Post History

Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/49033
License name: CC BY-SA 4.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

No one says you have to classify your characters, your characters are there to support the plot and overall story, how they do so is pedantic. Let's take Game of Thrones as an example, here we have a very large cast of characters.

We couldn't possibly have the same show without Daenyris, so she's absolutely a main character. At the same time, we couldn't possibly have the same show without John Snow, Sansa, Bran or even Rob, so they are all main characters as well. Jamie, Cersei, Tyrion, all integral to the story and all for sure main characters.

So how can we have such a large cast of main characters? The story isn't about any one of them, it's a story about Westeros. Because the scope of the story is really about the land and the iron throne we can have all these characters come in at various times throughout the show and all of their goals revolve around the land and the iron throne, everything is coherent. Some characters like say Podric have smaller roles to play but they are still important to the plot, let the pedants debate whether he is a main character, a supporting character or otherwise.

Original score: 2