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Character relationship chart maker for any story

Put your whole cast on one page and tie them together with labeled lines. For novels, campaigns, fandoms or a world of your own. No sign-up to start.

Create a free chart Paste a cast list

Free maps are public under CC BY-NC. Pro keeps them private.

Open in the editor
The Salt Crown

Two houses, one guild, and a secret nobody is keeping well.

Hold a character, then drop it on another to tie them.

Open in the editor

Character relationship chart from text

Write a cast list. Get a relationship chart.

Keep your cast the way you already do: one line for each character, one line for each relationship. The relationship chart maker draws every line as it lands, and every relationship you draw on the map is written back into the list.

Cast list Paste a cast list
The Salt Crown
Relationship chart drawn from the cast list: Oriel is Mira's mother, Mira and Tolan are cousins, Tolan is Dace's rival, Mira is Dace's secret love, Pim is Mira's friend.

Hold a character, then drop it on another to tie them.

  • One line for each character

    A plain list of character names is enough to start a relationship chart. Add a short description after a bar, like Kai | Captain.

  • One line for each relationship

    Write Kai -> Mira : mentor and the relationship chart maker draws that relationship. Use <-> when it goes both ways.

  • Nothing changes until you tap Apply

    The chart maker asks before a deleted line removes a character, and one Undo takes the whole edit back.

Examples you can open

Character relationship map examples

Six finished examples drawn in this relationship map maker, each with 16 to 21 characters. Pick one, then point at any character to see every relationship that character has.

User-made relationship charts

Made with this character relationship chart maker

Each relationship chart in this row was drawn by a RelationMap user for an original world, a tabletop campaign or a fandom. Open one and drag a character around to see how a cast of up to 62 stays readable on a single map.

Every map in this row was shared by its author under CC BY-NC 4.0: open it, credit the author and remix it for non-commercial use. Want yours taken off this page? Write to [email protected].

AI relationship chart generator · Part of Pro

Describe your cast. The AI drafts your character relationship chart.

Tell the AI assistant about your story the way you would tell a friend, or paste a passage you already wrote. It works as a character relationship generator: every character it finds goes onto your map, with a labeled line for each relationship.

Ask for a change, like “make them half-siblings”, and it rewrites that one relationship. The relationship chart maker itself never needs AI: drawing, sharing and exporting work without it.

See what Pro includes

Share and embed a character relationship map

One link. Your relationship map opens on any phone.

Every map saved to the cloud from the relationship map maker gets its own link. Send it to your writing group, your players or a fan wiki. Whoever taps it can drag any character, zoom in and read every relationship on the map, with no app and no account.

Pricing

A free relationship chart maker. Pro is optional.

Pro adds private charts, the AI assistant and your own license.

Free

$0

The whole relationship chart maker: draw, share and export as much as you like.

  • No limit on the charts you save to the cloud with a free account
  • Share link and embed, plus PNG, JPG, PDF and JSON export
  • Start with no account: the character relationship chart you are drawing is kept in your browser
  • Paste a cast list, or edit the whole relationship chart as text
  • Ready-made templates, and any public map can be forked into your own copy
  • Automatic relationship colors, groups, tags and a portrait for each character
  • A chart you save to the cloud is public under CC BY-NC 4.0
Create a free relationship chart

Pro

$9.90 a month

or $99 a year

  • Everything in the free relationship chart maker
  • Keep any character relationship chart private, so only you can open it
  • AI assistant that drafts each character and relationship, with 1,000 credits a month
  • Ask the assistant in plain words to add a character or rewrite one relationship
  • Choose your own license, or keep all rights
  • Pay by the month, or by the year and save $19.80
See Pro plans

Definition

What is a character relationship chart?

A character relationship chart shows who is who in a story and how each character is connected to the others: one node for each character, one labeled line for each relationship. You will also see it called a relationship map, a character map, a relationship web, a connection map, a relationship graph or a relationship diagram. For a story, a relationship diagram maker and a relationship chart maker are two names for one thing.

Unlike a family tree, a character relationship chart is not limited to parents and children. Any character can be tied to any other as a rival, a secret love, a mentor or a debtor, and each line is colored by what the relationship means.

