- For instance, maybe there's one hero who killed a hideous orc king, saving the kingdom from his evil wrath.
- Or, there's one person who starts a rebellion and overthrows a tyrannical government.
- Maybe, there's that one brave person who does something credible, and is carried by the crowd to his soon-to-be wife.
- Or perhaps there's some great warrior who had success on the battle field.
- Or it could be that a baby was born who fulfilled some prophecy and would one day grow up to save the world from some evil.
- Or, better yet, there's a boy walking through the woods, and BAM! a dragon egg. There's all kinds of stories like that. Other variations would be yet another boy who's village is being attacked by dragons, and he shoots one right out of the sky, thus gaining a pet dragon. Or, a prince who's dying and so the kingdom begs for help from a dragon. Of course, there's also the so-called dragon killer who befriends the dragon. There's another dragon and guy story.
But, you know, in stories about great men and women there are also the supporting and background characters.
The supporting characters usually have a pretty good role in the story. They might be the main character's brother, or best friend. Maybe, a parent that dies.
The background characters probably have a role that goes something like: "The crowd cheered for the marvelous hero who had saved the kingdom from the evil orc king."
The crowd would be the background characters. They probably do other things too:
- Like, kick-start the rebellion against the government, or
- They carry the wonderfully brave person, or
- They're the people who die in battle and are now labeled as martyrs.
- Or, the family of the baby.
- Or, the deer that run from the burning crater in which rests the dragon's egg.
- Or, they're the nameless people who are fighting the dragons.
- Or the people who die in the first scene.
Even background characters have some kind of importance.
Now, at this point you'd expect me to start into my amazing life-story. Well, I'm sorry, but as of right now there is no chance in a million years that anything exciting would ever happen to me, no matter how many day-dreams I create.
See, I'm not even a background character.
- I'm one of those people in the crowd that has no idea why we're cheering, but I do anyway.
- If I ever had a chance to carry a hero, I'd probably either get trampled to death, or end up carrying the hero's backside.
- As for our government, no one can really complain.
- I've never died on a battle field, obviously. But, my brother did.
- The baby? Well, what if I knew someone who's brother's wife's cousin's daughter had a baby? Does that count?
- And, um, dragons don't exist...do they?
