# Different Character Types: A Writer's Guide > Different character types sorted into role, depth and archetype, with deuteragonists, the 12 archetypes, 100 traits and tropes explained. By Founder · Published 2026-11-07 Source: https://novelmint.ai/blog/different-character-types-writers-guide There are different character types, and the most useful way to sort them is by three separate questions: what a character does in the plot (protagonist, antagonist, deuteragonist, foil), how much they change (round or flat, dynamic or static), and what pattern they embody (the twelve Jungian archetypes). Every character answers all three at once. A protagonist can be a round, dynamic Rebel, and seeing those layers apart is what makes a cast easy to build. - **Role** is what a character does in the plot. **Depth** is how much they change. **Archetype** is the universal pattern they echo. **Traits** are the personal quirks that make them specific. - A deuteragonist is the second main character, with their own agency and stakes. They are not a sidekick. - Flat and static characters are not bad writing. They keep ensembles manageable and make other characters' growth visible. - The twelve archetypes are starting points for motivation, not boxes. Traits and tropes are separate tools. - Long serialized fiction needs casts that can sustain hundreds of chapters, which changes which types do the heavy lifting. ## Different character types by story role Role is the most practical lens, because it tells you why a character is in the book at all. MasterClass lists seven roles: protagonist, antagonist, love interest, confidant, deuteragonist, tertiary character and foil. Here is what each one is for. - **Protagonist:** the character whose goal drives the story. - **Antagonist:** whoever or whatever blocks that goal with real force. - **Love interest:** a character whose relationship with the protagonist carries its own stakes, not just decoration. - **Confidant:** someone the protagonist can talk to, which lets the reader hear thoughts that would otherwise stay buried. - **Foil:** a character who contrasts with another, usually the protagonist, so each sharpens the other. A reckless lead beside a cautious one shows both more clearly. - **Tertiary characters:** the shopkeeper, the guard, the neighbor. They fill the world and rarely need an inner life. Roles are about function, so one character can hold several. Your love interest can also be your foil. Your mentor can also be the antagonist's old friend. ## What's a deuteragonist character? A deuteragonist is the story's second main character: someone with their own goals, their own choices and real narrative weight, who often shares the stage with the protagonist for large stretches. The word comes from the Greek *deuteragōnistēs*, and Merriam-Webster records its first known use in English in 1855. Dr. Watson is the classic example. He narrates, acts, makes decisions and carries the emotional entry point for the reader. Abby in *The Last of Us Part II* is a more recent one. A sidekick, by contrast, mostly exists to support the lead. A good test: if you removed the character and the plot would lose a whole thread of its own, you have a deuteragonist. If you would only lose some banter, you have a sidekick. Many ranking pages blur this distinction, and it matters. A deuteragonist needs their own arc, their own scenes and their own wants, which means more planning. ## Round, flat, dynamic and static: how deep a character goes E.M. Forster's split gives you the first pair. Round characters are complex, contradictory and capable of surprising you. Flat characters are built around one idea or quality and behave predictably. The second pair is about change over time. Dynamic characters shift in a meaningful way across the story. Static characters finish more or less as they began. Plenty of writing advice treats flat and static as failures. They are not. Sherlock Holmes and James Bond are static anchors, and the story works because the world bends around them. In a big ensemble, you cannot give everyone a full arc without the book collapsing under its own weight. Flat characters give readers someone reliable, supply comic relief, and make the protagonist's growth easier to see by contrast. The useful question is not "is this character round?" but "how much depth does this role need?" Spend your depth where the story pays it back. ## What are the 12 character archetypes? Carl Jung's twelve archetypes describe recurring patterns of motivation. Each one comes with a core desire and a core fear, which is why they are handy when a character feels vague. They are: 1. **Hero:** wants to prove worth through courage. 2. **Sage (or Mentor):** wants truth and understanding. 3. **Rebel (or Outlaw):** wants to break what is broken. 4. **Caregiver:** wants to protect and nurture others. 5. **Creator:** wants to make something lasting. 6. **Explorer:** wants freedom and new ground. 7. **Lover:** wants intimacy and connection. 8. **Magician:** wants to transform reality. 9. **Ruler:** wants control and order. 10. **Jester:** wants joy and to live in the moment. 