Writers use a character relationship chart to keep a growing cast straight, worldbuilders to see how houses and factions connect, and game masters to track who owes whom between sessions. Fans draw a relationship chart for an anime, a TV series or a game, and students draw a character map of a novel for class.

RelationMap is a free online relationship chart maker, and it works the same way as a relationship map maker for real people. Draw your chart by hand, paste a cast list, start from a template or, on Pro, let the AI assistant pull each character out of a passage you wrote.

Quick start in three steps

How to create a character relationship chart

  1. IV KM NO Iris Vale Kai Moreno Nell Okafor Step 1

    Add each character

    Type one character name at a time, or paste a cast list and the relationship chart maker adds every character at once. Give any character a portrait and a one-line note.

  2. rivals IV KM Iris Vale Kai Moreno Step 2

    Draw and label each relationship

    Hold a character, then drop it on another character to draw a line, and type what the relationship is. The relationship chart maker picks a color from a label like rival or sister, so a big chart stays readable.

  3. IV KM Link Embed PNG Step 3

    Share or export your character relationship chart

    When the relationship map is done, the chart maker gives you a live link to share, an embed for your own site, or a PNG, JPG, PDF or JSON file.

Ways to start a relationship chart

Four ways to start a character relationship chart

Start from whatever you already have: a blank page, a cast list in your notes, a finished map you like or a chapter of your draft. Every path ends in the same character relationship chart maker.

  • Free, no account

    Draw the chart by hand

    Best when you know each character by heart.

    1. Open the chart maker and press the + button, or hold an empty spot on the map, to add a character.
    2. Hold a character until it lifts, then drop it on another character to draw a relationship.
    3. Type a label such as rival or sister and press Enter. The line takes its color from the label.
    Start a blank character relationship chart
  • Free, no account

    Paste a cast list

    Best when every character already lives in your notes.

    1. Open Edit as text in the chart maker, or use the Paste a cast list button on this page.
    2. Paste your notes: one character per line, plus a line like Kai -> Mira : mentor for each relationship.
    3. Tap Apply. The chart maker puts the whole cast on the chart at once, each character in place and each relationship drawn.
    Paste a cast list into the relationship chart maker
  • Free

    Start from a template or another map

    Best when you want to take apart a finished character relationship chart before you make your own.

    1. Choose Explore Templates in the relationship chart maker and pick one of the 18 ready-made templates, from Pride and Prejudice to One Piece.
    2. Or open any public character relationship map, press Open in Editor and choose Fork & Edit to get a copy of your own.
    3. Rename each character, relabel each relationship and save the relationship chart under a new title.
    Open a character relationship chart template
  • Pro

    Let the AI assistant draft it

    Best when the story exists as prose and the cast list does not.

    1. Open the AI assistant in the relationship chart maker and describe your cast, or paste a passage from your draft.
    2. The assistant adds each character it finds and draws a labeled relationship wherever the text names one.
    3. Ask for a change in plain words, then fix anything it missed by hand.
    See what Pro includes

Inside the chart maker

Relationship chart maker features, one by one

Eight things the chart maker does, with the details that matter once your cast gets big. All eight are in the free plan.

  • Edit a whole character relationship chart as text

    Every relationship chart has a text version. Open Edit as text in the chart maker and the cast becomes one page of plain writing that you can paste over, rewrite and apply back to the chart.

    • One character per line, with an optional description after a bar: Kai | Captain
    • Kai -> Mira : mentor draws a relationship, and <-> makes it mutual
    • ## Crew starts a group and #pov adds a tag
    • Drag several lines of text onto the map and each line becomes a character

  • Draw a relationship by dragging

    A plain drag only moves a character around the map, so nothing gets connected by accident. Hold a character for half a second until it lifts, then drop it on another character to join the two. The relationship chart maker uses the same gesture with a mouse and on a touch screen.

    • Hold for 500 ms to pick a character up, or drag with Ctrl or ⌘ held to skip the wait
    • Hold an empty spot on the map to add a new character there
    • Drop a character on Link to new to create a connected character in one move
    • Undo and redo cover your last 15 steps

  • Relationship colors that follow the label

    Type what a relationship is and the line colors itself. The chart maker sorts each label into one of seven kinds, and a legend on the relationship chart shows what each color means.

