Key Elements of a Character

Key elements of a good character:

• Dissatisfied with current situation
• Motivated to join the main conflict
• Relatable to audience in personality or situation

Dissatisfied
A dissatisfaction with their daily life gives them incentive to change. Maybe they feel trapped in a miserable routine, or they feel like their life's purpose is unfulfilled. Maybe they don't even realize they're unhappy until a new opportunity presents itself (aka, the character who "just wants to live in peace" but ends up being forced on a life-changing journey)

Motivation
The conflict must benefit the character somehow. For a protagonist, solving the conflict benefits them. For an antagonist, creating the conflict benefits them. Sidekicks will also have similar motives, and if nothing else, a loyalty to the main character that makes them want to help.

Relatable
For a character to be interesting to the audience, they must be able to see a bit of themselves in the character. Oftentimes protagonists are portrayed as the most relatable character, because the more we relate to a character, the more we root for them to achieve their goal. Seeing a protagonist in a situation that is similar to our own succeed makes us feel like we are also capable of achieving our goal. The impact of a relatable character is huge, and this is why there has been a strong push for more diverse representation in entertainment media.

Example: Miguel from Coco

Dissatisfied: Miguel wants desperately to be a musician, but his family won't permit him to play music.

Motivated to join conflict: Once he discovers that his great great grandfather might be celebrity musician Ernesto de la Cruz, he realizes that with Ernesto's blessing he can not only leave the Land of the Dead, but he can become a musician.

Relatable: The audience can relate to the desperation of a character who has a dream that they're being blocked from achieving. Children can relate to Miguel, and the story teaches them that their parents have their best interest at heart. Adults can relate to Miguel's family, and the story teaches them that it's important to allow their children to pursue their passions.