In Praise of Underrated Side Characters

Protagonists carry the plot, but they are also boxed in by it. They must be brave, or stubborn, or chosen, and that duty leaves little room to surprise us.

Side characters are free. A shopkeeper with three scenes can be funnier, sadder, and more human than the hero, precisely because the story is not leaning on them.

We keep a running list of these quiet favorites, and it is longer than our list of favorite leads. That says something worth sitting with.