Interesting Character Backstory Ideas to Try Out (That Aren’t Cliché)

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Plus expert tips on creating compelling fictional characters
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A compelling backstory is key for creating a complex and relatable fictional character. But what exactly makes a good backstory, and how do you come up with one? If you’re looking for the answers to these questions, you’ve come to the right place! We’ve compiled a thorough list of (often tragic) character backstories to inspire you, whether you’re writing a novel, a short story, or a TV or movie script. (These ideas also work well if you’re a Dungeons and Dragons player looking for character backstory inspo!) We’ll finish up with expert advice on creating compelling characters from professional writer and executive director of National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), Grant Faulkner.

Captivating Character Backstory Ideas

  • They witnessed a loved one’s death and want to avenge them.
  • They were falsely convicted of a crime and want to clear their name.
  • They’re a member of a cult, but they’re starting to have doubts.
  • They made an innocent mistake that led to catastrophe.
  • They grew up with little (or no) parental supervision.
  • They were a child prodigy but grew up to be normal.
  • They’re related to a notorious criminal.
Section 1 of 3:

28 Character Backstory Ideas

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  1. Many iconic characters have tragic backstories—and for good reason. Sad backstories immediately cause the reader or viewer to empathize with the character and root for their success. They also provide context for why the character acts the way they do. For example, the main character’s backstory of witnessing a loved one’s death could drive their desire to be a hero or protector of others. [1]
    • You can also adjust this backstory to fit the genre you’re writing in. For instance, if your genre is fantasy, your main character may want to become a powerful magician or skilled warrior to learn how to protect others from their loved one’s fate.
    • Or, if you’re writing realistic fiction, your main character might aspire to be a doctor to treat the illness their loved one died of, or a lawyer to seek justice against the people who caused their loved one’s death.
  2. 2
    Their childhood village has been destroyed by magic or war. This backstory works super well for fantasy or sci-fi stories because it gives the main character a compelling reason to go on an epic quest. Maybe they’re seeking revenge against the people who destroyed their home, or maybe their searching for a safe place for survivors to settle again. Either way, the reader/viewer will immediately empathize with their journey!
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  3. 3
    They were abandoned by (or tragically lost) their family or parents. This backstory is popular across genres, and it’s a great way to illustrate why a character might be lonely or isolate themselves, even when they ultimately desire love and connection. It works especially well for narratives about a character creating a “found family” made up of people they aren’t related to by blood.
  4. 4
    They were imprisoned for a crime they’re innocent of. This backstory is a great set-up for a revenge tale in just about any genre. It sets your main character up with a compelling motivation: to clear their name and/or punish the people who unjustly imprisoned them in the first place.
    • By the end of the tale, your character could realize that their thirst for revenge is corrupting them, or they can triumphantly get their comeuppance, depending on the type of story you’re telling.
  5. 5
    They were raised to be evil or commit crimes, but they have a good heart. If your genre is realistic fiction, your character could have been brought up in a family of criminals, and now they’re expected to carry on the family business. If your genre is fantasy, your character could be the son or daughter of the villain, but they secretly empathize with the “good” side, instead. This setup makes for a pretty compelling story!
  6. 6
    They made an innocent mistake that led to a catastrophe. Maybe they casually mentioned a family secret to an undercover cop, leading to the implosion of the family business and the incarceration of their parents. Or, maybe they accidentally left a door unlocked in the castle of the monarch they served, leading to that monarch’s assassination.
    • These backstories leave your character with a sense of guilt and a strong motivation to right their wrongs, which is a super interesting way to start a story.
  7. 7
    They were forced to choose between saving two people they love. This scenario gives your character a pretty complex and tragic background, which immediately makes them sympathetic and compelling to your reader or viewer. Throughout your story, they can learn to overcome their guilt or even accept that the situation they were put in wasn’t their fault.
  8. 8
    They survived a near-death experience as a child. Imagine that your character was the sole survivor of a violent crime, plane or car crash, or natural disaster when they were younger, and they feel like they’ve been trying to outrun death ever since. That’s a pretty exciting set-up for your story, especially if you’re working in the thriller or horror genres!
  9. 9
    They’re a member of a cult, but they’re experiencing doubts. Making your character a questioning cult member is a great way to explore themes like faith, indoctrination, spirituality, and authority. Cults are also incredibly fascinating, and they’ve been the subject of tons of novels, shows, movies, and documentaries, so this premise will immediately hook your audience.
  10. 10
    They’re an oldest sibling who’s had to raise their younger siblings. When the oldest sibling essentially has to act like a stand-in parent, they’re often forced to become responsible, practical, and mature beyond their years. This backstory can help set up these traits in your main character, and it also gives them a lot of room for growth. Throughout your narrative, they could learn to let loose, be spontaneous, and prioritize themselves for the first time, and they can also recognize how unfair it was for them to be saddled with that much responsibility at a young age.
  11. 11
    They grew up with very little (or no) parental supervision. Like the previous example, this backstory immediately imbues your character with traits like maturity, independence, and self-sufficiency. Their resourcefulness can be a strength, but their character arc can also center around the importance of relying on others and asking for help when you need it.
  12. 12
    They grew up in unique or unbelievable circumstances. Maybe your main character grew up as a member of a travelling circus. Or, maybe her parents were wildlife researchers who raised her in various jungles and forests throughout the world. Having your character come from unique circumstances like these sets them up to be super fascinating, unusual, and memorable.
  13. 13
