Character-centric

Character-centric describes a work of art, typically a narrative like a novel, film, or video game, where the primary focus and driving force of the story revolve around the thoughts, feelings, motivations, and development of one or more central characters. The plot, themes, and overall narrative arc are heavily influenced by, and often serve to illuminate, the character(s) and their internal or external conflicts. The character's perspective and experiences often dictate how the story unfolds and how the audience perceives events. A character-centric approach prioritizes in-depth character exploration over plot intricacies or external world-building, making character development paramount.

Character-centric meaning with examples

• The novel is undeniably character-centric. Every chapter delves deep into the protagonist's internal struggles and growth. Her choices, desires, and vulnerabilities shape the entire narrative, making the plot a direct consequence of her character arc. The rich world and supporting characters serve primarily to highlight her evolution and impact on the environment, solidifying its character-centric nature. The reader understands the story through the lens of her experiences.
• Critics lauded the film as beautifully character-centric. The director brilliantly used close-ups and voiceovers to showcase the protagonist's internal world. The complex relationships between characters, and their evolving interactions, reveal a deep understanding of the character's motivations, and struggles. The storyline exists, fundamentally, to illuminate the lead actors experience. The film's plot points come second to the development of the character's.
• Many role-playing video games are character-centric, allowing players to build and customize their characters. Player choices directly impact the story, and the player's character. The focus is firmly on character progression, developing skill sets, exploring their personalities and relationships. Even the environment is designed around them, meaning the player experiences and grows as their character does. These games heavily emphasize individual character arcs.
• This play is meticulously character-centric, with long monologues from each individual character. The dialogue reveals so much about their internal lives. The setting is stark, the plot relatively simple, allowing us to truly delve into the characters. We, as the audience, are guided down the paths of the main characters, and through that guidance we experience the entirety of the narrative.
• The narrative poem is character-centric, focusing intensely on the poet's emotional response. The events are observed and explained by one person. The descriptions, symbolism and themes all are related to the perspective of the character. The poem, therefore, is a deep exploration of the main character.