On the most recent episode of Pine Reads Review’s podcast, Turn the Page!, we spoke about the different elements that make a great fantasy book. While many immediately think of good world-building or an intricate magic system, I think that strong side characters are an underrated yet crucial element of any book.
When you think of your favorite books, what comes to mind first? Do you think of the main characters, or do you think of Nico di Angelo before you think of Percy Jackson? Sometimes, a great side character can mean just as much to you as the main characters do (or even more). Fully fleshed out side characters make a fictional world seem real. When side characters have their own motives, agendas, and storylines, they feel central to the story. Oftentimes, minor characters can fall into a category where they are only there to support the main character and drive their story forward, making them more of a plot device than a person. The best books have side characters that feel just as three-dimensional as the main characters.
The Percy Jackson & the Olympians and The Heroes of Olympus series are great examples of the power of strong side characters. Rick Riordan leaned into the power of side characters to create Camp Half-Blood and make it seem real to kids all around the world. Key characters like Chiron, Dionysius, and Clarisse played crucial roles in the atmosphere of the camp and Percy’s experiences. Further into the series, Nico di Angelo was a side character in both the original series and the spin-off, but to many fans, he felt like more. While he originally served a purpose to further Percy’s story in the early books, he was given motivations and his own storyline that largely contributed to the series finales.
The Folk of the Air series by Holly Black is the opposite of Percy Jackson. While The Cruel Prince was extremely popular on social media, many people have pointed out that they felt indifferent to or disappointed by it. I enjoyed the series, but I agree that it missed the mark in some ways. I felt like many of the characters besides Jude and Cardan felt more like cardboard cutouts than real people. They seemed to only exist to further Jude’s character development, and all of their actions were directly related to her as well. They lacked depth, and the books suffered as a result.
For an author, establishing a connection between the side characters and the reader is essential to the emotional impact of the story. I’m sure almost everyone has read a fantasy book where the main characters survive, but one of the side characters does not. When the side character is well-loved and well-written, their death scenes pack an emotional punch that makes the book more meaningful. When the side character feels two-dimensional, their death doesn’t mean as much to the reader. You’re often left feeling like you should care more but can’t bring yourself to. While I do not want to spoil any books with good examples of meaningful side character deaths, I will say that authors like Rick Riordan, Cassandra Clare, and Sarah J. Maas have used this successfully in their series.
Great side characters also open up the opportunity for spin-off series, which are great ways for both the author and the reader to continue to enjoy the world. A great example of this is how the extreme popularity of Jacks in the second and third books in the Caraval series by Stephanie Garber led to the creation of Once Upon A Broken Heart. Many fans, myself included, fell in love with him in the original series, despite the fact that he was clearly a side character. Now, the spin-off series about him and new character Evangeline is her most successful series. Cassandra Clare is another author who has done a great job creating multiple spin-off series with connecting characters, such as The Infernal Devices, which is widely considered her best series.
Everyone has that one side character they love more than the main characters, whether it’s Dorian Havillard (Throne of Glass), Nikolai Lantsov (Shadow & Bone), or someone else. I truly believe that side characters can make or break a book series, and I encourage you all to think back on your favorite books and the different characters within them. They should feel the same way friends and acquaintances do in your own life: crucial parts of the story that enhance the world you live in.
Sam Yanis, Pine Reads Review Lead Writer