Plots can be interesting. Twists and turns can be exhilarating. However, nothing can compare to a memorable lead character that readers can fall in love with. Your lead character can be traditionally good, villainous, or an antihero. 

A memorable lead character is unlike any run-of-the-mill character. Memorable characters have flaws and fears; they have weaknesses, dreams, and desires. Most of all, despite their flaws, fears, and weaknesses, these characters would do anything to get what they want. 

Why does any of this matter in making a memorable character? The answer is because it makes them relatable and with that readers will care about them. Caring will keep readers invested in your story.

So how does one go about creating a memorable lead character? First, you must ask yourself a few questions beforehand. 

1. What sort of lead character do I want to create? 
There is the traditional lead, the villain, and the antihero. Traditional leads are characters like Harry Potter, Frodo Baggins, and Charlie Bucket. We want them to succeed. 

Villainous leads are people like Humbert Humbert, Tyler Durden, and Patrick Bateman. We know they're bad, like really bad, but we can't help but read what they have to say. 

Antiheroes are characters like Arya Stark, Scarlett O'Hara, and Holden Caulfield. They aren't your traditional "good guy," they are characters who march to the beat of their own drum, and that appeals to us readers because we can relate to their individualism. 

2. What are their flaws? 
Fears, weaknesses, or the lack thereof can be seen as character flaws. Flaws are needed to create tension when your lead character is put in a tight spot. 

Flaws are also what make your character unique, especially how they react to something that challenges their flaws. 

3. How can I get my lead to bond with my audience? 
Test them. Put them in intense situations where they either give up out of weakness or cowardice or overcome their obstacles. Perfect characters are a drag, give your readers raw vulnerability. 

Let's take a step back and think of Arya Stark. She lost everything. She lost her family, her friends, and at one point she almost lost her will to live, but she trudged on. 

When she is told to discard of her old personality and belongings in order to become a Faceless Man, Arya cannot help but keep the sword Jon Snow forged for her. This indicates that Arya still has not let go of her past. This shows that her weakness is her sentimentality. 

Furthermore, her naivety is exposed when she drinks milk meant for "Arya" when she is supposed to be No One; this leads her to go blind. She fails, yet, she continues to serve the House of Black and White.

Also, when you're testing your lead or putting them in a situation where you're trying to expose readers to how vulnerable or resilient your lead is, remember that it should have something to do with the plot and is not just be filler. 

4. Should they live happily ever after? 
They can, but they don't have to. Some of the best characters ever conjured up never even live to see the next day. 

In Jose Rizal's Noli Me Tangere, he writes, "I die without seeing dawn's light shining on my country... You, who will see it, welcome it for me...don't forget those who fell during the nighttime." 

Memorable lead characters are memorable because they are so real to us; they impact us in ways other fictional characters cannot. Their impact on us is so powerful that they become hard to forget.