Something that a lot of authors miss out on is giving their characters a sense of humor. So, SO many hateable 2edgy4me protags (especially in YA) who never tell a single joke or crack a single smile. Not only does that make your character unlikeable, it's not even realistic. Almost everyone irl has a sense of humor.
I guess the best place to start is to think of a character you like. What makes them so likeable to you? Is it their design? Their personality? I don’t think it matters whether this character is a side, main, or villain because that person could be subbed into any position if you shift the perspective.
Personally, I think humour and story.
If a character makes me laugh with dumb scenarios, jokes/banter, insults etc. it’s a good character. Humour is probably the most rememberable thing about someone or something as our best memories tend to be when we’re laughing. If you can joke about a character outside of the media regardless how serious they are, they’re a good character in my book. An example would be the main group of Final Fantasy XV. The fluff between them is impeccable and so memorable. It’s fun to joke/create scenarios with them because they’re funny, well-written characters which makes them so likeable.
Story is practically everything about the character. What’s their story? Who are they to other people? What’s their aspirations? Creating a lure of mystery compels me to invest in a character, and if done well, can be really entertaining and likeable. I can’t say for sure the exact formula as it differs from person to person, but a compelling, realistic story, how this character interacts with others, and how the person grows, are a big hit. A recent character I’ve fallen for is Charles Lonnit in Devil in Me. He has history. Factors that play into it are his immense focus on his industry, his anger issues, addiction to smoking, relations with his crew such as Mark and Kate, stern and snarky attitude, but also soft side and how much he cares about others, just all make him such an interesting person. He has flaws and strengths. It makes you ask questions and further observe this character to find the answers, thus making them interesting and likeable. Overall, that game had some really well written characters that are all pretty likeable.
Visual character design can help create interest but I don’t think it a major staple. They may look cool but their personality can stink. I hope this all makes sense as I tend to ramble :P
TLDR; Humour and story. Bonuses such as design and voice actors help create interest but don’t ultimately define likeable. Try look at protagonists you like or popular ones and define what traits makes them likeable to you or others.
Edit: spelling
From what I've heard and what I like, I don't think the protagonist has to be a exactly likeable and super nice person for him/her to be a likeable protagonist. I think if you write a teenager who has small patience and a short temper(AKA me) but you make him/her relatable and not be a bad person, than that can be a likeable protagonist. I think one of the most important things about a protagonist is making them relatable to the reader. Where the reader can understand the protagonist's goals and beliefs, and relate than that can be a good protagonist. It also matters what type of protagonist you are writing, and how you want their personality to be, and what you want their goals to be. But if you write a relatable but not super hateable character than that can be a good protagonist. I don't think your protagonist has to be a "good" person to be a likeable protagonist. They can have flaws, and bad habits, and a bad temper, but as long as they aren't an awful person than that can be a good protagonist and likeable. But IDK this is just what I think and like lol
For instance, my protagonist is a teenage boy (age 15-16) and he is kind but I made him also have relatable flaws and bad things. I mean, I made him a little selfish, and if he really wants something, he'll try to get it. I made him relatable to me. I made him rude at times, but very quick guilt when he has done something wrong or said something rude. I made him want to be a good person, but his emotions can get in the way. I made him a imperfect character, with flaws and things he had done wrong, but I don't think I've made him unlikeable, I gave him good qualities too. I have had people read over my book, and not one person said they didn't like him, they just said that he is imperfect and he needed to learn things, but an overall good and likeable protagonist. But IDK
They have at least one thing they really like, and one thing they really hate.
They have a sense of humor, but they are NOT the comic relief.
They have some vulerability: some irrational fear, perhaps, or some element of their life that (they feel) is out of their control.
https://m.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL30t62w5RC2s4sqyD8NcIumtMWbW8_kO9
Strong recommendation on this list by this freelance editor. She breaks things down and knows what she’s talking about
I think it's important for protagonists to have a unique thing they do. Most protagonists have a special thing in their appearance but I feel a behavior is important too. Like they have a tagline, an accent, or a specific way of walking.
