Characters

A character is a vessel of will in a game. Through characters, a player interacts with the game world. Characters also give the game world a little bit of life and vibrancy.

Player Character
A player character or PC is an in-game unit that the player inhabits or controls. While PCs are ubiquitous in gaming especially in RPGs, not every game has a PC. Some games have a the player be an unseen entity that control in-game elements and command character units.

Non-Player Character
A non-player character or NPC is a character not controlled by a player. The label of NPC is mostly given to friendly or neutral entities which may or may not be interacted with. Some NPCs have functions beyond adding life to the world such as offering services, quests, and items.

A hostile NPC is usually called an enemy, and they are often scattered across the game world as antagonists and challenges for the player to conquer. Enemies are sometimes called monsters if they are non-human.