You can organize your character cards in Story Planner with tags, but you can also assign each character a role in the story, such as protagonist, antagonist, mentor, impact character, or any other role you need.
Assigning a Role to a Character
To assign a role to a character, open the character card and tap Function in the Story.
From there, you can choose a role from the list or create a new one by tapping the + icon in the top-right corner of the screen.
Managing Character Roles
The list of character roles is shared across all your projects.
This means you only need to create and organize this list once. You can set it up with the roles you use most often, and then select the appropriate role whenever you are planning a new story.
You can add as many character roles as you want. You can also edit or delete existing roles whenever you need to update the list.
Common Character Roles
If you need some help getting started, here are some of the most common character roles and what they usually do in a story.
Protagonist
The protagonist is the main character, or one of the main characters, who carries the weight of the story.
Most stories have at least one protagonist. This character usually pursues a specific goal, and the main events of the story are connected to their journey.
The protagonist can be a hero, an antihero, a villain, or any other kind of character. What matters is that the story revolves around their actions, choices, and conflict.
Sidekick
A sidekick accompanies the protagonist and supports them throughout the story.
Sidekicks often help the protagonist during their journey, offer emotional support, and remain loyal even when things become difficult.
Famous examples include Sancho Panza in Don Quixote, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter series, and Doctor Watson in the Sherlock Holmes stories.
Protagonist’s Helper
This role is similar to the sidekick, but the helper does not necessarily accompany the protagonist all the time.
A protagonist’s helper supports the main character in reaching their goal. Their help can be intentional or accidental, generous or self-interested.
Antagonist
The antagonist is the character whose goals oppose the protagonist’s goals.
An antagonist does not have to be evil. What matters is that their objectives clash with the protagonist’s, creating the central conflict of the story.
A strong antagonist usually makes the story more compelling. In many cases, it helps if the antagonist seems more powerful than the protagonist, at least at the beginning.
Whenever possible, try to represent the antagonist through a specific character. If the opposing force is a group, institution, or abstract system, you can often make the conflict clearer by giving that force a visible representative.
For example, if the protagonist is fighting against bureaucracy, a specific official, lawyer, or authority figure could act as the antagonist within the story.
Antagonist’s Helper
Just as the protagonist may have allies, the antagonist can also have helpers.
These characters support the antagonist’s goal. They may work directly for the antagonist, share their interests, or simply benefit from the same outcome.
Obstacle Character
Obstacle characters stand in the protagonist’s way, but they are not necessarily connected to the antagonist.
Their role is usually incidental. They create complications, delays, or additional conflict.
For example, if the protagonist needs to file important documents in court, an unhelpful civil servant could become an obstacle character. This person may have nothing to do with the antagonist, but still prevents the protagonist from moving forward.
Impact Character
An impact character may appear briefly, but their role is important.
This character influences the protagonist at a key moment. They may give the protagonist the courage to continue, offer an important piece of information, or help them see the situation in a new way.
Guardian
A guardian protects something important in the story.
This may be an object, a place, a secret, a person, or anything connected to the protagonist’s goal.
Mentor
The mentor guides, teaches, or prepares the protagonist.
Mentors often help the main character gain the knowledge, confidence, or skills they need before facing a major challenge.
Examples include Yoda in Star Wars and Abbé Faria in The Count of Monte Cristo.
Sometimes, a mentor can also be an impact character, especially when their advice changes the protagonist’s direction.
Skeptic
The skeptic does not believe in the protagonist’s goal or chances of success.
Unlike an obstacle character, the skeptic may not actively try to stop the protagonist. However, their doubts can discourage, challenge, or pressure the main character.
In some stories, the skeptic’s disbelief helps highlight the difficulty of the protagonist’s journey.
Goal Character
Sometimes, a character represents the goal the protagonist is trying to reach.
For example, if someone has been kidnapped, the kidnapped character may become the goal character because the protagonist’s objective is to rescue them.
Other Secondary Characters
This list is only a starting point.
You can create any character roles that work for your story. Depending on your project, you may need roles such as love interest, rival, witness, comic relief, informant, false ally, victim, leader, or narrator.
Story Planner lets you customize the role list so it fits your own writing process.