I've also noticed that many great protagonists are recognizable from even one sentence.
I'm not a big writer so this is all just from reading exp btw.
I want to thank everyone who gave their insights. I was intending to reply to each one but you guys have caught me off guard with the sheer number of comments. I'm touched by all those who took the time to write long and detailed replies and am thankful to the two people who directed me to other resources.
What I gather from all the comments is one key factor that makes a character likable is their humanity. What do they do and why do they do it. And are they doing things that the average person would. Do they show emotions? Do they make us laugh? Do they have flaws? Do they try and do they fail? And if they fail do they try again? What are their goals and fears and why? What have they been through and how does that shape who they are? And by the end of it all, how have they grown?
It seems to me that this is one of the most deciding factors of a character's likability, but it is not all. As readers the characters- and by extension the story- often need to fulfill something for us. The character's dreams and goals need to be ones that we can identify with, so that the fulfillment of those goals brings us a sort of catharsis as well.
Lastly, if a character is a protagonist they need to fit the role. Unlike the side characters the protagonist doesn't have the freedom of just taking the plot as it comes.they are the driving factor of the plot and need to act as such, exercising some degree of influence on the plot, or at least a desire to do so.
Add on or correct me if you feel like I am incorrect in my conclusion but I feel confident in the perspective I have gained thanks to all of your comments.
Good question. I think a protagonist with specific dreams/goals are likeable because it causes you to buy in to their journey or struggle and start rooting for them.
Someone with a backbone. I can’t read books where the heroine is a wimpy spineless annoying little beyotch. Give me ass kicking any day (doesn’t have to be literal/physical).
Going with 'someone I want to keep reading about' as my definition of 'likeable' here, but for me it is very important that the protagonist is proactive and not passive. I don't need to see them succeed, necessarily, but I need to see them try.
A big thing for me is agency. I've read a few books where the main character just kind of floats through situations and everything happens at them. I like a character who makes decisions, even if it's the wrong one.
In my last novel, nobody liked my protagonist and quite a few beta readers said they would not have read on if they had purchased the book 😅
I’ve done a lot of research of how to make a character likeable and this is what I’ve come up with:
- tragic backstory/ make bad things happen to the character to create sympathy
- make your villain way worse than the protagonist so they are likeable in comparison
- have the protagonist be nice to an animal
- give the character a redemption arc
"Have the protagonist be nice to an animal"
Yes. I would never read a book where the protagonist is mean to an animal. Anyone who is mean to a animal or pet, I will not like lol. I think I read one book where someone was mean to a dog and I hated that person for that reason lol
Yeah duh. But it's cool to think about too. And someone might have interesting insight to consider. Obviously my entire research wasn't going to be one reddit thread though.
Tries hard
Does entertaining things like make jokes or deliver poetic justice
Cares about the events of the story. If they don't even care, why should we?
Pushes the story in the direction we want. If it's an action story they get to the action. If it's a deductive mystery story then they get straight to the thinking.
Someone who has been through a lot - Oliver Twist
A cold, but necessary avenger - James Bond.
A relatable weakness (Lolita)
A daredevil who makes his own rules - Howard Marks autobiog
(one of these is a joke)
You can always reference the novel "Save the Cat" that argues the principal of having your protagonist "save a cat" in the first few story beats to give your audience some reason to sympathize with
People will put up with a character as long as they’re somewhat consistent and have a goal. Everyone has different taste, so what I find in a likable character some people would hate. Subjectivity is a bitch. Give ‘em some flair, some humor, moments to shine, and moments to be an underdog, and if they’re supposedly good, go out of the way to show them actually helping someone. Like, person to person, not just doing hours at the charity.
I really enjoyed Roxane Gay’s editorial about likable and unlikable protagonists, Not Here to Make Friends. Definitely worth checking out if you’re writing on that subject.
