First, let me come clean. At least in game production, I don't really like creating characters or scenarios. I really want to leave them to someone if possible, but I’ve never managed to do so. I always end up having to write them up close to the deadline. The reason I don't like it is because there are less restrictions than in system design, so I can't narrow down the best answer and can't guess how much time and work it takes.
Even when I spend a lot of time, I never have the perfect inspiration. So, what I’m going to tell you is a simple way... or rather an orthodox way, so that I can cut down the time and effort as much as possible while maintaining a practical level of fun. It won’t get you a masterpiece, but it’s useful...
Find the hero’s style
Let's have Hero must die. coming next February as an example. The main character is the eponymous hero. Following the king's orders, he defeated the Demon King with his unequaled power, but lost his own life in exchange. At the start of the game, God gives him five more days to live. Dissatisfaction and small conflicts that were veiled during the Demon King’s era, while everyone had a common enemy, are reappearing across the land. It roughly resembles the real world after the fall of the Berlin Wall. What the hero can do is solve as many of the problems he can, taking into account the ever-decreasing time and physical strength. He also has to find his loved one, but he does not remember her name or face.
The hero has little time left, no memory of his beloved, and no idea where she vanished. In such a sad state, he still receives missions wherever he goes around the country. Loss, wanderings, and ordeals. This is a classic hero set, from ancient Odysseus and Hercules to the hero of Dragon Quest and a boy with a straw hat wanting to be a pirate king. Very classic, but also still popular among many people.
Next, let’s make other characters interact with the hero. The key is concordance and opposition with the hero.
The hero embodies the story theme in an easy-to-understand way through his struggles, such as suffering, fighting, parting, or failing. In reverse, the other characters’ function is to create those struggles to make the theme easily understood.
Combinations for struggles
Then, when do struggles occur? For example: an ally disagrees, you can only receive one among many, losing everything if you fail, a supporting character appears just as you give up, and so on. Struggles occur when aspects that concur and aspects that oppose the vector of the hero compete.. Therefore, it is common practice to make non-hero characters with some aspects that concur, and others that oppose the hero in order to create struggles.
Now, let’s list the attributes that non-hero characters should have while checking the hero's characteristics once again.
The hero obeyed the king. A rival, therefore, is the one that goes against the current system. If the hero resolves a problem with violence, a rival avoids violence. If the hero defeats the Demon King, a rival plans to revive the Demon King. If a hero dies in five days, a rival outlives him. If the hero roams, a rival stays at one place. If the hero weakens, a rival grows. If the hero stands for unconditional justice, a rival shows justice in another form. If the hero is a man, a rival is a woman. If the hero is young, a rival is old.
Once you’ve identified the qualities, conflicting with the hero like this, combine some of these with similar elements. But attention, please. Choose the direction in which the theme will be highlighted, that is, choose a combination that is likely to cause conflict with the other character.
Then make different combinations for several people, and assign them to enemy and ally appropriately. Make profiles including things like their address, name, age, occupation, rewards and punishments, special skills, medical history, hobbies, future dreams, measurements, and the like. Then you’re done!
The next report of Hero must die. should release casts of characters and voice actors in addition to the already announced four. While referring back to this column, look at the illustrations by Kurosawa Tetsu while imagining: “What conflicts does each character have?”, or “Are there elements of harmony?”, or “What kind of conflicts will be caused?” There's more to them than their cute appearance.