#animationfascination

Characters Treated Like Supporting Characters Even When They Aren’t

Some characters get labeled as “supporting characters” by fandoms even when the emotional weight of the story depends on them.

Not every important character is the central protagonist, but that doesn’t make them minor.

Zuko: People sometimes reduce Zuko to “the redeemed villain,” but he carries one of the strongest emotional arcs in the series. His storyline changes the tone of the entire show and affects almost every major character.

Katara: gets treated like “the girl of the group” way too often when she’s actually one of the emotional foundations of Team Avatar. She balances empathy, leadership, grief, hope, and emotional discipline throughout the series.

Cornelia hale : Cornelia often feels emotionally central to W.I.T.C.H., especially in the early seasons. She grounds the group dynamic while still feeling independent from the “main protagonist” structure.

Yumi Ishiyama:Yumi is frequently treated like secondary support despite being one of the most emotionally mature and grounded characters in the series. A lot of Code Lyoko’s emotional realism comes through her perspective.

Goliath: Even though Gargoyles has a large ensemble cast, Goliath carries enormous emotional and thematic weight. He feels less like a simple protagonist and more like the soul of the series.

Sajin komamura: Komamura gets pushed into “side captain” territory by a lot of fans even though his themes of loyalty, isolation, honor, and identity are some of the most emotionally compelling in Bleach.

Splinter:Splinter is sometimes treated as just “the mentor,” but emotionally he’s one of the most important figures in TMNT. The family dynamic of the turtles doesn’t really work without him.

Fandoms sometimes treat protagonist roles too rigidly.

“Demona and Azula are two characters who turn emotional pain into control, anger, and intimidation.

Both characters are incredibly intelligent and emotionally guarded, but underneath that control there’s a lot of fear, isolation, and instability slowly building over time.

What makes them compelling to me is that they never feel emotionally simple.

They can be destructive and difficult while still feeling deeply human in the way they respond to betrayal, loneliness, pride, and vulnerability.

I don’t always connect with stories where one protagonist becomes the emotional center of absolutely everything.

Sometimes ensemble casts stop feeling balanced because:

every character starts revolving around one person

emotionally important characters get reduced

independent dynamics disappear

other perspectives stop mattering as much

the world starts feeling smaller

One Thing I Appreciate In Ensemble Shows

I usually connect more with stories where multiple characters feel important instead of everything revolving around one protagonist.

That’s part of why casts like:

Gargoyles

W.I.T.C.H.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Avatar: The Last Airbender

Code Lyoko

often feel more alive to me.

Even when there is a central protagonist, the other characters still feel emotionally real, independent, and important to the identity of the story.

I think that’s why I tend to gravitate toward:

strong ensemble dynamics

emotionally grounded side characters

mentor figures with presence

rival characters with their own identity

stories where multiple characters carry emotional weight

A lot of the most memorable characters aren’t always “the main character but feel emotionally important

“Mai Valentine and Sissi Delmas are two characters I’ve always felt were more emotionally layered than people give them credit for.

Both characters hide vulnerability behind confidence and attitude, but underneath that they clearly want connection, reassurance, and to be genuinely understood.

They can come across dramatic, defensive, or difficult at times, but a lot of that feels tied to insecurity, loneliness, and wanting validation in environments where they often feel emotionally isolated.

What makes them interesting to me is that they’re not purely antagonistic or purely sympathetic.

“Characters like Sajin Komamura and Goliath always stand out to me because they carry such a grounded protector energy.

They’re physically intimidating but emotionally calm.

Wise without feeling emotionally detached.

Strong without constantly needing to prove it.

Both characters feel deeply tied to loyalty, honor, isolation, and responsibility in ways that make them oddly comforting.

Leader Energy Without Being The Main Character

Some characters naturally carry authority, emotional presence, or leadership energy even when the story doesn’t officially frame them as “the protagonist.”

They feel independent from the main character structure instead of revolving around it.

Leonardo:

Especially in the 2003 series, Leonardo has disciplined, noble leader energy that feels larger than just “the responsible one.” He carries pressure and emotional intensity without losing his sense of honor.

Splinter:

Splinter doesn’t need constant screen time to feel important. His calm authority and emotional wisdom shape the entire family dynamic of TMNT.

Wolf O’Donnell:

Wolf has a different kind of leadership energy more independent and lone-wolf oriented. He feels less like a traditional team leader and more like someone others naturally follow because of confidence and skill.

Chance Furlong:

Chance has strong grounded leader energy even in chaotic situations. He feels dependable without needing to be framed as a perfect protagonist figure.

Tsunade:

Tsunade carries authority in a very human way. She feels emotionally exhausted, powerful, protective, and commanding at the same time, which makes her leadership feel believable.

Sajin Komamura:

Komamura’s leadership comes from integrity and loyalty rather than attention-seeking. He has quiet authority that makes him feel emotionally larger than his screen time.

Goliath:

Goliath feels less like a standard protagonist and more like the emotional and philosophical center of Gargoyles. His presence alone changes the atmosphere of scenes.

Sam:

Sam often gets framed as “the smart one,” but she also carries natural field-leader energy. She balances intelligence, composure, and responsibility without overpowering the team dynamic.

Not all leadership energy comes from being “the main character.”

One thing I notice in a lot of stories is character simplification.

Sometimes characters get reduced to a single role like the villain or the leader.”

Once that label sticks, people often stop looking at the character as a full person.

Villains may have pride, loneliness, or personal struggles that shape their behavior, but those details can get ignored because they’re expected to be the antagonist.

Leaders can also be simplified. Instead of being seen as individuals with emotions, flaws, and different responsibilities, they can become reduced to the person who is “supposed to be in charge.”

This pattern appears in many stories across animation and anime.

But it also made me think about something in real life.

Sometimes people get simplified in similar ways. A person might be seen as the problem,the villain,or the leader,and once that happens people may stop paying attention to who they actually are.

That’s one reason I find these characters interesting.