    • Seven kinds of relationship: romance, hostility, family, friendship, hierarchy, alliance and rivalry
    • Add your own keyword and color to a map, for a label the seven kinds do not cover
    • Change the color of one relationship by hand, or of every relationship that shares its label

  • Groups and tags for a large cast

    Put each character into a group, such as a house, a crew or a faction, and the chart maker draws a soft shape around its members on the map. A tag marks something that cuts across groups, like point of view or deceased.

    • A character can belong to more than one group and carry several tags
    • Click a group or a tag in the legend and every character outside it fades
    • Search for a name and the view moves to that character
    • Narrow the All Characters list by name, group or tag

  • A portrait for every character

    Give any character a portrait by uploading an image or dropping one onto the canvas. For an anime or manga character, the relationship chart maker looks the name up and offers pictures to choose from. A character without a portrait gets initials or a drawn face.

    • Upload a file, or drag an image in from another web page
    • Portrait search by character name for anime and manga casts
    • Six default avatar styles: initials, sketch, illustrated, hand-drawn, pixel and blobs
    • Each character also has a subtitle and a longer description

  • World, lore and character notes

    A character relationship chart shows who is tied to whom, and the lore explains why. Lore is saved with the map and travels with its file, but the chart maker never draws it on the chart or prints it on an exported image.

    • One World & lore panel for the title, the lore, each group, each tag and the relationship colors of a map
    • A note under any character or group, written in the text view
    • The same lore sits at the top of Edit as text

  • Mutual arrows and several lines for one pair

    One character can be both a sibling and a rival to another, and a feeling does not always run both ways. Turn on Mutual and the relationship gets an arrowhead at each end. Draw a second relationship between the same pair and the chart maker bends each line into its own arc.

    • A one-way arrow by default, and Mutual for a relationship that goes both ways
    • More than one relationship from one character to another, each drawn as a separate arc
    • Every line keeps its own label and its own color

  • Export as PNG, JPG, PDF or JSON

    The relationship chart maker renders an image export at twice screen resolution, with the title on top and the color legend underneath. The JSON file holds every character and relationship on the map and opens again later.

    • PNG and JPG at 2x resolution
    • PDF through the print dialog of your browser
    • JSON export and import are free: drop a .json file on the chart maker to open it
    • A share link and an embed code for any character relationship chart you save to the cloud as public
Open the relationship chart maker

Who it is for

A relationship chart maker for every kind of cast

  • Original characters and worlds

    Looking for an OC relationship chart maker? Put every original character, house and faction on one page, with who raised whom and who is hiding what.

    • Give each house or faction its own group and color
    • Keep the backstory in the lore field, off the chart itself
    On a Moonless Night, an original world with 42 characters

  • Tabletop campaigns

    Use it as a relationship map maker for your table. Every player character, NPC and patron sits on one map, redrawn between sessions as alliances shift.

    • Relabel a relationship after a session and its color follows
    • Send your players one link that opens the map on a phone
    Monsterhearts 2 campaign map with 141 relationships

  • Fandoms and ship charts

    Make a character relationship chart for an anime, a TV series or a game, then send the link to other fans. RelationMap works as a ship chart maker too, for mapping who ends up with whom.

    • Search a portrait by name for an anime or manga character
    • A Mutual arrow marks a ship that goes both ways
    Attack on Titan character relationship map

  • Novels and class reading

    In the character relationship chart maker, draw a character map for the novel you are writing, or a character relationship diagram for the book you are studying.

    • Paste one line for each character straight from your notes
    • Export a PNG or a PDF for an essay or a slide
    The Hate U Give character map, drawn by a reader

Relationship chart examples by genre

Character relationship chart ideas for every genre

Each genre has its own habits. Open the example to see a finished character relationship chart, or load the template in the chart maker and replace each character with yours.

  • Fantasy family relationship chart example: Game of Thrones, 20 characters in five houses

    Fantasy houses and royal families

    A fantasy relationship chart usually starts with bloodlines: who married into which house and who has a claim to the throne. Give each house a group in the character relationship chart maker, then tie each character to the oaths and betrayals that cross between houses.

