To see the third perspective, keep yourself in the shoes of the Main Character for a moment. You are right in the middle of the story's battle. Smoke from dramatic explosions obscures the field. You are not sure which way leads to safety. Still, before there was so much turmoil, the way was clear and you are confident in your sense of direction.

Then, from the smoke a shadowy figure appears, solidly blocking your way. The shadowy figure is your Impact Character. You can't see well enough to tell if he is friend or foe. He might be a compatriot trying to keep you from stepping into a minefield. Or, he might be the enemy luring you into a trap. What to do! Do you keep on your path and run over this person or try the other path instead? This is the dilemma that faces a Main Character.

To explore the issue at the heart of a story completely, an Impact Character must present an alternative approach to the Main Character. The Impact Character Throughline describes the promoter of this alternative path and the manner in which he impacts Main Character. This is the impersonal, second person, "You" perspective.

Other names for this character include the Obstacle Character, Influence Character, Mirror Character, and possibly others. Don't be distracted by the name. Though the label implies a single character, the Impact Character can be represented by one character or a group of characters. The consistency of perspective is the important quality of the throughline.