A question about building realistic characters

I know there are a lot of people who enjoy reading books, watching TV shows, and watching movies who are really interested in world building. I am not one of them. I don't have much interest in it because I don't find the made up world to be very realistic. It's usually the characters in the books, TV shows, and movies who draw me in.<br><br>The question I have is: How can you, as a writer, create characters who are so realistic that readers will forget that they are reading about made up people in a made up world? I'm talking about creating characters who behave in a believable and relatable way, and who behave in a way that is in character with the story's setting.<br><br>My example: I've been reading the Mistborn series by Brandon Sanderson. I enjoy the series, but one of my big criticisms is the female characters are really one dimensional. They're not stupid, they're smart, and they're strong, but that's about it. They're not well developed, and they are basically the same. They don't feel like real people.<br><br>I'm not sure what it is that Sanderson is going for, but I don't find the female characters believable. I also don't find the male characters believable. The male and female characters all behave in the same way, with the exception of the villain, who is evil and manipulative. It's interesting that Sanderson is trying to create a society where everyone has the same power, and there's no natural born leaders. But the characters all seem to act the same. It doesn't feel like a believable society to me.<br><br>The other example is the female characters in the Outlander books by Diana Gabaldon. She writes the female characters in a way that feels very real and believable. She writes about strong women in a way that is authentic, and it feels real. I think Gabaldon is a better writer when it comes to character creation, but I'm not sure how to go about doing that myself.