Hey Panda’s, Create An Oc

Welcome to the internet’s coziest creative dare: “Hey Pandas, create an OC.” If you’ve ever doodled a mysterious stranger in the corner of your notebook, invented a heroic cat with a tragic past, or named a space pirate “Captain Absolutely-Not-Suspicious,” congratulationsyou’ve already been OC-adjacent.

An OC (Original Character) is your custom-built human/alien/robot/enchanted loaf of bread with a personality. And the best part? There’s no single “correct” way to make one. But there are ways to make your character feel more real, more memorable, and easier to write (or draw) consistently. This guide walks you through a fun, practical processperfect for joining a “Hey Pandas” thread or for building a character you’ll keep using in stories, comics, games, or roleplay-friendly worlds.

What an “OC” Is (and Isn’t)

An OC is: a character you create from scratch (or remix so heavily it becomes your own), with their own traits, choices, and vibe. They can live in an original world, or in a fandom universeas long as you’re respectful of the original creator’s rules and you’re not claiming someone else’s character as yours.

An OC isn’t: a random list of “cool things” taped together like a glittery sandwich. (Okay, it can be… but it’s harder to make that character stick in readers’ minds.) A strong OC has clarity: we understand what they want, what they fear, and what makes them act when the story gets spicy.

The Spark: Pick a Concept with a Hook

Start simple. A hook is the one-line idea that makes someone lean in. Think of it like the movie trailer voice in your head (but less dramatic and with fewer explosions… unless your OC literally causes explosions).

Three quick hook formulas

• Role + contradiction: “A healer who hates being touched.”
• Goal + obstacle: “A rookie chef trying to win a contest while hiding that they can’t taste.”
• Power + price: “A telepath who hears everyone’s thoughts… except their own.”

Pro tip: If your hook feels too broad (“a cool assassin”), add one specific, human detail (“an assassin who apologizes after every hit and writes handwritten thank-you notes”). Specificity is where characters stop being “a type” and start being someone.

Build the Core: Goal, Motivation, and Stakes

Characters feel alive when they’re pulled by desire. Most writing guides agree that characters should have clear goals (even if the goal changes), because goals create motionand motion creates story. Your OC doesn’t need to be loud about what they want, but they should want something enough to act. That’s where the plot lives.

External vs. internal goals

• External goal (visible): Win the tournament, escape the city, find the missing sibling.
• Internal goal (felt): Prove they’re worthy, forgive themselves, stop being controlled by fear.

Stakes answer: “So what if they fail?” Make it personal. Instead of “the world ends” (which can get abstract), try “they lose the only person who believes in them,” or “they become the exact kind of person they hate.” Personal consequences hit harder than meteor math.

Example: Let’s say your OC is Mira, a teen mechanic in a floating city.

• External goal: Fix a stolen engine before the city loses altitude.
• Internal goal: Stop believing she’s “just the helper” and claim leadership.
• Stakes: If she fails, the city crashesand she’ll blame herself forever.

Add Texture: Flaws, Contradictions, and Growth

Perfect characters are like perfect mannequins: polished, stiff, and slightly unsettling if they’re staring at you in the dark. Flaws make characters relatable, and they also create natural conflictbecause a flaw will eventually collide with the goal.

The “flaw that backfires” checklist

• Does the flaw cause trouble? If it never bites them, it’s just a quirk.
• Does it connect to their past? Flaws often have reasons, not just vibes.
• Can it sometimes help? A temper can ruin relationships… and also save someone in a crisis.

Example flaws that generate story:

• Overprotective to the point of controlling others
• Feels unlovable, so they push people away first
• Addicted to winning because losing feels like “being worthless”
• Compulsively honest in situations where a little tact would prevent chaos

Growth doesn’t have to be “they become a saint.” Growth can be tiny but meaningful: learning to ask for help, admitting fear, or choosing honesty at the worst possible time because it’s finally the right time.

Backstory the Smart Way: The Iceberg and the Interview

Backstory is seasoning. Too little and everything tastes bland. Too much and suddenly your story is a soup made of pure salt and tragic monologues.

Try the iceberg approach: you know 90% of your OC’s past, but you only show what the story needs. One of the most useful tools here is a character interviewa list of questions you answer privately to understand your character’s fears, habits, and emotional triggers.