  • Ship chart example: Pride and Prejudice relationship chart template with 9 characters

    Love triangles and ship charts

    Three names and two arrows make a love triangle. A shipping chart maker needs only two kinds of line: a one-way arrow for an unreturned crush and a Mutual arrow for a couple.

  • Detective story relationship map example: Detective Conan, 62 characters and 115 relationships

    Mystery casts and detective boards

    A detective board is a relationship map with suspects on it, which makes RelationMap a detective board maker as well. Tie each suspect to the victim, write the motive on the line and keep the alibi in the character description. The same layout works as a conspiracy board.

    Map by a RelationMap user, shared under CC BY-NC 4.0
  • Anime relationship chart example: Attack on Titan, 18 characters and 31 relationships

    Anime and manga

    A long-running series collects a huge cast. Let the chart maker look up a portrait for each character by name, then group the cast by squad or school so the relationship chart reads the way the story does.

  • TV series relationship chart example: Breaking Bad, 16 characters and 32 relationships

    TV series

    A character relationship chart for a TV series helps when you lose track of which character is which. Chart each family first, then every business partner, then who turned on whom by the finale.

  • School story relationship chart example: Harry Potter, 20 characters across the houses

    School and academy stories

    Classmates, clubs, teachers and one transfer student who changes everything. Nearly every character in a school cast is a friend or a rival, and the chart maker colors both labels on its own, so the legend does much of the work.

  • Tabletop campaign relationship map example: Monsterhearts 2, 38 characters and 141 relationships

    Tabletop RPG campaigns

    Chart every player character, every patron and every NPC with a grudge. After each session, open the relationship map maker and relabel any relationship that changed, so the map is ready before the next game night.

    Map by a RelationMap user, shared under CC BY-NC 4.0
  • Connection map of real people: Epstein Files, 21 people and 37 connections

    Real people and history

    The same chart maker works as a relationship map creator for real people: a royal family, a company, a court case. Where character and plot do not apply, use a label like employer or associate.

Start your own relationship chart

RelationMap vs whiteboard, spreadsheet and family tree

How a relationship chart maker compares with other tools

You can draw a cast on a whiteboard, list it in a spreadsheet or force it into a family tree. Here is what changes with a chart maker built for a character relationship chart from the start.

What you need RelationMap chart makerWhiteboard appSpreadsheetFamily tree maker
A relationship between any character and any other Yes, any pairYes, drawn by handA row of text, no drawingParent, child and partner
A label on every relationship Typed on the lineA text box you place yourselfA columnA fixed set of kinds
Color by kind of relationship Automatic, from the labelPicked by hand for each lineCell colors, by handLines show kinship, not kind
Laying out the chart Arranges itself, then you drag any characterYou place every boxA table, not a chartRows of generations
A character relationship chart from a pasted cast list Paste the list, get the chartOne box for each characterThe list is all you getOne person at a time
A group for each house or faction A shaded group around its membersFrames you draw and resizeA columnFamily branches only
More than one relationship for a pair Yes, each line is its own arcYes, routed by handOne row for eachBuilt for one family link
Templates for fiction 18 ready-made templatesGeneral diagram templatesA blank sheetFamily tree templates

Whiteboard apps, spreadsheets and family tree makers differ from one product to the next. The table describes what each kind of tool is built for, not the feature list of any single product.

Counted on

The relationship chart maker in numbers

  • 2,200+ relationship charts saved by users
  • 72,000+ characters placed on those charts
  • 111,000+ relationships drawn between them
  • 150+ countries and territories our visitors come from

Charts, characters and relationships are totals that users saved in the chart maker, leaving out our own templates. Countries come from our privacy-friendly analytics, counted since March 2026.

Relationship map maker app

A character relationship map app for iPhone, iPad and Android

The web relationship chart maker runs in any phone browser. If you would rather have an app, RelationMap is in both stores under the name Relationship Map & Family Tree. It needs no account and saves each map on the device as you edit.

