Four Character Types People Despise And How To Redeem Them

She's too perfect.

It's annoying how he always wins.

All they do is complain.

When I was 19 years old, I decided to start my screenwriting journey. I spent months perfecting my work and paid special attention to my characters. But despite my blood, sweat, and tears, I never got anyone emotionally invested in my stories. People said things like they're too perfect, they win too much, or they're bland and unrealistic. When I read these comments, I was bewildered. Plenty of characters are Mary Sues, evil for the sake of it, and even unrealistic. Why is it criticized when I do it but accepted with open arms in movies and TV?

In this article, I will show you four character types people regularly criticize and how you can transform them into becoming likable and entertaining to watch.

1 . The Spawn Of Satan

We've all seen characters like this, especially in cartoons and anime. These characters are evil for the sake of being evil. Everywhere they go they leave a path of destruction behind them. Sometimes it's justified, sometimes it isn't, but at the end of the day, these characters are still despised, and for good reason.

Why these characters are hated: There's nothing good about them. Their purpose is to bring pain and misery to the characters we care about.

How these characters are redeemable: The great thing about wicked characters is that they're relatable. As humans, we all have a bit of evil in us, and if these traits are balanced with good qualities and relatable motivations/ goals, their flaws get excused.

2 . The Passive Victim

Picture this: an innocent man is walking down the street, and suddenly BAM! He's punched in the face. What does he do? He screams and cries, and you feel bad for him. But what if the guy keeps beating him, and he stands there and takes it? In real life, you feel awful when you see a helpless person get abused, but in media, a character who only reacts to abuse eventually gets boring to watch.

Why people despise passive characters: They react to conflict but never lift a finger to attempt to solve it. They lack agency in their own stories. Why would a reader want to follow someone who fails to make active decisions?

How to redeem them: If the story warrants it, have the character start out passive and progressively get active as the stakes rise. If you want the characters to remain stagnant, make them a supporting or background character, not your protagonist.

3 . The Invincible Character

Love them or hate them, these characters are everybody's wet dream! They're strong, powerful, remarkably successful, and best of all? THEY NEVER LOSE! They're so powerful that nobody can touch them, and nothing awful ever happens to them because the universe loves them too.

Why people despise these characters: Invincible characters alienate audiences. Nobody relates to being immune to life's ups and downs. Without conflict, the story becomes stale and boring, there's no growth or change in the character's journey.

How to make them likable: There are several ways to do this. Have them occasionally fail. Don't let them accomplish their goals too easily. Having them experience uncertainty is also good. Even if your characters don't have personality flaws, give them skills or jobs where making mistakes and learning from them are necessary for success.

4 . The Inconsistent Character

An inconsistent character is a character that doesn't have dominant personality traits or acts like a completely different person from scene to scene without much, or any, explanation.

Why people despise these characters: Unpredictable/ inconsistent characters can confuse people or appear unrealistic.

How to transform them: Give the character one or two traits to define who they are, then add depth and complexity by including contradictions—for example, A warrior who secretly wants to be a pacifist.

People often warn writers about creating flawless, evil, or unrealistic characters. But, depending on the story's world, context, and the character's purpose, they can be just as great as a traditionally well-written character.

Let's hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Got an idea for a post? Or have you collaborated with Stage 32 members to create a project? We'd love to hear about it. Email Emily at blog@stage32.com and let's get your post published!

Please help support your fellow Stage 32ers by sharing this on social. Check out the social media buttons at the top to share on Instagram @stage32 , Twitter @stage32 , Facebook @stage32 , and LinkedIn @stage-32 .