Pitch Dictionary by pitch.dog
Character functions & dramatic roles · Core

Protagonist

Also called: lead, main character

ELI5

The main character whose choices and struggle drive the story.

Used in conversation

“The protagonist needs a more active choice in the first act.”

Definition

The central character whose actions, choices or experience principally carry the story.

Here “Protagonist” means: The central character whose actions, choices or experience principally carry the story. Other meanings are stored as separate sense entries and must be chosen explicitly.

Pitch context

Use this when explaining how the story works on the page or across the finished screen experience.

Why it matters: Helps describe how a story works on the page and how its dramatic parts fit together.

Connected terms

  • Lead characterThe protagonist drives the central dramatic action; the lead character has primary screen or narrative prominence. They are often, not always, the same.
Sources & evidence · 6

Direct term-level sources and supporting source families.