Creating characters with negative character traits builds believability and relatability for your readers. As much as we like to think we’re full of positive character traits, every individual possesses traits we’d rather ignore.
Because of this, crafting your protagonist with specific character flaws allows your readership to empathize with your hero at a deeper level. In this article, I provide a list of negative character traits for you to draw from and dive into the importance of this type of trait in your characters.
Negative character traits: what’s covered
- Negative character traits: explained
- A list to draw from
- The effects of negative character traits
- Real examples
Negative character traits: explained
The core of character development is change, and without a dichotomy, your readers won’t notice this change. Think of it this way. Without darkness there is no way to compare light. Without heat you can’t appreciate a cool breeze.
Negative character traits are what establish positive character traits as meaningful. If your protagonist enters the story heroic, brave, and caring, there is little development for you to create.
However, let’s say the character motivation comes from fear:
- Your protagonist wants to be heroic, but fears taking risks
- Your hero needs to act bravely to meet the story goal, but all their life has focused on self-preservation at all costs
- Due to a difficult past, your main character believes that caring for others is a sign of weakness
Fear, self-preservation, and weakness now play a role in your story. These negative character traits act as a launching pad for your protagonist’s character arc. Without a need to change, your character will not be as dynamic.
Compelling characters act as a key aspect in bringing readers back for more. To create well-developed characters that feel human, they must possess at least one negative trait.
A list to draw from
Choosing negative character traits for your villain may seem simple. After all, you want readers to love hating the hero’s enemy. But choosing negative traits for your hero? That’s another story entirely! Authors often want heroes that are, well…heroic.
Ironically, negative character traits are the secret to building memorable protagonists and secondary characters.
Here is an extensive list to help you brainstorm different negative character traits you can use to aid your hero’s arc:
- Abrasive
- Abrupt
- Afraid
- Aggressive
- Agonizing
- Aimless
- Aloof
- Amoral
- Angry
- Anxious
- Apathetic
- Boorish
- Bossy
- Brutal
- Calculating
- Callous
- Deceptive
- Demanding
- Envious
- Erratic
- Fickle
- Fiery
- Grandiose
- Greedy
- Grim
- Harsh
- Hateful
- Haughty
- Impulsive
- Judgmental
- Lazy
- Manipulative
- Narcissistic
- Obsessive
- Passive-aggressive
- Quirky
- Reactive
- Reckless
- Sadistic
- Troublesome
- Unappreciative
- Vindictive
You may want to choose just one or two traits to start. Try working these negative character traits into a single scene. A line of dialogue or a simple reaction such as the following may help:
Character One: “Could you help me move on Friday? My friend got sick and can’t help anymore.” Character Two: “I have a test I need to study for, but I can risk failing so I can help you. Sure, I’ll be there.”
Those four words I can risk failing reveal a passive-aggressive tendency in the second character, camouflaged in what seems like a helpful attitude.
This brings up a valid question: what are the effects of negative character traits when authors apply them to characters other than the villain?
The effects of negative character traits
Readers expect villains to act in reckless, vindictive, and obsessive ways. But when the hero or another primary character exhibits negative character traits, you risk losing your audience. This is why it’s so crucial to incorporate these negative traits well.
Below are three effects negative character traits can have that benefit your story.
Reveal your character’s humanity
Without a negative character trait or two, it’s difficult to relate to fictional characters. While you don’t need to write these traits as overtly negative, something as simple as crafting a hero who lives a bit too reactive can do the trick.
Readers want to discover characters they can relate to. As much as it’s difficult to admit, flaws are easy to relate to.
Spotlight your character’s ultimate transformation
The bigger the dichotomy between your character on the first page versus the final page, the more you spotlight their character arc.
Imagine writing a character who starts the story so anxious they can’t step outside the door of their home. By the end of the story, they may not overcome the anxiety, but they face it head on. This is a dynamic transformation.
Showcase true heroism
Fear, distrust, and uncertainty often lie at the core of heroic acts. It’s not only the fearless who run into burning buildings, but the brave. It’s not just the confident who take chances, but those who choose the risk despite the uncertainty.
Negative character traits, contrasted by a positive character arc, showcase true heroism. Take Nelson Mandela’s quote for inspiration: “I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it.”
Real examples
Let’s look at some real examples of negative character traits so you can refer back to them as you write your own story. Used well, and in moderation, negative character traits highlight the positive traits in your characters.
Remember, while negative qualities are often paired with antiheroes, you can apply them to heroes and supporting characters.
Here are a few examples of how authors have effectively used these negative traits in the distant and more recent past.
*Spoilers ahead!
Silo
This post-apocalyptic book-series-turned-TV-series, by Hugh Howey, features an iconic character. Walker, a mentor figure to Jules, the protagonist, has refused to leave her home in over 20 years. This background makes her uncertain, faltering steps that much more heroic when she does take them.
Gone With The Wind
Scarlett O’Hara, protagonist in the 1936 novel, Gone With The Wind, stands as a character still studied today. Spoiled, vain, self-centered, yet desperate, her character arc is slow, and in many ways, that of an antihero.
When the Civil War wipes her former lifestyle away, she resorts to surviving, and helping her family survive, at all costs. Despite her early self-centeredness, she emerges as an independent protagonist caring for her family and holding onto hope.
Iron Man
The comic turned Marvel series stands as a prime example of negative character traits in the hero. Featuring Tony Stark, a man who seemingly has it all, his dialogue, actions, and reactions say quite a bit about his character. Note the following conversation between Tony Stark and Steve Rogers:
Steve: “Big man in his suit of armor. Take that off and what are you?”
Tony: “Genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist.”
This line, compared to his ultimate character arc, showcases the art of dichotomy perfectly.
Take your next step today
Compelling characters with negative character traits may feel a bit tricky to create. That’s why I have included a Character Development Worksheet for you. Simply click on the free resource below and start crafting your characters today! Apply what you learned to your hero, your villain, or secondary characters.
Just remember, the purpose of negative character traits is to build relatable characters.
Choose traits that align with the specific characters you apply them to. Then use those negative traits to showcase their character arcs. Have fun with it!