What's the difference between 1 dimensional character, 2 dimmensional character and 3 dimmensional characters?

A one-dimensional character constitutes the "walk on" parts of the story. These are your waiters, your cab drivers, bartenders, a mother walking down the street, or the random pikeman your hero stabs through the face (though not always). They are briefly seen and do not speak. One-dimensional characters that spend more than several pages in your story should be made two-dimensional, to add interest and possible subplots. A good example of this is Rose's boyfriend in Titanic. In theory he was a guy with a family, a past, a childhood, dreams and hopes about life - but all we ever see is him being a jerk. He's just a one-dimensional person who might as well be a prop.


A two-dimensional character is the same as one-dimensional character except for the fact that they show one emotion or character trait. They are also known as "cardboard" characters, your cutouts, because they lack dimension. They show a little bit of character through the reactions and emotions, but everything they reveal is of a one-track nature that's somewhat undeveloped and often lacking reason, explanation, or depth.

Unlike the one-dimensional character, they must react through speech or gesture to reveal an emotional trait. Their reactions and integrations in the story are often brief, but not always. Though a main character may be present the majority of the story, if he/she is lacking depth, complexity, and history, the character becomes two-dimensional.


A three-dimensional character however, plays an important role in the story and constitutes all major characters, including villains. They have complex emotions and conflicting motives, troubled pasts and deep worries; they are alive with passion and ambition and desire, never apathetic (and if they are, they are overly apathetic).

Every feature and aspect about them is exaggerated and heightened, and the reader must absolutely understand who they are, and have a profound feeling that they existed long before the story began. Any character that spends longer than several pages in your book should be three-dimensional, or the reader loses interest.

galimx said:
It depends on character development. But characters can be multidimensional without much development also, like Ginko in Mushishi for example.
For example a 3-dimensional character is believable and with depth, and gone through complex emotional changes, troubled past and a lot of characterization, he also has a lot of experience and his decision makings and views and everything is not black or white.

galimx said:
Boring and not likeable has nothing to do with character dimension or character development. Its purley subjective.
Yes, you can like different kind of characters, I see no problem with that. But the fact still remains, that some have characterization and some not. I also like many characters just because they are fun and enjoying, but that doesnt mean I dont look critical at them and judge their character development, if they have any.

Shocked said:
One Dimensional: We know their name and their gimmick. They respond like machines: input question, output statement. Think NPCs in games.

Two Dimensional: We know their general background, their personality, and general purpose in life. For their kinds of responses, imagine trying to imitate someone you know. You'd be able to hold a basic conversation, but going in-depth into anything would require the actual person.

Three Dimensional: We know their likes and dislikes, hopes and dreams, fears and traumas, etc. Also, they don't just respond, they react to things. Like, say, an actual person.

Shocked said:
One Dimensional: We know their name and their gimmick. They respond like machines: input question, output statement. Think NPCs in games.

Two Dimensional: We know their general background, their personality, and general purpose in life. For their kinds of responses, imagine trying to imitate someone you know. You'd be able to hold a basic conversation, but going in-depth into anything would require the actual person.

Three Dimensional: We know their likes and dislikes, hopes and dreams, fears and traumas, etc. Also, they don't just respond, they react to things. Like, say, an actual person.

romagia said:
something something, roriconfan's post
http://anidb.net/perl-bin/animedb.pl?show=userpage&do=blog&uid=251338&blogid=50250

Shocked said:
One Dimensional: We know their name and their gimmick. They respond like machines: input question, output statement. Think NPCs in games.

Two Dimensional: We know their general background, their personality, and general purpose in life. For their kinds of responses, imagine trying to imitate someone you know. You'd be able to hold a basic conversation, but going in-depth into anything would require the actual person.

Three Dimensional: We know their likes and dislikes, hopes and dreams, fears and traumas, etc. Also, they don't just respond, they react to things. Like, say, an actual person.

Shrabster said:
One dimensional characters are fairly straight forward with only basic reasons behind their actions ("I want to protect my friends!" or "I want to rule the world!"), heavy reliance on tropes for personality/ characterization, and are very black and white.

A three dimensional (or well written) character will generally have multiple things going for them, more complex motivation, personality doesn't so easily fit into any one archetype, not black and white but more gray.

keragamming said:


Are you sure about the three dimmensional part? if you're statement is true probably the majority of characters in anime are three dimmensional then.

