And The Best In Character Development Goes To...

​As writers, we want to create stories that our readers can relate too. Part of doing that is developing well rounded characters. This means creating a character profile of their likes, dislikes, fears, dreams, pet peeves. As much information you can retrieve from your character, will allow the reader or audience to get on board. Masterclass's definition on character development is "the process of building a unique, three dimensional character with depth, personality, and clear motivations." The show "This Is Us" does a perfect job of displaying this. By using flashforwards and flashbacks, audiences see the growth or decline of each member of the Pearson family.

In order to achieve good character development, we need to challenge our characters. Make it hard for them to achieve the goals they're working hard to obtain. By creating these challenges, audiences are just as committed as their favorite characters. They ride the highs and lows of the characters struggle, praising or hating them at the end. This is an arc.

Not all characters are created to go through change.
Characters that show no signs of changing, these are one dimensional characters. They provide a sense of consistency for the audience. At every turn, we expect these characters to be their same old self. They'll acknowledge a change around them that challenges their world view, but their beliefs and personality stays the same no matter what (ie: Sheldon from the Big Bang Theory).

Now that we understand character development, here are my best 10 examples of character development in Television and Film. 

#CloneClub - Orphan Black

Sarah Manning with her fellow Sestra clones discover they are part of an illegal human cloning experiment. As the series is primarily about clones, it does an amazing job of differentiating each character, through mannerisms, personal and physical traits, as well as the way they speak, all of which are performed by actress Tatiana Maslany. 

Mickey Milkovich - Shameless

​From his first introduction, Mickey was a tough, brash, closeted gay man who was a product of a abusive alcoholic father. As the series ended, Mickey became comfortable with who he was and his relationship with Ian.

Regina - Once Upon A Time

​All Hail The Evil Queen! Believing she will never get her happy ending, Regina plagued the town of Storybrook with amnesia (consequence of a spell). She ruled as Mayor making people bow to her will with fear and power. As the series progresses, Regina finds happiness in her family.

Brooke Davis - One Tree Hill

Vain. Boy obsessed.  Party girl. That was Brooke Davis of Season 1. By the end of the series, Brooke became a mother, a businesswomen and a wife. She became the person she always wanted to be and never gave an excuse behind her actions. 

Wesley Wyndam-Pryce - Buffy/Angel

Entering the world of Buffy as Giles replacement, Wesley was a proper and by the book Watcher. Though viewing the world in black and white doesn't change for Wesley, the actions he took based on those views alter his personality as he progresses into the world of Angel, where he becomes more confident, a bit hardened and wrathful.

Joe Gardner - Soul

​A music teacher for a passion for jazz, Joe Gardner wants nothing more than to be a professional jazz musician. The dream seems far reached when he experiences an accident that takes him to the afterlife. As Joe becomes a mentor to a lost soul, it becomes apparent that Joe's dream isn't his true goal. What he needs is to appreciate the little joys in his life.

Pat Solitano - Silver Linings Playbook

Throughout most of the film, Pat is literally running away from his bipolar disorder. Believing he is better, Pat does whatever he can to get his ex-wife back. In meeting Tiffany, a tough, erratic, widow with her own mental issues, he learns to accept not only his disorder but to look for the positives laid with the negatives.

Prince Zuko - Avatar

With anger and cruelty, the banished prince of the fire nation hunts the Avatar in an attempt to regain his honor and redeem himself in the eyes of his father and nation. Once received, Zuko realizes the approval he was longing for did little to satisfy him and had nothing to prove to anyone, but himself.

Eve & Villanelle - Killing Eve

A cat and mouse game between Eve, an obsessive MI5 agent, and Villanelle, a ruthless, psychopathic assassin takes an interesting turn for these characters. Their interactions with one another cause a drastic and understandable change. As the series progresses, Eve begins her journey of rebirth, not answering to anyone and having no boundaries, while Villanelle also on a journey of forgiveness and what life is like outside of being an assassin.

Joy - Inside Out

Joy is always happy. Always. It's exhausting to watch, but Joy cares for Riley and she shows this by fighting the sadness Riley experiences throughout the film. In turn, Joy sees that you can't fight being sad, it's an emotion to embrace and allows Riley to have a more emotional understanding.

Do you agree with my list? What should have been added?