What Is a Supporting Character? The Ultimate Guide

A supporting character is a character who helps the main character(s). They are not necessarily important to the plot or story.

They may just be there for the amusement of the main characters, or they may be the main characters themselves.

Supporting characters can be friends, family members, lovers, rivals, enemies, or any other person who is involved in a story.

They don’t have to be people that actually appear on screen; they could also just be mentioned by name.

In some cases, these characters can even become major characters in their own right but still remain part of the supporting cast.

For example, if a character appears in only one episode of TV show X and plays such a small part that you never see them again afterwards then they would not be considered a supporting character (even though they were technically in every episode).

Common Archetypes For Supporting Characters

 The supporting character is an archetype in the traditional sense of the word. The most common archetypes for supporting characters include:

The mentor: The mentor is someone who has a lot of knowledge and experience and is willing to share it with their protégé. They may be older, wiser, or even a complete stranger who can help guide the protégé in their chosen path.

The father figure: This archetype may be a parent or grandparent, but it’s usually someone who has been there for you since you were young and continues to be there for you through thick and thin.

The best friend: A good friend will always look out for you, no matter what happens in life. They’ll be there for you when things get tough and make sure your happiness is never compromised.

The love interest: A love interest is someone that everyone wants to date or marry, but no one ever does because they’re not really interested in them romantically. Instead they’re just friends with benefits until they find someone else they want more than them.

   

Supporting Character Archetypes

 The supporting character archetype is a person who works primarily behind the scenes. They are the ones who do all the dirty work, keep things organized and run the show when needed.

The supporting character archetype can be any type of character, from a sidekick to an old man with a cane. It doesn’t matter who you create them as long as they are there for your story in some way or another.

The important thing to remember when creating these characters is that they do not need to be perfect. In fact, they should usually be flawed and full of imperfections just like everyone else around them (except maybe your main character).

This puts them into a realistic world where they can relate better with your readers than if they were perfect all of the time.

Supporting characters are great because they make your story feel more real because no one is perfect and everyone has their own issues to deal with in life; this makes it easier for readers to connect with someone they feel they could become friends with in real life if only they could get past their own problems first!

Get To Know The Archetypes

 The archetypes are gods and goddesses that were created long ago by man. They were the first beings to be brought into existence after the creation of the universe.

The archetypes are said to be the original gods, and they are also said to have been created from primordial matter or substance.

The God Archetype

The God archetype is represented by two characters: Father Time and Mother Earth. These two figures have been around since before time itself, and they have been instrumental in shaping human history.

Father Time, who is considered one of the oldest gods of all time, has helped shape the world we live in today by providing us with everything we need for survival through his timeless wisdom and guidance.

Mother Earth is another important god that has helped shape our world around us. She has provided us with everything we need for our survival such as water, food and shelter. She also provides us with breathable air so that we may survive on this planet as well as provides us with an environment where we can live peacefully among ourselves without harming each other or our environment

   

Supporters

 The difference between a supporter and a detractor is that the supporter wants to win. When people say, “You can never win,” they really mean, “If you’re not winning, you’re not trying hard enough.”

Supporters are people who believe in your cause, but have no vested interest in it. They may be as old as the organization itself, or brand new. They’re there for you and only for you. They will support you and follow you through thick and thin.

As a leader, you must find supporters who share your vision and values. You must create a culture of supporters where everyone is committed to helping each other succeed whether they are in the same room or across an ocean.

These supporters will not only help the organization grow, but also help it grow better than anyone would have thought possible.

The Caregiver Archetype

 The Caregiver Archetype is the second of the five archetypes. The Caregiver archetype is a highly empathetic person who wants to help others and make them happy. They are often seen as those with a great deal of compassion, kindness and love for others.

When we look at the characteristics of this archetype, we see that these people are very giving of themselves and their time. They put themselves in front of others first and are not afraid to sacrifice their own needs for someone else’s cause.

In fact, they will go out of their way just to make sure that their loved ones feel loved.

   

The Caregiver archetype can be found in all kinds of careers or lifestyles. This includes teachers, nurses, doctors and even therapists. If you want to learn more about this archetype then I recommend reading two books that focus on how the caregiver affects us:

“The Power of the Persona” by Douglas Stone and “The Gift of Therapy” by Roger Fisher

The Antagonist Archetype

 The Antagonist Archetype is a powerful archetype because it represents the innermost part of our personality. It is the voice within us that tells us what we want to hear and what we want to do, but it is not always right. The Antagonist Archetype can be a very good friend and ally, but it can also be a very bad enemy if you don’t know how to handle it.

The Antagonist Archetype is an aspect of ourselves that wants us to live a certain way instead of living life in the moment. It wants us to make decisions based on fear instead of taking chances with our lives and being true to ourselves.

The Antagonist Archetype will try anything to get us to change our lives because it thinks that this way will be better for everyone involved.

The Antagonist Archetype comes into play when we have an emotional reaction over something that has happened or is about to happen. When this happens, we have no control over our own emotions and thoughts because they are coming from somewhere else inside of us.

This happens when we are faced with a situation where there are two opposing forces against each other: one group wants something done while another group doesn’t want anything done at all!

Providers Of Information Archetype In Film

 There are many different types of information archetypes in film. Some archetypal characters provide information about the world around them, while others act as guides to help their audience understand the story.

The Provider of Information Archetype

In an interview about his work, director Stanley Kubrick said that he thought his films were more like novels than traditional movies. He believed that the best way to tell a story was by allowing the audience to interpret it for themselves.

This was also a philosophy he shared with his close friend and collaborator on most of his films, novelist Vladimir Nabokov.

Kubrick believed that one of the most important things as a director is to know what your audience wants and how they want it delivered. He did this through his own research into cinema history and theory, but also through polls taken by test audiences at each screening of his films.

He would take notes on what worked and what didn’t, which allowed him to create more effective scenes that hit home with audiences around the world.

The Importance Of Great Supporting Characters

 We are all familiar with the idea of a supporting character – these are the people who don’t get as much screen time or attention as the main characters, but they play an important role in the story.

In movies, these can be friends, family members or even strangers who help someone achieve their goal. In books, it could be a teacher who inspires a character to take action.

The point is, supporting characters are often more interesting than the main ones because they have their own unique personalities and motivations.

Supporting characters can also make a movie more relatable by giving it more human elements. The audience can relate to them because they share similar experiences or goals as those onscreen.

They’re not just there for shock value or to serve as comic relief; they have their own stories to tell and need to be given some space in which to develop them further.

   

What Is A Supporting Character – Wrapping Up

 A supporting character is a character who takes part in a story but does not play as important a role as the protagonist or the antagonist. Supporting characters are often minor characters, such as minor characters in Shakespeare’s plays.

Some scripts call for multiple, often minor, characters. For example, in a movie script, there may be two or three main characters. Then there would be other characters with smaller roles such as parents and family members of those main characters.

In television shows and movies, actors are often given supporting roles if they are not given prominent ones. For example, an actor may be cast as a villain but then be given another role later on in the show where he isn’t necessarily a villain anymore.

This means that he has changed from being evil to being more heroic or even good at times.