What is a Protagonist — A Breakdown of Different Types and Functions of the Main Character

Who is the protagonist of a story? Sometimes the answer is obvious. "- I'm the protagonist of this operation.

" It's the character at the center of the action. And their name is often in the title. But other times the answer isn't so easy.

To answer this question, we're going to break down the traditional features of a protagonist, the various types, and some exceptions to these rules. "- I'm already hooked. " - This is "What is a Protagonist?

" But before we get started, subscribe and click the bell for more filmmaking videos. We'll be spoiling the following movies. "- All right, let's get to work.

" - A protagonist is the lead character, hero, or heroine of a narrative. The word comes from the ancient Greek words, 'Protos' and 'Agōnistḗs', which means 'First' and 'Actor'. This comes from early Greek tragedies where narratives were sung or spoken by amassed collective chorus.

But then, a poet named Thespis broke with tradition and had a single actor separate from the chorus, play multiple parts by switching masks. Later, a secondary and tertiary actor were added to the performances. These are called a Deuteragonist and Tritagonist.

Or second actor and third actor ranked by their importance in the story. Over time, the protagonist shifted from one actor playing all the parts to simply the leading character of a story. In screenwriting, the term protagonist is often used interchangeably with the terms 'hero' or main character.

While these terms don't always mean precisely the same thing, they all refer to the central character of the story. As noted by Blake Snyder in "Save the Cat", 'The best protagonist is the one who offers the most conflict in situation, has the longest emotional journey, and has a primal goal we can all root for. "- Where's my daughter?

! Where's my daughter? !

" - In most cases, a protagonist makes choices to push the plot forward. "- I volunteer. I volunteer.

I volunteer as Tribute! " - Their transformation shapes the story's theme. And their struggles allow the audience to empathize and become invested in their plight.

To understand how this works, let's look at one of the most common protagonist archetypes. The hero. The most common type of protagonist is the hero.

These characters are brave, righteous, and highly skilled. Classic heroes were nobly born and predestined to confront a powerful evil opponent. They would almost always win but at great personal cost.

We still see these heroes today. But the definition has opened up to include any character who was courageous, admirable, and endeavors to help others. What's most important is that they are the focus of their story.

They are at the center of all the action and conflict and their choices push the plot forward. "- Remember, all I'm offering is the truth, nothing more. " - These choices are usually made in pursuit of a clear external goal.

"- I've got kids, professor. - Get out there and save them. " - And their ability to attain this goal is only achieved through sacrifice and change.

Another key attribute of a hero protagonist is that we're rooting for them to win. The hero character serves as our point of view character. We experience and understand the story through them.

"- What for Pete's sake? What for Pete's sake? He's fleeing the interview.

He's fleeing the interview. " But not all protagonists are heroes. Let's expand our definition with some non-traditional examples.

It's becoming more and more common for main characters to break away from clean-cut and morally righteous traditional heroes. These protagonists can be Anti-heroes. Characters who clearly lack heroic or sympathetic qualities.

"- Nobody's getting hurt. That guy was already up there when I got here. " - They might be cynical or bitter.

"- Damn, barbarians. " - Yet compelled in the end to do the right thing. Or they might have honorable goals, but their methods cross the line.

As long as we're still rooting for these characters to win, defeat their antagonist, and achieve their goal, they count. The Bride in "Kill Bill" is an anti-hero. A roaring rampage of revenge goes well beyond an eye for an eye.

It consumes many victims, not just those who want her. And yet most would agree that her goal to kill Bill and reunite with her daughter is a just cause. "- Oh!

She got us, B. B. Mommy got us.

" - Another variation on the hero archetype is the tragic hero. These characters often start out like a classic hero with all the requisites heroic qualities. They have a clear goal and make strong choices to pursue it.

But this quest comes with a heavy cost. Their story ends tragically usually due to a fatal flaw within their character. For example, Jay Gatsby is driven in his pursuit of Daisy.

"- See, Daisy and I are gonna start over just as if we're five years ago. - I wouldn't ask too much of her. - Wouldn't ask too much?

