The main character of any story is the most important, obviously right? They’re the main driving force and the central focus of the plot. But behind every well-written main character are several memorable side protagonists and antagonists. Creating memorable side characters, by giving them minor quirks and unique speech patterns, allows them to be engaging and provide purpose to the plot.
A set of villains from part 3: The Egypt 9 Glory Gods
While each part’s “Jojo” is engaging in their own right, the bread and butter are the side characters and minor villains. Each character’s screen time varies. Several side characters are given a bizarre “quirk that defines them… that stand out in your mind even after you learn more about them,” granting them memorability. Since JJBA was written as a weekly serial, each character’s time in the story is unpredictable. These quirks quickly define characters since they may not be given time to be fleshed out. Take N’Doul, a side villain from part 3, who only lasts 5 chapters.
One of the members of The Egypt 9, N’Doul
His quirk is his blindness, relying on sounds to pinpoint his targets. Normally, any character with such a disability is held back heavily, but N’doul proves to be unrelenting and even incapacities one of the protagonists. His disability quirk, paired with his ruthlessness, makes him a novel villain and force to the plot. On the other end of that spectrum, take Koichi Hirose, who is a side protagonist throughout part 4.
The small yet robust Koichi Hirose
His quirk is his short height. His height, initially, communicates how small and disconnected he is from the story. At the start of part 4, Koichi lacked a stand unlike everyone else, not allowing him to size up with the rest of the main cast. That changes as the story goes, so the reader is more engaged with Koichi’s development as he becomes less cowardly and more involved in the plot. The use of minor character quirks allows readers to quickly attach to characters since they could be involved for the whole story or just a few chapters.
Character dialogue within JJBA often comes packaged with bizarre speech patterns. Being a manga, dialogue has to be sparse. “Dialogue is the most effective form of characterization… [and] reveals so much about characters,” so Araki has to choose the shortest amount of words to say a lot. Take Blackmore, from part 7, who lasts for 4 chapters.
The timid Blackmore
He’s a side villain who constantly apologizes, drawing out the vowel in “Sorry” as “So~rry.” The simple use of the tilde communicates an incredible amount of his reserved personality. Additionally, a repetitive, shy apology is unexpected of a villain, allowing him to stand out from the typical fictional baddie. Repetition is also prevalent, which “highlights a character trait.” Take another side villain from part 3, Alessi, who lasts for 6 chapters.
Another member of the Egypt 9, Alessi
An unpleasant character, who possess a stand to turn people into children, has the catchphrase “Attaboy,” pronounced “Erai ne” in Japanese, to elevate his creepy characterization. This time, the vowels, “o” and “e,” are drawn out to further communicate his unsettling personality and instill uncertainty of the protagonist’s unfavorable situation.
Through the use of peculiar quirks and distinctive speech features, side heroes and villains are made engaging while remaining relevant to the overall plot.
Sources
Anders, Charlie J. “10 Secrets to Creating Unforgettable Supporting Characters.” Gizmodo. 27 March 2019. https://io9.gizmodo.com/10-secrets-to-creating-unforgettable-supporting-charact-5896488. Accessed 30 Oct. 2019.
Hill, Beth. “The Power of Repetition.” The Editor’s Blog. 13 May 2013. https://theeditorsblog.net/2010/07/05/the-power-of-repetition/. Accessed 31 Oct. 2019.
Martin, Alex S. “3 Ways to Write Stupendous Supporting Characters.” Helping Writers Become Authors. 27 Sept. 2013. https://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/3-ways-write-stupendous-supporting-characters/. Accessed 30 Oct. 2019.
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