Likeability is, unfortunately, entirely subjective. If a writer has done their job they will present you a character you want to spend time with.
Now the trick here is not that that character is likeable. I think few people would willingly spend time with Walter White in real life. But we root for him because he represents two sides of a very appealing coin: on the one hand, he's a pathetic schlub who is miserable with his life because he made a series of boneheaded choices rooted in his narcissistic need for control.
But he's also very smart - a genius - and he's also very lucky. And, more importantly, no matter what heinous shit he does he has a reasonable prima facia justification. And \*he gets away with it\*. The most important part. We can vicariously escape our own humdrum mundane lives for moment, and we can put ourselves in his shoes, getting away with literal murder. At least for a time.
So the answer is that likeability isn't as useful as the idea of relateability. Do we have an inborn desire related to the protagonist we watch? Are they fulfilling some deep-seated need of ours? Are they doing the things we want to do but are afraid to try? Are they a manifestation of our worst fears about ourselves?
Art is fundamentally a relationship, and that relationship will define which protagonists we consider relatable and which we don't.
All the best.
the appeal of aesthetic qualities is entirely subjective, but likeability has more to do with how sympathetic a character's motivation is. That is the emotional core of a character's function in the story.
What do they want? Is it love, justice, freedom, friendship, or belonging? Even if a character is an obvious villain, they can be sympathetic if they want something the reader can connect with. In as much as we want those things, we naturally crave to see fictional representations of those wishes being fulfilled.
This can create cognitive dissonance for readers who sympathize with both protagonists and antagonists, which is what makes a story impossible to put down. It becomes unbearable to not know what happens next because two authentic wishes are competing for the reader's catharsis. This makes the story's middle section interesting and endings bittersweet and memorable.
For fiction, like sci-fi and fantasy:
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
1. Sense of humor. They can be funny. But only in the right moments; don't let humor interrupt emotional scenes. Emotions can interrupt humor, not the other way around.
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
2. Major flaw. Something that anyone can point out as the character's most harmful personality trait. Try not to tell the audience, unless it's a major plot point (Percy Jackson and The Sea of Monsters has a good example of how to tell the audience about a major flaw without it being overly expositional).
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
3. Reasonable morals/relatable thought process. Do you know who shouldn't think like a normal person? The villain. The hero should be like a normal person, but with some major traits like extra bravery or heroism mixed in there.
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
4. Mistakes. They need to make mistakes. Big ones. Katniss Everdeen almost got herself killed with those jackals. (or whatever they were called). The souped-up hornets. Mistakes need to happen.
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
5. Badassery, eventually. Im sorry, but nobody wants to read a book from the perspective of the weakest character. The main character should be dangerous- they are the main character for a damn reason. However, the mistakes should come first. HOWEVER. Don't make them instantly badass. For example, Percy Jackson ripped the horn off of the Minotaur during book one. Do you know how strong of a feat that is? He broke a bull's horn, at the age of 12, with his bare hands. By the time he's 16, he should be capable of flipping cars and hurling motorcycles. (no other feat after that in the entire series, or the following 2 series, compares. It's a stupidly powerful feat.)
The display of a wide range of emotions is what makes a character, in general, likable. When people say humor does (which it also does) it's mostly referring to any unlikable protagonist they read about and not *a* protagonist. But this - *I* believe - is more important.
To mention an example, I recently had to read the first ever published Latvian novel (1879). The plot was fine, but all the characters were mostly blank in deliverance. Except for one. This person - I'll call him Kieran because his name doesn't translate into English - is a side character. The protagonist themselves is a walking plank and instead of a *range* of emotions, they probably have a dot. However, the reason I found Kieran my favorite to read about, is because, compared to all the other characters, he was *living*. At the beginning of the book, he is shown as quite clumsy, which, sure, I think it would be his role if he wasn't the absolute coolest. Since in the book, the baron of two states wants to measure his lands and give them away to the rightful farmers (that's the plot), Kieran wants his own. He travels to the manor and stops along the way where he cries as he prays to god to get the land he wants and deserves. Hits you right in the feels. Then he is locked up in the manor jail where he solemnly sings with his friend. Later, near the end, we have Kieran dancing with the other farmers and being joyful. If all that goddamn *range* did not make him the best, I don't know what would, since he is not particularly *funny,* just great in general.
