The characters have evolved over time, with some of their traits generated by Minecraft’s quirks – Trayaurus’ clumsiness comes from the character’s habit of blundering into lava pits and other obstacles, out of Middleton’s control. So I started introducing him into more videos, then we went into a lab and found Grim, and it grew from there,” he says. “People really connected with the story of Trayaurus going through that video: it made it less of a tutorial and more of a story, even though they were still learning about the mod.

For one mod based on dinosaurs, Middleton used one of Minecraft’s villager characters to help him explore the world. Middleton says his focus on narrative and characters was a “happy accident” that sprang out of his videos showcasing Minecraft mods – downloadable add-ons that customised the game. His young audience aren’t just watching him play Minecraft: they’re watching him tell stories using the game as the backdrop. Those characters have been key to the growth of Middleton’s fanbase on YouTube. The first DanTDM book is a graphic novel rather than a standard annual.

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