What Is a Flat Character? And Is It a Bad Thing?

Flat characters get a bad rap.

That’s the first thing I want you to know.

If someone told you one of your characters is “kinda flat,” that’s not necessarily a bad thing. 

It might be, depending on your goals for that character and your overall story. But the truth is, flat characters play an important role in storytelling. Their complete lack of dimension allows them to fill roles that round characters are too meaty to squeeze into.

You don’t have to avoid flat characters. You just have to know when to use them and how to use them to their greatest purpose.

Of course, you’re gonna want to know what they are, too.

So let’s get into all of it: what makes a character flat, the purpose this type of character serves, where you’ve seen flat characters before, and how they compare to their rounder counterparts.

What Is a Flat Character?

Also known as a one-dimensional or two-dimensional character, a flat character is defined by only one or two basic qualities.

This definition comes from E.M. Forster, who coined the term “flat character” in his book The Aspects of the Novel. He established this character type in contrast to round characters, who are significantly more complex (more on them in a bit).

A flat character does not possess any contradictory traits or viewpoints. They do not wrestle with an internal conflict. Their backstory is not known and would not be relevant even if it were.

In other words, what you see is what you get.

Cinderella is a good example of a flat character. She’s a pure-hearted survivor dreaming of a better life. Her identity remains the same throughout the story, she never wrestles with conflicting emotions, and she has no surprising dark side.

How to Recognize a Flat Character

You may already be thinking of your own flat character examples just based on the definition above. Nevertheless, here are a few characteristics to help you identify the flat folk in a story:

You Can Describe Them in One Sentence

Karen Smith from Mean Girls is a popular girl who’s dim-witted and kinda sweet. 

What did I miss in that description? Nothing right? Except for maybe a word or two of biographical information. But that one sentence basically encapsulates her full character.

If you can sum up a character in one sentence—maybe even one word—it’s a flat character.

You Can Easily Understand What They’re All About

Of course, this simplicity means you have no trouble understanding what they want and value.

Let’s say you read a rom-com featuring a flat coworker who’s always coming up with absurd excuses to get out of meetings and projects. From the very first appearance of this flat character, you’ll know:

• Their goal is to put in as little effort as possible.
• They’re in the story to provide comic relief.

You probably won’t be waiting to learn more about their backstory, home situation, or inner life. They won’t exhibit any signs of having meaningful personal goals or feeling complex emotions. You’ll meet this fictional person on the page and immediately know what they’re all about.

Because of that…

They’re Predictable

You understand what drives a flat character from the moment you meet them, and that doesn’t change as the story progresses. Their motivations also tend to be fairly shallow.

Jafar (Aladdin) doesn’t want to rule the kingdom because he felt powerless as a child. He’s just a greedy dude who wants power because he likes it. That’s his whole deal for the entire story.

So while he might do some wild things in sorcerer mode, we’re never surprised by his choices. 

They Don’t Distract From the Main Character’s Journey

Not in a major way, that is. A well-written flat character can be a bit of a scene stealer. They’re often memorable, either because they’re funny, lovable, or wonderfully sinister.

But they don’t steal emotional focus or clog up the plot with their own dilemmas and relationships.

The reader remains invested in the protagonist’s journey, flipping pages to find out how the main character survives and evolves, while the surrounding flat characters exist to support that journey.

Now, there is an exception to the rule. Sometimes the flat character is the main character, in which case they do demand focus. Stick with me; we’ll discuss how to write a flat protagonist in a bit. 

Flat Characters vs. Round Characters

Since E.M. Forster was already out there giving a name to flat characters, he went ahead and coined the term “round character,” too.

A round character, as you likely suspected, is a complex character.

These are multi-faceted fictional beings with emotional depth, contradictory feelings and motivations, and a capacity to evolve. They typically have backstories and wrestle with internal conflict. All these things make them less predictable and more emotionally engaging than flat characters.

And because of this complexity, round characters more closely resemble the people you meet in real life. They’re believable, while a flat character is clearly written to serve a purpose in a story.

As we discussed, Jafar is an example of a flat character. Severus Snape (the Harry Potter series) also gives off a super shifty vibe, but he’s a round character. He has conflicting desires, a complicated backstory, and makes surprising choices that still manage to align with his personality and history.

