How To Create A Well-Written PROTAGONIST Character For Your Comic Or Manga
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- čas přidán 29. 06. 2024
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In today's video, we will be discussing everything that has to do with creating protagonists for your comics, manga, and webtoon (manwha/manhwa) projects!
I will be using my experience as a PUBLISHED SATURDAY AM manga artist to give you FIVE TIPS For writing AMAZING PROTAGONISTS.
We will analyze successful protagonists from popular anime including One Piece, Tokyo Revengers, Sailor Moon, Fairy Tail, Sword Art Online, My Hero Academia, and much more!
Make sure you watch this video fully because I will be including over TEN BONUS TIPS!
►TIMESTAMPS
0:00 Introduction
0:36 Squarespace
1:53 What Is A Protagonist?
2:10 Tip 1: Capacity To Change
4:03 Tip 2: Protagonist's Goals
5:13 Tip 3: Visual Aesthetic
6:50 Tip 4: Flaws & Weaknesses
8:39 Tip 5: Character Attribute Sheets
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►KEYWORDS
Art, Anime, Drawing, Manga, Drawing Tutorial, Drawing Manga, Mangaka, Comic Artist, Clip Studio Paint, Digital Art, Anime Artwork, Writing, Writing Tips and Tricks, Storytelling, Art Tutorial, Character Design, Shonen Jump, Sketching, Sketchbook, How to Draw, Webtoon, Graphic Novel, Fanart, Otaku, Novelist, Art for Beginners, How to Write, Self-Publishing, Digital Artist, Speedpaint, Copic Markers, Saturday AM, Whyt Manga, Jeyodin, Sagami, My Comic, My Manga, Midnight X Cross, Ethan Becker, Jason Brubaker, Wacom Tablet, ProCreate, Photoshop Art, Mark Crilley, Trash Taste Podcast, Gigguk, The Anime Man, CDawgVA, Naruto, Bleach, One Piece, Fairy Tail, Boruto, Death Note, My Hero Academia, Attack on Titan, Black Clover, Dragonball Z, DBZ, Dr. Stone, Jujutsu Kaisen, Pokemon, Anime Fanart, Speedpaint, Self Publishing, Draw With Me, Indie Comics, Art, Illustration, Clip Studio Paint, Procreate, Medibang, Krita, FireAlpaca, Paint Tool Sai, IbisPaint, Shounen Jump
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This was written 2 days ago but the video was done 16 hours ago?
@@toongamer2810 When you work with sponsors, you have to send the video to them a few days in advance to review
One part of my contract says I have to have that pinned comment haha
@@MonitorComics ohh ok lol
Can you give me a recommendation in terms of the character sheet you mentioned cause I am not to sure on which ones would be considered as short or long?
Thank you I really need this if I wanna be a cartoonist
In my manga, the protagonist doesn't have a goal at first, because he is depressed without knowing it. His first layer is not to have any sort of goals or desires, but to just manage his day-to-day life. I think what he is going through is very human and relatable. So to me, a protagonist doesn't need to have a goal, some people are just existing throughout their lives, but his story is interesting because of who he is and how he is feeling the world around him. Come to think of it, Pun pun from good night Pun pun is this kind of character. He just lives day by day and ends up somewhere.
That's a very good point that I didn't even consider! Thanks for taking the time to add onto the discussion Milli! I agree!!
You can't have a story without the protagonist having some sort of goal, wanting something. A goal doesn't mean something grand like "I want to be the greatest hokage", it means anything that is strived towards. If your character ends up in a peculiar situation during his daily life, that situation will give him a goal, such as for example getting out of that situation. A character that truly doesn't WANT anything, can also not DO anything, which would not make a story.
@@orenji-sama514 It depends greatly on the story. It is rare but there are stories where the protagonist doesn't want anything or do anything, but that is the fact that makes the story compelling, like in Good night Pun pun. Those stories are written to the older demographic though. As I said, in my story, the main character doesn't have a goal at first, but he ends up finding it when he discovers ways to cope with his depression and anxiety.
@@orenji-sama514 I'd like to say that SOME protagonists don't need to have a goal. I didn't mean to generalize.
@@Millicomics your character sounds like he’s Reactive Kinda like ichigo
that last point reminds me of how araki writes every jojo character (either protagonist, antagonist, support character, etc.), first he decides which power/ability give to the character, then he prepares a backstory where he adds the little pieces (likes/dislikes, hobbies, family, name, weight/height, eyes/hair color, appareance, cloth designs, character personality, job experiences, etc.) and, with all this information, araki will then plan how the character will enter, play and exit the story, of course not all the writen details in the sheet will play an important part in the story but it will make a guideline for the character in question...
