How To Make Readers Care About An Amoral Protagonist

Learn how to make readers care about an amoral protagonist, even when your main character lies, cheats, or commits terrible crimes.

Sometimes there is a main character who is even darker than an anti-hero. This character is amoral or morally challenged. In fact, they are often a psychopath.

It is fascinating to read a book with this type of protagonist. When the author gets it right, you could find yourself rooting for a criminal.

The trick is not to make your character good. It is to make readers understand them, become curious about them, and want to know what happens next.

Here are nine ways to make readers care about an amoral protagonist.

9 Ways To Make Readers Care About An Amoral Protagonist

1. Give Them A Noble Goal

Your protagonist uses evil methods to reach a good goal. Perhaps they steal from the rich to help the poor. Maybe they break the law to protect someone they love.
Their actions are wrong, but readers can understand what drives them. This creates a conflict between what your character wants to achieve and how they choose to achieve it.

2. Give Them A Line They Won’t Cross

An amoral character does not have to be without rules. They lie, cheat, and steal, but refuse to harm a child or betray a friend. Will they stick to their code when the stakes are high? Or will they cross the line to get what they want?

3. Show How They Lost Their Moral Compass

People do not all see right and wrong in the same way. Your protagonist could have grown up in a cruel home, lived through a war, or been betrayed by someone they trusted.
Show readers how their past shaped their choices. Perhaps they learned that kindness makes people weak, or that the only way to survive is to look after themselves.
Their past should help readers understand them, not excuse everything they do.

4. Give Them Someone Or Something They Care About

Your protagonist cares about very few people, but let readers see what matters to them. Perhaps they love their child, protect an old friend, or care for an animal. They may even have a deep love for a place or a cause.
These attachments reveal another side of their character. They also give readers something to worry about if that person or thing is threatened.

5. Make Them Skilled, Witty, Or Charming

Readers enjoy watching a character who is good at what they do. Your protagonist might be a brilliant thief, a clever liar, or a master of persuasion. A sharp sense of humour can also make them fun to follow.
These traits can make an unpleasant character entertaining. But remember that charm does not erase the harm they cause.

6. Put Them In A World Where Everyone Is Worse

Your protagonist looks less cruel when the people around them are even worse. Perhaps they live in a corrupt city where the rich exploit the poor. Maybe the people in power are dishonest, violent, and selfish.
This does not make your protagonist good. It gives readers a wider view of the world they live in. They even begin to question whether the usual rules of right and wrong apply in this setting.

7. Let Them Fail

Amoral protagonists often believe they can outsmart everyone. They are used to getting what they want through lies, threats, or clever plans.
Let something go wrong. They might lose a valuable ally, fail to reach their goal, or discover that their actions have hurt someone they care about. Failure can expose their fears and weaknesses.
Readers begin to care when they see a character struggle, especially if they face a problem they cannot solve through their usual methods.

8. Give Them A Difficult Choice

Put your protagonist in a situation where every option has a cost. They have to betray one person to save another. They might need to choose between their freedom and someone else’s safety.
These choices reveal what matters most to them. They also create tension because readers want to know what the protagonist will do.

9. Make Them Face The Consequences

Your protagonist should not get away with everything. Their lies could destroy a friendship. Their greed could cost them a fortune. Their cruelty could turn an ally into an enemy.
Let their choices change the story. If they hurt someone, show the damage. If they betray a friend, let that betrayal matter. Your protagonist does not have to become a better person by the end. They may learn from their mistakes, become more ruthless, or refuse to change at all.

Examples Of Books With Amoral Protagonists

Title	Author	Description
The Dexter Series	Jeff Lindsay	Dexter Morgan is a serial killer who follows a code: he kills other killers who have escaped justice. Readers find themselves sympathising with a murderer who targets other criminals.
The Talented Mr. Ripley	Patricia Highsmith	Tom Ripley murders a wealthy friend to gain access to his money and lifestyle. His charm and resourcefulness make readers hope he evades capture, while the selfish people around him seem just as unpleasant.
American Psycho	Bret Easton Ellis	Patrick Bateman is a wealthy investment banker who leads a double life as a serial killer. His polished public image contrasts with his extreme violence.
A Clockwork Orange	Anthony Burgess	Alex is a violent teenager who enjoys cruelty. His intelligence, dark humour, and love of classical music make him a memorable, disturbing protagonist.
The Stranger	Albert Camus	Meursault is emotionally detached and indifferent to social expectations. After killing a man, his lack of remorse makes him an unsettling protagonist.

The Last Word

Readers do not have to like an amoral protagonist to care about them. They need a reason to understand their choices, question their motives, or wonder what they will do next. Give your character a goal, a weakness, and hard choices. Let them make mistakes and face the results. Most importantly, make them interesting enough that readers want to follow their story, even when they disapprove of their actions.

Photo by Jonas Jaeken on Unsplash

by Amanda Patterson
© Amanda Patterson

More posts from Amanda:

1. Why Revenge Is A Brilliant Plot For First-Time Writers
2. The 5 Top Tips For Turning Memories Into A Memoir
3. How To Write A Prologue: 5 Good Reasons To Include One
4. How To Write A Locked-Room Mystery: The Secret To The Impossible Crime
5. 10 Ways To Get Out Of A Writing Rut
6. What Is A Denouement? How It Works In Fiction
7. How To Name Characters: 10 Things To Consider
8. How To Use The Five Senses In Your Writing
9. What Is A Myth? 20 Myth-Inspired Writing Prompts
10. Punctuation For Beginners: What Is Punctuation?

Top Tip: Sign up for our free daily writing links.