Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
Characters and Arcs
Through our exploration of the Three-Act Structure and the Monomyth,
we've already touched on the topic of
characters
. In this chapter we'll take
a closer look at the two most important characters in any story—the Hero
and Villain—and also cover the concept of
character arcs
.
The Hero
There is no character more essential to your narrative than your Hero. In
fact, as previously mentioned, the Hero is the only archetype that
must
be
present in every story.
Heroes share attributes with other character types, but their core, signa-
ture hallmarks include audience identification, change and growth, action,
personal stakes, risk, and sacrifice.
Audience Identification
The Hero is the person we follow, the character whose eyes we see
through, and in whose shoes we walk. The better we as the audience can
relate to him, and the more sympathetic we are to his situation, the
stronger the emotions the story can potentially elicit from us. The Hero is,
