Protagonists

Protagonist is the central character in a story, film, or other narrative work. The term comes from the Greek protagōnistes, meaning "first actor" or "main actor." The protagonist typically drives the plot through goals, decisions, and actions, and is the character with whom the audience is invited to empathize or identify. The narrative conflict often centers on the protagonist's aims and the obstacles set by antagonists or circumstances.

A protagonist is not necessarily a hero; this role is shared with or sometimes contradicts the idea of a hero. Protagonists may be virtuous, flawed, anti-heroes, or ordinary people thrust into extraordinary situations. They may undergo a character arc, experiencing growth or change as the story unfolds.

Point of view can vary: the protagonist is frequently the focalization through whose perspective events are shown, but there are works with multiple protagonists or with a narrator who is not the protagonist. In ensemble narratives, several characters may share the role of protagonist or be co-protagonists. In some stories, the protagonist's goals evolve, or the reader's sympathy shifts as the plot progresses.

In practice, the term distinguishes the central character from other characters, especially the antagonist, who opposes the protagonist. Protagonists appear across genres in literature, theatre, film, and interactive media, and the concept also applies to video games where player characters often function as protagonists.