Flat Characters vs. Static Characters

Some folks mistakenly use the terms “flat character” and “static character” interchangeably. These are not synonymous terms.

A static character is a character that does not change. This can be true for flat and round characters.

The crime fiction genre is full of round characters who are also static, because that genre loves a troubled detective who cannot (will not?) part with their demons. Said detective is often torn between who they are and who they know they should be, they’re haunted by past traumas and failings, and they’re simultaneously virtuous and attached to their vices.

So a round character can be static. They don’t have to be, but they can be.

Flat characters, on the other hand, are always static characters. They have to be. To convincingly portray a character transformation, an author has to show readers that the character is capable of contradiction and wrestles with different longings and fears. You don’t get any of that stuff with a flat character.

To sum up: All flat characters are static, but not all static characters are flat.

Flat Characters vs. Dynamic Characters

You probably know where this one is going. 

A dynamic character is a character who changes over the course of the story.

A round character can be dynamic because they possess the emotional and psychological complexity required to undergo significant change.

Flat characters are never dynamic.

Why Flat Characters Are Essential in Storytelling

Though you’re more likely to hear criticism that a story’s characters are too flat, both flat and round characters contribute key elements to an interesting story.

Round characters are great because they fully reflect human nature, which makes them more relatable, tugs on emotions harder, and makes their arc more engaging. They’re valuable in all genres, but are especially essential in character-driven stories.

A typical flat character plays a much smaller role in the plot. We’ll get into all their possible roles later on, but the gist is that they’re often there to deliver information, fill out the world, highlight something about the protagonist, or even just make the reader laugh. 

Imagine if you had to create a vast inner life for a character with such a small role to play. You’d spend a lot of time on irrelevant character development and end up with a bloated novel.

Flat characters are like those fancy fold-up kayaks—they get you where you need to go, then they collapse neatly so you can tuck them out of sight as you live the rest of your life.

They don’t take up extra space in the story. They advance the plot without upstaging your main characters. And if you do it right, they’re also entertaining. Win, win, win.

Now, I say all this, but you should know there is an exception to the fold-up kayak analogy: the flat main character. When your protagonist is flat, that character will obviously take up space and claim focus. 

So how do you know when it makes sense for a flat character to be in the spotlight and when you should save all that flatness for the folks on the sidelines? Let’s discuss.

Which Characters Should Be Flat?

All fictional characters can be sorted into three categories: tertiary, secondary, and primary. You can find flat character examples in all three categories.

Flat Tertiary Characters

A tertiary character is an extremely minor character who appears in only a handful of scenes (or sometimes even just one). They generally serve a single purpose, like conveying information, providing comedy, or filling out the world.

Most people think of tertiary characters first when they imagine flat characters, probably because all tertiary characters are flat. They simply don’t get enough page time to be rounded out.

Flat Secondary Characters

Secondary characters contribute to the plot and the protagonist’s journey in larger and more meaningful ways. They show up much more frequently in the story, and many of them are round, with their own inner lives, motivations, and sometimes even character arcs.

However, there are still plenty of flat secondary characters out there. Gandalf (The Lord of the Rings trilogy) is a flat secondary character. He shows up a lot and plays a major role, but he’s a wise and powerful guide, and that’s pretty much his whole deal. In this way, he moves the plot forward without overshadowing Frodo’s journey of growth.

Flat Primary Characters

Primary characters are main characters. You’re more likely to see round characters as protagonists in adult fiction, especially in contemporary works, but flat protagonists are welcome in children’s fiction and plot-driven genres like action-adventure.

Remember how I said that one of the perks of a flat character is that they don’t overshadow the more important players? Well, in some genre fiction, the benefit of a flat main character is that they don’t overshadow the plot. 

The reader can simply enjoy watching the virtuous and uncomplicated superhero fight the supervillain without getting tangled up in anybody’s inner turmoil. Kids can easily understand that the Big Bad Wolf is a threat because they don’t have to factor in his traumatic childhood.

Now, I would like to point out that complex characters have recently gained popularity in genres and roles that used to prioritize flatness. A lot of modern villains are more complicated and even sympathetic. And Pixar has proven that children can handle emotional complexity. 

So before you make any assumptions one way or another, get familiar with your genre and subgenre and read books that are similar to your own. That research will help you meet your readers’ expectations.

