Characters and Arcs - Video Game: Storytelling - page 56

Character Arcs
Heroes aren't the only characters who confront conflicts over the course
of a story; nor are they the only ones who change and grow. The con-
frontation of a conflict and the potential resulting change in a character
and/or his situation is called an arc .
The most obvious and dramatic character arc in any story almost always
belongs to the Hero. As already covered, the Hero's change and
growth—his arc—is a defining characteristic.
The story's pilot, and the Hero's arc are rarely the exact same thing, but
are almost always inextricably entwined. Going back to the classic ex-
ample of Star Wars and its Hero Luke Skywalker:
Plot
▪ A repressive galactic empire is kidnaping princesses, destroying
planets, and seeking to crush the freedom-loving Rebels who op-
pose it.
▪ A Force-sensitive farm boy and his allies fight to rescue the princess,
escape with crucial military plans, and attempt to deal a major blow
to the Empire by destroying their fearsome new weapon.
▪ The Death Star is destroyed and the Rebels live to fight another day.
Hero's Arc
▪ Young Luke Skywalker, a farm boy who dreams of being a heroic
space pilot, feels trapped by circumstances on a dusty planet at the
edge of the galaxy.
▪ Luke is swept up in an adventure that forces him to interact with
colorful and dangerous characters, learn about the Force, and take
enormous risks to help others.
▪ Luke destroys the Death Star, and is now clearly no longer a boy but
a man.