The four tools of characterization and story telling, as mentioned last week, are used to show the five areas of character which are as follows, likability, proactivity, competence, flaws and arc. But today, we are only going to talk about likable characters. A big part of a likable character is how well readers can relate and empathise with them. Some shows and books do this better than others.
In Velma, a spin-off series on HBO Max, Velma is liked by everyone and all of the main characters fall in love with her. Although authors can create empathy by having characters like, admire and look up to the main character, this admiration must still be earned. The praise that Velma received was not plausible because she was not a good detective, she was not a good daughter and she was, on all accounts, an extremely unlikable know it all.
The main character can absolutely have strengths and be admired, but if there is no struggle, then the audience is less likely to empathise or understand the main character.
However, that being said, not all main characters are likable and yet they can still be pop culture icons. One example of this would be the cast of characters in “It’s always Sunny in Philadelphia”. These characters are not likable and they get up to the most heinous adventures but they always get their due. Their plans never work out and this is what makes the show entertaining. The bad guy gets what they deserve. It’s satisfying.
We learn two things here: The main character can be detestable as long as they do not win and get lots of success. The main character must have flaws.
Velma could have tapped into the comedic nature of “It’s always sunny” and we could have had better stories about people who did not always get what they wanted, in a fun and entertaining way, as a result.
Who is your favourite character? Why? Do you prefer to watch or read about likable or unlikable characters? Let us know in the comments below!