Elliot Kessler

A likable protagonist is essential for a story. If your audience can’t relate to your main character, they will not be engaged and will not read your story. Stories are only page-turners when the reader cares about what happens to the protagonist.

However, this doesn’t mean your protagonist must be moral or likable. While that may sound like an oxymoron, it isn’t. A likable protagonist doesn’t mean a nice person. It only means that the audience needs to understand them. They need to be able to empathize and relate to your protagonist on some level, whether it’s motivation or their perspective on life.

This is a very tricky thing to pull off right. But when done well, it can help cement your character into the public consciousness. Many people’s favorite characters are the ones who aren’t moral. For instance, Nick Wilde from “Zootopia” is a sly, lying, cheating con man who tricks people into giving him the money he didn’t earn. Despite his scheming and lying, the audience still sympathizes with him and wants him to achieve his goals.

Protagonists are always flawed. Sometimes they’re running from the consequences of their actions. Other times they’re scared of commitment. The likable unlikable protagonist is more than that. He is a severely flawed character that we want to see change.

One of the best examples of this character is Charles Foster Kane from Orson Wells’ critically-acclaimed film “Citizen Kane.” Kane is out to prove himself to those who doubt him, and he only cares about ambition. He takes over a newspaper company and builds it up as the biggest paper in New York City. He creates his own empire, and he leaves many people whom he loved and who loved him in the dust. He is a man on a mission and has no time for other people’s dreams.

As many would put it, Kane isn’t a “good person.” But we still root for him. Why?

Well, we don’t want to see him win. If he wins, he and everyone around him will suffer for it. So what are we rooting for?

We’re rooting for him to change.

It’s like a Shakespearian tragedy. It’s not a story about someone conquering challenge after challenge, persevering through turmoils and hardships until they reach their breaking point to achieve what they want most. This is a warning. It warns people not to care so much about money but to focus their attention outwards on other people.

That’s where likable unlikable protagonists work best. If the story you’re working on is a warning to others, this kind of character may be good to have at the center. They have worked extraordinarily well. Since ancient myths like the tale of Midas and his golden touch, these protagonists have served as a caution sign to others, showing us the consequences of our pursuits and lusts. Without them, we may not know what trouble we find ourselves in.

What other likable unlikable protagonists can you think of? Why do you think they work?

Thanks for reading! Have a fantastic day.