Stock characters are simplified, easily recognizable character types commonly found in fiction, such as novels, plays, television shows, or films. These characters are known for embodying specific traits or roles that audiences instantly understand, like the "girl-next-door," "the bad boy," or "the wise old man." Unlike archetypes, which are broad and flexible character models (such as the hero or mentor), stock characters are more typical and often less complex, but still more nuanced than stereotypes which tend to be one- dimensional and possibly offensive oversimplifications. Stock characters serve as useful tools for writers to efficiently populate stories, create audience expectations, and help move plots along, often found within particular genres or storytelling conventions.
Examples of stock characters include the damsel in distress, the mad scientist, the rebel, the hopeless romantic, and the femme fatale. While these characters can be protagonists, supporting roles, or antagonists, their defining feature is that they represent familiar character types that help the audience immediately grasp their role in the narrative.