- No. " His fatal floor is the inability to see that she represents the unattainable dream. Along the way, he makes choices that become his undoing.

"- She never loved you. She only married you because I was poor. .

. . .

. and she was tired of waiting. It was a terrible.

. . .

. . terrible mistake, but in her heart.

. . In her heart, she never loved anyone but me.

" Another type of main character is the passive protagonist. While they're still at the center of their story, other characters are making the decisions and taking action that drives the plot forward. Consider Sarah Connor from James Cameron's first "Terminator" film.

She's the protagonist because the story is about her and she completes the strongest character arc. But Kyle Reese and the Terminator are at the center of most of the action. In the sequel, however, her character takes a much more active role, becoming an anti-hero herself.

"- Get back or I'll pump him full of this sh*t, I swear! Don't move. Drp the sh*t!

- Do it! - Do it! " - There are also villain protagonists, which is when the bad guy becomes the central character of the story, but the audience isn't rooting for them to win.

These stories give us a chance to explore the darkest side of humanity. Or to live vicariously through their exploits. Sometimes the audience might find some sliver of sympathy.

But this is not required. In "The House that Jack Built", Jack is a serial killer, recounting and confessing to his crimes as he has led into hell. "- Do you expect me to praise you or applaud?

- You know, I'm sad that you're so judgmental, Verge. Don't look at the axe. Look at the works.

The whole notion of trophies. - No, no, no, no. " - We aren't given any opportunities to sympathize with Jack, but we stay engaged to see what his ultimate fate will bring.

"- Do you hear a buzzing sound? - Yes. - And I don't think you want to know where it's coming from.

" - So far, we've just been discussing single protagonists. But what happens when there are multiple protagonists? In other stories, multiple characters are needed to fulfill the role of the protagonist.

Stories can have two protagonists as seen in many buddy comedies. "- Did we just become best friends? - Yep.

" - Or romantic stories. Both comedic and dramatic. In these stories, both characters equally share the functions of the protagonist.

Their decisions drive the plot forward and complete arcs that often bring them together. And in these stories, the audience is often rooting for them to get together. Though this doesn't always have to be the case.

"- Every day I wake up and I hope you're dead! Dead like. .

. if I could guarantee Henry would be okay, I'd hope you'd get an illness and then get hit by a car and die. " - Ouch.

Sometimes a movie will have multiple main characters, but only one official protagonist. The others will be considered deuteragonists or tritagonists. For example, in "Lord of the Rings", Frodo is the protagonist while Sam, Gandalf, and Aragon are deuteragonists.

The rest of the fellowship are tritagonists. There are also dual protagonists at odds with each other. Characters who pursue their own goals have their own character arcs usually entangled with each other.

Like Vincent the cop and Neil the thief in "Heat". Both are protagonists as well as antagonists to each other. "- If I'm there and I gotta put you away, I won't like it, but I'll tell you.

. . If it's between you and some poor bastard whose wife, you're gonna turn into a widow, brother, you are going down.

" - Another example is when the functions of the protagonist are divided between separate characters. In these instances, the plot is primarily about one character while it is the other character who pushes the plot forward and has an actual character arc. Consider Andy and Red from "The Shawshank Redemption".

It is Andy's story. He's the one who drives the plot and who we want to succeed. But we see all of this through Red's eyes.

And it is Red himself who experiences the growth and change we look for in the main character. "- It's not a day goes by I don't feel regret. Not because I'm in here because you think I should.

. . I look back on the way I was then.

A young, stupid kid who committed that terrible crime. " - Most writers use a single protagonist with motivations that drive the plot. "- I will avenge you, Father!

I will save you, Mother! I will kill you, Fjölnir! " - Good or bad their character arc shapes the theme and their struggles cause the audience to invest in them.

Yet these worlds can be divided among two characters, three characters, or however many are needed to tell a successful story. No matter what kind of main character your story needs, StudioBinder is here to help get them on the page. Write and collaborate using our screenwriting software, and let your protagonist's journey begin.

Until next time, remember that we can all be heroes.