The 12 Traditional Character Archetypes in Literature Explained

The 12 Jungian character archetypes are important for writers to know, as they provide a framework for developing a character and directing the plot of your story. But what exactly are they and what do the mean? In this article, we explain what the 12 archetypes (with traits, weaknesses, and examples), dive into some of the other popular character archetypes, explain the importance behind them, and more. Looking to up your pen game and write a truly relatable character? Then read on!

Popular Character Archetypes in Fiction

The Hero/Warrior: Courageous character devoted to protecting others.
The Explorer/Seeker: Character who yearns to discover the unknown.
The Lover: Character who’s full of love (romantic, platonic, and spiritual).
The Outlaw/Rebel: Character who operates outside the law to enact justice.
The Ruler: Powerful leader who either rules through charisma or an iron fist.
The Magician: Character with magical skills who constantly seeks growth.
The Sage: Mentor who has access to knowledge beyond the main character’s scope.

Section 1 of 7:

Carl Jung’s 12 Character Archetypes

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The Innocent The Innocent character archetype is someone innocent and pure of heart, like a child. They are spontaneous, trusting, optimistic, and see the world through a lens of naivety. This lens shields their innocence, but it also blinds them to their weaknesses, like a lack of independence. This archetype typically serves as a starting point for the character, who opens their eyes to reality after a traumatic event.^{[1]
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- Traits: Optimistic, trusting, hopeful, honest, caring, sincere, and a goal of staying safe.
- Weaknesses: Naive, too trusting, overdependent, oblivious, inexperienced, vulnerable, powerless, and a fear of abandonment.
- Examples: Rapunzel (Tangled), Dorothy (The Wizard of Oz), Forrest Gump (Forrest Gump), Nezuko Kamado (Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba)
- Tips for Writing:
  - Focus on the contrast between their character before and after a traumatic event and dive into how they grow (or fall).
  - Build a powerful backstory and thoroughly explain why they’re a powerful character if you’re designating them as the “Chosen One.”
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The Everyman The Everyman character archetype is your average Joe, a grounded person who everyone can relate to. They aren’t necessarily the smartest or strongest, but they’re empathetic, hard-working folk who are just trying to get by and be kind as they do so. The Everyman helps ground the story by giving readers a down-to-earth character they can see themselves in.^{[2]
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- Traits: Hard-working, empathetic, grounded, relatable
- Weaknesses: Unprepared, powerless, insecure
- Examples: Bilbo Baggins (The Lord of the Rings), Peter Parker (Spider-Man), Miles Morales (Spider-Man), Ron Weasley (Harry Potter), Leslie Knope (Parks & Recreation)
- Tips for Writing:
  - Lean into everyday weaknesses, like anxiety and fear, to make your character more relatable.
  - While they’re typically uneducated, be careful not to represent your character as dumb or inept (unless that’s what you’re going for with the plot).
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The Hero/Warrior The Hero is the character who rises to the occasion and vows to save the day from whatever threat is presented by the plot. They are tough and courageous, drive the story forward, and are one of the most common archetypes in writing. They can reluctantly take the mantle of hero or be born to protect, depending on what your story’s plot calls for.^{[3]
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- Traits: Strong, courageous, honorable, disciplined, skillful, and determined to protect the world and/or those they care about.
- Weaknesses: Stoic, arrogant, overly prideful, often filled with hubris
- Examples: Captain America (Captain America), Superman (DC Comics), Frodo Baggins (The Lord of the Rings), Monkey D. Luffy (One Piece)
- Tips for Writing:
  - Focus on the hero’s flaws instead of only showing their good side. It can help bring them down to earth for your readers.
  - Give them moral dilemmas that leave them conflicted, as they can help raise the stakes of the plot and emphasize your character’s strengths and weaknesses.
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The Caregiver The Caregiver archetype is someone compassionate, generous, and selflessly helps others. They often provide support to those around them while overlooking the need to support themselves, making for an emotional character journey. It’s not uncommon to see The Caregiver alongside the Hero or protagonist, supporting them and encouraging them in dull and dire moments.^{[4]
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- Traits: Caring, helpful, loving, loyal, compassionate, generous, nurturing, selfless, consistent
- Weaknesses: Vulnerable, lack of personal goals, codependence, and a tendency to neglect their own needs.
- Examples: Joyce Byers (Stranger Things), Mary Poppins (Mary Poppins), Orihime Inoue (Bleach), Chi-Chi (Dragon Ball Z)
- Tips for Writing:
  - Give Caregivers diverse and deep reasons for their tendency to care for others.
  - Make them overcompassionate and consider having them care for or about the protagonist to subvert audience expectations.
  - Give them a complex backstory and motivation to avoid making them flat.
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The Explorer/Seeker The Explorer is someone who yearns to discover the unknown. They have a knack for seeking out new paths and experiences, often due to being unsatisfied with the way their life is. They’re boundary-pushers who are driven by their desire to experience something new, making for exciting, plot-pushing characters.^{[5]
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- Traits: Autonomous, ambitious, courageous, independent, and driven
- Weaknesses: Constantly unsatisfied, aimless, selfish, and alienated (both by others and themselves)
- Examples: Lara Croft (Tomb Raider), Indiana Jones (Indiana Jones), Peter Pan (Peter Pan), Nami (One Piece), Ariel (The Little Mermaid), Star-Lord (Guardians of the Galaxy)
- Tips for Writing:
  - Give them deep reasons for wanting to explore the world, rather than just wanting to get away from their current life.
  - Explore the internal conflicts that arise from their dissatisfaction with everyday life and how they change throughout the course of the story.
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The Lover As the name suggests, the Lover character archetype is someone who deeply values and exudes love. The love they hold isn’t necessarily romantic either; it can be platonic or spiritual, as well. The Lover character seeks true love and wants to build it among their fellow characters, often willing to change or sacrifice themselves to do so. They’re passionate, devoted characters who add tons of emotional weight to a story.^{[6]
