1.
protagonist, main character
The central character in a story, novel, film, game, or other narrative. Can also refer figuratively to the central person in a real-life situation.
Common collocations
- 主人公を演じる (to play the lead role)
- 物語の主人公 (the protagonist of a story)
- 主人公に感情移入する (to identify with the main character)
Usage
The everyday word for the lead character of any story: novels, manga, anime, films and games. Figuratively, 人生の主人公 means "the protagonist of one's own life."
Similar words
- 主役: the lead role, and the actor who plays it; 主人公 is the character inside the story