@ galimx yea, it does depends on the person.

-Klad- said:
well madara is best example for one dimensional character . one dimensinals are those characters who constantly remain emotionless or flawless . two dimensional is quite the opposite of the former , a character which has shown emotions during the series and we know abot his/her past. while third dimensional , is a character who plays an important role to the series.

keragamming said:

Are you sure about the three dimmensional part? if you're statement is true probably the majority of characters in anime are three dimmensional then.

RedRoseFring said:

I think this is ok for a cursory explanation.
You have to keep in mind that these sort of things are not set in stone. A character can have mixes of each description.

Most of the time, they are just used as labels by people who don't like a character.
I usually just think of it in 2 terms only (you can probably ascribe that to just 1D and 3D). A character who is alive and a character that isn't.
A character does not need to be 3D to be good either. It solely depends on their role in the series.

Adverse said:

He's right. They are defined by their behavior, their decisions and views. It only sounds like it could be any character but it depends on what anime character you're talking about and whether or not they don't already fit the first two only. 3D characters tend to be more complex and fleshed and go pass traits that 2D and 1D characters are confined to.

Ketsubutsu31 said:
I guess the more layers a character has, the more 3d they are, meaning the more believable the character is, the more 3 dimensional they are. but that doesn't mean they have to change or develop. Take simon and kamina from gurren lagann. Kamina is one of the coolest characters ever, and has a lot of depth to him, but he doesn't change once in the story. In a way, he's already made all the development by the time the shows begun, but it doesn't make him a bad character. Far from it, but Simon is different. He starts at one point, but develops over the story, from shinji clone to awesome hero. Both are great characters that have layers to them, and aren't there just for the story, they take a active part in it and could be actual "humans."

-Klad- said:
well madara is best example for one dimensional character . one dimensinals are those characters who constantly remain emotionless or flawless . two dimensional is quite the opposite of the former , a character which has shown emotions during the series and we know abot his/her past. while third dimensional , is a character who plays an important role to the series.

tsudecimo said:

What depth does Kamina have? if you don't mind me asking.

-Tien- said:
The difference between Miss Rachel, Dill Harris, and Atticus Finch.

The Three Dimensions of Character Development

by Larry Brooks on January 27, 2010

Somewhere along the writing road you’ve surely read – and if you haven’t you will – a critic describe a protagonist in a story as one dimensional. Or worse, an agent to whom you’ve submitted your work.

The implication here is that there are other dimensions to explore as we develop our characters.

But what are they?

Why don’t we ever hear characters described as two-dimensional? What’s that extra dimension about, anyhow? What does it even mean?

And why are the only obvious three dimensional characters out there lately in a James Cameron blockbuster, or marching in a Disneyland parade?

At least we know what that means.

The Deeper Dimensions of Character

Given the implication that we should strive to write multi-dimensional characters, especially heroes and villains, it behooves us to understand what those other dimensions are all about.

As with story structure, you could indeed just set out to intuitively slap together a little character depth – in effect, the pantsing approach to character development.

Maybe you get it right, maybe you don’t. Maybe that’s a coincidence, or maybe your intuition is keenly developed.

Such is the risk of pantsing in any area of story development. If you don’t know what you’re shooting for, just making stuff up as you go, it probably won’t work. At least until you write another draft.

Or you could, by design, imbue your characters with three very separate and compelling layers –dimensions, in this context – that are carefully crafted to bring your story alive with resonant depth.

Real life unfolds in 3-D. So should our characters.

These three realms stand alone as unique, yet they always overlap.

Human beings are the sum of all three dimensions. What the world sees, even if it’s all a smoke screen for dark and deeply hidden secrets, is an amalgamation of their best and worst essences.

Sometimes it’s those dark and deeply hidden secrets that make your characters especially compelling. And the reasons for the need to hide them become part of the puzzle your story must unravel.

The first dimension of character – surface traits, quirks and habits.

Think of this as the exterior landscape of your character. Their personality. What the world sees and assigns meaning to. Or not.

It may be the real, it may be a mask, but without another dimension to go along with all those quirks the reader will never know.