  • Hold a character until it lifts, then drop it on another to connect them
  • No account and no sign-up: your maps are saved on the device as you edit
  • Export a map as PNG, JPG or PDF, or save it as a JSON file to back it up
  • Works on iPhone and iPad, and on Android phones and tablets
Download on the App Store Get it on Google Play

Relationship chart maker FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Is RelationMap.io free?

Yes. The character relationship chart maker is free: drawing, sharing and exporting cost nothing, and you can start without an account. A chart you save to the cloud on the free plan is public under CC BY-NC 4.0. As of November 2026, Pro costs $9.90 a month or $99 a year, keeps any chart private and adds the AI assistant. See what each plan includes.

Do I need to sign up to make a character relationship chart?

No. Open the relationship chart maker and add your first character; the chart you are working on is saved in your browser as you go. Exporting a PNG, a JPG, a PDF or a JSON file works without an account too. Create a free account when you want to save the chart to the cloud, open it on another device or share a link with someone.

What can I make with the relationship chart maker?

Any cast where one character is tied to another: a novel in progress, an original world and its OCs, a tabletop campaign, an anime or TV fandom, a ship chart, a book you are studying, a family, or a connection map of real people from history or the news. If you can name each character and say what their relationship is, the chart maker can draw it. For a starting point, browse the character relationship chart ideas by genre.

How is a relationship chart different from a family tree?

A family tree only links a character to parents, children and a partner. On a relationship map a line can say anything: rival, secret love, owes a debt, mentor. The chart maker colors each relationship from the word you write, lets one pair share more than one line, and uses groups to keep a big cast readable. If your story is mostly bloodlines, start from the British Royal Family template and add the rest.

Is there a character relationship chart template?

Yes. The relationship chart maker comes with 18 ready-made templates, from original worlds like The Salt Crown to Pride and Prejudice and well-known series. Open the chart maker, choose Explore Templates, then rename each character to make it yours. You can also open any character relationship map example on this page, press Open in Editor and fork it into a copy of your own.

Can I paste a cast list into the relationship chart maker?

Yes. Open the paste panel, write one character per line or paste a list from your notes, and tap Apply to draw the chart. A line like Kai -> Mira : mentor adds a relationship, and ## Crew starts a group. On a computer you can also drag several lines of text onto the canvas, and each line becomes a character. A JSON file you exported before opens from the Export menu.

Can AI make my character relationship chart for me?

On Pro, yes. Describe your cast or paste a passage, and the AI assistant adds each character and each relationship to your chart. Then ask for changes in plain words. Pro includes 1,000 AI credits a month, and each message to the assistant uses 3. Treat it as a relationship chart generator for a first draft: you still check every character and fix what it got wrong. The chart maker itself works without AI. See Pro plans.

How do I save my character relationship chart?

The relationship chart maker saves every character and relationship in your browser as you work, with no account. To keep the chart in the cloud and open it on another device, sign in and press Ctrl+S (⌘S on a Mac). A free account is enough for that. For a copy on your own disk, export the chart as a JSON file: it holds each character, relationship, group and tag, and opens again in the chart maker.

Can I share my character relationship chart?

Yes. Save the relationship chart to the cloud from the chart maker and it gets a link anyone can open on a phone or a computer, with no app and no account. Readers can drag any character, zoom in and follow each relationship, but only you can edit. The Share menu also gives you a QR code for the link. On the free plan a shared chart is public; Pro lets you keep a chart private.

Can I embed a relationship map on my website?

Yes, any public character relationship map can be embedded. Open the map, choose Share, then Embed, and paste the one-line snippet into a page on your own site or blog. The embed stays live: add a character or change a relationship in the relationship map maker, and every page that embeds the map shows it. The snippet is a standard iframe, so it works wherever a page accepts one. A private map cannot be embedded on another site.

Can I export my character relationship chart?

Yes, for free. The relationship chart maker exports a PNG or JPG image, a PDF, or a JSON file that holds every character and relationship and opens again later. An image is rendered at twice screen resolution with the title and the color legend, and a PDF goes through the print dialog of your browser. You can also edit the whole relationship chart as a plain-text list.

What license is a free relationship chart under?

