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@j-a-penrose

What do I think is a character’s purpose? Hmmm… I think… well, I think that the MC is meant to teach a lesson, and be the reason for a theme. All the other characters in the story are supposed to be facets of this, a piece of the puzzle that livingly represents the truth the character must learn in some way. (I read that in the past)

That doesn’t always happen to my own characters, of course. I think that the side characters all need a place in the plot. They must, as you said, be totally necessary. If they don’t affect the plot at all, they shouldn’t be there. The side characters should affect the main character in some way. They need to help them learn, either by showing what they should do or should not do.

And the villain?

Well, they’re the best part. They’re the funnest thing ever because they have to be the MC… except that in their past, there were a crossroads, and they chose the opposite of the main character. And that made all the difference. It’s scary and shows readers that fine line between ‘good’ and ‘evil’. My best analogy is Harry Potter. If you’ve read the series before, you’ll probably see what I mean. I don’t want to say anything further, though, in case you haven’t. 😛