You’ve heard the phrase a million times; “You never get a second chance at a first impression”. Although you probably rolled your eyes at your mother when she uttered this cliché, these words of wisdom still ring true… especially in screenwriting.

In screenwriting, character introductions are extremely important. The moment a character is introduced carries the ability to invoke some of the most powerful emotions in the world: joy, anger, fear, and envy. Not only can this moment inspire an intense audience reaction, but it can also offer a unique opportunity for insight and explanation.

We can learn about a character in many different ways. We can learn by what they do and what they say. We can also learn by what other characters say about them and how they react to those characters. The best character introductions in film not only use these means, but they do it in a concise and creative way.

Get inspired for your characters and then write your first draft in 5 weeks with this guide.

This list is complied of some of the most creative and complex character introductions in film. The fact that the characters on this list are all recognizable serves as an example of the importance of the character introduction. If done correctly, the character introduction can begin the transformation of a character into an icon.