A post on Industrial Scripts shares advice for creating and maintaining empathetic characters, with examples from classic films. “Empathetic characters are the cornerstones of most great stories,” the article states. “Even the seemingly most unlikeable of characters will have something in the way of empathy; a reason to be on their side. Essentially, an empathetic character should give the audience a chance to live vicariously through the story.”
Empathy is not the same as sympathy. You don’t necessarily want your reader to pity your hero. You want them to understand your character and live vicariously through them. “Without convincing character empathy, characters become too objective and inscrutable,” the article says. “They’re hard to grasp and ultimately boring to watch.”
But how to create this empathy? Here are a few tips:
- Create a Sympathetic Backstory. “Empathetic characters often have a sad backstory or an unrealized inner struggle. When audiences sympathize with a character due to their circumstances, it helps the audience engage with the character’s arc.” Showing that your protagonist has encountered and overcome obstacles and conflict will help your audience root for her.
- Create Danger. Like sympathy, watching a character face and escape danger puts the audience on their side.
- Create a Psychological Connection. Even if your character is unlikeable, you can connect him to your audience if they understand his motivations and fears.
- Ensure Relatability. Audiences can relate to many factors in a character’s life, such as family dynamics, money problems, and emotional issues. Even if the elements aren’t identical to their own lives, an audience can appreciate and connect to the struggle. The more facets you develop for your protagonist, the more entry points for the audience.
- Give the Character a Skill. Audiences like to root for someone with a special skill or talent. “Witnessing a character own this skill and embrace their individuality is a rewarding trait to follow,” the article says. “When those characters wield that power honorably and humbly, audiences are more likely to respect and admire them.”
- Show the Flaws. Even Superman has weaknesses. Audiences won’t root for a character without flaws, because there’s very little at stake.
- Show Why a Character Acts The Way They Do. An audience can relate to even amoral characters if they understand why the character behaves as they do. “Even if those things are wrong objectively, the audience must have a sense of where it comes from in their backstory and what keeps driving it,” the article states.
- Let Your Character Try and Fail. Audiences root for characters who stumble and fail, not those for whom success comes too easily. “These challenges can be literal and physical or emotional,” the article says. “Perhaps they partially succeed but can’t completely overcome their flaws and the obstacles in their way. But in witnessing them in their attempt, we form a bond.”
The article examines the films Aftersun and Suicide Squad to show how the writers created empathy for their characters.
