Though not immediately obvious to the untrained eye, a great story has a lot of moving parts: A compelling hero… a chilling villain… setting, symbolism, and theme, all meticulously built from the ground up.
But one story element that often gets lost in the fray is the deuteragonist, or the secondary player—a crucial part of the larger framework of story elements. Far from being a “second fiddle”, these characters often end up stealing the show.
Read on to learn everything you need to know about developing this essential literary component.
What is a deuteragonist?
A deuteragonist is the second-most-important main character in a story, often taking the role of a sidekick, love interest, or foil character. Although they may not be the primary focus of the plot, deuteragonists are just as complex and fleshed out as the main character. They’ll often have their own character motivations and dynamic arcs.
Deuteragonists are a good way to create balance in a story, enhance central themes, and support other literary devices that deepen a narrative, and provide comic relief. In many cases, a deuteragonist ends up being a fan favorite.
Deuteragonist vs. protagonist vs. antagonist: what’s the difference?
Deuteragonist, protagonist, and antagonist are terms you’ll hear thrown around in literary circles, and they’re all important character types in a story for any narrative. But rather than overlapping in meaning, these characters play off of each other to create the framework of the plot.
The main character of the story is called the protagonist, which means “starring player.” When someone says “So what’s your story about?” and you say “Oh it’s about this _____ who _____,” you’re probably talking about your protagonist.
The protagonist is usually the person the reader gets to know most intimately, and we see them develop over the course of the story. Frodo Baggins and Harry Potter are both protagonists.
The second most important character at the center of a narrative is the deuteragonist, meaning “second actor”. They can help or hinder the main character’s journey—sometimes both!
In a novel or film, the deuteragonist gets almost as much screen or page time as the protagonist. Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Caribbean is a great example of this character type.
Finally you have the baddie, the vicious demon warlord, the unscrupulous CEO, the Clown Prince of Crime, the antagonist. This is the character whose driving motives are in direct opposition with the protagonist’s, forming the classic protagonist—antagonist dynamic. The tension that arises when these characters pursue conflicting goals is what drives the story forward.
Oftentimes the antagonist is the bad guy, but not always. Sometimes they’re someone who thinks they know what’s best, but go about their goals in a misguided way—traits that often overlap with classic villain archetypes in storytelling. Mr.s. Bennet from Pride and Prejudice is a good example of a well-intentioned antagonist.
The deuteragonist’s role in a story
But why have a deuteragonist at all? Isn’t it enough to have a valiant hero and a evil villain?
Writing a deuteragonist isn’t essential—you can have a story without one. But, there are three reasons why a secondary main character can enrich a novel or film: balance, contrast, and depth, all of which tie into the core elements of literature like character and theme.
A deuteragonist brings balance to a story
The human mind is naturally drawn to triads. That’s why we have expressions like “bad things come in threes”, “third time’s the charm”, stories about three wishes, the three fates of Greek mythology, the three little pigs, and so forth. Visually, three elements in a picture or display will always feel more satisfying than two.
If a story only has two main characters, it can start to feel a bit binary—like watching a ping-pong ball go back and forth. Having a third central character will make the story feel more full and balanced overall.
A deuteragonist provides contrast
A deuteragonist can be a good way to add another facet to your story that plays off the leading character. If your protagonist is impulsive and headstrong, your deuteragonist might be cautious and sensible. If your protagonist is a hopeless romantic, the deuteragonist might be jaded and cynical.
Batman and Robin are good examples of this kind of dynamic, especially when you consider Batman’s evolution as a classic antihero figure in literature. We’ll look more at creating deuteragonists with contrast below.
A deuteragonist deepens your story world
The most effective deuteragonists have their own journeys, beliefs, backstories, motivations, and more. They’re often involved in their own subplots and dynamic character arcs that show them learning and growing from the events of the plot, especially in stories told through third person multiple points of view.
These secondary character subplots show the reader that the world of your story is bigger than just your hero and villain. With this new element, it’s easy to imagine many more lives happening just off the page.
How many deuteragonists can you have?
Although there are no hard and fast rules about how many characters you can include, it’s best to stick with one or two deuteragonists at the most. Occasionally you might find books with three deuteragonists—these are usually split into four equal perspectives (The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants by Ann Brashares and The Kitchen Front by Jennifer Ryan are examples of this kind of novel).
The more deuteragonists you have, the more challenging it is to maintain the reader’s emotional connection with each one. If you have two characters vying for the role, one of them might be a tritagonist, or the third most central character, whose journey still needs to fit within your story’s overall five-act structure and major turning points.
Remember: you can always give these secondary characters their own installment later on. In your current novel, avoid the temptation to sprawl too broadly and instead focus on the real heart of the story.
Three types of deuteragonist
Now let’s look at the most common forms deuteragonists take in a narrative. You can use these as jumping off points to start developing your own within the broader parts of a story, from plot to character.