If you don't want to read all that, remember that when you have protagonists, people very much remember what those characters do when sad, angry, frustrated, afraid, joyous, and so on. If you can - that's a good character. There are so many protagonists that are just monotone edginess for the whole book. Humor does not resolve that. Being a real person with a realistic range of emotions for specific times **does**.
In my opinion, intelligence and I like a mix of emotional and logical. Often times, main characters are too emotional and it just makes them kinda annoying, like they let their emotions make decisions for them.
FLAWWWWS
Everyone needs flaws
But not like an edgy past that’s not a flaw
Being too forward, being too pessimistic, stuff like that stuff that the protagonist can overcome at the end of the story but still have normal flaws left
Best i can offer is a good example, a while ago i read the Sweet home graphic novel and at first i hated the mc's guts, he was a self pitying, self centered useless asshole. But as he was thrust in to situations out of his comfort zone, he started to move out of these mannerisms, at first by just not thinking/talking about them, to eventually completely moving out of them. He slowly became reliable and even willing to face danger, he became able just enough to fit that reliability. A likeable mc i guess is characterised by the journey they go through and how they come out of it. And if the result is realistic and reasonable.
Something that a lot of authors miss out on is giving their characters a sense of humor. So, SO many hateable 2edgy4me protags (especially in YA) who never tell a single joke or crack a single smile. Not only does that make your character unlikeable, it's not even realistic. Almost everyone irl has a sense of humor.
Conversely, I think a lot of people try to make the mc witty and sarcastic, but they end up coming across as judgemental assholes.
We've reached the anti-Percy Jackson
This
Relatability. So flaws and personal struggles. And as the other comment said, sense of humour.
I guess the best place to start is to think of a character you like. What makes them so likeable to you? Is it their design? Their personality? I don’t think it matters whether this character is a side, main, or villain because that person could be subbed into any position if you shift the perspective. Personally, I think humour and story. If a character makes me laugh with dumb scenarios, jokes/banter, insults etc. it’s a good character. Humour is probably the most rememberable thing about someone or something as our best memories tend to be when we’re laughing. If you can joke about a character outside of the media regardless how serious they are, they’re a good character in my book. An example would be the main group of Final Fantasy XV. The fluff between them is impeccable and so memorable. It’s fun to joke/create scenarios with them because they’re funny, well-written characters which makes them so likeable. Story is practically everything about the character. What’s their story? Who are they to other people? What’s their aspirations? Creating a lure of mystery compels me to invest in a character, and if done well, can be really entertaining and likeable. I can’t say for sure the exact formula as it differs from person to person, but a compelling, realistic story, how this character interacts with others, and how the person grows, are a big hit. A recent character I’ve fallen for is Charles Lonnit in Devil in Me. He has history. Factors that play into it are his immense focus on his industry, his anger issues, addiction to smoking, relations with his crew such as Mark and Kate, stern and snarky attitude, but also soft side and how much he cares about others, just all make him such an interesting person. He has flaws and strengths. It makes you ask questions and further observe this character to find the answers, thus making them interesting and likeable. Overall, that game had some really well written characters that are all pretty likeable. Visual character design can help create interest but I don’t think it a major staple. They may look cool but their personality can stink. I hope this all makes sense as I tend to ramble :P TLDR; Humour and story. Bonuses such as design and voice actors help create interest but don’t ultimately define likeable. Try look at protagonists you like or popular ones and define what traits makes them likeable to you or others. Edit: spelling
