Thirdperson

Third person refers to a grammatical person or narrative perspective that designates someone or something other than the speaker or the audience. In grammar, third person uses pronouns such as he, she, it, they, and typically requires verbs to agree with the subject in number and person. English marks third-person singular present tense with an -s form (she runs), while other languages encode agreement in different ways.

In literature and narrative design, third-person narration follows an external observer rather than presenting events from the narrator’s own voice. It can be omniscient, revealing thoughts and information about many characters, or limited to the perspective of a single character. Close or deep third-person narration provides intimate access to one character’s inner life while maintaining an outside narration. Free indirect discourse blends a character’s thoughts with the narrator’s voice, creating a hybrid perspective.

In film, television, and video games, third-person perspective presents the story through a camera or viewpoint outside the protagonist, often showing the character from behind or above. This contrasts with first-person perspective, which places the viewer in the character’s direct line of sight.

In writing and editing, third-person narration is commonly used to maintain a neutral or objective tone, suitable for encyclopedic or informational content, as well as many fictional styles. It offers flexibility to describe actions, settings, and multiple viewpoints without insisting on a single character’s interior experience.