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- Traits: Devoted, caring, compassionate, protective, loyal
- Weaknesses: Quick to objectify, obsessive, jealous, afraid of loneliness, and often centers their identity around love or their lover.
- Examples: Belle (Beauty and the Beast), Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet (Romeo and Juliet), Hinata Hyuga (Naruto), Rose (Titanic)
- Tips for Writing:
  - Focus on how their loving nature backfires on them to create a unique Lover who subverts the traditional archetype.
  - Make them a confident, bold character who loudly loves to make them a unique rendition of the archetype.
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The Outlaw/Rebel The Outlaw is the character that subverts the traditional rules of the society they live in, fighting against flawed and corrupt leaders or political systems. They operate outside of the law, leading their rebellious crusade with charisma and tenacity, whether they’re operating in the dark or sneaking around in the light.
- Traits: Natural leaders, inspiring, charismatic, strong, resourceful, dedicated
- Weaknesses: Obsessive, uncompromising, rulebreaker, fanatic, lack of resources and manpower
- Examples: Batman (DC Comics), Han Solo (Star Wars), Robin Hood (Robin Hood), Stain (My Hero Academia)
- Tips for Writing:
  - Give your outlaw character a strong, fleshed-out backstory that makes the reader empathize with their reasons for operating outside the law.
  - Give them flaws rather than making them the perfect bad boy.
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The Creator The Creator archetype is a character who is constantly making something new. They tend to be deeply obsessed with their desire to create, putting it above all other things and choosing to focus on their projects and inventions. This makes for a character who is smart but socially disconnected from those around them, like a mad scientist or hidden creator.^{[7]
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- Traits: Imaginative, creative, strong-willed, smart, unique, driven
- Weaknesses: One-track minded, egotistical, perfectionist, unreliable, and willing to sacrifice themselves or others.
- Examples: Dr. Emmett Brown (Back to the Future), Tony Stark (Iron Man), Remy (Ratatouille), Dr. Victor Frankenstein (Frankenstein), Wednesday Addams (The Addams Family)
- Tips for Writing:
  - Explain the motivations behind your characters’ desire to create.
  - Explore the benefits and consequences of their creations throughout your story.
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The Ruler The Ruler character archetype is someone who rules over a land or kingdom, whether it be with charismatic charm or a crushing iron fist. They’re inspirational to their kingdom, pushing them to take responsibility in their lives by creating structure and order (as long as they don’t succumb to the desire to rule over others and enact their own agenda).^{[8]
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- Traits: Powerful, high-status, charismatic, and has access to vast resources.
- Weaknesses: Controlling, lots of enemies, out of touch, greedy, and has a fear of their power being taken away.
- Examples: Firelord Ozai (Avatar: The Last Airbender), The Queen of Hearts (Alice in Wonderland), King Bumi (Avatar: The Last Airbender), Mufasa (The Lion King)
- Tips for Writing:
  - Avoid making your ruler greedy for the sake of greed. Give them strong motivations to make them more relatable.
  - Express the Ruler’s power in unique ways. For example, if they lead because they want to protect all of their subjects, make their subjects extremely grateful and loyal.
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The Magician The Magician character archetype is someone who has powers or skills so unique and surprising that they seem like magic (and in some cases, are actually magic). Magician characters are skilled and constantly seeking to grow and transform the world by gaining more power (whether that be physical power, power over others, political capital, wealth, or knowledge depends on your plot).^{[9]
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- Traits: Strong, smart, intuitive, disciplined, perceptive
- Weaknesses: Controlling, entitled, selfish, and a sense of elitism.
- Examples: Gandalf (The Lord of the Rings), Obi-Wan Kenobi (Star Wars), Doctor Strange (Marvel), Morpheus (The Matrix), Kisuke Urahara (Bleach)
- Tips for Writing:
  - Remember, Magicians can be heroes or villains. Use their desire for growth and transformation to fuel their motivations and help drive the story.
  - Write a character who has a strong backstory that drives their desire for growth and transformation and avoid making them seek power for power’s sake.
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The Sage Also known as the Mentor, the Sage is a character who has access to knowledge beyond the realm of the main character. They often aid the protagonist at the beginning of their journey, providing them with the knowledge they need to embark on the journey out of their desire to help others.^{[10]
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- Traits: Wise, caring, understanding, insightful, rational, and doesn’t get easily attached.
- Weaknesses: Cautious, passive, isolated, arrogant, judgmental
- Examples: Gandalf (The Lord of the Rings), Yoda (Star Wars), The Ancient One (Doctor Strange), Hagoromo Otsutsuki (Naruto), Kami (Dragon Ball)
- Tips for Writing:
  - Avoid falling into the trap of writing a sage who’s near and dear to the main character just to kill them off. It’s a trope that’s been done to death.
  - Give the sage flaws that bring them down to earth and make them more relatable to the audience, like anxious tendencies or a distrust of others.
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The Trickster Also known as the Fool/Jester, the Trickster character archetype is someone who turns work into play. They’re typically the comic relief character or one of chaotic mischief. They live in the moment, march to the beat of their own drum, and exude fun-loving energy. They don’t always care about achieving the same goal as the protagonist, but by a stroke of fate, often end up in the same circle as them.^{[11]
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- Traits: Fun-loving, humorous, insightful, easily likable, joyful, and always living in the moment.
- Weaknesses: Irresponsible, superficial, impulsive, obnoxious, and doesn’t know when to get serious.
- Examples: Harley Quinn (DC Comics), Dory (Finding Nemo), Loki (Marvel Comics), Genie (Aladdin)
- Tips for Writing:
  - Let the trickster be an outlet for your humorous side. For example, if you want to humorously call out your main character for something dumb, use the Trickster to do so.
  - Use the trickster to subvert traditional stereotypes. For example, rather than making a small, scrawny character timid, write them as a loud, funny character who’s unapologetically themselves.

