The 6 Levels of Conflict in Storytelling

From Internal Struggles to Supernatural Threats

Conflict gives a story its shape. Tension pulls readers in and keeps them turning pages.

Without conflict, characters don’t grow, plots don’t move, and readers lose interest.

Six distinct levels of conflict show up in stories across every genre. Each adds a different kind of pressure. Layered together, your story becomes dynamic. Conflict drives narrative tension, character growth, and reader engagement.

1. Character vs. Self

This is internal struggle. It’s quiet but drives everything. A character deals with fear, guilt, insecurity, or a tough decision. These conflicts shape the emotional arc of the story.

In Good Will Hunting, Will doesn’t believe he deserves love or success. His biggest fight is with his own self-worth. Internal tension affects all his relationships.

To write this, show hesitation, self-doubt, or emotional breakdown. Use private moments, body language, and inner thoughts.

2. Character vs. Character

This is the most direct kind of conflict. Two people want different things, and they clash. It can be a fight, a rivalry, a breakup, or a power struggle.

In Breaking Bad, Walter and Jesse constantly argue, manipulate each other, and shift loyalties. Their personal conflict drives the entire plot.

Give both characters strong motivation. Let them argue, betray, or challenge each other. The stakes are personal.

3. Character vs. Society

This happens when a character pushes back against rules, traditions, or institutions. It’s rebellion, resistance, or trying to change the system.

In The Hunger Games, Katniss is a symbol of resistance against a brutal government. Her fight isn’t only personal, it’s political.

Show how the system affects the character’s life. Use laws, expectations, or social pressure to build tension. Let the character push back.

4. Character vs. Nature

This is survival. The character faces natural forces. Storms, wild animals, disease, or isolation. It’s physical and emotional.

In The Revenant, Hugh Glass fights to survive after being attacked by a bear. Nature is unforgiving. Every step is a struggle.

Focus on physical details. Describe the cold, the hunger, the exhaustion. Let the environment be a living threat.

5. Character vs. Technology

This conflict is control, ethics, and dependence. The character is trapped by machines, monitored by AI, or struggles with digital overload.

In Her, Theodore falls in love with an operating system. The relationship raises questions about loneliness.

Examine how technology changes behavior. Make the tech believable and show how it affects character choices.

6. Character vs. Supernatural

This includes ghosts, gods, fate, or anything beyond normal understanding. It’s used in horror, fantasy, or thrillers.

In The Sixth Sense, the boy sees dead people. That supernatural conflict shapes his relationships.

Ground the supernatural in emotions. Fear, confusion, and disbelief make the conflict relatable. Focus on how the character reacts.

7. Character vs. Narrative Structure (Meta Conflict)

This bonus layer shows up in experimental or metafictional stories.

Some stories examine Character vs. Narrative Structure or Character vs. Authorial Control.

The character may resist the story itself, break the fourth wall, or question their reality.

In Stranger Than Fiction, the main character realizes he’s in a novel. He tries to change the ending. That twist adds humor.

Use this conflict to examine big questions about control, fate, or storytelling. It works when it’s tied to the character’s emotional journey.

Don’t just pick one type of conflict. Mix them. Layer them. Let them build on each other.

Layer conflicts. A character might fight their own fear while they battle a corrupt system.

Escalate tension. Let the conflict grow. A quiet disagreement turns into a crisis.

Use contrast. The character is at peace with nature but at war with society.

Make it personal. Conflicts affect the character emotionally.

Add motion. The conflict changes over time. People grow. Situations shift. Keep things moving.

Conflict forces decisions and change. Characters grow. These seven levels of conflict provide tools to build something strong.