What is a Good Character?

A good character is one that is believeable and memorable.

A believeable character is: an ordinary character ( in relation to the universe they live in ) who find him or herself in an extraordinary circumstance and has to truthfully react to that condition.

A memorable character is: in animation, visually appealing, and in life and animation has the ability to move the audience emotionally through the events of the story.

In animation appeal is determined on the visual design of the character. Ollie Johnson and Frank Thomas origionally coined the term appeal in their book, "The Illusion of Life." They said appeal meant "that your eye is drawn to a character and you appreciate what you are seeing." The character's appeal makes you want to watch him or her and find out more about them. An appealing design is complemented by a captivating personality. The audience begins to really hope for the success or failure of the character; they identify with the character.

A good character is one that is right for your story.