The characters we write in our stories play a central part in the audience’s engagement. Understanding your characters and why they do what they do reveals the core of the dilemma your story is revealing. Yet not every character in the story is expected to, or even should, experience a major transformation. While your protagonist must have an arc by realizing some major truth about themselves or the world, some of the characters around them often remain the same. Enter the static character.
In this article, I will discuss static characters and how they can enhance your story, and at the end I will give you a story weapon to help bring them to life.
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Explore the role of static characters—those who don’t undergo major change—and how they can bring richness and meaning to your story. You’ll learn how these characters differ from flat ones, how they can highlight your protagonist’s growth or reinforce your story’s themes, and how to write them with depth, purpose, and emotional impact.
What is a Static Character?
Often the term “static character” gets confused with a one-dimensional or flat character. Yet the term “static,” only refers to their lack of change. Not their lack of depth as a character. Unlike a flat character, there still must be depth and richness as each character still plays a necessary function in the narrative.
By definition, a static character is one that does not make any significant change through the story. There is no major transformation or personal development or self revelation as the plot unfolds. But this does not mean they are simplistic or boring. Remember Brad Pitt’s breakout role as JD in Thelma and Louise. He didn’t change, but he was fascinating, fully dimensional, and the performance turned him into a movie star. Think about Hannibal Lector in Silence of the Lambs. In fact, if you look at most villains, they rarely change from the beginning to the end.
Static vs Flat Characters
A flat character is one that lacks complexity, often fulfilling a stereotype. While flat characters are almost always static, not all static characters are flat.
The difference lies in the elements of the characters themselves. While they may not transform their personality or find a revealing truth about life, static characters still have beliefs, motivations, and depth of personality in a way flat characters do not. Flat characters are used to fill a space in the story while static characters support the story’s motion forward.
Purpose of a Static Character
Static characters are often used as a dichotomy to dynamic characters, and typically make up the bulk of a story’s cast. Whether they are used as the protagonist or a side character, they typically highlight the story’s theme and strengthen the conflict.
Static Side Characters & Main Characters
As side characters, they can be used to provide context for the main character’s growth. They show opposition to change or act as a helpful beacon the main character is chasing. In these instances, if the static character changed, it would weaken the transformation of the main character. Think of Mrs. Bennet in Pride and Prejudice. Her character never changes throughout the story, but remains steadfast in her goals, her mannerisms, and her easily formed opinions and prejudices. Her character shows a sharp contrast to Elizabeth’s own dynamic journey.
When written as the protagonist, however, static characters can be used to highlight the theme of the story or bring emphasis to the journey.
If your theme is surrounding a tragic flaw of a character, the static nature will enforce the theme as it’s their shortcomings or unwillingness to change that is ultimately their downfall. For example, Romeo, in Romeo and Juliet. Apart from swiftly transferring his devotion from Rosaline to Juliet at the start of the play, his character otherwise never changes throughout the story, leading to the end of his life. These are the characters too trapped in their own beliefs to ever change.
Static main characters can also be used to emphasize the journey. If your story is more about the world you’ve built, you don’t need your characters to go through a major transition. For example, in Alice’s Adventure in the Wonderland, Alice does not go through any deep character development because the story is structured around the unusual world she enters and the journey to get out of it.
Your Story Weapon: How to Write a Static Character
In writing your static character, remember they need to contain as much depth as any other character in order to keep your reader engaged. While they aren’t going through a deep transformation, they are still subject to the same dilemma besetting your protagonist. In order to explore this, you must create a detailed backstory and emphasize the motivation behind their lack of change.
A prime example of this is the classic character of Captain America. The comic uses his backstory to keep you engaged and his good heart with the need to protect the greater good as the motivation for his lack of change. He may have been transformed into a superhero, but his personality and heart remained the same no matter the circumstances. Although he doesn’t change, he is not a flat character as he still contains depth. Some see him as stubborn, while others see him as dedicated to justice. Both of these being traits he contains within himself.
Your characters are the key to unlocking depth and connection in your story. Whether you choose to make your static character a supporting role or the primary protagonist, you must make sure you’re creating a fully rounded character by investigating their backstory and exploring the dilemma that is driving them.
Find out more in one of my workshops – The 90-Day Novel, The 90-Day Memoir, Story Day
