I adore comic relief characters—both writing them myself and reading/viewing them in stories.
This lion, with braids weaved into his mighty threads, could be a total goofball. If he's in a fantasy world, he could boast about the versatility of his hair or how he goes to specific lion salons to get it cut and styled. Other creatures in his realm could either laugh or scoff when he struts by, shaking his flowy locks.
Or, our lion friend could have a greater purpose behind his hair. Perhaps he allows a little girl to braid it because she lost her precious doll? Maybe the lion's mother's dying wish was that he would be nothing like his father, and his mane was already too similar. An over correction, sure, but it can makes sense.
Giving characters depth beyond appearance is a constant goal of mine. Why does this character have a tattoo on his neck? Why does that character dye their hair wild colors? "Because I want them to look unique" is a cop out. I refuse to create a character trait for the simple purpose of standing out, but so often, this is how it happens. We've all seen it on screens and read it in books. It needs to stop.
A character's clothes, scars, style, speech patterns, weapons, hobbies, responses, and favorite foods could be a trigger for an emotional moment that helps those outside our heads connect with them. As soon as a memory or instance is attached, any trait works to deepen a character beyond "looking or acting cool." For me, scenes where characters gets real with each other and explain their traits are some of the most endearing and memorable instances.
My all time favorite anime, One Piece, gets this concept right over and over. Luffy, the main character and a goofy pirate, wears a basic straw hat. It appears to have no real meaning until another pirate damages it in a battle. Luffy becomes enraged and calls the hat his treasure. A basic straw hat is a treasure? Tell me more! Cue the flashback where Luffy was inspired to become a pirate by another pirate he admired—a captain who was permanently disfigured to save Luffy's life. That same captain gave Luffy his hat when he left, instilling Luffy with a desire to become a pirate himself.
If a character has purple streaks in their hair, give them a real purpose. Perhaps their mother was super strict and never allowed anything she deemed improper in her home. As soon as the character came of age, they dyed their hair to prove they wouldn't be the person their mother tried to control them into. Years later, they kept up the trend, even after their mother passed, as a way to remember the good things about her—or to never follow in her awful footsteps. It could go either way. That's the beauty of character development.
As I learn and grow as an author, this is a concept I want to push as often as possible. All characters have pasts, and some of those pasts will leak into their present. The more their characters reflect that, the more readers will be curious to know more. Let's not disappoint them!
Keep on smilin'!
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