How to make a charming/charismatic character

[ameliori]

I've opened this question on a few webcomic discords and a few answers I've gotten are:

• Have people feel drawn to them
• Well-dressed
• Articulate
• Playful, easy-going
• Confident

Is it enough to "show" them as attractive and charming? For example, show extras talk about how good-looking or striking they are. Honestly, I'm not too keen on that since it feels a bit overdone. But how would you try to convince the audience that this character is charismatic through writing? i.e. What makes a character charming/charismatic to you?

[elyss]

Having people talk about how attractive they are tells the reader that they're perceived as attractive in the world you've built.
Things like charismatic behavior are better off shown though. Examples could be them put at the center of attention and reveling in it or being among people and always having something interesting to say or add. Maybe they steal the show when others try to speak, but this doesn't have to be purposeful. These are just a couple things that come to mind.

[Kelheor]

I won't put well-dressed or attractiveness in this list, personally What always gets me in real people is confidence without aggression (including body language), general friendliness and some playfulness, ability to freely keep the conversation going and being open in expressing their opinions

[Bokyongyo]

Think following actions speak louder than words is solid advice

Only way you can show how a character is would be to show how they interact with the world around them, it’s one to say “Oh this character is very charismatic” buts it pails In comparison to the audience actually seeing that character being charismatic within the context of the story

Show don’t tell

And in terms of convincing the audience?
That varies, while you may see your character one way your audience would view that character differently; so trying to convince a character is one way can actually be played into a form of interpretation, each reader will have a different view of a character.

[migxmeg]

A technical thing that helps is perspective and placement in the panel - when I'm thinking about it I want to put characters that are confident/in control towards the top of the panel so it feels like they are taking up the space they are in. And you can subtly look up at them a little.

Since you can control body language for everyone around them, you can also have other characters lean in just a touch and pay attention whenever your charming character is talking. Could look absurd if overdone but readers will pick up it.

We're watching a show right now where all the schoolgirls go kya and all the boys grumble wherever one of the good looking mcs enter the scene and it's to the point of being a dumb joke .

[Eiranyx]

Personally, a charming character for me doesn't necessarily mean to have the look, but rather it's like they have the ability to make something like a simple action/gesture into something that can make hearts flutter a little or notice that those simple gestures that are usually ignored into something like "if that happened to me, would it be the same again after that?" --- the ability to move an audience through that simple gestures; like the more you read through them/get to know them in the story, the more you think: "this character has something in him/her that makes them stand out in the story among the rest of the characters" and it doesn't have anything to do whether that character is the main character or a side character -- and that what makes the audience notice them, or be interested in them--- like they made first impression that last.

[noenoh]

I dont agree with these answers 100% and agree with everyone above me.

Under these answers you got, then non-stereotipical attractive characters as Saitama (OPM) or Mob (Mob Psycho) are not charming/charismatic. Sae happens irl and taht creates unnecesarily a lot of low-confidence people when in fact everyone has their own charms.

[Caro]

Oh gosh, I just started a new strip a like two weeks ago about four housemates just livin life and saying dumb stuff and the amount of people who have gotten OBSESSED with one character in particular is staggering. I don't really necessarily equate charisma to being a good person because lots of charismatic people are not so great (cult leaders, politicians, influencers cough cough and heck, lots of bad guys throughout media) but the way people LOVE this character is still really interesting to me.

She’s completely narcissistic and puts her needs before everyone else’s, she’s also supposed to be attractive and goes after whatever she wants often to the detriment of her housemates. Sometimes people realize she’s a bad person but its usually in a sea of comments saying “wow i wish that were me.” I’ve even started seeing people use her image as their avatars on Instagram and Twitter.

But I don’t think people are responding to her negative traits. What they’re seeing is pieces of a personality they wish they had; complete personal autonomy, love for oneself, and the ability to do whatever you want without the fear of what other people think. I think that’s what makes this particular character charismatic despite the toxicity.

[vothnthorvaldson]

My main advice is to not overdo it.
Too much in any aspect will not look charismatic to everyone, can easily look like a red flag machine gun. Overconfidence, overgrooming etc can evoke self esteem issues and/or manipulative behaviour.
Unless it is what you are going for (and that you don't mind some readers to pick these hints early on), I would advise to focus on showing the charisma in action, by the way your character interacts with others and how others respond.

As for me personally, what would work best is the 'quiet charismatic', who's unassuming but is brillant and have great social skills.

