Character Flaws Master List

Character flaws give the character something to overcome on his way to meet his goal. Character flaws make a character interesting. They are the reason villains are sometimes more interesting than the heroes, and why our heroes have real life struggles.

The characters always need a flaw, maybe two or three flaws, a moral weakness, a flawed opponent, a revelation leading up to the flaw. Expose their character flaws throughout the story and show how the character has changed, demonstrating this at the end of the story. How has this caused him to grow?

Their flaw can affect how they act or think. It can affect their wellbeing, or how they are antisocial or outgoing. I’ve seen characters who had phobias and overcame them. Flaws add depth to narration and can lead your character to new heights.

Below is an ongoing list of character flaws. Listed with them are links which will lead you to a separate page about each of them. I will continue to update this page. If you have not bookmarked this page on Pinterest or on your bookmarks bar, please do so for future reference. If you would like to add to the page, please leave a comment and I will add your comment to the page with a link back crediting you.

ABRASIVE

ABUNDANT

ADDICTIVE

ANTISOCIAL

ANARCHIST

ANGSTY/EMO

APATHETIC

APALOGETIC

ATTITUDE

AVOIDS PROBLEMS

BLAMES OTHERS

BOSSY

CALLOUS

CARELESS

CHATTY

CATTY

CHLDISH

CLOSED-OFF

COCKY

COLD

COMPETITIVE

COMPULSIVE

CONCEITED

CONFRONTATIONAL

CONTROLLING

COWARDLY

CRUEL

CYNICAL

DAYDREAMER

DECEPTIVE

DEFENSIVE

DEFIANT

DEVIOUS

DICTATOR

DISHONEST

DISLOYAL

DISORGANIZED

DISRESPECTFUL

DISTRACTED

EGOTISTICAL

EVASIVE

EVIL

EXTRAVAGANT

FANATICAL

FLAKY

FLIRTATIOUS

FOOLISH

FORGETFUL

FRIVOLOUS

FUSSY

GOSSIPY

GREEDY

GRUMPY

GULLIBLY

HAUGHTY

HOLDS GRUDGES

HOSTILE

HUMORLESS

HPOCRITICAL

IGNORANT

IMMATURE

IMPATIENT

IMPRACTICAL

IMPRESSIONABLE

IMPULSIVE

INATTENTIVE

INCONSIDERATE

INDECISIVE

INDULGENT

INFLEXIBLE

INHIBITED

INSEVURE

IRRATIONAL

IRRESPONSIBLE

JEALOUS

JUDGEMENTAL

KNOW-IT-ALL

KLEPTOMANIAC

LAZY

MACHO

MANIPULATIVE

MARTYR

MATERIALISTIC

MEAN

MELODRAMATIC

MESSY

MISCHIEVIOUS

MORBID

NAGGING

Naïve

Needy

Nervous

Nosy

OBSERVANT OF EVERTHING

OBNOXIOUS

Obsessive

Overassertive

OVERDRAMATIC

Oversensitive/OFFENDED EASILY

PACES

Paranoid

Perfectionist

Pessimistic

PLAYER

POSER

Possessive

Prejudiced

Pretentious

PRIDEFUL

PROCRASTINATES

Promiscuous

PushY

QUICK TEMPERED

RASH

RAMBLES

Rebellious

Reckless

Resentful

Rowdy

RUDE

RUTHLESS

SADISTIC

SARCASTIC

Scatterbrained

SECRETIVE

Self-destructive

SELFISH

Self-indulgent

SENSITIVE

SHY

SHOPAHOLIC

Sleazy

SMARTY PANTS

SNEAKY

SORE LOSER

SPAZ

Spoiled

STEREOTYPICAL

Stingy

Stubborn

STUTTERS

Subservient

Superstitious

Suspicious

Tactless

Temperamental

THOUGHTLESS

TRAITOR

TRUST ISSUES

Timid

Uncommunicative

Uncooperative

Uncouth

UNDEPENDABLE

Unethical

Ungrateful

Unintelligent

UNORGANIZED

UNREASONABLE

UNSTABLE RELATIONSHIPS

UNSYMPATHETIC

USES OTHERS

Vain

Verbose

VENGEFUL

Vindictive

Violent

Volatile

WASTEFUL

Weak-willed

WHINEY

Withdrawn

Workaholic

Worrywart

WRATHFUL

Like Loading…Posted in: Building Believable Characters Filed under: Character TraitsNovel Writing

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