Now that we have discussed the most important characters in a story, let’s move down on the tier of character types. These next ones are powerful side characters that either help or hinder your main characters. They aren’t powerful enough to end the conflict between good and evil (that’s your protagonist’s job), but they have enough power to sway the story’s direction.
Guide
This character is a mentor to the protagonist. He has won and lost some battles so he’s skilled and experienced. Though powerful, he won’t have what it takes to overcome the evil on his own. Instead, the guide will teach the protagonist to fulfill that role.
This character is an advocate for good and will try to instill that in the protagonist as well. Often, the guide will end up dying, and that death will urge the protagonist into action to win the fight. Examples of guides are Dumbledore (Harry Potter) and Haymitch (Hunger Games).
Contagonist
The head henchman to the antagonist is the contagonist. He is highly skilled and battles against the protagonist. Though he works for the antagonist, the contagonist has his own reasons for trying to take down the main character.
The contagonist has a more personal relationship with the main character than the antagonist does because he interacts more with the protagonist. It’s only after the contagonist is defeated that the main character can face off with the antagonist. Darth Vader (Star Wars) and Gollum (The Lord of the Rings) are examples of contagonists.
Final Thoughts
Ultimately, the guide and the contagonist are characters that have experience and use it to impact the protagonist. The guide teaches the main character and pushes him in the way of good. The contagonist prods and bates the protagonist toward failure. Consciously or not, they both help strengthen the protagonist for the final battle against the antagonist.
Thanks for reading!
Write a tale
Leave a trail