What is a Kinsona?

What’s a what now?

There’s countless types of characters out there. I don’t mean personality-wise! We all know how many infinite personalities there are to explore out there. Today, we’re going to take a look at OCs, sonas, and kinsonas. You may have heard of an original character, or OC, before. Some of the other terms may be new to you! Have you ever wished you could step into the shoes of your own unique character? Well, the world of original characters, sonas, and kinsonas is here to make that dream a reality! These creations let people express themselves in amazing ways. 

Whether you’re a veteran character creator or a newbie to character creation, welcome. By the end of this article, you’ll know a little more about the artistic world, so let’s get started!

Let’s Catch Up With A Character Crash Course!

Alright, we have some catching up to do. First off, let’s define some terms! An original character, also called an OC, is any character you create. As long as it’s unique (original), and it’s a character, it’s an OC! In other words, species, gender, style, or personality doesn’t change the fact that you’ve got an OC on your hands. Next, a ‘sona’ is an OC that is in some way a reflection of the artist. Sonas can represent their artists in many ways. Their personalities may be similar, for example. Some people use sonas as a way to express a hidden side of themselves, too! 

Now, sonas and OCs get mixed up quite a bit. I mean, they’re pretty similar! Both are characters, and both are totally unique (usually). Still, there’s one big difference. A sona is specifically made to represent some part of the artist who creates them. An OC, however, might not be. Might. In other words, sonas are actually a type of OC. You aren’t simply copy pasting yourself onto a character. (Heck, even if you are, that’s called a self insert!) Sonas are just characters that come from your core, basically. 

The best way to explain how OCs and sonas are different is looking at how they’re both made. We’ll go further into that topic a bit later in this article, so keep reading to find out how! 

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Okay, but what about the ‘kin’ part?

Here’s where things can get a bit tricky. Merriam-Webster defines ‘kin’ as “a group of persons of common ancestry”. Another definition is “one's relatives.” The word ‘kin’ is related to the word ‘kindred’, meaning ‘of a similar nature or character’. For our usage, I feel the word ‘kindred’ is closer to how we use ‘kin’ here. To kin a character is to relate to them. For some people, they feel like a character is sort of a distant reflection of themselves. For others, they go as far as to believe that they are indeed that character.

Another thing! ‘Kin’ is often used as a verb. For example, someone may say, “I really relate to this character! I definitely kin them.” It’s also not uncommon to see the word ‘kinnie’. A kinnie is just someone who kins a character. For example, people who kin Asuka Langley Soryu from Evangelion would be an ‘Asuka kinnie’. 

Let’s talk about otherkin and therians. Throughout my stay in the online art world, I’ve noticed these folks sort of disappear. Still, I think it’s an important topic to touch on. Firstly, therians are people who psychologically, emotionally, or spiritually identify as an animal. This is very different from a furry. Furries enjoy anthropomorphic animal characters. They may enjoy drawing them or even dressing up as them at times. Still, furries don’t usually believe they have the spirit of an animal. Therians sometimes do. Now, what does this have to do with kinsonas? 

Well, otherkin are people who, like therians, identify as something that is nonhuman. Unlike therians, they usually identify with fantasy or fictional entities. Some people simply relate to dragons, for example. Or, they could identify with fictional characters. That, my friend, is where fictionkin come in. And, finally, kinsonas were born. 

Essentially, you can go as deep into a kinsona as you want. It can be as surface level as creating a fox fursona for your mischievous nature. Or, it can be as deep as creating a well thought out character that represents your very soul. In the end, what you choose to do with your kinsona is up to you. As long as you have one foot firmly placed in reality, have a blast. (And stay safe!)

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 Do I need a Kinsona?

Not everyone needs or wants a kinsona. Some people are happy with just having original characters or just sonas. That's totally fine! Kinsonas allow people to explore their personal connection to art in a unique way. But guess what? So do OCs and sonas! They all have their differences. No matter what you choose to create, you’re sure to learn something new. Isn’t that all that really matters in the end?  There are so many different creative outlets to choose from. The most important thing is finding what works best for you. That way, you can share your art with people you love! 

Who uses kinsonas, and why?

So, why should you use a kinsona? The answer is, maybe you shouldn’t! It’s all up to you and if the idea sounds like a good one to you! Why do other people use kinsonas, though? We asked the CharacterHub community and received these great responses!

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“I (very seldomly) use kinsonas because I more than likely just really identify with a character !  It's like a character on screen is just... me, but as a fantastical creature or something-- and it's kinda fun to take that character and make them even more like you! As for what kinning means to me, it just means identifying with a character that reminds me of myself. It can be one trait or a bunch of traits, either way, I can't help but love those characters a bit ><” -maniCARNY

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“it makes me feel closer to the character, in a broad term. I rely a lot on fiction and characters (both OCs and other characters) as a coping mechanism for my mental health, and making these characters 'my own' in a way that shows love to the original is really fun and beneficial for me!!” -candykoibetta

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Kinsonas aren’t for everyone. Neither are sonas, though! Or, OCs for that matter. Or…chocolate, apparently. (Yeah, some people seriously don’t like chocolate!) In other words, nothing is really for everyone! It’s up to you to find out if you love the concept of kinsonas. Whether the idea is appealing to you or not, it’s always good to be educated about different types of characters. Knowledge is power, after all. So, get ready to wield the power of the pen!