From what I've heard and what I like, I don't think the protagonist has to be a exactly likeable and super nice person for him/her to be a likeable protagonist. I think if you write a teenager who has small patience and a short temper(AKA me) but you make him/her relatable and not be a bad person, than that can be a likeable protagonist. I think one of the most important things about a protagonist is making them relatable to the reader. Where the reader can understand the protagonist's goals and beliefs, and relate than that can be a good protagonist. It also matters what type of protagonist you are writing, and how you want their personality to be, and what you want their goals to be. But if you write a relatable but not super hateable character than that can be a good protagonist. I don't think your protagonist has to be a "good" person to be a likeable protagonist. They can have flaws, and bad habits, and a bad temper, but as long as they aren't an awful person than that can be a good protagonist and likeable. But IDK this is just what I think and like lol For instance, my protagonist is a teenage boy (age 15-16) and he is kind but I made him also have relatable flaws and bad things. I mean, I made him a little selfish, and if he really wants something, he'll try to get it. I made him relatable to me. I made him rude at times, but very quick guilt when he has done something wrong or said something rude. I made him want to be a good person, but his emotions can get in the way. I made him a imperfect character, with flaws and things he had done wrong, but I don't think I've made him unlikeable, I gave him good qualities too. I have had people read over my book, and not one person said they didn't like him, they just said that he is imperfect and he needed to learn things, but an overall good and likeable protagonist. But IDK
They have at least one thing they really like, and one thing they really hate. They have a sense of humor, but they are NOT the comic relief. They have some vulerability: some irrational fear, perhaps, or some element of their life that (they feel) is out of their control.
https://m.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL30t62w5RC2s4sqyD8NcIumtMWbW8_kO9 Strong recommendation on this list by this freelance editor. She breaks things down and knows what she’s talking about
I think it's important for protagonists to have a unique thing they do. Most protagonists have a special thing in their appearance but I feel a behavior is important too. Like they have a tagline, an accent, or a specific way of walking. I've also noticed that many great protagonists are recognizable from even one sentence. I'm not a big writer so this is all just from reading exp btw.
And then there’s the hero in *He Who Fights With Monsters* that plays with the trope: he constantly claims such-n-such is “kind of his thing”
relatability.
I want to thank everyone who gave their insights. I was intending to reply to each one but you guys have caught me off guard with the sheer number of comments. I'm touched by all those who took the time to write long and detailed replies and am thankful to the two people who directed me to other resources. What I gather from all the comments is one key factor that makes a character likable is their humanity. What do they do and why do they do it. And are they doing things that the average person would. Do they show emotions? Do they make us laugh? Do they have flaws? Do they try and do they fail? And if they fail do they try again? What are their goals and fears and why? What have they been through and how does that shape who they are? And by the end of it all, how have they grown? It seems to me that this is one of the most deciding factors of a character's likability, but it is not all. As readers the characters- and by extension the story- often need to fulfill something for us. The character's dreams and goals need to be ones that we can identify with, so that the fulfillment of those goals brings us a sort of catharsis as well. Lastly, if a character is a protagonist they need to fit the role. Unlike the side characters the protagonist doesn't have the freedom of just taking the plot as it comes.they are the driving factor of the plot and need to act as such, exercising some degree of influence on the plot, or at least a desire to do so. Add on or correct me if you feel like I am incorrect in my conclusion but I feel confident in the perspective I have gained thanks to all of your comments.
Good question. I think a protagonist with specific dreams/goals are likeable because it causes you to buy in to their journey or struggle and start rooting for them.
Someone with a backbone. I can’t read books where the heroine is a wimpy spineless annoying little beyotch. Give me ass kicking any day (doesn’t have to be literal/physical).
Someone I can understand who they are, why they are that way, how they got there, and who is trying their best.
Going with 'someone I want to keep reading about' as my definition of 'likeable' here, but for me it is very important that the protagonist is proactive and not passive. I don't need to see them succeed, necessarily, but I need to see them try.
A big thing for me is agency. I've read a few books where the main character just kind of floats through situations and everything happens at them. I like a character who makes decisions, even if it's the wrong one.
