Every novel or story associated with the main character, but it needs some strong side characters (side-kick for protagonist, who motivates them, distracts them or helps them to achieve the goal) to develop the story. These characters might have small roles to play in story but they make so powerful impact on us that we want more of them. The amount of emotions, excellence, fun, and wisdom they add to the story will give us reasons to remember their extraordinary portrayal forever. Sometime our favorite is not the protagonist; it’s that side-kick who stills the show for us. We want to know more about that character and his past and future life, but authors are only able to scratch the surface.
Side Characters have their own stories in amazing ways and authors should write whole book (or series) on those loved side characters. For instance, Patrick Rothfuss picked Auri from his hit Kingkiller Chronicle series and created The Slow Regard of Silent Things starring Auri as starring character. And do you remember Lydia from Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice? Yes, that wild girl who runs off to London and lives with Mr Wickham and forced to marry him. She doesn’t get enough chapters she really deserved, but recently Natasha Farrant wrote a new book on her Lydia: The Wild Girl of Pride and Prejudice.
Here are some side characters that deserve their own standalone books.
Jordan Baker from The Great Gatsby
You might have read this classic by F. Scott Fitzgerald and might have loved or hated the protagonist. But you can’t miss Jordan Baker’s contribution to the story. She plays golf and can’t be trusted. She’s athletic and independent but she’s going out with Nick Caraway-the most unreliable narrator and person. Why would she do that? She must be hiding something.
Sonya Rostova in War and Peace
Sonya Rostova, the long-suffering poor relative who’s in love with her cousin Nikolai. She’s faithful, dependent and eventually spurned. Will she pursue revenge on her rival, the Princes Maria? Is she really as quiet and gentle as she looks in book? Or will burning jealousy cause her to commit some act of foolishness?
Great Uncle Matthew from Ballet Shoes
Great-Uncle Matthew Brown ‘Gum’ is an elderly geologist and professor. He finds the three sisters during his travel. He’s sylvia’s great uncle and later guardian after death of her parents. But what do we know about him? Where does he go and what adventures did he have? His secret travelogue will surely be a fascinating read.
Arthur ‘Boo’ Radley from To Kill a Mockingbird
Kids of Maycomb get same thrill as listening scary stories while they hear or talk about Boo. Kids have never seen him so they can’t believe he’s a real person, but they are afraid of him. Boo Radley was locked in his house and watches children playing outside all summer. He’s gentle soul and moved to kill in order to protect the kids, but why? We didn’t get enough of Boo in To Kill A Mockingbird.
Frankenstein’s monster from Frankenstein
In Mary Shelly’s Gothic story, Victor Frankenstein builds the monstrous, hideously ugly but emotional and sensitive creature in his lab through a method consisting of alchemy and chemistry. The monster, often mistakenly referred as Frankenstein, attempts to fit into human society but rejected, which leads him to seek revenge against his creator, Frankenstein. The character of monster develops as the novel progresses. His character does have a lot to say but didn’t get chance in the book.
Sofia from The Color Purple
Sofia is strong, fierce and unshakably willful and determined to break the chains that incarcerate black women. To tell the fact, it is her denial to lessen or belittle herself which almost leads to her destruction. She’ll fight with anyone who tries to overpower her. She does everything to refuse a master-slave relationship and she didn’t care if she had to fight physically. Sofia is a good mother, a protector and provider for her kids and she goes to any extent to be a devoted parent.
Nikhil from The Home and the World
The Character of Nikhil is depicted as a progressive one in the popular novel The Home and The World by Rabindranath Tagore. He wants her wife to exercise her freedom by coming out of the shell and crossing the boundaries built for women. During the Swadeshi movement in Bengal, he plays an important role yet doesn’t believe in violence and bloodshed. He wants people to understand the real meaning of ‘nationalism’. We’d love to read more about Nikhil’s character.
Ila from The Shadow Lines
‘The Shadow Lines’ is one of the best works by Amitav Ghosh. The character of Ila is round and interesting one. She’s positive, attractive, modern and confident woman. She’s working for organizations and also for Indian immigrants in London and she’s concerned about humanity. No one can stop her from speaking her mind out and it made Ila’s character unique and unusual.
Captain Bluntschli from Arms and the Man
Bernard Shaw’s attempt to satirize the conventional society has been brilliantly depicted by the unconventional character, Captain Bluntschli in the play “Arms and the Man”. Captain Bluntschli is an experienced soldier with a distinctive idea of war. He looks at war as a cruel act of eradicating mankind through violence and fear furthermore he believes in individuality instead of the hollow societal aspects of class and gender. A standalone book about Captain Bluntschli would be a wonderful read!
Hermione Granger from Harry Potter series
J K Rowling’s creation and Harry Potters most intelligent friend and savior in difficult times, Hermione Granger is most admirable character of the series. She possesses every characteristic to become the protagonist by representing all the qualities of strong-willed and sensitive individual. She’s brave, emotional yet smart, which made her favorite heroine of every young girl. We’d love to hear the story told from her perspective.
The other characters I’d love to read in full details are: Friday from ‘Robinson Crusoe’, Colonel Fitzwilliam Darcy from ‘Pride and Prejudice’, Eowyn from ‘The Lord of the Rings’, Mercutio from ‘Romeo and Juliet’, The Mad Hatter from ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland’
Comment your favorite side character who impressed you most and whom you will love to read as a main character in a full-length novel.
