Sacrificial characters are nothing new in different genres, especially in action thrillers. Sacrificial characters are the typical people in your neighborhood (unless it’s fantasy or sci-fi). We read them in a passive manner, second-guessing how their appearance in the story will advance the plot or help the hero or villain. The only exciting part of reading about them is before they are killed off. Their roles are often second fiddle to bigger characters. These sacrificial lambs are often drivers, waiters, flight attendants, office clerks, postmen, street cleaners, paralegals, lab technicians, etc. They appear as lackeys, associates, friends, or relatives to heroes or villains.

Example of a sacrificial character: An accountant for an offshore European bank has discovered discrepancies in the company’s audit reports. He discovers that the bank is engaged in money laundering and financing terrorist activities in the Middle East. The bank’s top brass gives him a subtle threat that if he blows the whistle, it will cost him. While the accountant turns a blind eye in the company’s illegal activity, his conscience bothers him. A high school buddy who now works for the CIA comes knocking on his door one day, stating that they have been monitoring the bank’s activities. The accountant knows what the visit means and he is afraid for his life.

The above example shows the sacrificial character torn between two difficult moral choices. His dilemma helps to put a twist on the plot. His purpose adds meaning to the hero’s existence and at the same time, he is a tool that illustrates the evil clout of the villains. In the process, the accountant is found bloated and lifeless on a riverbank after helping his high school buddy gather information.

Sacrificial characters don’t have to be weak. Some of them are skilled fighters who give heroes or villains a hard time before getting killed. The hero’s courage and stature are magnified when he kills this character. On the other side, it amplifies the villain’s cunning and duplicity when he disposes of this character.

Sacrificial characters need not be forgettable. Before he gets killed, the writer should narrate the accountant’s biography. The accountant should be treated with equal importance despite his brief period of appearing in the story. Briefly write about his hopes and aspirations—his plans to marry a Zumba instructor and his plans to build his own accounting firm. If the accountant is a skilled fighter, write about his stint in the military or his dark past as a contract killer. If the reader knows nothing about this sacrificial character, his death will become a passing event and he is instantly forgotten the minute the reader turns to the next page. The moment before he is killed is the crucial point to his importance.

When the hero convinces the character to help him take down the bank, it adds excitement to the story. When the villain stalks the accountant to kill him, it adds suspense. If the hero gains information to take down the bank, it helps to shift the plot in a particular direction. If the accountant is killed before he can give his buddy any vital information, it also shifts the plot in a different direction. This is why your sacrificial characters must do more than just sacrifice—because their deaths help to turn the plot.