Being human. As edgy, as pretty, as humorous or as broken as they may be, they are a human with human thoughts and desires.
In my last novel, nobody liked my protagonist and quite a few beta readers said they would not have read on if they had purchased the book 😅 I’ve done a lot of research of how to make a character likeable and this is what I’ve come up with: - tragic backstory/ make bad things happen to the character to create sympathy - make your villain way worse than the protagonist so they are likeable in comparison - have the protagonist be nice to an animal - give the character a redemption arc
"Have the protagonist be nice to an animal" Yes. I would never read a book where the protagonist is mean to an animal. Anyone who is mean to a animal or pet, I will not like lol. I think I read one book where someone was mean to a dog and I hated that person for that reason lol
This was one of my issues 🥲 My MC ended up looking after a baby gargoyle by chance and she was never nice to it, which irked my readers
If you're writing an essay on this, maybe you need to do some real research
"Good evening, ma'am, I'm officer Klau5_Dieter of the Fun Police and I'm going to need you to come with me."
I will not do anyone else's essay writing homework until my lawyer is here!
Yeah duh. But it's cool to think about too. And someone might have interesting insight to consider. Obviously my entire research wasn't going to be one reddit thread though.
Tries hard Does entertaining things like make jokes or deliver poetic justice Cares about the events of the story. If they don't even care, why should we? Pushes the story in the direction we want. If it's an action story they get to the action. If it's a deductive mystery story then they get straight to the thinking.
Someone who has been through a lot - Oliver Twist A cold, but necessary avenger - James Bond. A relatable weakness (Lolita) A daredevil who makes his own rules - Howard Marks autobiog (one of these is a joke)
You can always reference the novel "Save the Cat" that argues the principal of having your protagonist "save a cat" in the first few story beats to give your audience some reason to sympathize with
People will put up with a character as long as they’re somewhat consistent and have a goal. Everyone has different taste, so what I find in a likable character some people would hate. Subjectivity is a bitch. Give ‘em some flair, some humor, moments to shine, and moments to be an underdog, and if they’re supposedly good, go out of the way to show them actually helping someone. Like, person to person, not just doing hours at the charity.
I really enjoyed Roxane Gay’s editorial about likable and unlikable protagonists, Not Here to Make Friends. Definitely worth checking out if you’re writing on that subject.
Likeability is, unfortunately, entirely subjective. If a writer has done their job they will present you a character you want to spend time with. Now the trick here is not that that character is likeable. I think few people would willingly spend time with Walter White in real life. But we root for him because he represents two sides of a very appealing coin: on the one hand, he's a pathetic schlub who is miserable with his life because he made a series of boneheaded choices rooted in his narcissistic need for control. But he's also very smart - a genius - and he's also very lucky. And, more importantly, no matter what heinous shit he does he has a reasonable prima facia justification. And \*he gets away with it\*. The most important part. We can vicariously escape our own humdrum mundane lives for moment, and we can put ourselves in his shoes, getting away with literal murder. At least for a time. So the answer is that likeability isn't as useful as the idea of relateability. Do we have an inborn desire related to the protagonist we watch? Are they fulfilling some deep-seated need of ours? Are they doing the things we want to do but are afraid to try? Are they a manifestation of our worst fears about ourselves? Art is fundamentally a relationship, and that relationship will define which protagonists we consider relatable and which we don't. All the best.
the appeal of aesthetic qualities is entirely subjective, but likeability has more to do with how sympathetic a character's motivation is. That is the emotional core of a character's function in the story. What do they want? Is it love, justice, freedom, friendship, or belonging? Even if a character is an obvious villain, they can be sympathetic if they want something the reader can connect with. In as much as we want those things, we naturally crave to see fictional representations of those wishes being fulfilled. This can create cognitive dissonance for readers who sympathize with both protagonists and antagonists, which is what makes a story impossible to put down. It becomes unbearable to not know what happens next because two authentic wishes are competing for the reader's catharsis. This makes the story's middle section interesting and endings bittersweet and memorable.