Peripheral characters in our stories are usually one-dimensional, as they should be. In fact, it’s a mistake to delve too deeply into peripheral characters merely for the sake of adding depth.

Not good. Focus on developing your hero and villain and any major players. We really don’t need to know what it was about the pizza delivery guy’s childhood that made him take up food service as a career.

That said, even your peripheral characters, if given stereotypical quirks and tics, come off as cliché.

Quirkiness for the sake of quirkiness is a fool’s game in the storytelling trade.

The grouchy lieutenant in the local police precinct who never smiles and is always spilling coffee on his cheap shirt? That’s a one-dimensional character.

The slimy politician preaching values on the evening news before stopping by a brothel on his way home? That’s a one dimensional character.

Why? Because we don’t know what, if anything, is behind those behaviors, or those quirks. If the character is a hero or a villain, we need to know.

This is often a great trap of newer writers, who infuse their characters with all manner of quirks and kinks and little tics designed to make them either cool, weird or supposedly – best intentions — compelling. But if those quirks and kinks are all you offer the reader, in the hope that the reader will fill in all the blanks, then you’ve created a one-dimensional character.

If the quirks are just too quirky, it’s actually worse than cliché.

Because when quirks are obvious attempts to imbue the character with greater depth, but that depth is otherwise lacking… this is the quintessential one- dimensional character that agent will use as rationale for rejecting your story.

The second dimension of character – backstory and inner demons.

In this realm we see the inner landscape of the character. Regardless of how you’ve dressed them up with personality on the exterior.

Where they came from, the scars and memories and dashed dreams that have left them with resentments, their fears, habits, weaknesses and inclinations that connect to why they are as they appear to be.

Even when the quirks are a smokescreen.

Glimpsing an inner landscape allows the reader to understand, which is the key to eliciting empathy. Empathy is the great empowerer of stories – the more of it the reader feels, the more they’ll invest themselves in the reading experience.

Translation: a publishable story. Maybe even a bestseller.

Think about the books you love and the characters that star in them. The reason you love that story has as much or more to do with the character than the plot, and the reason that’s true is because you feel for the character, you get her or him, you empathize, you invest yourself emotionally in the reading experience.

You rooted. You cried. You chewed your nails. You loved. You felt loss and you shared joy.

You cared. Because you related to, and empathized with, the character.

The most fertile ground for the cultivation of this reader response is the inner landscape of your primary characters.

Quirks or no quirks, this is the real stuff of storytelling.

But you’re not done yet. There’s a third dimension you must add to bring it home.

Because even the best and most understood of intentions do not a hero or a villian make.

The third dimension of character – action, behavior and world view.

A hero takes a stand, takes risks, makes decisions, dives in and executes.

A villain rationalizes behavior and is insensitive to, or refuses to accept responsibility for, the associated costs and violations of accepted social standards.

Character – in this sense defined as moral substance, or lack thereof – is defined not by backstory or inner demons, but by decisions and behaviors.

You may have been angry enough to kill someone, or at least punch someone’s lights out, at some point in your life. But you didn’t. Why? Because of your character. That decision defines you.

Now imagine that you had yielded to that impulse. Same backstory, same inner turmoil and agenda, same inciting series of events, same emotions… different decision.

And because of that decision – you cold-cocked the bastard – a completely different dimension of character manifests.

The Art of Integrating the Three Dimensions of Character

Using this example, it is clear that the first two dimensions may or may not dictate the third. These are your tools as an author, layer by layer, to create the most compelling, complex, frightening, endearing and empathetic character that you can.

Too many writers settle for the first dimension only.

Even more writers focus on the second dimension to the exclusion of the third.

Even more fail to integrate these realms convincingly and compellingly.

That’s the art of storytelling. And there’s no manual for it beyond a grasp of these fundamental principles.

But be clear: your work as a storyteller is not done until your hero and your villain are fully fleshed out in all three realms.

Do that, and do it well – which means, the relationship between the three dimensions make perfect and compelling sense – and you’ll never hear that one-dimensional or shallow criticism leveled at your characters again.

judals said:
Also note that development is t simply changing from one phase to another. That's still 1 D

Shiratori-san said:
LOL, i always thought:

1D->book character (no looks, just descriptions)
2D->manga, anime character (2.5D?)
3D->Real person