The Importance of Secondary Characters

Sometimes, the characters we love don’t get the recognition they deserve. I’ve found that to be true so many times. The sidekicks who deserve to be the hero, the secondary characters who need a backstory, the love interest I can’t get enough of because they are so much more than just a plot point. These are the characters I quickly fall in love with, who take hold of me & make a story worth reading.

I recently finished Melissa Albert’s The Night Country and adored it, if possible, even more than its predecessor, The Hazel Wood. A character I’ve always found fascinating in that book is Ellory Finch. For a large chunk of Alice’s life, especially between the first and second book, he’s gone. Where did he go? What did he do? What sort of life did he live, what kinds of worlds did he explore? This prompted my inevitable google search for fanart. Nothing. Playlists? Nothing. It was surprising, seeing a character I connected with a lot be invisible to the world. It made me think about other characters I love, pushed to the outskirts by far more “interesting” characters. What draws authors to the heroes, rather than their sidekicks? And what draws me, as a reader, to the side characters?

Our culture has painted a clear hero should be. We, of course, can stray from that path, but more often than not our typical hero is one who didn’t choose to go on an adventure, who never asked to be special but ended up having a difficult role thrust upon them. We can see this in almost every story, from the Odyssey to Children of Blood and Bone. No matter the differences, there’s someone that begins as ordinary and ends up changing the world. But there are countless others who help them along the way. Samwise Gamgee is my best example. I fully believe that Samwise deserved more development and attention. His loyalty is unyielding, his perseverance and strength are often overlooked, and all around he’s such a valuable character and aid in Frodo’s quest. Whenever I revisit Tolkien's world, I look for moments where Sam proves himself as possibly the best character in the series and find them with ease. I love the characters where I’m left wanting more. It’s infuriating to know I won’t get a deeper understanding of a character I love, but at the same time, I think it proves that they’re special. Knowing it all makes characters more predictable and sometimes takes away from their appeal.

Two of the best characters in Harry Potter are Neville Longbottom and Luna Lovegood. I often tell people that the fifth book is my favorite because I get to see my two favorites in action, especially at the end. Something I love about the way Rowling created her secondary characters is that she gave them all chances to shine. Hagrid always has a special place in Harry’s heart, the Weasley’s are like a second home, Lupin and Tonks appear in pivotal scenes several times throughout the last few books. Rowling understood that Harry could not succeed alone, and she provided him with powerful characters to help him towards his goal. And yet, I still miss out on getting to know them more. In Harry Potter, it’s the quiet strength of the secondary characters that draws me to them. Neville is painted as a hopeless boy, Luna a girl with her head in the clouds. But as we get to know them more, we realize that Neville and Luna aren’t as small and ordinary as we think. A scene that never fails to give me chills is at the end of The Order of the Phoenix where Neville confronts Voldemort. Despite what’s happened to his parents, despite the pain and the fear and the doubt, Neville faces Voldemort head on to protect his friends. The strength of his character draws me in more, searching out his moments in the spotlight, rooting for him to grow, make a change, save the day. That’s why I love secondary characters. We don’t always know how they’re going to turn out.

Finally, let’s chat about one of the most killer ladies ever- literally. Lady Macbeth can fly under the radar sometimes, but that might be her intention. She’s often portrayed as the little devil on her husband’s shoulder, but I always like to think there’s much more lurking beneath the surface, more motive than just getting her husband the throne. With secondary characters, I get to fill in the blanks. Often, protagonists and antagonists are in the hands of the author. It’s their job to paint a picture of what that character is like. With secondary characters, the readers get some control. I often dream about what goes on between the scenes, what the secondary characters get out of a situation, how their story might end and how they get there. Lady Macbeth is a great example because there is so much that goes unseen with her. Almost all power is turned over to the reader or audience to imagine what she wants, why she wants it, and what she’s willing to do to get it. It can be fun to make secondary characters the center of your reading experience.

Secondary characters can make or break a story for me. I get to explore the book’s world through the characters who aren’t always focused on, imagine their feelings, and savor every moment spent with them. Some of my favorite characters in literature get pushed aside, but they deserve more. So, the next time you crack open a new book, look for the characters who seem to get left out of the spotlight. Making secondary characters a larger part of your reading can enrich the experience and add an extra dimension to the worlds you love.

P.S: That Ellory Finch playlist search? I made one. Check it out on Spotify! https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5HOgKtFK0S5rUmCMENJSVK?si=-bXRHZ1jS0y2hT4aIxNl6A