How to Create Memorable Supporting Characters
What do the characters Rhett Butler, Darth Vader, and the twins Smoke and Stack all have in common? Well, they’re all memorable supporting characters in their stories–not the protagonists. Many of cinema’s most iconic characters are not the protagonist. Great films build the protagonist’s world through the supporting cast which help enliven the story.
In season 2 of Daredevil (the Netflix iteration), Punisher arrives on the scene and pushes Daredevil’s moral code and view of the world to the limit. Punisher, an anti-hero that will do whatever it takes to stop the people he considers evil, contrasts with Daredevil's strict code of conduct when dealing with the criminals and villains of Hell's Kitchen. The Punisher is the foil of Daredevil–his character is an argument that pokes holes in Daredevil’s outlook, challenges his way of thinking–that his way of doing things doesn’t actually change anything.
The best supporting characters are crucial to storytelling by providing contrast, pressure, humor, emotional stakes, or a unique perspective to the world of the protagonist. Supporting characters help, or in many cases, force the protagonist into and through their character arc while also undergoing an arc of their own.
1.What Supporting Characters Must Do
Every character serves the story in some way or another. If they don’t, the character might be unnecessary or, at the very least, in need of adjustment. When developing the supporting cast, the most important question to consider is how the characters serve the story and the protagonist’s journey.
There are numerous ways for characters to push the story forward. It can be challenging the protagonist as was mentioned above with Daredevil v Punisher. Challenging the protagonist can just be a nudge or complete opposition.
Characters that challenge the protagonist are exerting external pressure on them to change or make a decision. Contrasting with characters directly challenging the protagonist are characters that passively challenge the protagonist by representing alternative life choices or paths. Characters like Dory in Finding Nemo challenge Marlon simply by existing. Her lifestyle is so at odds with Marlon’s that her carefree, joyful exuberance forces Marlon to question his priors as the film progresses.
If a character is not nudging or challenging the protagonist, they can be adding emotional or thematic contrast to the story. In The Lord of the Rings, Sam bears the emotional weight of the arduous journey in lieu of Frodo who keeps everything under the surface. Sam is the audience's emotional conduit. In When Harry Met Sally, the titular characters revolve around each other throughout the film and struggle to accept love meanwhile their best friends, Marie and Jess, dive head first into love the moment there’s a connection.
In addition to adding to the story, each character should also change each scene they’re in in some way. It can be as big as pushing the plot forward or as small as cracking a joke, but there should be some narrative function, otherwise they may be superfluous.
2.How to Avoid Supporting Character Stereotypes
There is a fine line between a supporting character serving a singular purpose and them becoming a trope. Tropes exist for a reason and they aren't intrinsically bad, but they can easily slip into inauthenticity and take people out of the story instead of ingratiating them in it. One dimensional characters, characters defined only by their job or role in the story, and comic relief with no depth are forgettable. In one ear and out the other for audiences.
Some of the most iconic characters can indeed be confined into a trope. Like Jack Sparrow and Han Solo, the lovable rogues. Big personalities with a lot of charisma. They are more free to act out in ways the protagonist can’t. The distinction is that the characters have more depth than just their role or trope suggests. Does the supporting character have their own perspective? Their own view of the world or moral philosophy? Provide small details about their lives that allude to their place in this world outside of this particular story.
Each character should be a person who has lived in this world their entire lives, not just someone who spontaneously emerged fully formed right when the protagonist’s story needed them. That would be quite solipsistic. Even if the audience only sees a glimpse of the backstory of the supporting cast, it still adds authenticity that this character lives in this world. Fursiosa, from Mad Max: Fury Road, is a supporting character, but she’s so fully realized that she was given a spinoff film where she became the protagonist.
Another thing to add depth is to make sure each character has goals in the story writ large and also in each scene they’re in. These goals may often overlap with their narrative purpose within each scene but they’re not complete circles. Two questions to consider when constructing supporting characters are “What does this character want?” and “What do they believe about the world?” Even if none of this background you are creating ends up in the film explicitly, it will inform the dialogue for the character and clarify what type of choices they make and why they make them.
3.Balancing Screen Time
Strong supporting roles in movies can try to dominate the scenes they inhabit. In many cases, this is warranted, but make sure the supporting characters don’t distract from the protagonist. Writing supporting roles can often be more enjoyable than the protagonist as the protagonist bears the weight of the story on their shoulders. Thus the supporting cast, in contrast, is more free to be zany, outlandish, and unexpected. This tendency can lead to hemorrhaging screen time from the protagonist to the more enjoyable characters to write. Giving the supporting cast too many scenes or overloading the script with too many characters can bog down the story. Make sure not to let the side plots overshadow the main story. Mean Girls has a large cast that doesn’t overshadow Cady’s story. While Regina George and the plastics tug Cady in one direction while Janis and Damian tug in the other direction, they all serve to push Cady’s story forward.
If your supporting character is so thoroughly overshadowing the protagonist, it might be time to think about what story you want to tell. Does the side character have a more enticing story? If not, some techniques to utilize are introducing characters strictly when they become relevant to the story, re-examine how they serve the protagonist’s arc, and keep their presence focused and purposeful.
4.Examples of Memorable Supporting Characters in Film
Let’s explore some memorable supporting character examples in film and why they work.
Samwise Gamgee – The Lord of the Rings
Sam is the emotional backbone of the story. While Frodo carries the burden of the ring, Sam carries Frodo. He represents loyalty and courage. He also represents what Frodo has left behind in the Shire. Sam constantly talks about the Shire and they traverse foreign landscapes that resemble none of the coziness or safety of home.
Hans Landa – Inglourious Basterds
The opening scene shows us who Hans is and how dangerously competent he can be. When we meet our heroes, we know they’ll have to overcome Hans. He elevates the stakes for the characters and drives tension whenever he appears.
Miranda Priestly – The Devil Wears Prada
Miranda defines the world of the film. She is the gravitational force that every other character, including Andy, has to navigate to just to survive. She is the central counterpoint that exerts pressure on Andy throughout the film.
Dr. Schultz – Django Unchained
Dr. Schultz drives the plot forward and creates the major turning points in the film. He is the sage mentor with a clear and cohesive belief structure that is in stark contrast to the surrounding plantations. He shows Django the path to lead while not stymieing Django’s growth.
Nick Wilde - Zootopia
This cynical jaded fox challenges Judy’s doe-eyed naivete and her entire worldview. His lived experience directly (seemingly) disproves Judy’s belief structure. He is the perfect foil to Judy, as her arc is about reckoning her idealistic view of society while realizing her own biases and his arc is about overcoming his cynicism derived from the negative biases of others.
5. A Simple Test for Supporting Characters
Learning how to write supporting characters is a rewarding experience. The creative muscles get to flex in ways they can’t for the protagonist. No matter how zany or austere the supporting character is, what makes the most memorable character is making sure they serve the story, that they feel like a real person, that they have a clear narrative purpose, and elevate the protagonist. Supporting characters are not just window dressing for the plot and for the protagonist’s journey, they are essential components for telling a good story.
If a character is giving you trouble, think about what the answers are to these questions. If the answer is no to most of these, the character may need revision or removal.
Questions to ask:
Does this character affect the plot?
Do they challenge or support the protagonist?
Do they reveal hidden aspects of the protagonist?
Do they represent a theme or perspective?
Would the story collapse without them?
