a character used in a story or backstory to simply give reason for something; little to no detail is provided about them and they usually aren't necessary in the story at all
An example of a throwaway character: Bob had a mom who raised him but then he left to sail the seven and a half seas.
"Why is this considered a throwaway character?"
"Well, so what if he had a mom that raised him? The mom has no purpose in the story."
"Why is this considered a throwaway character?"
"Well, so what if he had a mom that raised him? The mom has no purpose in the story."
by CoolCaleb04 December 8, 2018