What makes a character unique, cool, dramatic, or likable has very little to do with the qualities they are introduced with. I can think of very few movies or stories (none, actually) where I like the character based on everything offered to me about them. The effort you take in developing your character is directly equal to the impact that character will have on others who read about it. Telling someone in your character description: "Oh he's an orphan so he's had a hard life" earns exactly as much sympathy as it did time to read the statement- almost none. However, its often that our favorite characters have 'setting-inspired-qualities' that we would normally see as overused, or even "lame". Luke Skywalker, Harry Potter, Leia Skywalker - All Orphans. Katara from Avatar - death of a parent and only child with "special ability". John Snow and Naruto- dejected, outcast, and unloved (by someone/village.) Inexperienced RP'ers and writers look at this and they begin to feel that these qualities are *musts* in 'epic' characters. And it makes sense when you don't look at it too closely- troubled characters have much room to overcome their obstacles. But if you take a closer look you will realize it is not the setting of the characters that even matters- those "qualities" are happen-stance for plot and setting development more than they are for character development. What actually drives character development is what happens to the character during the story. Luke and Leia Skywalker- both happily living with other relatives with lives of their own. It is not until they experience the loss of these relatives (on tattooine, and the destruction of Alduin), that these characters experience or suffer loss. They, and the audience, could honestly care less that they were orphans. Harry Potter - It is not the fact that Harry doesn't know his parents that makes us grieve for his situation, it is how his caretakers mistreat him that sets the stage. If Harry screamed, and was a terrible child, and put holes into walls- then we honestly wouldn't care. In fact, many of us continue not to care until he is at the point of the sorting hat, and despite everything he's been through he wants to be different than what he's experienced, and this creates some small, fledgling amount of character. The interesting thing about harry is that he really doesn't develop much character until the end of the first book. The best example of why setting doesn't matter is seen illustrated by how much more you care that Harry has to *go back* to that family than you did when you first read about his situation. Why is that? Because all the important character-development that we value occurred between those points- the events themselves did not award him any real sympathy. Katara - Same deal, she's got ability and only has one parent who is gone most the series, but neither of that means tush-kiss; we begin to like her because of her experiences with her companions. John Snow - We like him because of the choices he makes, not because he is a half-son; and lady stark hates him- the fact she dislikes him is actually more character development *for her*, than it is for him. This only serves as reason for him to "Go to the wall". Its a plot toy, not a character development tool. Naruto - One of the most troubled characters painted up with most of the tropes possible- special ability, martyr, nobody likes him, attitude problems, orphan, the list goes on. All of these things we don't care about- why? Because we admire his ability to continue to laugh; and to dream. Naruto only gets decently cool when he starts to embrace his responsibility and dreams, and to *stop caring* that other people don't accept him. Through his pursuit of that and the inner strength he displays *during the story*, others grow to admire and respect him. The key is that all of the above characters are actually normal, uninteresting people. It is what they do that determines how interesting they are. Often they will 'struggle' with elements of their setting, and yes, that is character development; but character development is both articulated through things gained and lost- and how the character responds to that. Applying *less* tropes to your character makes them harder to anticipate what kind of issues they will face, and how they will react. When making a character, its best to start out with someone average. A farmer boy/girl with simple life. Use your RP to develop your story. That is the appropriate place to introduce loss and gain- not the character's bio. Just try summarizing everything that Luke and Leia Skywalker do into a single, simple character biography. Try doing it with Naruto, or Katara for that matter. You'll notice that they will seem a *lot less interesting* when you are done. Dont tell us how your pony character is special or cool. Show us how your average OC does something extraordinary.