    They overcame a serious disease when they were younger. This backstory is a great option if you’re looking for something more realistic, yet still compelling. Your character could be a survivor of a disease that was supposed to be fatal, and now they’re trying to figure out what to do with their second chance at life, when they never expected to make it to adulthood. This makes for a pretty inspiring story!
  14. 14
    They were exceptional or famous as a child, but grew up to be normal. Say your character was a piano prodigy as a child, but they realized they didn’t enjoy playing music and decided not to pursue it. Or, they could have been a mega-famous child star whose career stalled when they hit adulthood. Or, maybe they were born with a super intelligence and a genius IQ, but they suffered a brain injury that left them with only above-average intelligence.
    • With this type of backstory, your character could learn that their previous skills or fame aren’t the things that make them valuable or worthwhile—they have inherent worth just for being who they are.
  15. 15
    They grew up in an incredibly wealthy or famous family. This backstory is a great option if you want to explore themes like legacy, success, and complicated family dynamics. Your character could be a true devotee who dreams of becoming a valuable part of their family’s legacy, or they could be a rebel who fights to express themselves outside of their family’s influence.
  16. 16
    They were bullied or ostracized as a child for being different. This character backstory is a tale as old as time, but this doesn’t mean it’s clichéd. Most people can relate to the feeling of being different from others, so they immediately relate to (and root for) characters in these circumstances. This is what makes characters like Elphaba from Wicked , Dumbo from Dumbo , Tyrion from Game of Thrones, and Elsa from Frozen so compelling! [2]
  17. 17
    They’re related to a notorious criminal. If you want to write a story about a character who’s a lawyer, judge, police officer, or politician, giving them a secret criminal relative really ups the stakes. Over the course of the story, your character could grapple with their sense of loyalty to their relative and their desire to protect their reputation.
  18. 18
    They’re a twin, but they are the complete opposite of their sibling. Imagine that two twins are genetically identical and grew up in exactly the same circumstances, but they couldn’t be more different from each other. You could go extreme with this scenario (one twin is a detective and the other is a serial killer), or you could opt for something more subtle (one twin is a parent with two kids in the suburbs, and the other is a lone wolf rockstar). Either way, this backstory allows you to explore interesting sibling dynamics and what really shapes people’s identities!
  19. 19
    They’re a successful entrepreneur who built their business on lies. Maybe your main character is the CEO of a start-up offering a revolutionary product (that secretly doesn’t work). Or, maybe they started their business with their family’s money, which was acquired in nefarious or dishonest ways (unbeknownst to the public). As your story unfolds, you can explore the lengths people will go to for success and the dark side of ambition.
  20. 20
    They’re an aspiring musician who became unexpectedly famous overnight. Imagine that your main character was a struggling musician who thought their dreams of superstardom had passed, when they suddenly go viral online and score a record deal. Your story could then explore themes like the cost of fame, the shock of unexpectedly becoming a public figure, and the true meaning of success.
  21. 21
    They’re an expert in a strange or arcane field. This backstory gives your character an interesting set of skills that can serve them in unexpected ways throughout your narrative. For example, maybe they’re an expert on secret codes or ciphers, so they’re able to decode messages left by a serial killer and bring them to justice.
  22. 22
    They have a medical condition that could cause them to die at any time. If you’re writing a story about a character who wants to learn to live life to the fullest, this backstory immediately ups the stakes and makes their motivations understandable. Maybe they have an aneurysm that could burst at any point, or never burst at all. Or, maybe they have a genetic predisposition for a fatal disease that could manifest tomorrow, or in twenty years. Either way, this circumstance would definitely affect how they move through the world!
  23. 23
    They grew up in a family of heroes or adventurers, and now it’s their turn. For example, your main character could be the youngest child in a family of treasure hunters, and now they’re old enough to set out on their own and make their fortune. This backstory often works best in fantasy, adventure, or sci-fi stories, but you could adjust it to fit more genres!
  24. 24
    They’ve been training their whole life for a rite of passage (that goes wrong). Say, for instance, that your main character has been brought up to be a vampire like their parents and older siblings. But, on the night of the ritual that’s supposed to turn them, they decide that they don’t want to live forever, so they shock everyone and back out. This type of backstory allows you to explore interesting family dynamics, and it sets your character up for a satisfying arc of finding their independence and discovering who they truly are.
  25. 25
    They unexpectedly received an inheritance from an unknown distant relative. Imagine that your main character grew up poor and struggled to make ends meet as an adult, until they received a shockingly large inheritance from a long-lost relative. Most people have wondered what they’d do if they won the lottery or woke up one day with millions of dollars, and this backstory makes for a pretty fun exploration of that premise.
  26. 26
    They’ve had a rare magical or supernatural ability since birth. Maybe they’ve always been able to converse with ghosts—an ability they’ve had to meticulously conceal from others to avoid being sent to a mental hospital. Or, maybe they have the ability to see the future, but they’re unable to prevent tragedies because people never believe their prophecies. Backstories like these are immediately interesting and compelling!
  27. 27
    They were taken in by a mysterious wizard or mythical figure at a young age. This is a variation of the more generic “abandoned by family” or “tragically lost parents” backstory. After your main character loses their family, they become the adopted child of a mysterious figure (a wizard, magician, sorceress, fairy, elf, etc). Your story can then explore the effects of being brought up in these unique circumstances.
  28. 28
    Their parent is a god from ancient mythology. Many people can relate to the pressure of having an uber successful or powerful parent, and the stress of trying to live up to that legacy. What better way to up the stakes on this premise than to make your character’s parent a literal god? You can pick any mythological deity you’d like, then create a coming-of-age story for your character from there!
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Section 2 of 3:

Why Character Backstories Are Important

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  1. A good backstory makes your character more complex and complete. According to Faulkner, the main purpose of backstory is “to give your character depth, so that the reader understands more about where your character is coming from.” In other words, it shouldn’t feel like your character began to exist on the first page of your story—it should feel like they had a whole life before the story started, and their past experiences should shape their actions as your plot unfolds.
    • This makes your character more understandable and relatable to the reader, and it also makes the story itself more compelling. They’ll be more invested in your character’s journey if they understand what that character has been through and why things matter to them. [3]
Section 3 of 3:

Tips for Writing Compelling Characters

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  1. “I think the most important thing is for an author to know what is driving their character. What motivates the character? What’s the character’s desire, and what is standing in between them and achieving that desire? A novel is basically desire in conflict—a character wants something and can’t get it,” explains Faulkner. So, if you’re looking for ways to build a compelling backstory, start by deciding what it is exactly that the character wants in your story.
    • For example, if you’re writing a story about an isolated, lonely character unexpectedly creating a “found family” (a group of friends connected by love, not by blood). In this case, your character’s deepest desire is likely community and acceptance.
    • With this in mind, a backstory about how they lacked these things before the start of the narrative would be especially compelling.
    • Maybe they had neglectful parents who didn’t see them for who they are, like Matilda in Roald Dahl’s Matilda . Or, maybe their parents tragically passed away, like Harry in Harry Potter .
    • Backstories like these explain why your character desires acceptance and community so deeply, which makes their journey toward creating a found family all the more compelling and moving.
  2. 2
    Explore your character’s personality and psychology. Faulkner explains that writers sometimes explore their characters through the lens of psychological profiles, which can help them create more fully fleshed-out personalities. According to Faulkner, some writers start by figuring out whether their character is extroverted or introverted, and some even put their characters through a type of Myers-Briggs test to categorize the character’s personality.
    • Faulkner also mentions that there are helpful character worksheets you can download on the internet or get from books on writing.
  3. 3
    Include the right amount of backstory for the story you’re telling. “Every story is different. For a lot of stories, you don't really need a lot of backstory. Sometimes, you can just hint at a character's backstory, or just present backstory by how the character dresses, and then rely on your reader to fill in the gaps. It just depends on the type of story you’re telling,” says Faulkner.
    • For example, if you’re writing an intense, complex, and very long epic fantasy novel, you’ll likely need to include a lot of character backstory to make your main character compelling within the detailed world you’re building.
    • On the flip side, if you’re writing a short story or novella, you might need to rely on shorter descriptions to get your backstory across. If your main character is afraid of romance, for example, a short mention of a disastrous break-up or her parents’ flawed marriage could serve as enough backstory for the tale you’re writing.
  4. “Your character isn't just a compilation of character descriptions or physical descriptions—your character is a soul moving through the world,” says Faulkner. As you’re creating your backstory and building your character, Faulkner recommends always returning to this central question: “What does that character want, and why can't they get it? That's the story.”
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      References

      1. ↑ https://nownovel.com/how-to-write-a-killer-backstory/
      2. ↑ https://nownovel.com/how-to-write-a-killer-backstory/
      3. ↑ https://www.scribophile.com/academy/what-makes-a-good-character-criteria-tools-and-examples

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