The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word WESTERNER
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
W
E
S
T
E
R
N
E
R
More clues leading to the result WESTERNER
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "character from the free world" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case character from the free world = westerner.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does WESTERNER mean?
WESTERNER noun- A native or inhabitant of the west of a region (or of the world as a whole).