11. **Everyman (or Orphan):** wants to belong. 12. **Innocent:** wants safety and happiness. Lists differ between sources. Reedsy's version swaps in names like Warrior and Child, Story Grid counts eight, and one Medium catalog runs to 77. Treat the twelve as a lens, not a law. Pick the archetype that names what your character wants underneath their plot goal, then let personality complicate it. ## What are the 100 character traits? Traits are different from archetypes. An archetype is a broad pattern; a trait is a specific quality: stubborn, generous, evasive, superstitious, punctual to the point of cruelty. There is no official list of 100. Sources run from a hundred-odd to hundreds: TeacherVision compiles 465, and Ideonomy catalogs 638 personality traits, 234 of them (37%) positive. Rather than memorizing a list, use traits in pairs that pull against each other. A generous character who keeps score. A fearless one who cannot apologize. A loyal one who lies easily. The friction between two traits is what readers remember. Choose three or four that matter to the plot and let the rest stay unmentioned. ## Common writing tropes and how they connect to character types Tropes are recurring patterns, and many of them are character types in motion: the Chosen One, Found Family, Enemies to Lovers, the Mentor Who Dies, the Rival Who Mirrors the Hero. Writer's Digest highlights 21 popular romance tropes, Scribophile catalogs 70-plus, and WikiHow sorts 60-plus across genres. A trope is not a flaw. Readers pick up a book partly because they want a trope delivered well. What matters is the execution: give the Chosen One a real cost, or let the foil actually be right once. Combine roles deliberately. A stubborn protagonist paired with a deuteragonist who is also their foil gives you friction in nearly every scene without inventing extra plot. ## Character types for long, serialized stories Most articles on this topic are written for an 80,000-word standalone or a two-hour film. Serialized web fiction runs hundreds of chapters, and that changes the math. System-based protagonists, regression and reincarnation leads, and cultivation anti-heroes all work as roles, but over a long run the real challenge is keeping a large cast straight: who knows which secret, who is alive, how each pair stands. Here a static, flat, reliable cast member is a feature. They anchor the ensemble while a few dynamic characters carry the arcs. Plan your depth budget early. If you plan on Novelmint, a few things help. A Build a cast agent drafts the characters your story needs, each with a full bible, in the background. Every character gets a home with a profile, portrait and narration voice shared across the series, and a relationship map draws the ties you have written between them. Minty, the built-in editor, can [plan the book with you](https://novelmint.ai/features/plan-a-book-with-minty) and run a [continuity check](https://novelmint.ai/features/continuity-check) that lists contradictions in character facts, each tied to the beats that disagree. Each character carries what they have found out so far, so a secret learned in chapter three shapes chapter nine. In the Studio, the Characters page lets you fill in each bible and see how many beats each character appears in. If you want the whole path at once, [Build a book](https://novelmint.ai/agents) takes you from a first idea through your Story Profile, world, cast, arc and chapters, with each step building on the last. When your book is ready, [publishing to readers](https://novelmint.ai/features/publish-to-readers) keeps 70% of what readers pay, and the [earnings calculator](https://novelmint.ai/tools/author-earnings-calculator) lets you model it. You can also see [what readers want](https://novelmint.ai/wanted) before choosing which character-driven story to write. ## FAQ ### What are the 100 character traits? There is no single canonical list. Sources range from 100-plus (ReadingVine, Brainmanager.io) to 465 (TeacherVision) and 638 (Ideonomy). Traits are personal qualities; archetypes are broad patterns. Pick a few that clash and build from there. ### What are the 12 character archetypes? Hero, Sage, Rebel, Caregiver, Creator, Explorer, Lover, Magician, Ruler, Jester, Everyman and Innocent, following Jung. Each has a core desire and fear. Names vary by source, and some lists use Warrior, Child or Orphan. ### Can you give me a list of common writing tropes? Common character tropes include the Chosen One, Found Family, Enemies to Lovers, the Wise Mentor, the Rival Who Mirrors the Hero and the Reluctant Hero. Writer's Digest lists 21 romance tropes, and Scribophile catalogs 70-plus. Use them knowingly and give them a cost. ### What's a deuteragonist character? The second main character, with their own agency, arc and stakes. Dr. Watson and Abby from *The Last of Us Part II* are examples. A sidekick supports the lead; a deuteragonist carries part of the story themselves. If you are ready to build a cast with some structure behind it, [start a book on Novelmint](https://novelmint.ai/start) and let the characters take shape as you plan.