Even Saiki has flaws. The fact that he is bored all the time, the fact he is sarcastic. Also, there are some cracks in his armor like how he loses control when he doesn't have the antenna sticking out of his hair.
That is very true! Thanks for taking the time to clarify and adding to the discussion!
….How is being sarcastic a flaw 😑
@@mdtisthebest6249Because he doesn’t care about anything
How about a video on writing a likable cast of characters, like in Atlantis: the Lost Empire?
Thank you for the video suggestion! I can add it to my list of upcoming videos!
3:46 I actually disagree with that. A character doesn't always need to evolve to be compelling, the only reason they would need to change would be by having a default they need to change, or a default that makes them change in the case of negative arcs. Protagonists generally have to be flawed in some manners to work, but because they are flawed doesn't need they need to change.
Take for example goku from dragon ball. His entire personality is that he is an egoistic but kind and easy going man who loves fighting more than anything. He is compelling because of these flaws, because they make him who he is. Goku doesn't change because that would mean he wouldn't be "goku" anymore, instead, He changes people around him rather than himself. It's called a "flat character arc" and it's actually very common in fiction. Luffy for example doesn't change much throughout one piece either, though he does have some development, it doesn't impact who he is as a whole.
Yuma from yugioh zexal on the other hand is an excellent example of a character that doesn't become someone changed at the end of the show, but still manages to change a lot throughout the series. In fact, his entire arc is that he didn't have to change. He is constantly told he needs to become someone else to save his friends, and that he has to think outside of the box rather than to simply go for it as he always used to. But in the end, as he was about to literally murder his best friend in order to do what he thought was right, he stops and realizes this is not what he is, and that by wanting to change he almost did the worst mistake of his entire life. In the end, he manages to convince himself to stay the one he always was because changing is not something we have to do, yes he is childish and simple-minded, but that doesn't necessarily mean he *has* to mature. In that case, growing up would have been the worst outcome of the bunch. as long as the character is happy with himself, there is no reason for him to change.
It actually requires a lot to make a compelling character that doesn't change in a story, but it is more than possible and sometimes leads to some level of characters those with a clear growth might never reach.
You make some really great points that I didn't consider! Thank you for taking the time to write all of that and adding onto the discussion!
@@MonitorComics thanks! That was a great video, and I'm glad you're taking my words into account
Yes, he says a lot of "disagreeable" stuff by making absolute statements. You just have to see them as tips rather than laws
@@orenji-sama514 Very true! There are always exceptions to every tip and rule. At the end of the day something being "good" is subjective after all! Some tips might work for some characters and not others!
I think the right term would ''learn'' instead of ''change'', of course protagonist like Goku, Naruto & Luffy keep a lot of traits & flaws they had since chap 1 but still they have learned and gained experience from their adventures, but these adventures dont necessarily change the essence of the character.
In the story I’m making, I made my protagonist Rosa very…morally confused. She acts like a villain in some points of the story due to the events in the story, she was alone for a good while and so she didn’t have anyone to teach her right or wrong. She also grew up in a kill or be killed environment so that mentality and flight or flight response messes with her in the present. I studied (kinda) trauma phycology for this and put those aspects into the story plot. She slowly descends into madness and it’s perfectly reasonable considering what she’s been through.
You go pal, go write that story! 👍🏾
Thanks man!
My manga protagonist wants to prove that even though he is a devil, he can still be an angel to the eyes of the public. His life isn’t what he is. The protagonist friend or the other main character has a goal to make everyone as equal as everyone can be
The fact that you included Oyasami makes me glad that people still remember this
Punpun is SOOO good
Just a tip on the character sheets, but I like to fill them out only a little bit then add details as I go on, that way it doesn’t take away the excitement of getting to know the character!
That's a great idea! Thank you for taking the time to share!
@Sheldon Joseph Jr I usually just go on google images and search for the most relevant one and print a few off. But there are a bunch of authors that have templates too, I’m blanking out on anyone specific but if I come across any I’ll try to remember to come back and let you know!
@@MonitorComics no problem!
@Sheldon Joseph Jr I usually just google them! Sometimes I'll just print out ones I find on google images. I'm sure there are some Word Document or PDF versions available online though!
Thanks for all of your help
Thanks for checking the video out and taking the time to leave a comment!