Section 2 of 7:

Other Common Character Archetypes

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The Destroyer The Destroyer character archetype is the opposite of the Creator, embodying destruction and repressed rage about outdated structures. The Destroyer is a character who vows to destroy and annihilate everything in their path, whether it be to build a new system or simply for the thrill of destruction.^{[12]
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- Traits: Humility, powerful, revolutionary, can easily let things go
- Weaknesses: Self-destructive, harms others, has out-of-control anger, and frequently employs terrorist tactics.
- Examples: Ryomen Sukuna (Jujutsu Kaisen), Obito Uchiha (Naruto), Madara Uchiha (Naruto), The Joker (The Dark Knight)
- Tips for Writing:
  - Explain the reasons behind their destructive tendencies. Are they traumatized and trying to create a world where they don’t have to face those feelings, or do they just enjoy destroying things?
  - Switch up how they destroy things. Do they like to physically destroy things or do they prefer to break people down mentally?
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The Seductress The Seductress character archetype is someone who uses their power to get what they want, seducing characters with their intellect, wits, and/or body. They tend to lean towards villainy, as they manipulate others for personal gain. While they may make promises, they tend to come with a catch that ends up benefiting them more in the long run, making for an exciting character who can facilitate plot twists.
- Traits: Charismatic, manipulative, two-faced, clever, survivalist, amoral, independent
- Weaknesses: Unfulfilled, isolated, selfish, standoffish
- Examples: Mystique (X-Men), Jessica Rabbit (Who Framed Roger Rabbit), Amy Dunne (Gone Girl), Faye Valentine (Cowboy Bebop), Himiko Toga (My Hero Academia)
- Tips for Writing:
  - Avoid leaning into the stereotype of a woman who uses her body to get what she wants. Instead, give your seductress characters other means of manipulation, like mind games or political plays.
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The Orphan The Orphan character archetype is someone who grew up alone (whether or not they were an actual orphan depends on the plot of your story), and is looking for a place in the world. Related to the Everyman archetype, the Orphan comes from humble beginnings, is roped into the plot of your story, and grows and discovers themselves over its course.^{[13]
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- Traits: Empathetic, determined, self-reliant, lots of street smarts, independent, and wants to regain a sense of safety.
- Weaknesses: Cynicism, often victimizes themselves, socially underdeveloped, unconfident
- Examples: Simba (The Lion King), Harry Potter (Harry Potter), Luke Skywalker (Star Wars), Cinderella (Cinderella), Naruto Uzumaki (Naruto)
- Tips for Writing:
  - Dive into the internal aspect of their struggles to give an extra layer of understanding to them.
  - Use their internal conflicts and dialogue to show their growth over the course of the story.
  - Give them diverse, unique strengths and weaknesses to avoid relying on their tragic past.
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Career Criminal The Career Criminal character archetype is someone who lives a criminal lifestyle and has done so for so long that it’s all they know. They have a blatant disregard for the laws and norms of their society, going against them and operating in a moral grey area to get by in life. They can make for a great side character that your protagonist takes down, or a thought-provoking villain that morally grey readers can relate to.^{[14]
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- Traits: Deceitful, manipulative, street smart, impulsive
- Weaknesses: Antisocial, lack of empathy, and willing to harm others to achieve their goal.
- Examples: Gus Fring (Breaking Bad), Frank Gallagher (Shameless), Trevor Phillips (Grand Theft Auto), Shocker (Spider-Man)
- Tips for Writing:
  - Give them a tragic backstory that involves the system failing them to emphasize the flaws of your story’s society.
  - Solidify the reasons behind their criminal lifestyle and give them relatable motivations, like wanting to support their family or needing a life-saving medicine, to subvert the reader’s expectations.
