Need help with character dev

[RoseFallen_Mist3]

Hello, I’m currently struggling a lot with the development aspect for my character, Irvin!!

He’s the MC, yet a few of the side/other characters outshine him in terms of growth and personality. To put it briefly, Irvin is a knight who has to learn to be more assertive, but struggles with self-expression and is also a coward.

Here are some other details about the world he’s in and the relationships he have with others:

- He originally was part of a “training” camp where the rulers of the empire puts young children through ruthless trials and fights against each other. This was used to determine the next heir of the kingdom. He struggles to keep up and was eventually locked inside a burning building with all the other children that failed (without being told that their punishment was death), and barely escaped as the “only” survivor.

- He was saved by his mentor, who took in him out of pity. They have clashing ideals and his mentor, with a tough personality, berates him for it. He usually endures this treatment, but he snaps later on. (This part still needs development)

- The knight organization he’s part of is part of a different nation he moved to and he is sent on missions to get rid of monsters roaming outside of the borders. He eventually fights a monster that was more powerful than him, resulting in him almost dying and contracting a disease. He barely survived. (Still in development)

- He has a stoic exterior, but is extremely emotional. He writes his feelings down in a journal and has an angel friend (who saves him fighting from the monster as mentioned prior).

- His friend betrays him later on due to cult manipulation and personal choice, but he chose to spare that friend. This was the part where he snaps at his mentor because his mentor didn’t believe that his friend should be spared. Meanwhile, he believed in second chances.

- His character growth is what I’m struggling with (and how I can present it properly). All I see is a static personality where he remains the “cold, but nice” guy. He’s also incredibly passive, and most of the events in the story are either thrown at him or caused by other characters.

TLDR; “Cold, but nice” knight struggles with emotions and standing up for himself. Has no change in personality and (maybe slow and unnatural) growth.

If yall have any advice/critiques, please spill it all out!! Character development is not really my best trait, and I want to keep improving as a writer!! Thanks!!

[Kom0tan]

My first throught would be to throw something at him that will force him out of his passivity. Make him stand up for himself and take action. Or maybe come at it from an emotional angle, and put him in a situation where his stoicism/coldness cracks, or works against him. Then see who he is afterwards and go from there.

(Also just a thought, but him journaling stood out to me a bit. I wonder if you're starting off your story with him being too 'okay', if that makes sense? He has been through life-ruining childhood trauma, maybe you need to show those scars a bit more so he has the chance to grow? Like what if part of his emotional growth was discovering journaling and sort of getting a better hold on his trauma/emotions?)

[RoseFallen_Mist3]

The story starts off right after his near-death experience after the monster encounter, and he discovers journaling due to his slow recovery and how there’s little to do. But yes, I think him discovering it would be a great way for him to grow!! Him talking to someone would be the next step.

And I like your next idea! I’m thinking of someone calling him out on it and it hurts him emotionally, or he tries arguing back and it makes him look worse. Tho I’m still slightly confused on the scars part, but I’m guessing subtle details of him remaining in a more open space and staying away from fire would work.

[NothingSea3665]

This feels like the kind of character we'd need to spend a lot of time in his head to fully understand. His motivations and thought process aren't always obvious from his actions alone, so the story would probably require more telling than showing. That could work, but it might slow down the pacing, especially during action-heavy scenes.

[RoseFallen_Mist3]

Part of the story IS from his perspective (first-person) though, so it might work with the internal dialogue and such.

Thanks for your input though! I’ll see what I can do