[therosesword]

I've heard people call a friend of mine charming. He's definitely a sweetheart, but not particularly good looking but what he is is a "warm" person. He's inclusive. He's the son of a preacher and when he meets someone he gives them what he calls the "preacher's" handshake. He reaches out to clasp yours with both hands. You immediately feel a connection. When he says "how are you" you feel... you KNOW... it's not just being polite, he does want to know. And he does this with everyone, old, young, rich, poor, doesn't matter, "you" matter to him.

I'm not sure how you'd show that.

[Inspector_Spinda]

Is it enough to "show" them as attractive and charming? For example, show extras talk about how good-looking or striking they are.

That is telling, not showing. But I'd recommend watching some late night show stars or popular celebrities/characters you personally find very charming. If we're talking about a male character, I'd say Robert Downey as Tony Stark and Conan O'Brien are super charming people. To make it super simple I think the keys are:

1. Joking about themselves, but not too self-deprecating
2. Able to talk to anyone about the things the other person finds interesting and not just they themselves find interesting
3. Really good body language (you'll have to really research this one to understand it)

Optional is to make them really flirty, but in a joking way. I see a lot of characters seem to pull that off well and be popular with audiences.

[darthmongoose]

People have said my comic's main villain, Urien, is annoyingly charming and charismatic, despite being an absolute dickbag. The main qualities are probably:

1. Urien is a handsome guy and he has an easy, relaxed smile.
2. He tends to have very open bodylanguage. His shoulders are relaxed, he often spreads his arms wide or extends them towards people and he often makes direct eye contact. Guarded bodylanguage, like averting gaze, folding the arms of crossing your arm over your body creates disconnection or barriers, while this guy is always inviting you in.
3. He doesn't lose his cool easily and tends to seem like he's in control of the situation (we've really only seen him lose his cool once, and he did it when he thought there wouldn't be a witness). He always gives off an air of confident self-assuredness, which makes people trust him to fix difficult situations (even when in reality he has no idea what he's doing).
4. He's good at reading people and then flattering them by giving attention, compliments and being the "cool guy" who's on the same page as them, but he's careful not to give too much attention, always leaving his targets craving more.

[rajillustration]

I find that charming people have an easy time making friends because they flatter the people they are with, they smile a lot, and they're good at reading the room. So they can kind of sit back, pick up on how you talk and the things that you are into, and then just chameleon into the group as if they were always there. Like if I think back to High School, there were some people who didn't really belong to any clique or friends crew, but sort of dabbled everywhere--showing up, shaking your hand, making a great joke, or bringing up something you had in common, and then boom--instant buddy. They're just born diplomats, with an air of confidence--even if they might actually not be confident deep down.

[AmysGames]

I think some of it depends on the character, because I've had multiple characters that people were really drawn to for different reasons. That being said, the general trends of charismatic characters include:

• Friendliness. They don't have to be "nice" (a lot of my charismatic characters are also villains), but they're probably able to carry a friendly conversation with almost anyone.
• A sense of humor, whether they're cracking their own jokes or knowing when to laugh at other people's jokes. Or both!
• Confidence. They don't have to be super smart or articulate, but they're probably pretty good at speaking their mind. They also tend to have good self-esteem. (Sometimes TOO good )
• Openness. A lot of my charismatic characters aren't afraid of showing their emotions, which I think makes them feel more relatable.
• Physical attractiveness. Not always the case, but it can help.

[joannekwan]

Charming and charismatic aren't necessarily one and the same. They can be, but sometimes a charming person isn't always charismatic and vice versa.

To me charming is more warm and intimate. A charming character plucks at the heartstrings of whoever finds them charming and pulls them in onto an intimate plane. But some stock traits of a lot of mainstream-deemed charmers are that they are easy to talk with, they generally have a light way about them, and aren't guarded with either their words or body language. A textbook example would be Matthew McConaughey.

Charisma, on the other hand reaches a wider swatch of people and is often tied to leadership. With their charisma, they can affect people to respect them, think highly of them, or venerate them. One trait that I don't think you can be charismatic without is confidence. And to an extent, some level of intelligence, either book smart or street smart.

Like you can be charmed by a bumbling fool because oh, they just try so hard and their heart's in the right place and they're just so genuine and good, but they aren't charismatic in the least. And you can find someone charismatic by the way they speak with authority and how easily they interact with others, but you might not find them delightful to be around.