Literary Character Archetypes

Willing Hero

Doesn’t hesitate, complain, question, or bargain when a problem/ their destined journey arises

• ex: captain america, superman, king arthur, etc

Unwilling Hero

Complains, hesitates, doubts themselves, and is ready to hand their responsibilities off.

• ex: Frodo, Harry Potter

Anti- Hero

Possesses traits that are opposite to traditional heroes

• DOES NOT = villain

Cynical Anti-Hero

often sarcastic, and believes everyone has some sort of alterior motive

Tragic Anti-hero

decides the only way to achieve goal is to make an awful, criminal, decision. Later has to try and fix it (usually dies in the process)

• ex: anakin skywalker, achilles, john proctor, black widow

Group Oriented Hero

A group of heroes that do their best work together

• ex: power ranges, teen titans, fantastic 4)

Loner Hero

Either prefers to work alone or is trying to protect others

• ex: hawkeye, spider-man, batman, james bond

Catalyst Hero

Mentor that iniates quest for current hero, but was also a hero in their own story

• ex: bilbo baggins, yoda, obi-wan kenobi

Mentor

• gift-giving: gives tools, weapons, etc to the hero

• teaching: training, life lessons, or advice to hero

• Supernatural: either actually supernatural or percieved as supernatural with other wordly teachings

• ex: bilbo, obi-wan, dumbledore, fairy godmothers

Herald/Harbinger

• typically iniates a quest (herald by fate and harbinger by chance)

• can appear at any point in the story and inniate change

• does not have to be an actual character - could manifest as hero’s inner voice

• ALWAYS an agent of transformation

Threshold Guardian

• tests the hero to see if they are ready to advance through quest - agent of transformation

• presenting a menacing face but can be overcome, bypassed, or convinced to join hero

• Aren’t always characters, sometimes ordinary obstacles such as weather

• could be psychological vices

Shapeshifter

• their primary goal is to lure the hero away from the quest’s end

• rarely, but sometimes, can lead hero to reward

• can take on traits opposite of the hero that attracts the hero

• they serve personal interest and dont care about hero or shadow’s goals

Trickster/Fool

• personification of chaos - usually in comedic form

• no alterior motives (this is how to identify them from shapeshifter)

• often appear insane or other-worldly, proximity to heart of the world (what everyone needs or wants in story)

• serves world interest - what the world wants is given to by trickster

The Scapegoat

• animal or person whose death in public ceremony takes the blame within the community

• something alien or different about them that sets them apart from the rest of the community

Outcast or wanderer

• banished from social group for crime committed (guilty or not)

• Destined to wander, never truly fit in or find the place they belong

The Shadow

• primary obstacle or threat the hero has to face

• often times manifests as the darker sides of the hero with contrasting goals (end goals could be the same)

• Possess qualities and traits that mirror the hero’s

• many times they begin as shapeshifters, threshold guardians, scapegoat, etc

The Tyrant

Bullying despit, conqueror, wants power at any cost and do not like sharing power with others, view people as pawns

The Bastard

The dispossessed child who feels overlooked and feels that ‘it’ should’ve been theirs

The Devil

a charming, charasmatic fiend, gives people what they believe they deserve, and loves to find a moral weakness in a person

The Traitor

A double agent, betrays everybody that trusts him, supportive unit until he betrays you, often goes with bastard

The Outsider

a very lonely person who desperately wants to belong, legitimately outcast and wants redemption (ready to sacrifice anything to belong)

The Evil Genius

the mastermind that loves to show off their superior intelligent, loves puzzles

The Sadist

Uses puzzles and traps, cruelty for cruelty’s sake, all for their own enjoyment, often very violent

The Terrorist

individual that serves a warped moral code that only they understand and deal out punishments based on it, cannot bargain with them

Loyal Retainers

• sidekicks

• their duty is to reflect the nobility and power of the hero

• sets the hero back on track

• can be a threshold guardian that turns into an ally

Damsel in Distress

classic vulnerable women who needs rescuing and often ends up as bait for the shadow

The platonic ideal

a woman who is a source of inspiration for the hero and the hero is solely intellectually attracted to

The Earth Mother

• Symbolic of fruition, abundance, and fertility

• traditionally after spiritual and emotional nourishment

• excellent at detecting lies

The Temptress

• characterized by sensual beauty, her job is to distract or lure the hero

The Unfaithful Wife

a woman who finds her partner as dull, boring, borrish, and tends to be attracted to another man

The Goddess

The perfect maiden/ ideal marriage partner or love interest for hero

• doesn’t equal happily ever after

Star Crossed Lovers

A love affair that is fated to end tragically for one or both of them