fictional identity
Invented character role
A fictional identity is a persona that exists only in imagination or creative works—a character in a novel, a pseudonym adopted for artistic purposes, or an invented self presented online.
The term often carries implications of deception when applied to real-world contexts: He created a fictional identity to catfish people on dating apps.
In psychology and identity studies, it can describe the way people construct narrative selves that diverge from objective reality.
- alter egoA secondary persona
- avatarDigital user representation
- stage personaPerformer's adopted identity
- antagonistOne who opposes another
- pseudonymFictitious professional name
trickster figure · hero · catfish · literary character · voice · folk hero · sidekick · pen name · archetype · Mary Sue · mask · sockpuppet · false front · nom de guerre · cover story · alias · shadow self · self-insert
fictional identityreal name
Actual given identity
real person · true self · authentic self · historical figure
fictional identitylegal identity
Officially recognized individual status
legal name · birth name · government name · passport name · given name