Writing a prompt that tells an AI to create a character is a method of having an AI generate a fictional persona using text input. This means that in lieu of starting with a drawing ability, or a design tool, or an elaborate story document, we can simply ask: I need a character with this appearance, this personality, this backstory, this function, and this tone.
This is a handy tool to have because not everyone starts with a crystal-clear idea. Maybe a writer needs a minor supporting character. Maybe a video-game designer needs a unique NPC shopkeeper. Maybe a teacher wants a warm companion character for a learning app. In any of these cases, the AI can help us turn a rough concept into something that can easily be shared, edited, or improved upon.
Defining Prompt-Based AI Character Generation
A prompt is a command or input given to an AI to generate an output. In the context of character creation, a prompt might include some or all of the following information:
- physical attributes
- clothing
- age
- emotional state
- voice
- personality traits
- goals
- fears
- backstory
- setting
- narrative function
- role in the project
Example: “Create a calm young scientist in a sky city who engineers miniature mechanical birds but is reluctant to speak about her history.” This gives the AI more specific information than: make a scientist.
Prompt-based AI character creation allows an AI to generate an output by providing information to the AI using a command. The output can take a number of forms: a character profile, a visual description, a character’s lines, a persona for chat or role-playing purposes, or even a design prompt for an image generator.
It helps to give the AI as much detail as possible. For example, the AI can generate an AI character profile for a generic fantasy soldier. However, a retired guard from the royal family who has distinctive silvery armor, a wry sense of humor, and a hidden trauma would provide the AI with more material for generating a strong character profile.
Why Prompt-based AI character creation is good for everyday people
Because a basic idea can be developed into a fully fleshed-out AI-generated character, prompt-based AI character creation allows a person to begin working on a new character in a way that is not intimidating. It does not matter if the person is a professional artist, author, game developer, or marketing specialist; prompt-based AI character creation allows an individual to take their current concept and begin generating an AI character.
Furthermore, the ability to easily experiment with different character ideas also means that the prompt-based AI creation process can be used to quickly try a brighter variant, a darker variant, a more juvenile variant, or a grounded variant of a particular character idea, and then determine which option fits best in one’s project.
How to Apply AI Character Design in the Real World
Authors can generate protagonists, antagonists, secondary characters, and incidental extras; game developers can craft non-player characters, enemies, companions, quest givers, and bosses; illustrators can conjure up a fictional talk show host, a brand mascot, or a recurring cast member in a story.
Teachers and pupils can make use of AI to generate characters, too. The student learning a new language can create an empathetic and calm dialogue partner. The history teacher can make a character to relate a typical day in antiquated Rome. The writer exploring the visual can generate adult creative work with an adult AI art generator, all the while remaining attentive to relevant laws, rules, and moral norms.
The Main Building Blocks of a Character Prompt
Usually, an efficient prompt contains several major parts.
First: Appearance, a character’s clothing, stance, face, colors, and overall look. Next: Personality, which shows how the character acts (“warm, impetuous and a bit insecure on the inside”). Then, back story, which can offer context; a single event can sometimes be enough to give a character weight.
Role and Purpose spell out what a character is there to do: mentor, enemy, champion, mentor, narrator, comic relief, or something else. Setting and Genre enable the AI to put a character in a fitting world. Last, Voice and Style, which explain what a character sounds like, how he or she reacts, and how he or she comes to choices.
A Basic Prompt Formula to Build Character Sheets
An approachable framework could look like this:
Form of character + World + Physical description + Personality trait(s) + Objective + Mood/stylized writing style + Extra notes
Example: “Construct a nice robot library assistant who lives inside a city that floats in the air. The library assistant has metallic hands, a cracked glass face, and quotes literature when talking. The library assistant’s objective is to defend a hidden library. Make it friendly and enigmatic.”
A Few User-Friendly Prompt Examples for Character Creation
Fantasy example: “Make a wise old forest witch who assists wayfarers who have lost their way, and she won’t visit towns. She has a comical side, but is closed off and feels lonely inside.”
Game NPC example: “Create a cheerful map merchant. One map will be accurate, another a cursed map, and the third will lead to the merchant’s missing sister.”
Language learning companion: “Create a helpful Spanish dialogue partner who uses easy speech and nicely points out my mistakes.”
Anime example: “Create a shy scholar who constructs gadgets. He wears round spectacles, and his shop is full of mess, though he shows no fear when trouble erupts. You may take a look at an unrestricted AI anime generator to see some visual options for character design, but also be sure a human evaluates the product.”
Why You Should Actually Use Prompt-Based Character Creation Tools
The greatest advantage is momentum. AI can pull you away from a blank screen, let you explore and compare a range of options, and unearth aspects you didn’t even know to think about. It also frees up some time for preliminary planning; you can request 5 alternative antagonists, 3 mascot prototypes, or personality traits that align with your novel. You’re not bound to accept any of them. It’s a way to generate raw material for your use.
What People Get Wrong About Prompt-Only Character Creation Tools
The misconception that AI performs the creative labor for you is one of the common myths. Your input guides how the character evolves. AI may offer suggestions, but only you can determine what matters.
A long prompt does not always equal a good result. Sometimes a concise, well-written question gets a better response than a lengthy, disorganized query.
There is also the assumption that any output created by the AI is automatically fresh and innovative. That is not always true; AI can churn out familiar archetypes, so don’t be afraid to rewrite, mash concepts together, and make sure you’re not inadvertently copying something else’s character.
You’ll rarely come up with your ideal character on the first try. Expect to revise and iterate.
Things You Have to Remember When Using Prompt-Based Character Creation Tools
There are certain pitfalls to look out for when you use prompt-based character generators. Sometimes AI can be erratic. One moment the character can be described as “young,” and the next, the description might read “middle-aged.” One time they’ll be “wearing a hat,” another time their headgear will be unspecified. The same thing applies to personality and speech. AI might produce tired old stereotypes, emotionally underwhelming details, or facts that don’t fit your story.
There is also the possibility of unintentional stereotypes. Be especially careful if you are asking questions based on specific cultures, identities, genders, and so on. If you come across any lazy, unfair, or inaccurate descriptions, try to adjust them and rewrite them to better fit your story and your characters.
Things to Keep in Mind When Using Prompt-Based Character Creation Tools
Tread carefully when using AI for character creation. Do not use it to directly replicate other famous characters or real-life individuals without their consent. Take care if you plan on making a character modeled after real-world cultures or people.
And, if you are planning on making any use of a character for a public or commercial project, check your software’s terms of use. Take ownership, make edits, and adjust your character to fit your vision.
From Prompt to Final Product
Once the AI has given you an answer, make it useful. This could be a character profile, an image prompt, a chatbot personality, a TTRPG stat block, a story beat sheet, a branding guide, or whatever you need it to be. Keep the good parts, get rid of the bad ones, and ensure it aligns with your intended use.
In Summary: AI-Based Character Generation Is Best Used With Human Supervision
AI character generation via prompts is a practical and versatile tool for people who want to quickly turn their character concepts into something workable, without having to use fancy creative tools or possess a high level of creative experience.
However, AI prompts work best when there is still a level of human oversight involved. You might use a prompt to get a base idea started, but ultimately it is you, with your editing abilities, judgement, and knowledge of your character, that will bring that AI character concept to its full potential. Total word count (not including the above prompt examples): 1,291 words.
