Types include both stock characters and those that are more fully individualised. Ī character who stands as a representative of a particular class or group of people is known as a type. Since the 19th century, the art of creating characters, as practiced by actors or writers, has been called characterisation. Since the end of the 18th century, the phrase ' in character' has been used to describe an effective impersonation by an actor. In literature, characters guide readers through their stories, helping them to understand plots and ponder themes. (Before this development, the term dramatis personae, naturalized in English from Latin and meaning 'masks of the drama', encapsulated the notion of characters from the literal aspect of masks.) Character, particularly when enacted by an actor in the theatre or cinema, involves 'the illusion of being a human person'. From this, the sense of 'a part played by an actor' developed.

Derived from the Ancient Greek word χαρακτήρ, the English word dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones by Henry Fielding in 1749.

The character may be entirely fictional or based on a real-life person, in which case the distinction of a 'fictional' versus 'real' character may be made. In fiction, a character is a person or other being in a narrative (such as a novel, play, radio or television series, music, film, or video game).

Four commedia dell'arte characters, whose costumes and demeanor indicate the stock character roles that they portray in this genre.

Static vs flat character