I’ve found your videos super helpful! I’m writing a graphic novel/manga and my main character is disabled. The complexities that come with a story of someone who has a disability is a little hard to navigate because I don’t necessarily want the end goal to be that they have been healed or gain more mobility. Because life isn’t that way! But I have come to a place where I’m playing with more of a spiritual/psychological shift within them..and I think I’ll watch your character development video next!
That sounds awesome!! Thanks for taking the time to share! We definitely need more stories like that!! Best of luck!
I'll just add a piece of advice for making a great protagonist. Something I've noticed both in myself and others is the amateuristic tendency to make the protagonist into a pure plot device, a mere vessel to convey the story through, forgetting that the protagonist, too, is an actual character. This type of protagonist will just be a boring "regular guy", and only the supporting/side characters will have particular interesting traits.
This is because the easiest stories to come up with are heavily plot-driven (as opposed to character-driven). The protagonist is only afterwards created to convey the plot, and therefore needs to be versatile. And what's more versatile than a plot-slave with no personality? It's the safe option, and only side characters are allowed to specialize because they only exist for particular aspects of the story.
Now this doesn't mean an uninteresting protagonist will make for a bad story, but we're talking about how to make a GREAT protagonist. So the advice here is just to keep this in mind.
You make some really great points! I've seen many up-and-coming authors make this very mistake. I'm even guilty of it myself at times. But as you said it is very important to keep in mind! Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts and advice!
Hey Monitor! thanks for another really good and helpful video, also I read change the world chapter two, I think your pacing with how we see the book's abilities is coming along well can't wait for chapter 3!
Thank you so much I really appreciate it!!
As someone who's making my own stories, I find this a greatly informative video. These videos on tips to making comics and manga are great.
I'm super glad to hear that! Thank you for taking the time to watch and leaving a nice comment!
my protagonists name is nick, he's a very arrogant and at times over confident character but after the things he sees while space traveling he is basically humbled over the course of the series
That sounds awesome! Thanks for taking the time to share!!
I love your vids these kinda vids are very helpful, maybe one day u can do a series creating a short story/manga story from scratch
Thank you for the kind words! That would actually be super cool! I'll definitely consider it in the future!!
These videos are always a highlight to my weeks.
Thank you!
I'm honored to hear that!! Thanks for taking the time to watch and leaving a comment!
Great video as always! This channel is very underrated.
Thank you!! I really appreciate it!
IMO, Rikki Ryugasaki from Cross Fight B Daman is a good protagonist. He isn't an underdog who wants to be the no.1 champion but rather wants to uncover the mysteries behind the B Daman. Where did they come from? Who created them? Are they a tradition from millennia ago? Btw you should watch Cross Fight B Daman
this is so cool to think about. i didn't realize characters can be so complicated
I'm happy you enjoyed the video! Thanks for taking the time to watch and leaving a comment!
This content is so helpful man
Super glad to hear that!!
i like watching these videos no lie i already got my manga figured out and i think these videos are interesting and shoutout to saturday pm and am
I'm really glad to hear that! Thank you for taking the time to watch!!
This video was great, just like the 1st one with same topic. I realy like the idea of using character sheet from d&d. I might give it a try for the characters in my story.
Super glad to hear that! Thanks for taking the time to watch and leaving a comment!
In my manga, the protagonist at first has no goals and then some crazy shit happens and he blames one of the gods for it and starts getting stronger to kick that god's ass, and then soon realises what he really wanted was peace, not conflict
That sounds awesome! Thanks for taking the time to share that! Best of luck with your manga!
Naruto doesn't precisely have an orphan background character. He was too believing and kind especially assessing the traumatised youth. He was stunned by nearly everyone in his neighbourhood looked with contempt and fear blindly by the adults who taught their children to do so blindly. Even though the Fourth Hokage hoped his son would obtain recognition as a hero and the Third Hokage made sure Naruto got a roof over his head, that didn't stop villagers from bullying him. With all that, he still didn't turn out to be gloomy and distant nor violent and impulsive.
I have an idea for a future video, or at least I think it would be interesting to see: "how to make plot twists".
Anyway, your videos are great, so descriptive and really useful.
Thank you for taking the time to watch this video and leaving a nice comment! I appreciate the video suggestion, I will add it to my list of upcoming topics!
One of all time favorite Manga channels!!!
I really appreciate the kind words!
Yo this was very helpful thanks!, Also can you make a video about creating an Anti-hero? Please... All the videos I saw until now was very helpful!, Mainly creating the power system.
