Skip to content
The OC Maker

How to make an OC

An OC (original character) is a character you made up yourself, as opposed to one from a show, game or book. Some people make OCs for their own stories, some for roleplay, some to put into a fandom they love. There's no wrong way. Here's a path that works for most people, from a blank page to a character you can draw, share or commission.

1. Start with one idea

Don't try to invent everything at once. Pick one thing that excites you: a job ("a ghost who runs a lost-and-found"), a look ("red hoodie, two fox tails"), or a mood ("sleepy and gentle"). Everything else grows from that.

Stuck? The OC ideas generator gives you five starting points at a time.

2. Give them a name

Say it out loud. A good OC name is easy to say, fits the world they live in, and doesn't sound like your fandom's main character. Try a few in the OC name generator and keep a short list.

3. Personality before backstory

Pick three words for how they act ("grumpy, loyal, sleepy"), one thing they want, and one real flaw. A flaw is what makes a character interesting to write about. A tragic backstory can wait.

4. Design the look

  • Silhouette first. If you blacked out your OC, could you still tell it's them? Big hair, a tail, a long coat or a strange hat all help.
  • Three to five colors. A small palette makes your OC easy to recognize and easy to draw.
  • One signature detail. A bell necklace, a scar, mismatched socks. The thing people remember.

If you can't draw yet, describe the look in the OC maker and get a picture to start from. If you can draw, grab a free OC base and draw over it.

5. Make a ref sheet

A ref sheet shows your OC from the front, the side and the back, with their colors. It keeps them consistent every time you (or an artist) draw them. Make one in the OC ref sheet maker and fix anything that's off.

6. Fill in the details

Now the fun part: likes, dislikes, habits, friends, rivals. Copy an OC template and fill in what you know. For small, specific details, get ten headcanons and keep the ones that fit.

Mistakes to avoid

  • Making them perfect. Give them something they're bad at.
  • Too many colors. Twelve colors is hard to remember and hard to draw.
  • Copying another character too closely. Borrow ideas, then change things until it's someone new. Don't trace other people's art or take their OCs.
  • Waiting until everything is "done." OCs change over time. That's normal.

Questions

What does OC stand for? Original character: a character you created, not one from an existing story.

Can I make an OC for a fandom? Yes. Fan OCs are characters you invent who live in an existing world, like a new student at a hero school. Just don't copy the canon characters' designs.

Do I need to draw to have an OC? No. Lots of people write their OCs, play them in roleplay, or commission artists. A clear description and a ref sheet are enough.