Unlikeable Protagonist
And How to Write a Convincing One
Not all protagonists have to be likable. That’s it: That’s exactly what this Shelf Life says on the tin. Welcome to Shelf Life where we never bury the lede. Let me expand this thought by one parameter: Not all protagonists have to be likable but it sure helps.
Today’s Shelf Life is on the role of the protagonist in fiction, what basic things a protagonist needs to be successful in their role—and, conversely, what they don’t need—and why your protagonist should be at least a little bit unlikable, in some way, even if you’re writing a likable protagonist.
First: The protagonist is not necessarily the hero of the story (and the antagonist is not necessarily the villain). Humbert Humbert is the protagonist of Lolita and also its villain. Alex from A Clockwork Orange. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn has dueling protagonists who are one another’s antagonist and also, somehow, both villains of the story.
The protagonist is simply the leading character; the one whose key decisions drive the plot; who surmounts the greatest obstacles; and whose goals the antagonist tries to foil. Nowhere in that job description does it specify this character must be lovable or likable.
Before I move on, here’s your brief, perennial reminder that its easy to confuse an antihero with an unlikable protagonist. These are distinct roles that sometimes overlap. An unlikable protagonist can be an antihero, like Holden Caulfield from Catcher in the Rye or Rorschach from Watchmen. An antihero may also be present in a non-protagonist role, like Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs or Jay Gatsby in The Great Gatsby. (For more on this specifically, see Heroes and Antiheroes.)
Today’s Shelf Life is specifically about the things a protagonist needs to have to be a successful pillar of a fiction manuscript. They don’t need likability, although likability can smooth over a lot. People (in real life) will go farther and do more for those they like. This is true in fiction, too. A reader who likes the protagonist they’re reading about is more likely to stick with the manuscript till it ends. You can write an unlikable protagonist, but without likability you have to nail everything else.
What are the things you have to nail? The theme of my day today has been speed rounds so I’m going to do a quick speed round of protagonist must-haves and then call it a night.
Motivation
The protagonist’s motivation—and the goal they are motivated to achieve—is what drives the plot forward so they story can unfold. An unlikable protagonist benefits from rock-solid motivation. This is because that motivation can stand in for likability, to some degree. When a protagonist is unlikable, the reader requires a different hook into the story and the protagonist’s motivation can be that hook. Even if the protagonist themself is unlikable, if their goal is appealing or their motivation to achieve it is compelling, the reader can make a foothold.
When designing the arc of an unlikable protagonist, shore up their motivation to shipshape. Look hard at their goal, their arc toward achieving that goal, and their reasons for sticking to their goal. Look at them critically, from all angles, multiple times. A reader who is enjoying the experience of liking a protagonist is less likely to spot plot holes than a reader who is enjoying the protagonist’s journey in spite of their dislike for the character.
Consider Humbert Humbert from Lolita. This guy is sick. Like he’s literally sick, he’s attracted to preteen girls and he contrives to get custody of one for his personal use. He is compelled to this behavior by his sickness. He knows it is wrong, but is unable to help himself. It’s not a good motive, but it’s unshakable.
Conflict
Conflict creates dramatic tension. Dramatic tension draws readers through a manuscript like chum draws sharks through water. Clear, present conflict—and lots of it—is a must to propel the reader forward when rooting for the protagonist won’t.
An unlikable protagonist can earn a degree of faux likability. This is a two-for-one proposition: First, the plot will feel realistic and relatable if everyone is giving this unlikable person a hard time and no one wants to give them a break. Second, if everyone is against them, they become the underdog in the story and that lends them some likability!
Remember that an unlikable protagonist is probably not just unlikable to the reader. They are probably also unlikable to their peers (the other characters). Consider Alex from A Clockwork Orange. He was so unlikable that his droogs mutinied and sent him down the path to ruin.
Righteousness
I struggled with this heading because “righteousness” isn’t exactly what I’m thinking of. What I mean by righteousness in this case is the protagonist should believe that what they are doing is justified. Their justification may not be something the average person would agree with—looking at Humbert again—but the protagonist should have a strong internal resolution that their behavior is justified for some reason. Humbert doesn’t believe his relationship with Lolita is right or moral, but he believes it is justified—he believes it is a consensual, reciprocal, and mutually loving relationship. From his perspective, all his despicable actions are justified because he sees himself as a man in doing whatever he has to do to be with the person he loves.
To put this another way, an unlikable protagonist should believe in themself because the reader is not going to lend them any belief. The fire of their conviction can thaw the reader’s chilly feelings toward them.
Depth
For an unlikable protagonist to not sink your manuscript, they have to have great depth. The reader has to come to understand them, and identify with them, to stick with the story. There has to be enough to the protagonist that any reader can dig down and find something to which they can relate.
Protagonists always need to be one of the deepest, roundest characters in a story—they’re the most important character, after all, and the reader spends the most time with them. I posit that an unlikable protagonist needs to contain even greater depth of character to sell the reader.
Harrowhark, originally from Gideon the Ninth and the protagonist of Harrow the Ninth, is desperately unlikable. She’s mean, condescending, a religious zealot, socially stunted, and hateful and spiteful to almost everyone around her. But as you drill through the surface of Harrowhark, there are additional layers to her—pain, fear, confusion, inadequacy, and impostor syndrome. Who among us has never lashed out in anger because we were afraid? Who among us never leaned on condescension to hide the fact we were confused? Who among us hasn’t felt socially awkward when we’ve been invited to a party at God’s house and all cool saints showed up? Let them cast the first stone.
In short, an unlikeable protagonist with great enough depth leaves room for many or most readers to find something relatable in their depths.
Flaws
A flawed protagonist is usually a winner. On the far end of the spectrum from the unlikable protagonist is the “Mary Sue” (or the “Gary Stu,” if a man)—absurdly perfect in most ways and lacking any meaningful flaws. For instance, Bella Swan from Twilight, who is beautiful and smart and friendly and has the super power of shielding her mind from telepathic intrusion, whose character flaw is sometimes tripping over things.
Meaningful flaws humanize a character, which is at the heart of likability/unlikability in a character, especially in your protagonist. Not everybody is likable. Not everybody is going to like everybody. Everybody is unlikable to someone and everybody is likable to someone. In reality, likability is subjective and it’s on a spectrum. It’s rarely a yes/no proposition.
To that end, I propose that, when writing an unlikable protagonist, humanizing the character is the most important thing you can do. Most of us have probably had the experience, at some point, of being disliked by another person—maybe for good cause, maybe for prejudice, or maybe for no reason at all. A flawed, unlikeable character has the power to resonate with just about every reader, for just that reason.
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