Character

A Character (Greek, kharaktêr) can be, depending on usage in furry fandom:


 * One's own fursona: a character assumed by a person as their persona or identity.
 * In roleplay, as a dedicated self playing personal furry, to be themselves no matter where they go (i.e. fursuiting).
 * Personal furry characters that are often depicted in media, either in graphic art, part of a story, as a plush, sculpture, etc.

These uses are not mutually exclusive; a character can be primarily used for one of the above, or have multiple usages. Indeed, many furry characters are fursona, roleplaying characters, and subjects of furry art at the same time!

Characters can also be categorized by their origin:
 * An existing character from an established fictional universe, sometimes called "canon" characters. Examples include Sonic the Hedgehog, and Simba from The Lion King.
 * original characters, or OCs. Sometimes, that's taken to specifically mean a character that isn't a fursona: "just an OC".
 * Fan character — created by fans of the universe of any work, to fit in with the fictional universe and/or characters of that particular story. Generally found in fanfiction, but can also be a fursona or roleplay character. In this sense, "original character" is the opposite of "canon" characters.
 * Author character, not associated with any product. Artistic style may be borrowed from some works, but the author usually mentions that the character itself.