Flat Character Examples

Hopefully, you’re starting to recall characters from your favorite stories that were most definitely flat. But in the interest of being thorough, here are some more flat character examples:

Mr. Collins (Pride and Prejudice) - He’s a self-important sycophant and everything he does projects that identity, including believing himself worthy of Regency romance’s favorite heroine.

Count Dracula (Dracula) - His goal is to bite people. This goal is motivated by his desire to make more vampires. That’s pretty much the extent of this character’s complexity. 

Gene Barrow (The Rosie Project) - This guy is a professor and a womanizer. Everything he says and does either indicates that he is a professor or indicates that he is a womanizer. He does not change. He mostly serves as a foil for the protagonist, as we’ll discuss in the next section.

Crush (Finding Nemo) - This immediately endearing surfer dude sea turtle only shows up for about five minutes, then lingers in our hearts forever. This character’s purpose is to broaden the world of the movie and help the protagonist complete his arc.

The Wicked Witch of the West (The Wizard of Oz) - Classic flat villain. We’re supposed to presume she’s inherently mean (though I can’t blame her for being a little moody about this farm girl dropping a house on her sister). She has no inner life, and her primary function is to give Dorothy a scary adversary.

How a Flat Character Can Help Your Story

You can probably already see why a flat character is not the same thing as a poorly written character. A fictional person doesn’t have to be fully fleshed out to contribute to a story in a meaningful way.

Here are some of the biggest benefits flat characters have to offer us:

Functioning as a Foil

The simplicity of a flat character can highlight the complexity of a round character. This often happens when the flat character is treated as a foil. A foil is a character you create to draw attention to specific traits within another character.

The Rosie Project centers on Don, a genetics professor who decides it’s time to find a mate. Due to his neurodivergence, Don’s approach to finding love is rigid and methodical, and the story reveals a surprising tenderness and true sincerity within his mindset.

His friend and fellow professor, Gene, serves as a foil for Don. Gene is a womanizer who chases passion without a trace of concern for his loyal wife. There are no other layers to this character, and his lack of depth highlights the hidden complexity of Don’s feelings and motivations.

Exposition and Information

The bully character says, “Everyone knows your mom’s in prison.” The innkeeper warns the heroine that the baddies are in town. The workaholic boss is shocked by the quality of the protagonist’s recent work, given that their last three articles went viral.

This is how a flat character moves the story forward without distracting from major characters. They convey important backstory or reveal information that sheds light on a key character or the larger plot.

Comic Relief

A flat character who provides comic relief often fulfills another function as well, like providing information. But not always. Sometimes you just need a character who can inject a little levity into your storytelling.

Karen Smith is in Mean Girls mostly to be hilarious. Mr. Collins provides satirical comedy in Pride and Prejudice. Lone Starr from Spaceballs is a parody of Han Solo. All three are flat as flapjacks.

Worldbuilding

Sometimes a flat character is honestly, truly only there to help establish the world of the novel.

If this is a character’s sole purpose, you probably won’t see a lot of them. It’ll just be the haggard old cowboy stumbling out of the saloon or the drunk alien at the bar lecturing a more rounded character about the virtues of bitcoin.

Symbolism

A flat character can also act as a symbol or help emphasize a major theme of the story.

Crush in Finding Nemo highlights a theme, in addition to providing information, comic relief, and serving as a foil for Marlin. (Again, all this in like five minutes.) He models the very lesson Marlin needs to learn, and drives home the idea that parenthood is as much about letting children explore as it is about keeping them safe.

Simplicity

Finally, a flat character is great for keeping things simple, whether you’re trying to communicate an idea in a single scene or you’re writing an entire story that needs to be easy to digest. 

One thing you can always say about flat characters: they don’t add needless complexity.

How to Make a Flat Character Round

So we’ve established that a flat character isn’t automatically a bad character. But what if you intended for a character to be round and they accidentally came out all flat?

We won’t go too deep into details right now, because we’ve got a whole other article on character development and another one on writing round characters. And if you’re a DabbleU scholar, you can even take a full course on character development.

For now, I’ll just give you a sense of what it takes to round out a flat character.

Create Conflicting Traits and Beliefs

Human beings are full of contradictions. In order to make a character feel more realistic, you need to find the believable discrepancies within them.

Maybe they’re bubbly and gregarious, but that’s simply a habit they’ve formed to thrive in their career. Maybe they’re deeply introverted at heart.