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The Chosen One The Chosen One is a character who’s called on for a greater purpose that only they can resolve. They often have untapped potential in the form of power or knowledge, and can either happily accept their calling or reject it (only to reluctantly accept once the plot calls for it). They’re representative of our acceptance and rejection of responsibility, making them relatable no matter how incredible they are.^{[15]
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- Traits: Powerful, ambitious, independent, and often carries the weight of the world on their shoulders.
- Weaknesses: Struggles with self-doubt and the crushing responsibility of having the weight of the world on their shoulders.
- Examples: Aang (Avatar: The Last Airbender), Jugram Haschwalth (Bleach), Po (Kung Fu Panda), Anakin Skywalker (Star Wars)
- Tips for Writing:
  - Give them a dark side that isn’t immediately picked up on by the person who chooses them to add a layer of suspense and surprise to your story.
  - Explore their struggle with balancing their responsibilities to the world and themselves for a conflicting character arc.
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Manic Pixie Dream Girl This archetype is usually reserved for female characters who bring exciting, otherworldly energy to the main male character’s life through non-conformity and a bold way of living. While the Manic Pixie Dream Girl has received flak in recent years for acting as a half-baked male fantasy cast, when done right, they can bring a newfound joy and freedom to the lives of the characters around them as they explore themselves and their own motivations.^{[16]
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- Traits: Fun-loving, easily excited, non-conforming, quirky, whimsical, beautiful
- Weaknesses: Naive, unreliable, and doesn’t have agency.
- Examples: Clementine Kruczynski (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind), Ramona Flowers (Scott Pilgrim vs. the World), Summer Finn (500 Days of Summer)
- Tips for Writing:
  - Give your Manic Pixie Dream Girl characters some depth and motivations outside of the male characters so the audience can relate.
  - Avoid falling into some of the stereotypical traits of Manic Pixie Dream Girls, like being a damsel in distress.
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The Gentle Giant The Gentle Giant is a character who is physically powerful and imposing, but has a heart of gold. They’re the type of person who wouldn’t hurt a fly, even though they have the power to take on an army. The Gentle Giant is a great archetype to use if you want to contrast strength and kindness and dive into the conflicts that come with carrying the two traits.
- Traits: Strong, powerful, kind, loving, empathetic, understanding
- Weaknesses: Afraid of their own power to the point of failing to come through when it counts.
- Examples: Baymax (Big Hero 6), The Iron Giant (The Iron Giant), Totoro (My Neighbor Totoro), Alphonse Elric (Fullmetal Alchemist)
- Tips for Writing:
  - Dive into the internal conflicts the Gentle Giant faces due to the contrast between their awesome power and gentle nature.
  - Give them something that they aren’t so gentle about. Ask yourself what sets them off and causes them to rely on their power rather than their gentle nature.
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The Fallen Hero The Fallen Hero is a character who was once a Hero or the Chosen One, but due to a flaw of their own, tragedy, or outside manipulation, they fall down a path of darkness, despair, and in many cases, villainy. Depending on where you want to take the story, their journey can be one of redemption, where they reclaim their hero status, or one where they tragically continue falling down the dark path.
- Traits: Pessimistic, manipulative, vengeful, misguided
- Weaknesses: Corrupted by power, doesn’t know themselves, and has lost the compassion that once drove them.
- Examples: Anakin Skywalker (Star Wars), Harvey Dent (The Dark Knight), Eren Yeager (Attack on Titan), Light Yagami (Death Note)
- Tips for Writing:
  - Make their fall gradual, slowly leaving breadcrumbs for the reader to pick up on before the character’s shift into villainy.
  - If you decide to go the route of redemption, lean into the other characters’ thoughts and opinions on the matter. Are they relieved that the character has returned to the side of good, or can they not forgive them?