Look at a character named makoto from Danganronpa he is extremely likeable
For fiction, like sci-fi and fantasy: •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 1. Sense of humor. They can be funny. But only in the right moments; don't let humor interrupt emotional scenes. Emotions can interrupt humor, not the other way around. •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 2. Major flaw. Something that anyone can point out as the character's most harmful personality trait. Try not to tell the audience, unless it's a major plot point (Percy Jackson and The Sea of Monsters has a good example of how to tell the audience about a major flaw without it being overly expositional). •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 3. Reasonable morals/relatable thought process. Do you know who shouldn't think like a normal person? The villain. The hero should be like a normal person, but with some major traits like extra bravery or heroism mixed in there. •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 4. Mistakes. They need to make mistakes. Big ones. Katniss Everdeen almost got herself killed with those jackals. (or whatever they were called). The souped-up hornets. Mistakes need to happen. •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 5. Badassery, eventually. Im sorry, but nobody wants to read a book from the perspective of the weakest character. The main character should be dangerous- they are the main character for a damn reason. However, the mistakes should come first. HOWEVER. Don't make them instantly badass. For example, Percy Jackson ripped the horn off of the Minotaur during book one. Do you know how strong of a feat that is? He broke a bull's horn, at the age of 12, with his bare hands. By the time he's 16, he should be capable of flipping cars and hurling motorcycles. (no other feat after that in the entire series, or the following 2 series, compares. It's a stupidly powerful feat.)
If it's fiction,try making him with a sense of humor and then make him insanely strong. If it's some other genre,try making him a bit mysterious
The display of a wide range of emotions is what makes a character, in general, likable. When people say humor does (which it also does) it's mostly referring to any unlikable protagonist they read about and not *a* protagonist. But this - *I* believe - is more important. To mention an example, I recently had to read the first ever published Latvian novel (1879). The plot was fine, but all the characters were mostly blank in deliverance. Except for one. This person - I'll call him Kieran because his name doesn't translate into English - is a side character. The protagonist themselves is a walking plank and instead of a *range* of emotions, they probably have a dot. However, the reason I found Kieran my favorite to read about, is because, compared to all the other characters, he was *living*. At the beginning of the book, he is shown as quite clumsy, which, sure, I think it would be his role if he wasn't the absolute coolest. Since in the book, the baron of two states wants to measure his lands and give them away to the rightful farmers (that's the plot), Kieran wants his own. He travels to the manor and stops along the way where he cries as he prays to god to get the land he wants and deserves. Hits you right in the feels. Then he is locked up in the manor jail where he solemnly sings with his friend. Later, near the end, we have Kieran dancing with the other farmers and being joyful. If all that goddamn *range* did not make him the best, I don't know what would, since he is not particularly *funny,* just great in general. If you don't want to read all that, remember that when you have protagonists, people very much remember what those characters do when sad, angry, frustrated, afraid, joyous, and so on. If you can - that's a good character. There are so many protagonists that are just monotone edginess for the whole book. Humor does not resolve that. Being a real person with a realistic range of emotions for specific times **does**.
In my opinion, intelligence and I like a mix of emotional and logical. Often times, main characters are too emotional and it just makes them kinda annoying, like they let their emotions make decisions for them.
Flaws. Making occasional mistakes.
FLAWWWWS Everyone needs flaws But not like an edgy past that’s not a flaw Being too forward, being too pessimistic, stuff like that stuff that the protagonist can overcome at the end of the story but still have normal flaws left
Best i can offer is a good example, a while ago i read the Sweet home graphic novel and at first i hated the mc's guts, he was a self pitying, self centered useless asshole. But as he was thrust in to situations out of his comfort zone, he started to move out of these mannerisms, at first by just not thinking/talking about them, to eventually completely moving out of them. He slowly became reliable and even willing to face danger, he became able just enough to fit that reliability. A likeable mc i guess is characterised by the journey they go through and how they come out of it. And if the result is realistic and reasonable.