How to Develop Anime Characters

A good character can make or break an anime. Characters are the focus of an anime itself. Because anime has no actors, it requires that you draw anime characters that take you in and make you care about the plot. Read on to learn how to develop a good character.

Instructions

1. Draw a face page for your anime character. This should include an entire page of your characters expressions, ranging from happy to sad to laughing, etc. These expressions can serve as a guide later on.

2. Develop your character's sense of style. In anime, how a character looks can often give you clues about their personality. Characters wearing a lot of makeup are more mature, for instance. Those who dress in T-shirts and shorts or have short hair may be very athletic. Give people clues to what defines your character's personality.

3. Compose a profile. Many artists identify their character's full name, age, blood type, favorite food, birthday and more in a character sheet. This gives your character a bit more grounding, and may help with ideas later. If your anime character's favorite food is ice cream, for example, you may want to draw them enjoying a sundae.

4. Create a back-story. Figure out what events made your character the way they are and who their friends and family are. Perhaps a childhood accident or friendship shaped the way they react to situations today.

5. Decide how the character will grow within the story you create. Truly developed anime characters learn something and evolve within their plot.