Character styles are built from the text formatting options available when you click:

• Format and Font
• Format and Borders And Shading
• Tools, Language, and Set Language

Character styles are useful for employing formatting on a particular string of characters.

Example
Select All Styles in the Show drop-down menu at the bottom of the Styles And Formatting pane. Click the arrow next to Followed Hyperlink, choose Modify, and look over the formats. This is a character style type.