It's the oldest debate in roleplay: should you create an original character or play an existing one from a fandom? The honest answer is that both are valid — but they serve very different purposes.
What We Mean by OC vs Canon
Original Character (OC): A character you created from scratch. Their personality, backstory, appearance, and abilities are entirely yours.
Canon Character: A character from existing media — anime, video games, books, TV shows. You're interpreting and playing someone else's creation.
The Case for Original Characters
Complete Creative Freedom
No one can tell you you're "playing them wrong." Your OC is yours — you decide how they react, what they believe, and how they grow. This freedom is especially valuable in long-form RP where characters evolve over months.
Deeper Personal Investment
Characters you created from nothing tend to stick with you longer. There's a reason OC creators can talk about their characters for hours — these are pieces of their creative identity.
Universal Compatibility
An OC can slot into any setting. Your original mage can join a fantasy RP, a modern urban fantasy, or a sci-fi setting with minor adjustments. Canon characters are locked to their source material (or require AU justification).
No Comparison Pressure
When you play Naruto, everyone has opinions about how Naruto should act. When you play your OC Kira, nobody has expectations except the ones you set.
The Case for Canon Characters
Instant Recognition
Other players immediately understand who your character is. There's no need for lengthy introductions — "I'm playing Levi Ackerman" communicates personality, skills, and aesthetic in four words.
Built-In Dynamics
Canon characters come with existing relationships and conflicts. Playing two canon characters who have history in the source material creates instant dramatic tension without setup.
Lower Barrier to Entry
For new roleplayers, playing a character you already know and love is easier than building one from scratch. It's a great way to learn RP mechanics before tackling original creation.
Community and Fandom
Fandom RP communities are massive and active. If you love a specific anime or game, fandom RP lets you engage with that world in a creative, collaborative way.
When to Choose OC
- You want long-term character development over months or years
- You're joining a world-specific RP (the setting has its own lore, not fandom-based)
- You want to explore themes personal to you through fiction
- You enjoy the creation process as much as the RP itself
- You're writing in a genre-flexible or crossover setting
When to Choose Canon
- You're joining a fandom-specific group
- You want to explore "what if" scenarios with existing characters
- You're new to RP and want to start with a character you understand
- The RP is short-term (one-shots, events, tournaments)
- You want to interact with other specific canon characters
The Hybrid Approach
Many experienced roleplayers do both. They maintain a portfolio of OCs for serious, long-term RP, and play canon characters in fandom events or casual sessions. It's not either/or — it's both/and.
Some even create OCs inspired by canon characters — taking a concept they love and reimagining it as something original. This gets the best of both worlds: familiarity plus creative freedom.
Build Your Character Portfolio
Whether you prefer OCs, canons, or both — having organized, well-presented character profiles makes finding RP partners easier. Create your free CharHaven account and start building your character portfolio today.
Check out the anime character gallery for fandom inspiration, or browse original character profiles to see what fellow OC creators have built.