Thank you for taking the time to leave a video suggestion! I will add it to my list of upcoming topics!
So for my idea for an anime I’ve been thinking on is basically there are two brothers, and in the beginning they have no idea of the secret powers that are living in the world around them (I am still yet to think of a power system) but then they slowly experience weird things such as, weird alien-like creatures, natural disasters every few minutes, and more. That’s just the beginning but what I want is for my characters is the two brothers have different personalities but then swap their personalities as they grow. I want to know your guys thoughts on this and if it sounds interesting enough
Thank you again man!
Of course! Thanks for watching!
although i consider myself pretty good at righting charecters expecialy villains terrible at righting protags so this really helped (i even changed which charecter was the protaganist by the end )
The tips for this video were really great but my question is how do you make visual aesthetics if your writing a novel or story for your protagonist?
You don't. This is about comics. Visual aeshtetics don't apply to a bunch of text
You can still use visuals with a novel through the design of the front cover, creating a video trailer, or turning your novel into a visual novel/comic. Hope that helps! :)
thanks again for making these amazing videos, it helps a lot when writing, and ive been using these videos to rewrite some things in my characters, so they dont become cliche or trope-ey.
i still struggle with re writing my protagonist a bit here and there, because his backstory is quite dark, and he has a lot of flaws, but i dont want him to be an edgelord, but i also dont want to make him a goody two shoes...
do you have any tips to find a middle ground between the two?
again, thanks for making these videos because they help me a lot
Just write a believable character with a dark backstory and a lot of flaws. Make him how he needs to be, without adding excessive edge. He'll only become an edgelord if he's contrivedly portrayed as such. I know this advice is vague, but so is your description
thanks for the tip, and sorry bout that 😅
Monitor Comics = Best tips on CZcams.
I appreciate that Rekter!
@@MonitorComics No problem man! Keep doing what you do!
This will be useful for my manga
That I'll make eventually.....
Super glad to hear that! Thanks for checking the video out and taking the time to leave a comment!
This works for books to... but i writting a book with A LOT of manga/anime inspiration, can not draw for the life of me. Nice video, will check out you other videos :)
Thank you for the support I really appreciate that! You are very right, these tips are universal! For marketing reasons I had to title it like that though haha. I'm glad you still took the time to check this video out!
@@MonitorComics I get the Marketing reason, but you show me i am in good path, with main main character AND support character... which are a lot and some need a bit extra polish, enought to dont make them flat, some of this dont have that much screen time, but they still need work
Can you do a video letting us know where to start when writing a manga. Cuz I have good ideas I just don’t know where to start
Of course! Thanks for the video suggestion!
Can you do a video about how to write good side characters?
It is on my list! Thanks for taking the time to leave a video suggestion!
I am going to release my own manga pretty soom I prepared it for 8 years now
I’m crying at my wording
Thanks
Thank YOU for watching and taking the time to comment!
My manga protagonist does not necessarily show emotions but in the beginning he actually did show a lot of emotions but he was bullied a lot because of how he's different from others for him being a monster when the rest of his family were humans and because of this he only ever really had his family that cared for him and only with the exception of one human friend and so the way he changed was like he had lost his family in a fire done by monsters only after after that to be kidnapped by humans which experimented on him to make him a super soldier for the government and so that was what leads him to hate humans even more but he tries to give them a chance by trying to help protect them until the day he loses his friend that the one friend from his childhood that he loses it causes him to snap and become a character is someone like Virgil from devil May cry. His main goal is to make a world where humans and monsters are equals though his intentions are noble his methods are considered villainous
Boutta drop the greatest protagonist of all time 😤😤😤
SHEESHH
6:45 Where did you get this image?
Is it a motivation for my protagonist to find a motivation? Since my character doesnt have a goal in life and is trying to find one throughout the story
Yes! There are a lot of great characters like that! It's also true for a lot of people in real life!
nice
Thank you for taking the time to watch and leave a comment!
In my manga my main character is sad because she moved from her home land to NYC, so how do I work that with the fact she's like a magical girl like sailor moon?
nice video 👍....I actually have a video that has questions you should ask about your character...if you like you can take a look for your own future video
What if i make my protagonist a villain, im not sure if i want them to have morals or just be mostly evil (like kaneki or touka in the tokyo ghoul oneshot).
I am actually creating a manga
Same Lol
I wish the both of you good luck!
Where will you guys upload it?
That's awesome to hear! Best of luck!
