If you want to take your story from good to great, you need to get serious about creating memorable characters.

No matter what genre of fiction you write, good characters are key to your story’s success. It can be the one thing that elevates your book, movie, or game from “pretty good” to cult classic. Certain characters become so famous that people who haven’t even experienced the source material know their names. Think Captain Jack Sparrow, Anne Shirley, Sherlock Holmes, Gandalf, Yoda . . . even Pikachu!

Note that these characters aren’t necessarily main protagonists. Some memorable characters such as Loki, Darth Vader, and Gollum are even villains. So, what’s the link between these characters? What made them so popular that even non-nerds can make references to them? And, most importantly:

How do we make our own characters memorable?

To show us exactly what it takes to create a memorable character, I’ll use the more recent example of Ahsoka Tano. If you’ve never heard that name or know nothing about the character, don’t worry! The goal of using a specific character is to illustrate the point, not detract from it. No matter what level your Star Wars knowledge is at, I’m confident that this post will show you exactly how to create more memorable characters.

I decided to use Ahsoka for a handful of reasons:

1. The show Ahsoka is currently airing, so most people have probably at least heard of her by now.
2. Fans hated Ahsoka when she first appeared—now she’s so popular that she has her own show.
3. Ahsoka arguably has the single most dedicated fanbase of any Star Wars character.
4. With Star Wars being such a huge universe, it’s difficult for characters to stand out now, even when they’re the main protagonist or villain. Ahsoka became a fan favourite when the franchise was already well-established and everyone already had their favourite characters.
5. I’ve been a fan of Ahsoka since the beginning (yes, before she was cool!) and her character has inspired my writing in many ways.

The biggest question we’re aiming to answer here is: What made her stand out? And how can we use that to make our characters just as iconic?

A Character Who Grows

Ahsoka Tano first leapt onto the screen in the animated Star Wars: The Clone Wars film that launched the TV series of the same name. She immediately came off as childish, irritating, headstrong, and too eager to prove herself. Fans criticised her mercilessly, making her seem like a character doomed to fail.

But as the series progressed, the audience watched Ahsoka grow. Her childish arrogance and ignorance gave way to mature leadership under Anakin’s tutelage. Her stubbornness transformed into determination to do what was right, no matter what she’d been ordered. Much later on in other series, she became well-known as a strong, wise Jedi who could do just about anything. She was even trusted and revered by Luke Skywalker. 

This growth didn’t only have to do with age, although that’s part of it. Some of the most memorable characters are ones who grow up with the audience—in fact, that’s one of the reasons I’ve connected so much with Ahsoka. But the age factor means nothing if there’s no character development. The most important part is that the audience sees how the character adapts to their changing circumstances. They want to see how the character gets beaten down, suffers, and then gets back up, learning from adversity but staying true to who they are. They want to see the character grow just as we grow in real life; that’s where real connection happens. 

Let me be clear: any good character must have growth. But this is the starting point for creating a memorable character: they have to be a good character to begin with. 

A Character Who Has Relationships

Ahsoka is defined by her relationships—with Anakin, Obi-Wan, Barris Offee, Captain Rex, Ezra, Sabine, Hera . . . Since each of these characters is different, their personalities challenge Ahsoka in different ways. Some of these people became an instrumental part of who she is, especially Anakin. 

Who are the people who have made a permanent impact on your character? Who are their best friends, their mentors, their enemies? These people help to reveal your character to the audience. Relationships are an important aspect of “show, don’t tell.” 

A Character with a Deep Connection to the Story

Ahsoka Tano shows up to serve as a hindrance to Anakin but has little bearing on the overall Star Wars story—or so you think at first. As The Clone Wars continues, you realise that Ahsoka plays an important role in Anakin’s eventual turn to the Dark Side. Later, her presence influences the fate of the main characters from Star Wars: Rebels, and she’s still making a difference in the overall course of the Star Wars narrative in Ahsoka. Ahsoka is so deeply woven into the Star Wars universe now that it couldn’t exist as it is without her.

Many authors nowadays make the mistake of writing characters only because they have to. The characters exist, but they’re sort of just . . . there. They certainly aren’t connected to the plot. Instead, the plot happens “at” them and has no real impact on their growth.

Characters and plot should work together in a story. In fact, the best characters are deeply connected to the plot, so much so that the plot couldn’t exist without them. It’s even better if this connection unfolds gradually.

A Character with Something Special

A few things make Ahsoka unique:

• Personality
• Appearance
• Role

She’s a lot like Anakin with a strong moral compass and a rebellious streak. She’s also one of very few Jedi who has the wisdom to identify the flaws in both the Jedi Order and the Sith, eventually charting her own course to do what she thinks is right. Her unwavering loyalty to what is truly good—even if it means going against everyone else—is one of the things that makes her personality unique. To create a character with a personality like this, you have to put in the work to develop who they are and decide how they’re going to be unique. 

And while appearance isn’t the most important factor, Ahsoka is certainly memorable there, too, being one of the only non-human main Star Wars characters. Appearance can help your character to stand out—just think of all the characters I named at the start of this post. They all have very distinct appearances that help them stick in the audience’s minds. You can do the same—just get creative!

Ahsoka’s role instantly stood out to me when I first saw her. Never before had Star Wars focused on a young girl learning how to be a Jedi, and never before had Anakin had a Padawan. Everything about her situation was unique, and that remained true as she left the Jedi Order and became what the Order should have been all along. If you can make something about your character’s situation unique, not only will it elevate the overall story as you develop that situation, but it will help the character stand out in your audience’s minds. 

So, what will you do to create a memorable character? Let me know about some of your favourite characters in the comments, and if you need more in-depth help, check out my services and book a free book coaching consultation!

Happy writing!
—E.J.

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Photo by Clay Banks on Unsplash