A chart saved on the free plan is published under CC BY-NC 4.0 (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial). Anyone can view and remix it for non-commercial use, with credit to you. That is how a free chart can appear among the user-made relationship charts on this page, always with a link back to the original. Pro lets you keep a chart private and choose your own license. See Pro.

Is my data private?

A chart you keep only in your browser never leaves it. On the free plan, a chart saved to the cloud is public; on Pro you can make it private, and a private chart opens for nobody but you. The mobile app keeps each map on your device and does not upload it. We do not sell your personal information. See our Privacy Policy for the details.

Does the relationship map maker work on a phone?

Yes. The relationship chart maker runs in the browser, so there is nothing to install. Anyone can open and read a shared relationship map on a phone. You can edit on a touch screen too: hold a character, then drop it on another character to connect them. A big cast is easier on a larger screen. There is also a relationship map app for iPhone, iPad and Android.

How do I make a relationship chart?

In three steps. Open the relationship chart maker and add each character, either one name at a time or by pasting a list. Hold a character and drop it on another to draw a relationship, then type a label such as sister or rival. When the relationship chart looks right, share its link or export an image. See the step-by-step guide on this page.

What is a relationship map?

A relationship map is a diagram of people and the ties between them: one node for each person or character, one labeled line for each relationship. Relationship chart, relationship web, connection chart and character map are other names for the same kind of diagram. In fiction it tracks a cast; for real people it can show a family, a team or everyone named in a news story. RelationMap is a free relationship map maker for both. Read the longer definition.

Can I make an OC relationship chart?

Yes. RelationMap works well as an OC relationship chart maker. Add each original character, upload a portrait or pick a drawn avatar style, and connect one character to another with labels like childhood friend or sworn enemy. A group suits a friend circle, a family or a faction, and the lore field holds the backstory. The Salt Crown template is an original cast you can rename into your own.

Can I make a ship chart or a love triangle?

Yes, the chart maker doubles as a ship chart maker. Put each character on the chart and draw an arrow for every crush. A one-way arrow shows a feeling that is not returned, and a Mutual arrow shows a couple. A label such as love or crush gives the line the romance color, so a love triangle stands out from every friendship around it. The Pride and Prejudice template is a small ship chart to start from.

Can I make a detective board or an evidence board?

Yes. A mystery cast fits the same canvas: add each suspect, witness and victim as a character, tie them together and write the motive or the alibi on the line. As an evidence board maker, RelationMap takes any image you upload as a portrait, so each suspect has a face on the board. For the red-string look of a conspiracy board maker, give those lines one label and recolor them all at once. The Detective Conan character relationship chart on this page puts a mystery cast of 62 on one map.

Is a connection chart or a relationship web the same thing?

Yes. Connection chart, connection map, relationship web and character web all describe the same picture: names joined by labeled lines. Whether you came looking for a relationship web maker or a connection map, the steps are the same: add each person or character, draw each relationship and label it. For real people, the Epstein Files connection map shows how the relationship map maker handles court records instead of a plot.

Is there a character relationship chart maker app?

Yes. The app is called Relationship Map & Family Tree and it is on the App Store for iPhone and iPad and on Google Play for Android. It needs no account and saves each map on your device. The web relationship chart maker also runs in a phone browser if you would rather not install anything.

Chart maker changelog

What’s new in RelationMap in 2026

Last updated

See every update

  1. A new homepage, Edit as text, World & lore, and free JSON export

    • New homepage you can try before signing up: drag the characters, tie two of them together or add your own, right on the page
    • Edit as text: see the whole map as a plain list, paste a cast list or retype relationships, then apply it in one step and undo it in one step

  2. Groups & tags in the sidebar, renaming, and a big stability fix

    • Groups and Tags now live in the left sidebar alongside Characters — see everything at a glance, with "All" opening full management
    • Rename groups and tags — the name is now editable, not just the note

  3. Mutual arrows, custom colors & a color guide

    • Mutual relationships — a "Mutual" toggle draws one double-headed arrow for two-way bonds, instead of forcing you to draw two identical arrows
    • Per-relationship color picker — keep your own labels and set any line color yourself, with a hint of which colors are already in use

Your cast is waiting for its character relationship chart.

Create a free relationship chart