Answer:
Major characters - also known as primary characters, influence the plot and other characters
Minor characters - also known as secondary characters, contribute to but are not essential to the plot.
Explanation:
Every story has its major (primary) and minor (secondary) characters.
Major characters are the ones that the plot follows most of the time. We get to see their development from the beginning to the end. The major characters we encounter in most stories are the protagonist, antagonist, and the character through whose eyes we're watching the story unfold (often this character and the protagonist are one character).
Minor characters are also important, but not as important as major characters. They appear in fewer scenes are not as essential to the development of the plot. We often don't see their development. They are there to support the development of the major characters and reveal more about them.