Section 3 of 7:

What are character archetypes?

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A character archetype is a template for a type of character. Character archetypes are like classes of characters that represent common experiences and personalities. They serve as a framework for writing relatable characters and have been around for centuries. Character archetypes transcend time and trends, opting to embody traditional human experiences through the traits and actions they represent.^{[17]
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- The late psychiatrist Carl Jung is known as one of the pioneers of character archetypes. Jung developed the four primary archetypes by exploring the patterns of the unconscious mind through studying myths, dreams, and historical texts.
- After Jung came up with the concept of character archetypes, Carol S. Pearson developed it by boiling his thoughts down into the 12 distinct character archetypes known today.
- Other theorists and mythologists, like Joseph Campbell and Northrop Frye, also developed their own character archetypes and concepts.
- Interested in learning about your character archetype or the archetypes of characters you’ve already written? Take the “What’s My Archetype” quiz.

Section 4 of 7:

How Character Archetypes Compare to Stock Characters

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Stock characters are flat, while character archetypes shift and evolve. Stock characters are intentionally flat, predictable characters who remain the same throughout the story. Character archetypes, on the other hand, are characters who embody the same traits, but change and express multitudes as the story (and their character arc) progresses.^{[18]
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- Stock characters are often there to emphasize the traits of the main character(s). For example, a strict librarian stock character is often there to emphasize how off-the-wall and unruly the main character is. ^{[19]
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- They both represent character types that are immediately recognizable by the reader.

Section 5 of 7:

How Character Archetypes Compare to Cliches

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Cliche characters are done to death, while archetypes are timeless. Cliche characters are characters who are way too common in fiction, like the damsel in distress, and are often predictable. Character archetypes are also extremely common, but the variety and flexibility that come with writing them make for a more memorable reading experience, especially if you subvert the archetypes.^{[20]
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- Archetypes rely on the relatability of the human experience, while cliches rely on the traits and characteristics of the characters they’re based on.
- Author and developmental editor Lydia Stevens says “every cliche, every trope has been done.” Rather than avoiding them, repurpose them and make them your own.^{[21]
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  - This will provide your audience with a new, refreshing take on the trope or cliche, flipping it on its head and helping avoid overdone plotlines or character traits.
- Archetypes are flexible enough that they feel new and fresh (especially if a character embodies multiple archetypes), while cliches are unoriginal and unsurprising.

Section 6 of 7:

Why Character Archetypes Are Important

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Character archetypes offer readers a sense of familiarity. Character archetypes have been around for centuries, transcending genres and societies and embodying relatable human experiences. These experiences provide readers with a sense of familiarity, as many readers can relate to (or fall into) the different character archetypes, making for a more enjoyable reading experience.
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Character archetypes also make the writing process easier. Character archetypes provide you with a framework for your characters. This framework creates a foundation for you to build off of when creating your characters, which makes the writing process easier. Once you know the archetype you want to use, you can focus on writing a deeper, more complex character instead of building them from scratch.

Section 7 of 7:

When to Subvert Character Archetypes

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Forego character archetypes if you want to challenge the reader’s beliefs. Readers often look for familiarity in characters, so carefully subverting character archetypes can challenge their beliefs by making them consider the driving factors behind the character’s change of heart, especially if the character embodies tropes or stereotypes. For example, if you know your audience is quick to believe in a stereotype about your character’s race, have them do the exact opposite and explain why in the text to challenge the audience’s beliefs.
- Say the stereotype around your character is that they like a certain type of food. Make them hate that food due to the texture or taste to show the audience that not everyone who shares the character’s race enjoys the same thing.
- When you want to give your reader something thought-provoking to chew on, subvert the character archetypes by mixing them, shifting the archetype a character embodies, or giving them traits that go against their traditional archetype.