Or maybe they feel a strong allegiance to the moral code of their upbringing, but their inner compass keeps telling them something about those values isn’t quite right.

Make Sure They Have Both Strengths and Weaknesses

A flawless character is a flat character. If round is what you’re going for, the character needs fears, moral failings, imperfections, and all the emotional baggage you’d expect to see in a real person.

Dig Into Their Backstory

What has this character been through? What life experiences have shaped them into the person they are today? What old fears still direct their choices? What long-held beliefs impact their relationships and where do those beliefs come from?

How were they raised? Who were the major influences in their upbringing? How has their culture shaped them?

We don’t answer these questions about flat characters, but they sure give a lot of depth to a round character.

Give Them an Internal Conflict

An internal conflict is a battle your character fights within themselves. It might be a moral dilemma, an identity crisis, a questioning of their faith… there are a lot of ways this could go.

This inner battle typically coincides with an external conflict that brings these deeper issues to the surface and, in many cases, forces the character to grow.

Tips for Writing an Intentionally Flat Character 

Now, you probably want certain characters to be flat. So what does a well written flat character look like? And how do you make it happen?

There is admittedly a lot less character development involved in creating these fictional people. In fact, you’ll likely have minor characters you don’t plan for—they just sort of emerge as needed mid-draft. Nevertheless, we still want to be strategic about all our characters. 

Here’s what you want to do for the flat ones:

Establish Their Purpose

Know exactly what this character does for your story. Why are they here?

Are they conveying information? Contributing to a sense of place? Furthering the plot in some way?

If they don’t serve a purpose, they’re not necessary and will only distract from the story. In which case, cut them.

Give Them One or Two Defining Traits

Limit your focus. Keep it simple and specific. 

A powerful wizard who’s also a bit preachy. A fastidious coworker who uses color-coded paperclips and is allergic to everything. A delusional best friend who doesn’t seem to understand how the real world works.

Remember, you want to capture this character’s entire essence in one sentence.

Make Them Unique

It’s very easy to slip into clichés and stereotypes when writing flat characters. But the world doesn’t need another overbearing mother or nerdy chess captain.

If you want to write truly memorable characters, find a way to subvert expectations or at least make this character feel unique. 

How to Write a Flat Protagonist

What if your flat character stands at the center of the story? Well, then, all the tips above apply, as do these:

Let Them Create Change

You already know this character cannot change because flat characters are always static. But that doesn’t mean they can’t create change. In fact, they kind of have to if the story centers on them.

So make sure they have a massive impact on the world through the actions they take in the conflict. Who and what is different because of them?

Give Them a Flaw

It doesn’t have to be anything super deep, like a fear of abandonment that manifests as controlling behavior to ensure no one ever has the power to disappoint them. That’s round character stuff.

But maybe they’re terrible on a team because they’re a little arrogant. Or they panic under pressure. Or they’re bad at magic and going up against a sorcerer. 

Every protagonist needs to trip themselves up every now and then, and a flaw will ensure that happens. They don’t have to grow because of it or overcome their shortcomings. Again, that’s more of a round character thing. They just have to have the flaw so the reader has a reason to worry about them.

Give Them High-Stakes External Conflict

Flat characters are only protagonists in plot-driven stories, so it only makes sense that they demand really compelling external conflict.

What are they up against? What’s at stake? How might their weaknesses leave them 

A flat character’s inner life definitely isn’t going to keep the reader engaged. So you’ve got to incorporate major risks and rewards. We’re talking big danger. Sky-high stakes. All that stuff.

One Last Tip to Round Out This Advice

Flat characters are fun. While you don’t get to dive deep into the psyche of a fictional person (which is its own kind of party), you get to create with a lot less pressure.

That said, you’ll still need a way to keep track of all these marvelous characters you’re creating, whatever their dimensions may be.

For that, you’ll want to use Dabble. It’s a fabulous writing tool that makes it easier than ever to plan and organize all your story elements. With features for property lists and image uploads, you can create beautiful, custom character profiles that are just a click away from your manuscript.

Plus, a Premium Dabble subscription gets you full access to the DabbleU Academy, where you can explore in-depth courses like our character development course!

Want to try it before you commit? Snag a free 14-day trial for complete access to the writing tool and Academy. You don’t even have to enter a credit card to get started.