Some fictional characters stay with us forever, long after we finish reading the book they came from. From Sherlock Holmes to Black Beauty, from Romeo and Juliet to Peter Pan, memorable characters can work their way into our hearts and minds.
They become so prominent in our thoughts that we refer to them as if they were real people in our everyday world. Some of them have become celebrated as shining examples of people we want to meet in our everyday life. Others end up as disagreeable examples of villains we learn to avoid in the real world.
What Are Literary Characters?
Fictional characters are, by definition, imaginary creations. They are invented persons, animals, or beings that appear in narratives such as novels or movie scripts. Although fictional characters are not real, they are usually based on true-to-life traits and mannerisms, which makes them become alive in our minds. This convincing representation allows the characters to better tell the story the writer wants to deliver to the reader.
Why is it that some literary characters capture our imagination and make us wish they were our friends in real life? Why do some fix themselves in our minds as paragons emulate, or congenial companions we invite to parties? Thinking about memorable fictional characters offers readers a form of escape from the complexities and challenges of our everyday world and relationships.
Characters can hold up a mirror to real life and display possible paths to great glory or warning signs that lead to great sorrow. The one thing that successful fictional characters never do is go plodding through humdrum lives, stuck on an uneventful treadmill.
They provide the promise and comfort of a fulfilling conclusion by the end of the story. Everything is tied up on the last page, whether happily or unhappily. If only readers could have that kind of excitement in their own life!
Famous Characters
Throughout the ages, readers have cherished a whole host of fictional characters. Some of these portrayals are truthful and relatable depictions, showing a character with a realistic mix of virtues and vices. Others are more fantastical, emphasizing a famous character’s noble traits while diminishing or omitting anything unfavorable.
On the other hand, there are imaginary persons who are renowned for illustrating the depths to which a person might stoop. The enormity of their vice provides a warning beacon for anyone who strays from the straight and narrow of society’s values.
There are even characters so popular in literature that readers recognize them on a first name basis. These characters have reached a peak of fame or infamy such that one word says it all: Sherlock, Frodo, Dracula, Yoda, Ishmael, or Heathcliff.
Readers are given a peek inside the “private lives” of these literary characters, allowing us to observe their triumphs and despair up close and personal. We are invited to stand beside them, hear their secrets and feel their pain.
We might feel we know them as well as we know some of our friends, co-workers or neighbors. We are made privy to their innermost thoughts in a manner seldom offered in real life.
Famous Literary Characters
The list of famous characters is huge, coming from all genres, all walks of life, and from anywhere on earth and the universe. They come from all time periods in history, from the earliest sagas of the distant past to the headline ripping best sellers of today. Here are a few:
Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes often tops the lists of well-remembered literary personalities. He is celebrated for his brilliant intellect and clever wit, as well as his masterful skills of observation and deduction. He never fails to ferret out the clues, expose the evil doer, and save the innocent from harm. Mind you, he is also known for being arrogant, eccentric, and rather untidy in his habits.
Holmes is an example of a famous multi-dimensional character, shown to the reader with both insights and shortcomings.
Hermione Granger
Hermione Granger from the Harry Potter series is eminently practical, a trait that stands her in good stead when she shows herself to be infuriatingly right much of the time. Always curious, and smart in magical knowledge, book learning and common sense, Hermione is not afraid to speak up for what she believes in.
She bravely stands by her friends despite the risks and danger. Harry praises her for her ability to overcome challenges, her sense of fairness, her compassion, and unfailing friendship.
James Bond
James Bond is an example of a fascinating character living large. His life is rife with hair-raising intrigue, opulent settings, and death-defying escapes. Through it all, Mr. Bond navigates both danger and pleasure with consummate ease and self-confidence, always prepared for any eventuality.
Even though the books and movies seldom show the character putting a foot wrong or making a mistake, readers overlook this slip from realism for the pure enjoyment of wish-fulfillment. Bond achieves everything he wants and at the same time manages to save the world, all while impeccably dressed.
Arya Stark
Arya Stark is courageous, fierce, independent, and tenacious, none of which are expected in a noble female of her historic era. Torn from the safety of her home, she empowers herself by training to be a fearless warrior. She opposes authority when others are persecuted or coerced into subservience.
Yet she has a softer side that she buries for the sake of survival. Readers see her weep secretly for her lost family and friends, revealing multiple facets of her temperament.
On the other end of the memorable scale are characters infamous for their evil and conniving ways. Oddly enough, sometimes it is the villains in a story that are the most memorable.
Lady MacBetth
In Shakespeare’s MacBeth, the title character is no hero, but it is Lady MacBeth who embodies the deepest depravity. Shakespeare paints a vivid picture of a person absolutely obsessed with power and riches. Readers watch as she schemes, manipulates, justifies her evil plot, and finally kills to get her heart’s desire.
Afterwards, we are fascinated and horrified to look on while she obsessively washes her hands, attempting to rid herself of the blood she spilled.
Other examples include:
- Hannibal Lector, who almost steals the spotlight from the hero, FBI agent Charlice, in Silence of the Lambs.
