Central character
Lead and central character are semantically related. in person who takes the lead topic. In some cases you can use "Lead" instead a noun phrase "Central character".
Lead
Lead noun - The person who has the most important role in a play, movie, or TV show.
Central character and lead are semantically related. You can use "Central character" instead a noun "Lead".
Mutual synonyms
Both terms in one sentence
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As the show separated itself from the novels however, more demand was made for Thomas focused stories (for both the show and the books), making him more the central character, though the other engines tend to still get lead roles on a frequent basis.
Source: Ensemble Cast -
The plot (and central character) of Bunny Drop come about because of the relationship developed between the male lead's grandfather and the twenty-something Masako, who worked in his home as a helper (though whether it was romantic on her part is debatable).
Source: MayDecember Romance
Cite this Source
Lead and Central character. (2016). Retrieved 2026, July 22, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/central_character/lead
Central character & Lead. N.p., 2016. Web. 22 Jul. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/central_character/lead>.
Lead or Central character. 2016. Accessed July 22, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/central_character/lead.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "central character" and "lead" have occurred on timeline