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Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/30818
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

I think you don't need to put so much effort into making characters relatable. Especially for certain genres where one of the biggest appeals is escapism. Sure, relatability can be helpful, but I think it's much more important for you to focus on writing interesting characters, characters your readers will want to follow on their journey, rather than making a character be relatable.

There is such a thing as creating characters **too** relatable, and this can really put a lot of people off. If you want to make your character as relatable as possible, he needs to be as bland and as vague as you can make him, so more people can be able to put themselves in your characters shoes. However, that means you'll most likely end up with an incredibly boring and uninteresting character to read about.

If you're really set on making a character relatable, then do so not with traits, quirks and characteristics, but values such as our curiosity, determination, action despite fear, concealing weakness with strength, wanting to reach for the impossible and so forth. These are the things that can make a character relatable, while still leave room for you to write in interesting personality traits and quirks that will move him away from being a bland, blank slate.

Hope this helps :)

Original score: 2