main character

“Main character” has two slang meanings. On Twitter/X, the main character is the person everyone is talking about (and usually criticizing) that day. On TikTok and in everyday speech, “main character energy” means acting like the confident star of your own life.

The main character of Twitter

A popular 2019 tweet put it this way: each day on Twitter there is one main character, and the goal is never to be it. Being the main character means one of your posts has gone viral for the wrong reasons, and thousands of strangers are quoting, mocking or “ratioing” you. It’s rarely a good thing.

Main character energy

The second meaning is much more positive. Having “main character energy,” or “being the main character,” means treating your life like a film where you’re the lead: romanticizing small moments, dressing for yourself, walking through the city with headphones in as if a soundtrack were playing. Merriam-Webster notes the phrase spread after a TikTok trend that began in May 2020.

How to use main character

• “Today’s main character is the guy who said he doesn’t tip.”
• “Don’t post that, you’ll be the main character by lunch.”
• “She walked into the party with full main character energy.”
• “Bought flowers for myself and drank coffee by the window. Main character behaviour.”

Main character vs. main character syndrome

Main character energy is mostly seen as fun and confident. Main character syndrome is the negative version: acting as if everyone else is a supporting role in your story.

Where main character comes from

The Twitter meaning comes from a tweet posted on January 2, 2019, by the user @maplecocaine, which became a running joke. Merriam-Webster says “main character energy” has been used since at least the late 2010s and took off with the May 2020 TikTok trend.

Related terms

• Main character syndrome: the self-centred version.
• Ratio: when replies outnumber likes.
• NPC: a background character, the opposite of the main character.
• POV: point-of-view videos.

See more terms like this in our internet slang dictionary.