central character
Story's focal point
The central character is the main figure in a story, film, or narrative—the person around whom events revolve and through whom the audience experiences the work.
Also called the protagonist or lead: The central character undergoes a transformation by the story's end.
In ensemble works, there may be several central characters sharing focus.
- tragic heroCharacter whose flaw causes ruin
- epic heroCentral figure of grand narrative
- hero's journeyUniversal story pattern
- chosen oneProphesied special individual
- everymanOrdinary representative person
antihero · protagonist · leading man · leading lady · flawed · relatable · trickster · outcast · fish out of water · linchpin · confidant · narrator · dynamic · savior · rebel · lone wolf · conflicted · point of view
- leading roleslead role, leading role, lead actor, lead actress, leading man
central characterminor character
background character · extra · supporting character · walk-on · spear carrier
central charactersupporting role
Minor character in production
secondary character · passerby · bystander · sidekick · bit part
central, character, center, centre, centrally, centrality, centralize, centralization, decentralize