- Many cannot recall the name of the couple (either the humans or the dogs) in 101 Dalmatians, but few forget the aptly named Cruella de Vil.
- Which name comes to mind first from 2001: A Space Odyssey: the human commander Dave Bowman or the sentient robot Hal 9000?
- Darth Vader may not outshine Luke, Hans, or Leia, but his distinctive voice and labored breathing are unforgettable.
Popular Children’s Book Characters
Often our first introduction to fictional characters occurs in our earliest days as readers, or before that when we listened to bedtime stories.
Even as adults we remember the nursery rhymes of Mother Goose and the fairy tales collected by the Brothers Grimm. We also learn:
- The value of true friendship exhibited by Charlotte the spider in Charlotte’s Web
- Finding joy in simple pleasures as demonstrated in the tales of Winnie the Pooh
- The power of imagination exemplified in Alice in Wonderland as Alice journeys through a bewildering maze of amazing circumstances
- How true worth is measured as illustrated in The Velveteen Rabbit by love and connectedness
Growing into adolescence, stories and their characters may become more complex. Memorable characters for this age group include:
- Katniss and Peeta from The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
- Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys
- Jim Hawkins and Long John Silver from Treasure Island
- The courageous dog, Buck from Call of the Wild
- The adventurous rabbits of Watership Down
List of Characters in Books and Films
Many fictional characters got their start in books and branched out to a new audience in movies, television, and streaming series.
- Harry Potter and friends by J. K. Rowling
- Bilbo and Frodo Baggins, and their cohorts from the books of J. R. R. Tolkien
- The Bridgerton family series by Julia Quinn
- Tarzan and his jungle friends by Edgar Rice Burroughs
- Comic books heroes such as Superman and Batman, as well as anti-heroes in Watchmen
- Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon
- Game of Thrones series by George R. R. Martin
- Jack Reacher from the suspense series by Lee Child
Characteristics of Great Literary Characters
Most iconic literary characters seem larger than life. As readers we tend to be drawn to the elements of high drama and sweeping scenarios. We remember our favorite characters best at the moments that make us want to jump up and applaud their happiest moments, or reach for tissues when all seems lost.
Think of pivotal moments when the underdog character finally triumphs, justice is served, or the lovers are reunited at last.
- We admire the tenacity of Inigo Montoya from The Princess Bride in his quest to defeat the six-fingered man.
- We cheer when Dorothy throws water to save the Scarecrow and melts the Wicked Witch of the West.
- We sigh when Jane Eyre and Mr. Rochester are brought together at last.
- We smile when Mr. Bennet reveals his true feelings regarding the cleric’s proposal in Pride and Prejudice. “An unhappy alternative is before you, Elizabeth. From this day you must be a stranger to one of your parents. Your mother will never see you again if you do not marry Mr. Collins, and I will never see you again if you do.”
- We recognize the worth of Marge Gunderson’s observation in Fargo, delivered in her laconic yet perceptive comment to the captured bad guy. “There’s more to life than a little money, ya know. Don’t ya know that? And here you are [in handcuffs], and it’s a beautiful day.”
How to Write Recognizable Characters
Give Character Depth
Make readers feel the characters are humans with believable goals, needs, character traits, quirks, and flaws. These are believable people, living out their lives which are chock-full of adventure and dramatic events. And the lucky reader ushered into the not-so-secret club where we learn their inner thoughts and emotions, finding out what makes them tick. Once readers find characters lifelike and relatable, they become so invested in them that they forget they are imaginary.
Use Indirect Characterization
In other words, “show, don’t tell” what your characters are like. Readers want to watch characters in action, doing things that reveal their emotions and sensations. They want to hear them engage in dialog that embodies their belief system, experiencing events that they themselves could only dream of. Although characters might need a telling moment to reflect upon what just happened to them, it should not be long before they are diving into whatever happens next.
Show How Characters Change
Main characters must undergo a “character arc” that will show them grow and adapt as they progress over time. When we see Hamlet in the opening lines of Shakespeare’s play, he is hesitant to take decisive action. Step by step throughout the play he seeks out proof to convince himself of his uncle’s guilt, and his tragic story arc seals his fate.
Withold Information
Over the course of the story, the reader will learn more and more about the character, but just like in real life, this information trickles out. Holding some of this information until later generates tension in the story, raising questions in the readers’ minds which are not immediately answered.
Put Characters in Peril, Compassionately
Compelling characters, like fascinating people in real life, are a curious and complex mix of good and not-so-good attributes, habits, and desires. Characters need conflict to put their qualities to the test and make them seem three-dimensional.
Consider what drives them to do the things they do and show these underlying motivations. Whether admirable or not, all characters think of themselves as the hero of their story.
Believe in Your Characters
The more strongly a writer feels an affinity with their characters, comes to know them and love them (or despise them if they are the villain), the more likely a reader is to love or despise them as well.
This is the ultimate goal, to create characters that stay in your readers’ memories long after the final page is read.