12 questions that actually matter

1. What do they want more than anything right now?
2. What do they need (but don’t realize yet)?
3. What’s their biggest fearand what does it make them do?
4. What would they never forgive?
5. What do they believe about themselves that isn’t true?
6. What’s one memory they avoid thinking about?
7. Who do they trust, and why?
8. What’s their “tell” when they’re lying?
9. What small joy makes them feel safe?
10. What do they envy in other people?
11. What line won’t they cross?
12. What would make them change their mind?

Shortcut: You don’t need a 40-page lore document. You need a character who makes consistent choices that feel emotionally logical.

Voice, POV, and Dialogue Tics

Voice is how your OC soundsnot just in dialogue, but in how they notice the world. Two people can walk into the same room and describe it completely differently. That difference is character.

A mini “voice test” exercise

Write 5–7 lines of internal monologue for your OC reacting to this moment:

• They’re late. The door is locked. Everyone is watching.

Now rewrite it with a different emotional lens:

• Lens A: embarrassment
• Lens B: anger
• Lens C: curiosity (yes, some people are built like that)

If the rewrite feels identical, you may be writing your voice instead of theirswhich is normal! You just caught it early, like a responsible creative wizard.

If You Draw: Shape Language, Silhouette, and Readability

Visual design works best when it communicates personality fast. A big concept in animation and illustration is shape language: using circles, squares, and triangles (and combinations of them) to suggest traits and emotional signals.

Circle / square / triangle cheat sheet

• Circles: friendly, soft, approachable, playful
• Squares: stable, strong, reliable, stubborn
• Triangles: sharp, dangerous, quick, unpredictable

Your OC doesn’t have to be “one shape.” But choosing a dominant shape helps your character feel designed, not accidental.

The 10-second silhouette test

Shrink your character (or squint at it like you forgot your glasses). Can you still tell who they are? Strong silhouettes help characters stay recognizable across poses, outfits, and styles. If every character in your cast has the same hoodie-and-jeans outline, you’ll get “Wait, which one is this?” energyand not the fun kind.

Try this: Sketch three silhouettes for the same character. Push one to be more “round,” one more “square,” one more “triangular.” Choose the one that matches their personality best, then refine details.

Color and Costume: Make Design Choices that Mean Something

Color is emotional shorthand. A limited palette can make your OC feel iconic, while too many competing colors can turn them into a walking highlighter pack.

Palette rules that keep you out of neon chaos

• Pick 1 dominant color (the vibe).
• Add 1–2 supporting colors (the flavor).
• Use 1 accent color (the “pop”).
• Repeat colors in small areas to create unity (belt + shoes + hair clip).

Example: If your OC is calm but secretly stubborn, you might use cool blues/greys with a bold accent (like orange laces or a red pin) that hints at the “hidden fire.”

Costume design is also storytelling. Ask: What do they wear because it’s practical? What do they wear because it’s armor? What do they wear because they want to be seen a certain way?

Make a Character Sheet (So Future-You Doesn’t Forget)

Character sheets (also called model sheets or reference sheets) are used in animation, comics, games, and collaborative projects to keep a character consistent. Even if you’re solo, a simple one-page sheet saves you from redesigning the same sleeve fifty times like it’s a cursed side quest.

What to include on one page

• Name + nickname: what people call them vs. what they insist on
• Age range + role: “teen courier,” “retired detective,” “chaotic librarian”
• 3 personality tags: (1 strength, 1 flaw, 1 surprise)
• Goal + fear: one sentence each
• Design notes: key shapes, key colors, 2–3 must-keep details
• Expressions/poses: 4–6 small sketches or written descriptors
• Signature items: tool, accessory, weapon, pet, lucky charm

Writer-only version: If you don’t draw, your sheet can be text. Include a “how they move” line (fast, heavy, careful), a “how they speak” line (formal, slangy, quiet), and one sensory detail (smells like motor oil, always cold hands, jingling keys).

Drop Them Into a Scene: Prove They Can Act

Here’s the secret: a character becomes real when they make choices under pressure. So test-drive your OC with micro-scenes. No big plot required. Just friction.

Three micro-scenes to try

1. The Temptation: They can get what they want… but it hurts someone else.
2. The Misunderstanding: Someone accuses them of something they didn’t do. How do they react?
3. The Kindness Test: A stranger needs help. Do they help? Do they pretend not to see?

Write 150–300 words for one scene. If you can predict exactly what your OC will do, you’re doing it right. Consistency is not boringit’s character.

Share Your OC in “Hey Pandas” Without Being a Chaos Gremlin

“Hey Pandas” prompts are about community creativity. Your goal is to make it easy for people to enjoy your OC and respond kindly.

