A protagonist is the main character in a story, the person whose journey you follow most closely. In Charlotte's Web, Wilbur the pig is the protagonist. In The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Lucy Pevensie starts as the protagonist, though all four children become central to the story.

The protagonist isn't necessarily the hero or even a good person: they're simply the character at the center of the action, the one whose choices drive the plot forward. In A Christmas Carol, Ebenezer Scrooge is the protagonist even though he starts out selfish and mean. You experience the story through his transformation.

Understanding who the protagonist is helps you make sense of a story. When you ask yourself “Whose story is this really?” or “Who changes the most?”, you're usually identifying the protagonist.

Most stories have one clear protagonist, but some have two or more protagonists sharing the spotlight equally. The protagonist often faces off against an antagonist, the character or force working against them, though not every story needs a villain for the protagonist to struggle against.