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OC Creation vs Sona Creation

An OC is mainly made through brainstorming. Not so for a sona! Sonas, on the other hand, are made by introspecting. You can only make a sona’s personality as deep as you know your own. In other words, you need to know yourself pretty well to be able to represent yourself well, too.

But wait- before you begin making a sona or kinsona, ask yourself this. ‘Do I know how to create a regular OC?’ If you’re not so sure, pause. It’s easy to rush into character creation, but if you want a great result, you need to start at the fundamentals. Let’s break it down into the basics. Kinsonas are a type of sona. Sonas are a type of OC, therefore, let’s review OC creation so we can make a great kinsona!

OCs are made by creating a personality from nothing. You have to get creative. It’s not that you don’t get creative when making sonas-you do. It’s just different. Think of it like this: when making a sona, you can actually ask the character questions. (Because the character is you!) You can say, “why do you have that habit?” and the character can point to a memory or experience. Even if the artist changes the exact events of their sona’s lore, they have a starting point already. It’s the difference between building a house on a solid foundation and building one from the ground up.

To fully flesh out an OC, an artist usually does character development activities. That can work to make sonas or kinsonas, too. Remember, kinsonas are really just another type of original character. So, you can apply some techniques from OC creation to make a kinsona. The most important part in making a kinsona versus a sona is simple. You need to choose a species and overall embodiment of yourself. Are you busy like a bumble bee? Or maybe your imagination is as vast as space. Truly, your options are limitless. (Your kinsona can be a personified stapler for all I care!) As long as some part of the concept is something you relate to on some level, you’re going in the right direction. 

Essentially, you need to follow the same steps as you would when making a Sona. Let’s get into how to craft a kinsona!

1. Start by examining parts of your own personality, interests, and quirks. What’s most important to your identity? What makes you, you? What part(s) of yourself are often hidden to others? These personal qualities will form the core of your kinsona's character.  So, take a close look! 
2. Next, decide on the representation for your kinsona. Will they be an anthropomorphic animal or a mythical creature? Or, maybe, a simple human? Just like with sonas, this is a pretty important part. First of all, drawing your character will be different. Plus, the creature your character is can be deeply meaningful. Now, here’s where the concepts of ‘otherkin’ and ‘therian’ come in. If you identify as one of these groups, just use your kintype! (A ‘kintype’ is what species someone identifies with in the otherkin world.) This is a simple way to get started because your kintype is already a representation of you. 
3. It’s time to bring your kinsona to life.  Now, you can start designing your character!. Remember to refer to the fundamentals to avoid a bad design. This is the point when you will choose a color palette for your kinsona, too. Remember, the color palette is crucial in conveying your kinsona's personality. So, choose hues that resonate with you!
4. Develop a rich backstory for your kinsona. Think about their motivations, goals, and the challenges they face. These can be a reflection of your own experiences and goals, but they don’t have to. For example, let’s say you really tune in to the logical part of yourself. You love art, but you secretly love algebra, too. In real life, maybe your goal is to be a famous artist. Your logical kinsona, though, has a goal to be the next Einstein!  It’s all about how you can twist parts of yourself here.
5. Finally, engage with your kinsona. That can mean tons of things! For example, drawing your kinsona is a great way to do this! Writing narratives, or participating in roleplay scenarios are good choices, too! (Pssst…you can roleplay on Characterhub!)

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How To Stay Organized While Creating Characters

One thing you don’t want to learn the hard way is organization. Imagine you just created the coolest kinsona of all time. Ever. Like, ten times cooler than whatever you are imagining when I say ‘cool’. Well…you kept all of the information about them in your sketchbook. The one that you haven’t been able to find for months. The worst part? You can’t even remember most of the details about the kinsona! So, you can’t even try to piece together your memories about them! Okay, don’t worry, this is all a fake scenario. The good news? Once you finish this article, you’ll have all the tools you need to make sure that never happens to you!

 Creative Character Templates

In the horror story -ahem- I mean, example above, I mentioned keeping info in a sketchbook. That’s great to do! Sometimes, traditional art is the best way to get ideas onto paper. Using a sketchbook isn’t an issue as long as you have your information organized. (And maybe backed up digitally, too! It never hurts to have an extra copy of something. You’re less likely to lose track of two of something, after all.) 

It’s a good idea to have a copy of your character’s information digitally. Those can fail, too, though. Let’s look at another example. Maybe you keep some of your character info in a Word document. Maybe there’s some ideas in your Notes app, too. And a few hidden in text messages. Plus, there’s still the information you forgot to transpose from your sketchbook. Whew! That’s sort of a lot! 

It’s sorta hard to find one good place to keep all of your character info. That’s why character planners and templates are so great! There are truly endless ways to use a character template or planner. Both of these tools are usually used when one is first making a character. You can totally go back, though, and use them as organization tools! A character template is a great way to kickstart character creation. On the other hand, a character planner is a way to map out a character. A planner might seem unnecessary if you already made your character. Think of it like this: is it useless to create a map of an already existing mountain? Of course not! Even though the mountain already exists, a map of it will help you explore it. Making a general map might leave out unexplored areas, too. So, you can traverse even deeper into your character!

Using CharacterHub

CharacterHub is a great tool for keeping track of your sonas, kinsonas, and other original characters. It helps you store all the important details about your characters in one place. You can create profiles for each of your characters. In fact, you can store all the info about your characters right on CharacterHub! That means that you won’t have to worry about staying organized. CharacterHub does it for you!  This makes it easy to refer back to their information when you really need it. Plus, there are chances to get featured in an article like this one! To join this wonderful world of creation, click here!