and relevant flaw is a well-worn method of adding all-important depth.

A hearld - or a a person, message, or crystallising incident - is usually what that sets the protagonist on their mission, beginning the plot.

The antagonist (opposition character)

Newton's Third Law of Motion says that "For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction." What is true in physics is also true in storytelling. While the protagonist pushes one way, the antagonist pushes another. They are the oppositional force in the story, doing everything in their power to make sure that the protagonist fails and that they succeed.

This type of movie character, the antagonist, isn't necessarily a villian either. They simply believe something different than the protagonist. That also makes them a round character rather than a stock character. The key to writing a good antagonist is to remember that this cuts both ways. They see themselves as the protagonist and the true protagonist as the antagonist.

For example, let's take a look at Killmonger from Black Panther.

While undoubtedly the antagonist in the film we see, it's straightforward to see the same story from his perspective because he has a point. T'Challa (our protagonist) is hiding away the technology of Wakanda and letting the "two billion people all over the world that look like us" suffer as a result. Killmonger seeks to rectify what he sees as a moral outrage, driving the story forward. In the end, it's only by genuinely confronting and reckoning with Killmonger's perspective that T'Challa can truly change by the end of the story (which also demonstrates the power of the three-act structure).

If your protagonist moves one way, make your antagonist push in the exact opposite direction as a kind of foil. Having such opposed characters throws up instant opportunities for dramatic andentertaining scenes.

The deuteragonist (secondary character)

Not all types of movie characters can take center stage. Some thrive in the sides. The Deuteragonist is a character that the script isn't focused on, but they still play a big part in the story and often support the main character or are a confidant of him. Often they're a friend or ally of the protagonist who offers a differing perspective on the story's events, they aren't usually a flat or static character but are deeply developed as a dynamic character.

The deuteragonist also offers an opportunity for tonal contrast. A deuteragonist can often be a source of comic relief or what anchors the protagonist in reality. The B-story of a script can sometimes focus on the deuteragonist's story and how that affects the protagonist.

A goof example of a deuteragonist is Sam Gamgee from The Lord of the Rings:

Sam is never the spotlight of the story, but he is key to it progressing as one of the supporting characters. In this scene, the protagonist, Frodo, is at one of his lowest moments. Here, the deuteragonist uses their unique perspective to enrich the journey of the protagonist. Without Sam, Frodo might not have kept going. Deuteragonists often play key roles that move the story forward.

A common mistake for writers to make is to not fully develop their secondary characters and for them to become a slapstick trickster. Creating dynamic secondary characters adds increased depth to your script.

Let's take a look at the Harry Potter films. While there could be an argument that all three children, Harry, Ron and Hermonie are main characters, the truth is Harry is the protagonist. Ron and Hermonie are fully developed secondary characters that continually help Harry make decisions and drive the plot forward. Another example of a well-developed secondary or supporting character is Han Solo in Star Wars.

Mentor character

While the deuteragonist is usually a peer, a mentor is usually a wizened elder figure to the protagonist who takes them under their wing. The mentor is etched into some of humanity’s oldest storytelling traditions for a good reason. In an age of oral tradition, the only way for knowledge to be passed on was for elders to share their experiences with a younger generation.

The mentor character can also be a deuteragonist or sometimes an antagonist, but rarely a protagonist. The mentor has come to the end of their journey and is usually at a state of self-actualization, a place the protagonist hasn’t gotten yet. It is the mentor’s job to set the protagonist on the path towards thematic revelation and offer sage advice when needed.

One of my favorite mentors is Mr. Miyagi from The Karate Kid:

This clip shows that the mentor doesn't have to be infallible. A traumatic past haunts Miyagi, but through his mentorship of Daniel, he can fulfill a role he didn't know he needed to. Without Miyagi, it's impossible to see Daniel as anything more than the listless soul we see at the start. But due to Miyagi's tutorship, Daniel can evolve and change far beyond what we might expect of him.

Romantic interest character

Last but not least, we have a romantic interest. This character type has a more complicated history than the rest. Film history is littered with lazily written romantic interests who exist purely for the pleasure of the (usually) male protagonist or for sex appeal. There's nothing inherently wrong with either; it's more that it's a symptom of lazy writing.

The romantic interest has a crucial role in story structure. Unlike the mentor or a friend-style deuteragonist, a romantic interest is uniquely capable of getting underneath the protagonist's skin and revealing their emotional side. Think about the things you would tell a romantic partner that you would never tell a best friend. These are the sides of a protagonist the romantic interest can reveal. Additionally, sometimes an audience wants an old-fashioned romance story. There's nothing wrong with that.

A recent traditional example of a love interest is Ellie from Yesterday. Played charmingly by Lily James, this character doesn't break down any significant boundaries of what to expect in a romantic interest. She challenges the protagonist to be better, truly analyze his motivations, and evolve in the climax of the film. The varying states of her opinion on the protagonist is a core part of what makes the emotional highs and lows of the plot function. However, the character is ultimately at the service of the protagonist and not an exciting counterpart.

For me, a far more interesting romantic interest character is Samantha from Her:

Part of the genius of Samantha as a character is that she is a deconstruction of what the romantic interest is. There can’t be any sex appeal in Samantha because she doesn’t have a corporeal body. Instead we reckon with her as a person and come to understand how the relationship she holds with Theodore helps grow both of them in turn. Theodore is a quiet protagonist, but through Samantha we are able to get a better look into who he truly is, and what effect he has on others.

What type of movie character will you write?

Think about these 5 main types of characters as tools in a toolbox. The vast majority of scripts will feature a protagonist, an antagonist, and a series of deuteragonists. The mentor and the romantic interest are prevalent character archetypes that pop up in storytelling history, but you by no means have to include them. Just like writing exposition, including different types of characters in your story are tools that, done well, can elevate a script. Avoid only focusing on your main character. You don't want to end up with flat characters!

If you want an easy way to keep track of your characters and how they interact, you can use Arc Studio Pro’s outlining cards to help.

If you want to explore the art of writing fleshed out characters further, then check out this article that uses real-world psychology in the realm of screenwriting: How to Use Myers-Briggs to Develop Authentic, Compelling Characters in a Screenplay.