Character Archetypes

“In literature, an archetype is a typical character, an action, or a situation that seems to represent universal patterns of human nature” – Google definition

Archetypes are characters you come to expect in every game, movie or show, whether it be the mentor archetype who teaches the adventurer how to use a weapon, allowing the story to continue (e.g. Orca or the old man from the Zelda series) or the ruler/villain archetype who gives the player an end goal to picture in their head and gives structure to the game world (e.g. Lord Gwyn or the other late game lords from Dark Souls), archetypes feature heavily in media as a whole. From an evolutionary standpoint, archetypes could even be used to label people in real life to a less accurate degree because of the fact we all share common ancestry and so these universal patterns feature in us especially, they’re just transferred and exaggerated into the media we create.

The list of 12 archetypes includes:

The Innocent – safety, ego

The Sage – self, understanding

The Explorer – freedom, soul

These three archetypes all yearn for paradise; a perfect world, but each for their own reasons because of their ideals. While the innocent would want it for their own protection, the explorer would want it for the adventure of something new, and the sage likely for world peace and peace with nature. This way, these three archetypes while showing very different thought patterns, all fit into the same column.

The Hero – mastery, ego

The Magician – power, self

The Outlaw – liberation, soul

These three archetypes are the “main players” especially in a fantasy context. While they all yearn for power and mastery in their own right, they each do it to benefit their belief in themselves. When these characters get stronger, they’re the ones that have a main impact on the plot of the show or game be in by victory over the enemy or defeat. These will be the archetypes given to the protagonist or mentor characters mostly

The Everyman – belonging, ego

The Jester – enjoyment, self

The Lover – intimacy, soul

These are the types mainly given to the characters that act as party members or allies to the protagonist. These characters will always be the one to emit positivity, whether by comic relief in the jester characters, light conversation about the current goings on of the plot with the everyman, or some “sweet sweet loving” from a romantic lover, all characters exist to connect with you and others in the world they exist in

Caregiver – service, ego

Ruler – control, self

Creator – innovation, soul

The caregiver archetype is a lot like the lover, but in a context like a mother and family member would love, in a nurturing sense. They are empathic and caring as well as protective. These characters are quite often ones that provide health supplies or motherly advice to a hero or other. Next, a ruler is a character archetype that is quite confident. They are in command and they know it, characters of this type display authority, expertise and control over others and often rule the land or lands of a story. Finally, the creators are imaginative, creative and visionary, they love to make things. I’d imagine these characters to be builders, craftsmen or even gods, anything that can actively create in a world.