### 2.1 Main Characters
Main characters carry the heart of the saga across all parts.
They must remain emotionally visible even when a chapter focuses on other characters.
Main characters are not only the people with the most page time. They are the people the saga must keep returning to.
### 2.2 Sub-Main Characters
Sub-main characters are the second structural layer of the saga.
They can hold long arcs, leadership roles, emotional anchors, family lines, rescue logic, city systems, science and ethics arcs, or major relationship pressure.
A sub-main character may be sub-main from entry onward, or onl
### 2.3 Secondary Characters
Secondary characters can receive focus chapters, strong scenes, emotional weight, or important missions.
They enrich the world and can change the direction of a block, but they do not become a permanent structural pillar unless the skeletons promote them.
Secondary has several useful su
### 2.4 Sub-Secondary Characters
Sub-secondary characters support the world, the city, the families, the children, the council, the rescue missions, or the emotional background.
They may be named and recurring, but they are not expected to carry independent long arcs unless promoted later.
### 3.2 Death and Impact Rule
A character who dies can still be structurally important.
Death can make a character event-critical, legacy-heavy, or emotionally central to another character’s arc.
Important correction: a strong secondary character does not automatically drop into a lower tier after death. If the char
### 3.3 Council and City Role Rule
A character who enters governance, council work, public systems, defense structure, science ethics, or city management can rise above regular secondary status.
This especially matters in Parts 5 to 7.
### 3.4 Pair Versus Individual Rule
A couple can share a general tier, but one partner may carry a stronger structural role.
Examples:
* Kate Beckett and Castle are both sub-main from Caskett entry onward, but Kate specifically enters governance, council work, management, internal order, and city structure.
* Sarah
### 3.5 Standalone Entry Scale Rule
Character tier affects the size of an entrance arc, but not the need for an arc.
* Main and sub-main entrance blocks require full standalone development. They should carry old-world identity, Day Zero, long survival, relationship movement, intimacy where appropriate, losses, and a
## 4.1 Main Characters Across the Saga
These eight are the main characters of the saga:
| Character | Core couple | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Lexa | Clexa | Defense, trauma, leadership, intimacy, rebuilding a future. |
| Clarke Griffin | Clexa | Medicine, ethics, body, care, public health, love that refuses distance. |
## 4.2 Global Sub-Main Layer
These characters are not the core eight, but they are major structural pillars across large parts of the saga or from their entry onward.
| Character | Tier logic |
|---|---|
| Raven Reyes | Technical spine, vehicles, radio, systems, grief, invention, emotional sharpness. |
| Steve Harrin
## 4.3 Event-Critical and Limited-Run Secondary Layer
These characters may not remain long-term pillars, but they matter because their choices, deaths, or absences reshape other arcs.
| Character | Classification | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Octavia Blake | Event-critical / legacy secondary | Important through Clarke, R
## 4.4 Strong Secondary / Recurring Ensemble Pool
These characters can carry chapters, missions, family scenes, or city functions, but are not automatically sub-main unless promoted by the skeletons.
| Group | Characters |
|---|---|
| Hawkins kids | Mike Wheeler, Dustin Henderson, Will Byers, Lucas Sinclair, Max Mayf