I'll have a side of character

So, we all know our main characters and our villains in our story's, but what about side characters?

This thread is dedicated to all those sides of the main combos. A place where you can talk about how characters that aren't your mains and how they fit in the story/how impactful they are to the plot?

I think we all can agree different stories have a different level of plot influence from side characters and some side character operate more like secondary in some way or another and that's all included too.

The only restriction is that it can't be for villains and your main characters/pokemon.


And to give an example,
Sides characters in my story range from about three levels of impact.

Minor: Akin to advice giving or something on the lines of putting in some little moment for the mains/character in question to derive something that moves the plot along

Involved: A character that is involved in the plotline, but often isn't showcased. Can travel with the character, fight with them, talk about deeper things, etc. Mainly for those characters that are either "recurring" or "more influential than simple advice giving"

Secondary: for all my characters that aren't mains but get the silver for focus on the good guys section. Since the books changes mains and all we can sometimes see mains of a former book being secondary's (maybe even involved) and secondary as main characters. These ones are where POV is focused on a lot more and they have their own arcs and story. Essentially, they are just below the mains.


Hope this little bit helps spark some ideas on how to use some sides and I hope you all share yah thoughts down below. Thanks and merry writing!

For Foul Play, I would say Kukui and Acerola are involved side characters! They're more on the enthusiastic side compare to Grimsley and Nanu and are like a balance between the two. Gladion and Moon/Selene will also be important side characters in an upcoming arc. Their roles will be similar to how they were portrayed in the games but their characterizations will also be expanded. After I finish Foul Play, Gladion will have his own starring role in another planned fic and get more development there.

They are then minor characters that made only a few appearances but get referenced a lot and play important roles like Colress, the Ultra Recon Squad, and Sana.

I suppose, although I will generally say The Stairway to Heaven has five major characters, the only main characters would be Eloy and by extension his team.

So I guess that would make Layla, Gwen, Lauren and Niall my secondary characters as they all have pretty big impacts on the plot and their own story arcs. They get more interlude PoV chapters than other side characters too.

For the other two groups I'm not as certain but I suppose involved characters would probably be Nora, Clancy, Bronwyn and maybe Melanie depending on how much time I decide to dedicate to her later on in the story. Any of them could easily be demoted to minor characters though along with the other gym leaders, some of the other tournament trainers from the current arc of the story etc.

As I'm a RP GM, I have lots of "side chars" running around.

Currently one active is Aberdeen Montany in Trainers. He's been a main char in several similar RPs in the past but now he takes on a background role to support some player chars. He's an Ash-clone in some ways and in some ways really not. A very easy character to write and play, which is why I've used him several times.

I'd say he's probably on the Involved level in trainers rn but not secondary.

Characters-wise, most of my recent stories are focused on an all-main cast, the one-shot formatting restricting the room one can give to minor characters.

That doesn't mean I don't have my side characters well organized and tended for. Team Kokool (Gesta, Çaro and Jazilla) from «Beyond Today» are perhaps the ones who get the most exposition, and one could make the argument that Gesta should count as a MC if it wasn't because he disappeared mid-plot - in fact one of the main complaints I got about that story. I've taken the time to develop their personalities and backstories and wouldn't mind writing another story focusing on them if an adequate plot idea comes by. I would say they count as "impactful", more than involved, after all they are the ones who bring up the story overall.

«Built for Risk» was all about showcasing the secondary characters - the Pokémon doing the fighting, and I would also not mind writing an improved version all about them. However at the moment in this case they are mostly involved rather than impactful or secondary, as they are there to show the effects of the story progression rather than to change anything in it. That that cast is made almost entirely of guest characters from other authors also counts.

And Terrakion in «Forever Catch». Yes, minor role but one repeated request I got was to give him more screentime and perhaps his own story.

Twice is coincidence, thrice is a pattern? Perhaps I am doing something right, I hope.

bay said:

After I finish Foul Play, Gladion will have his own starring role in another planned fic and get more development there.

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Yes please. Giving those secondary characters who carry some importance on their own right that extra screentime is just good. It is one thing that I like about fanfiction in this fandom - giving the extra spotlight to characters that don't tend to have an adequate one.

gimmepie said:

I suppose, although I will generally say The Stairway to Heaven has five major characters, the only main characters would be Eloy and by extension his team.

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Come on we all know who the real main character is.
But the rest of your cast the side characters are fine!

skywalker said:

As I'm a RP GM, I have lots of "side chars" running around.

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I used to be like that but then I took real life occupations to the knee. Good work yourself for keeping your characters alive and kicking, I hope!