1. The sidekick
The sidekick deuteragonist can be a best friend, colleague, employee, or lost waif who clings to the protagonist in desperate adoration. This person often finds themselves regulated to the sidelines—but that doesn’t mean they can’t shine in your story.
This character type will usually undergo their own dramatic arc and journey of discovery. It’s not uncommon for everyday readers to identify more strongly with the sidekick than the hero.
2. The foil
The foil deuteragonist can be an ally, antagonist, or even overlap with the sidekick. All this means is that they strongly contrast the main point-of-view character in some way. It could be the hero is very shy while the foil is very outgoing; or maybe the hero pursues their goals honorably, while the foil is not above breaking the law to get what they want.
This contrast makes the unique traits of each character stand out even more. It’s also useful for communicating a story’s theme, such as the value of morality, coming of age, and so on.
3. The love interest
In romance novels, a couple navigating a new relationship often plays the role of the protagonist and deuteragonist. Which is which really depends on the character that gets the most page time, and the one who makes the active choices that drive the plot. The first point of view the reader encounters on Page 1 is usually the protagonist, because that’s the person they’re going to connect with first.
A love interest deuteragonist can appear in other genres, too. This character type gives the protagonist something to fight for and aspire towards. Just like the other deuteragonist types, these should be fleshed out, fully formed people—not convenient stock characters.
What makes a great deuteragonist?
Now that we’ve looked at all the different ways these important characters can appear in a story, how do you write one that serves the overall narrative and resonates with your readers? Here are some important tips.
1. An authentic backstory
Unlike minor characters, a deuteragonist should be given just as much thought and forward planning as the primary point of view character. Consider things like:
What does this person believe in most? What are they afraid of? Why are they afraid of it? What was their family like growing up? What was their socioeconomic status? What formative experiences made them who they are today?
This is especially important for using the foil technique and for creating tension between characters. Any interpersonal conflict that occurs between this character and the others will come from those core traits, whether they remain static or undergo change over the story.
2. A key strength
In order for your deuteragonist to support the development of the plot, they need to be able to offer something no one else can. This could be something like super smarts, a knack for fixing equipment, a deep maternal instinct, boundless optimism, resilience, and so forth. In a fantasy novel, it could be super powers or a knowledge of magic.
This strength will likely contrast against the protagonist or antagonist’s key weaknesses, filling in the gap that weakness leaves open. It will open doors that neither character could do on their own. Without this key strength arising in a time of need, the plot would stutter to a halt—undermining the interplay of central story elements like conflict and momentum.
3. A dramatic arc
Not all deuteragonists need a dramatic arc, but many of the most interesting and compelling ones do. This just means that they undergo an internal change, or value reversal, over the course of the narrative—often reinforced through repetition of key themes and images. This value reversal could be something like cowardly to brave, avaricious to generous, cold to compassionate, and so forth.
A dramatic arc gives the plot a sense of forward motion and shows the reader that they too have the capacity for change.
Deuteragonist examples from literature and film
Ready to see how these character types look in practice? Each of these deuteragonists is memorable and compelling, and a useful example to learn from.
Peter Pan
“But how can Peter Pan be the deuteragonist?!” I hear you cry in dismay. “The entire franchise is named after him!” True, but that just proves what an effective supporting character he is.
The protagonist of the play “Peter Pan and Wendy” and its associated novels and films is arguably Wendy Darling. The story follows her voyage into Neverland, her discovery of Peter and the lost boys, and her eventual decision to grow up. Peter, as a foil character, is the polar opposite of this: someone stuck in time, unable to move forward or back.
Peter has a rich and nuanced personality, particularly in later versions of the tale, and gives something for other characters to play off of in different ways.
Mercutio from Romeo and Juliet
Mercutio fills the best friend role in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, a play about star-crossed hormonal teens experiencing true love for the first time and embodying a classic lover archetype in literature.
Mercutio, by contrast, is having none of it. He scorns the idea of love, as well as family honor, propriety, and basically every core value of Shakespeare’s Elizabethan theatre-goers. He provides comic relief and a healthy dose of realism in an otherwise-romantic setting.
Cameron Frye from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
The titular Ferris Bueller is a rare example of a static protagonist, or a main character who stays more or less the same from beginning to end—something the film’s exposition and setup make clear early on. It’s his best friend Cameron, reluctant sidekick and voice of reason, who gets the dramatic arc.
Over the course of the film Cameron learns to stand up for himself and recognize some of the toxic dynamics that exist within his household, setting up a better future. He became a firm fan favorite precisely because of his compelling character arc and his iconic car-smashing climax, all filtered through the film’s distinctive narrative and character voice.
Create a secondary protagonist that shines
As you can see, some of literature’s most beloved characters are deuteragonists: the compelling heavy-lifters who carry the plot on their weary, stylish, or comic shoulders.
Writing great protagonists and antagonists is an essential step to any great novel. But writing a great deuteragonist can really level it up and make it a future classic, especially when you bring them to life with vivid sensory language and concrete detail. Now, you have all the tips and tools you need to create your own.
