Definitions

[JasonDíSpeech]

A few days ago we were using the term "legacy" character, which users use in different ways.

Everyone can agree that a character born on-screen and raised on (or just off-screen) the show is a legacy character (I think).

Most folks would agree that a character who enters Salem as an adult and is not directly related to another character is not a legacy character - no matter how long they stay in Salem.

Anything in between that...gets murky.

So just for fun, how do you define a legacy character? Would you use other terms to describe characters, either in addition to legacy or instead of it?

What might you call the following characters... Will - Julie - Victor - Rafe - Sonny - Nathan (Horton) - Chanel - André - Tripp - Lani - Theo - Abe - Sydney

I don't believe there's a right or wrong answer here - the soap press isn't consistent with usage (and fan boards even less so), so all definitions - including ones that might be a little wacky - should be considered a possibility!

 

[Poirot]

Well, I call some major characters, some are supporting, some are minor. And even tho they might only appear rarely, they are major, or appear a lot (usually depending on storyline) they actually are supporting or minor TO ME! So...
Victor, Roman, Abe. Marlena, John, Steve, Kayla, Jennifer, Jack.......major
Justin, Will, Sonny, Chad, Abby, Lani, Eli, Julie, Tripp, .....supporting
And yes some characters used to be higher on the ladder than they currently are, again to me.......
Paulina, Andre, Tony, Chanel, Sami, Kate, Lucas, Eric, Rafe, Gabi, Johnny, Allie ....minor

And then there are others who just fill a void or seem to be cast as "extras" even tho they might be related in some way.........Theo, Nathan, Sydney (who I cannot even remember ever seeing except as a baby, lol) Holly, Jeremy, Bonnie,

 

[oldschool]

Hmm ok I guess I think of legacy differently.

Will, Julie Victor, Abe are legacy and I'd add Lucas. I tend to think of legacy as people who have been around for a very long time or at least have made returns enough that they're never really gone.

I'd say the others are as Poirot said, major or minor at different points. If the show were to stay on for another 20 years Allie, Sonny etc could become legacy characters if they stuck around.

I definitely don't think of someone like Tripp or Lani in legacy territory or kids that were born forever ago and we haven't seen. I probably feel like the word legacy means longevity in some way.