How to Make an OC: A Step-by-Step Guide (Including Fan OCs)

Quick answer: To make an OC, start with a one-line hook, then add a personality with a flaw, a distinctive look, a short backstory with a goal, and relationships. For a fan OC, follow the fandom’s world rules and art style while keeping the character original.

Making an original character is one of the most fun creative projects there is. All you need is an idea, and it can grow for years. This guide walks you through the whole process, from the first spark to a finished OC you can draw, write, and play. There’s also a section on making a fan OC that fits into a world you love without copying anyone.

Table of Contents

What counts as an OC? #

An OC (original character) is a character you created. You chose their name, look, personality, and history. They might live in a world you invented, or in a world inspired by a fandom (a fan OC). Either way, the character is yours.

What isn’t an OC: a canon character with a new outfit, a recolor of an official design, or a “secret sibling” who is really just the main character with a different name. Those can be fun fan art, but they aren’t original.

Step 1: Start with a hook #

A hook is the one-sentence pitch that makes someone ask “wait, tell me more.” It usually pairs something ordinary with something unexpected:

“A knight who’s afraid of horses.”
“A florist who can hear what plants are thinking, and most of them are rude.”
“A retired villain who now runs a bakery and keeps accidentally plotting.”

Don’t worry about the details yet. If the hook makes you smile or wonder, it’s working.

Step 2: Personality and a flaw #

Pick three to five core traits. Make them specific. “Kind” is fine, but “gives away her lunch and then gets grumpy by 3 p.m.” is better.

Then add at least one real flaw: something that causes problems for them or the people around them. Flaws are what make characters feel human and give them room to grow. Good flaws include:

stubbornness that stops them from asking for help
jealousy of a close friend
a habit of lying to avoid conflict
overconfidence in one skill

Bonus: give them a contradiction. A brave character who panics in small spaces, or a grump who secretly cries at movies, instantly feels more real.

Step 3: Look and silhouette #

Before you think about outfits, think about shape. Could someone recognize your OC from their outline alone? Big hat, tiny frame, one huge sleeve, a long tail: silhouette is what makes designs memorable.

Then choose a palette of two or three main colors plus one accent. Limited palettes read clearly, whether you’re drawing, using a dress-up maker, or making pixel art.

Finish with three details people would notice first: a scar, a lucky pin, mismatched socks, ink-stained fingers.

Step 4: Backstory and goals #

Keep the backstory short at first: two or three sentences. Answer:

Where did they come from?
What happened that shaped them?
What do they want right now?

The “right now” goal matters most. A character who wants something will act on their own, and that’s what makes stories (and AI-powered characters) come alive.

Step 5: Relationships #

Nobody exists alone. Give your OC at least:

one friend (who they trust),
one rival or foil (who pushes their buttons),
one complicated tie (someone they owe, miss, or don’t understand).

If you make several OCs, link them to each other. A cast with history is much more interesting than a lineup of strangers.

Want a place to organize all of this? Use our free OC template.

Making a fan OC #

A fan OC is an original character designed to belong in a world you love. Here’s how to make one that fits naturally and stays yours.

Fit the world’s rules #

Every fandom has rules: how magic works, what jobs exist, what the tone is (cozy, spooky, chaotic). Learn them, then ask “who would exist here that we haven’t met yet?” A survival-horror world might need a nervous radio operator. A cozy town might need a night-shift baker.

Match the art style, not the characters #

Study the fandom’s shape language (round and bouncy? sharp and angular?), its line weight, and its palette. Then design a new character that would look at home there. Don’t trace, recolor, or reuse official designs, and don’t use official art in your character sheet.

Avoid the “Mary Sue” trap #

A Mary Sue (or Gary Stu) is a character who is perfect at everything, loved by everyone, and more important than the existing heroes. Fan OCs are especially at risk. Keep yours grounded:

give them limits and a flaw,
let them lose sometimes,
give them a role that complements the world instead of taking it over.

For fandom-specific walkthroughs, see our Forsaken OC maker guide or browse all fandoms in the OC Maker hub.

Worked example: building an OC from scratch #

Here’s an original character built with the five steps:

Hook: a lighthouse keeper who collects lost letters.
Traits: patient, observant, dryly funny. Flaw: reads letters she shouldn’t. Contradiction: craves company but sends visitors away at sunset.
Look: a tall, narrow silhouette in a big yellow raincoat; palette of yellow, slate blue, and white with a red accent (her whistle).
Backstory: her aunt, the previous keeper, vanished on a calm night. Goal: find out what happened.
Relationships: a nosy baker’s apprentice (friend), the postmistress (rival secret-keeper), and her missing aunt (complicated).

That’s a complete OC, and it took about ten minutes.

Bring your OC to life #

Drawing and writing your OC is half the fun. The other half is seeing them act. In Redbean, you create your original character and they come alive in a cozy pixel world. They talk in their own voice, wander the town, and meet the other OCs you’ve made.

Need more ideas before you start? Try the OC ideas generator.

FAQ #

How do I make my own OC? #

Start with a hook, add three to five traits and a flaw, design a recognizable silhouette and palette, write a short backstory with a current goal, and give them relationships.

How do I make a fan OC? #

Learn the fandom’s world rules and art style, then design a new character who would fit in. Keep them original: no recolors of canon characters and no official art.

What is a Mary Sue? #

A Mary Sue is a character who is flawless, universally loved, and overshadows everyone else. Avoid it by giving your OC flaws, limits, and a supporting role in the world.

How long does it take to make an OC? #

A basic OC can take ten minutes. Many creators keep developing the same character for years, adding details as they draw and write.

Fan-made guide. Redbean is not affiliated with or endorsed by the owners of any games, shows, or franchises mentioned. All names and trademarks belong to their respective owners. Example characters on this page are original and were invented for this guide.

Make your own original character #

Your OC starts in your head, and Redbean gives them somewhere to live. Create an original character, drop them into a calm pixel world, and watch them talk in their own voice, wander the town, and meet the other characters you make.

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