Fuckin same
Sir can u make video how to make proper fanservice 🙏
I love this idea... I'll add it to my list of upcoming videos LOL
please captions for other coutry spanish PLEASE.
Now you mention it seemed a little too trusting for his background.
A video on a resolution or a memorable conclusion to a story?
That could be interesting! I will add it to my list of upcoming topics! Thanks for taking the time to leave a video suggestion!
My protagonist as talent but is too afraid to express himself and care too much about others opinions to the point that he even changes his personality depending on who his with just to make himself likeable
How you suggest I develop him to not be boring
Give him something he cares about enough to overcome his fears
What bout a video of creating well written UNLIKEABLE characters
That could be interesting! I'll add it to my list of upcoming videos! Thanks for taking the time to leave a suggestion!
How to write a five man band archetype?
I will add it to my list of upcoming topics!
o-sah-gi
The Ultimate Modern Shonen Protagonist
I am [Insert Japanese name that is short] and I am fifteen and everyone hates me because I have no powers. I am the most ordinary human being to ever exist and I am an orphan or I have living parents but dad is off working somewhere and he may as well not exist. I am bullied at school and I am somewhat nerdy but not so much so as to throw off the non-nerdy reader. BUT THEN I found this weird monster thing that is totally illegal and now I am the most OP god to ever exist but I somehow never recognise this because I am an idiot (we need to have that one friend to do a Brock and flex his glasses and explain in excruciating detail everything about the world). I am plain looking and you will want to buy merch of the much more interesting and attractive side characters but the author will insist on pushing me down your throat because I am that cool.
Shonen Jump: *Sweating Intensifies*
Oh lord. Good night punpun was too much for me. I thought it was going to be more tame, but oh boy. The violence and sexual themes were a bit too real, i had to stop. 😭
3:23
3:05 Death Note is seinen, not shounen
Death Note might seem like a seinen but it’s actually a shonen manga
@@goblinslayer1115 holy shit I jumped timelines again
It was published in Shonen Jump! All good though thanks for taking the time to leave a comment and watching the video!
My character is a character lol
That's all anyone could ask for lol
I’m 21 years old and I’m about to turn 22 is it too late for me to learn how to draw
It's not too late, you just have to start. Grab a pen or pencil and draw anything. Doesn't matter what, but if you want a recommendation, start with faces or hands.
It's never too late! In fact, since your brain is more developed, you will have an easier time improving than children learning! Just watch tutorials online, practice, and be consistent. Nobody gets good overnight so it might take months or years to reach the level you want to achieve. Even artists like me who have been drawing since childhood aren't satisfied with their current level and want to keep improving. That's why my channel's motto is "as always, keep creating," because that's the only way you will see results. Best of luck!
“Usegi” 😭😭
The correct pronounciation is USAGI!! XD
986. Beğeni
My main characters starts almost the same as naruto, a deliquent orphan, but unlike naruto he is not very friendly and he does not have many friends. In the story I plan for most of his good influences to die off and leaving him off with only bad influences, spoiler alert for my nonexistent story, he will be the cause for the extinction of all life and he will be the only person left in the planet
Devilman crybaby vibes
My main character can't walk 🤣
Haha Everytime I look in the comment section some disagrees with sumn but has a valid argument. Btw ppl REPENT! 😊 If you don't ask the Lord for forgiveness, all the sins you've committed will catch up with you when God judges you at your death. But you can escape this by accepting Jesus died on the cross for your sins. And then accepting Him into your life He will make the process of getting to Heaven possible for you. "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God". Jesus will return, and it may be in your life time, so it would be even better to repent now so that you can be in Heaven earlier than your appointed end
I'm proud of the community we have in these comment sections! People bring up some great points that may have slipped my mind when I was making the video. I feel like reading through the comments is a great way to get more info and other perspectives haha
@@MonitorComics yessir, that's the great thing about how you take time to reply to them too. keep up the grind
You're scaring people away from christianity with your weird unnecessary bullshit
@@orenji-sama514 😀"scare?" "Unnecessary?" Friend, I actually went about to make this message as gentle as possible😁. People aren't looking for Jesus in the first place, so it's up to His followers to simply tell people about Him. I can't lead anyone to Christianity, but enough of my argument. This is why this is necessary: Mark 15:15-16 "Jesus said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned." and Acts 1:8 "...And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere-in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” it will always be weird, but that won't matter in the face of death when messages like these actually matters. Thanks for replying, God bless you. Please repent and turn to Jesus.