Posting checklist

• Give a short, punchy intro: 2–4 sentences beats a 2,000-year timeline.
• Add 3 standout traits: one strength, one flaw, one “odd but lovable” detail.
• Include a clear image or description: even a sketch or mood board works.
• Respect boundaries: avoid sharing personal info, and keep interactions friendly.
• Invite engagement: ask a simple question like “What would your OC think of them?”

Sample “Hey Pandas” post (short and sweet):

Meet Juno Vale, a rooftop courier in a city that never stops raining. They’re fearless on ledges, terrified of phone calls, and keep a tiny notebook of “things worth staying alive for” like hot chocolate and dogs in sweaters. Their goal: deliver one impossible package and finally buy their freedom. Their flaw: they don’t trust helpeven when they need it most.

FAQ: Common OC Questions

Can my OC be overpowered?

Sure, but power is more interesting with limits. A character who always wins is a vending machine, not a person. Give them constraints: time limits, moral costs, emotional consequences, or weaknesses that force hard choices.

Is it okay if my OC is “based on me”?

Absolutely. Lots of great characters begin as self-inspired. The key is to make them a character: give them goals, flaws, and beliefs that clash with the world. Realism comes from specificity, not from trying to be “perfectly relatable.”

How many details do I need before I share?

Enough to make them feel coherent. If you have (1) a hook, (2) a goal, (3) a flaw, and (4) one vivid detail, you’re ready. Everything else can grow over time.

Final Pep Talk: Your OC is a Draft, Not a Destiny

OCCreating is iterative. You’re not carving a character into a marble statue; you’re building a friend out of LEGO pieces while occasionally stepping on those pieces barefoot. Your first version is allowed to be messy. Your tenth version will still change. That’s not failurethat’s the creative process doing its job.

Creator Experiences: 10 Moments Everyone Hits When Making an OC (About )

1) The “This is genius” spark. It starts with one lineusually at the worst possible time, like mid-shower or in the middle of a math problem. Suddenly your brain yells, “WHAT IF they’re a knight who’s allergic to metal?!” and you’re forced to choose between hygiene and creativity. (Creativity wins. It always wins.)

2) The name struggle. You try serious names. You try fantasy names. You try names that sound like they could be a celebrity chef. Then you stare into the void and realize you’ve accidentally named your tragic warrior “Greg.” Sometimes you keep Greg. Greg deserves this.

3) The Pinterest/tab spiral. You open “one reference image.” Thirty minutes later you have 27 tabs: boots, raincoats, cyberpunk alleyways, and a suspiciously specific article about antique keys. Your OC is not even a thief. Yet. But now they might be.

4) The first sketch looks… cursed. You draw them and think, “Why do they look like they know my secrets?” Don’t panic. Early sketches are supposed to be awkward. That’s how you discover what to fix: proportions, silhouette, shapes, and which eyebrow is trying to start a fight.

5) The personality clicks. You write one line of dialogue and suddenly their voice appearssarcastic, gentle, dramatic, or terrifyingly polite. This is the moment your OC stops being “an idea” and becomes someone who could walk into a room and cause problems on purpose.

6) The flaw reveals itself (and it’s personal). You realize the character’s biggest issue is something painfully human: they avoid conflict, they over-control, they don’t ask for help. You don’t have to make it autobiographical, but it often feels emotionally trueand that truth makes the character stick.

7) The “wait, would they do that?” test. You plan a scene, then your OC refuses to cooperate. The “plot” says they should apologize. The character says, “No. I’m going to double down and make it worse.” Annoying? Yes. Also: a sign your character has internal logic.

8) The outfit becomes character development. You give them a jacket, then realize the jacket is armor. You give them bright colors, then realize they’re trying to be seen. You give them plain clothes, then realize they’re trying to disappear. Suddenly fashion is psychology, and you’re basically a detective, but for feelings.

9) Sharing is weirdly brave. Posting an OC can feel like handing someone a tiny piece of your imagination and saying, “Please be nice to my brain child.” The good news: “Hey Pandas” communities are built for supportive creativity. Keep your intro clear, your tone friendly, and your expectations realistic. Even one kind comment can fuel your next iteration.

10) The OC grows beyond the prompt. The best surprise is when a simple “Create an OC” turns into a character you keep returning to: new outfits, new scenes, new relationships, new arcs. Your OC becomes a creative home basesomething you can write or draw when you want comfort, practice, or pure chaotic fun.