9 Character Archetypes: A Complete Guide [With Examples]

A number of writers, thinkers, and philosophers have created archetypes that represent various human emotions. Archetypes are a way to categorize different ideas about how people think or behave in certain situations.

Archetypes are an important part of Jungian analytic psychology and some other schools of thought in-depth psychotherapy, including psychodynamic theories.

What Are Character Archetypes?

Since the dawn of time, people have been fascinated by stories and archetypes. This fascination has led to the creation of many different genres that all share in this love for storytelling.

One such genre is Westerns, a story about ordinary people who are thrust into extraordinary circumstances to battle an evil force or save their town from destruction.

Archetypes are the foundation for our understanding of characters, and they help us to understand their motivations, goals, and how they relate with other characters.

There are many different archetypes that have been identified by psychologists over the years, but here’s a list of some of the most common archetypes:

In literature, a character is defined as the person in a narrative or drama and their actions and feelings.

What Are Archetypes?

The general definition of an archetype is a universal symbol or pattern that represents meanings in many different cultures. According to Carl Jung, the term refers to “primordial images” and “archetypal forces” (Jung, 357) which are common among all people.

So here it goes! This blog post will tell you how to figure out your archetype with some easy steps.

And once you do that, we’ll also tell you all about them and give examples of famous people of this type so that it’s easier for you to understand.

Character Archetype: The Leader

The Leader is one of the most common character archetypes in literature.

This archetype is a person who has an aura that makes people want to follow them and obey their orders, even if it means risking their lives.

The leader is a well-known and widely used character archetype for a number of reasons.

Firstly, this archetype is always active, meaning they don’t allow things to happen to them but rather, they move the plot forward through decisions and their own actions.

One of many archetypes for leaders is The Commander. A Commander has a lot of ambition, but they also need to take care of themselves in order to lead others through tough times.

Character Archetype: The Outsider/Wildcard

Every great story has the character archetype of “The Outsider/Wildcard” which tears down convention and rocks things up from time to time.

The outsider is unpredictable, unbound by society’s expectations, and always finds themselves in a sticky situation.

We all know the feeling of being an outsider. Whether it’s because you’re different from everyone else or just in your head, every one of us has felt that sense of isolation at some point in our lives. This is what the “outsider” archetype embodies.

The wildcard archetype may be a little bit harder to grasp. It doesn’t mean reckless or unpredictable.

Rather, it defines someone who embraces change and doesn’t follow the rules set by society – they live life on their own terms, not letting anyone tell them how to live their life for themselves.

CrowdSpring have a great infographic that shows the various character archetypes: 

Outsiders are often shunned by society because they don’t fit into a certain mold or norm that is expected.

For example, outsiders could be people who dress differently than other members of their community, have piercings or tattoos that set them apart from others, or even those who like to take risks with their lives and do things others would never dare to do.

 Character Archetype: The Caregiver

In the world of caregiving, there are five main archetypes: The Caregiver, The Rescuer, The Nurturer, The Enabler, and the Victim. Each archetype has its own characteristics that make it a unique type of caregiver.

A caregiver is someone who takes care of another person’s needs. Caregivers can be family members, friends, or professionals like nurses and doctors.

The Caregiver is the archetype who takes on a parental role for other people. This can be their family, friends, or community members.

They do this by providing emotional and physical support as well as making sure they are okay in any way possible.

The Caregiver often has a strong sense of duty to help others and feels like it’s their responsibility to make sure everything is going all right with everyone else.

Character Archetype: The Rebel

Rebel is a term that has been used to describe individuals who reject the dominant culture, either passively or actively. Rebels are often seen as outcasts by society because they refuse to conform and go against what is expected of them.

The rebel archetype can be found in stories of ancient Greece, where it was known as the “tragic hero.”

Most of us have a rebel inside of us. We may be the type to always question authority or refuse to follow the rules.

Many people think that being rebellious is an essential part of who we are and what makes us unique. However, it can also be seen as a personality flaw that prevents someone from living up to their full potential-especially if they lack self-control and become reckless in their rebellion.

Rebels are the ones who stand up to authority figures in order to gain a sense of power. They are not afraid of getting into trouble with the law because they know that they can outsmart them. Rebels have no fear and are willing to do anything for their cause or beliefs.

   

Character Archetype: The Mentor

The Mentor is a wise and compassionate character archetype that provides guidance to the protagonist of the story.

This figure often has personal experience in the subject matter or has undergone an important event that leaves them with knowledge on how to overcome obstacles.

The mentor archetype in literature and film is a helpful figure that aids the protagonist on their journey.

You can find many different types of mentors within the literature, but one type is never absent: The Mentor. A character with a great deal of knowledge about certain topics or life experiences uses this to help guide someone else on their own journey through life – often across the span of an entire novel!

Character Archetype: The Professor

In every story, there is a protagonist. They are typically the hero of their own story and they are usually brave and courageous but what happens when you don’t have a traditional protagonist?

What if you had someone who was shy or timid instead?

Someone who would rather spend time studying in the library than saving lives with their fists like Bruce Wayne or Spiderman?

These character archetypes might not be as exciting at first glance but it is important for writers to know how these examples can be used effectively.

The Professor is an academic who enjoys intellectual debates and solving difficult problems. They are not necessarily shy about sharing their knowledge with others either. Often seen wearing a suit or dress shirt, they often have glasses on as well.

The key characteristics of this character can be attributed to Sherlock Holmes from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s book series “Sherlock Holmes” as he was always classifying things into groups and solved mysteries by examining clues that nobody else would see at first glance.

Character Archetype: The Warrior

The Warrior is an archetype that appears in many different cultures and religions. They are often pictured as fighters or soldiers, but they can also be seen as the protector of their people. The warrior archetype is one who faces adversity with courage and bravery.

A warrior is someone who has a strong sense of what they believe in and is not afraid to fight for it.

They don’t allow anyone or anything to intimidate them and will stand their ground no matter what the cost.

The Warrior archetype may be seen as aggressive, but this quality is necessary in order to defeat their adversary – which can be anything from an enemy on the battlefield, to a challenge that needs overcoming at work.

Warriors are the true defenders of good and light. They seek to protect their loved ones, friends, and everything they hold dear.

Warriors often have a hard exterior but that is because they want to keep people close to the safe.

Character Archetype: The Hunk

The Hunk is the guy who has it all: looks, charm, charisma – but he’s a little bit of a player.

He’s not looking for anything serious because he knows that with his irresistible good looks and magnetic personality, there are always going to be plenty of ladies lining up for him.

The Hunk is one such character archetype that has been around since the birth of cinema.

They can be found in any type of media from movies to TV shows to games and books with varying degrees of success depending on their execution – but they’re always a welcome sight for audiences who love eye candy!

When you think of a strong, masculine man, what do you picture? A guy with his shirt off and abs on display? Maybe he’s carrying a giant crosscut saw or axe over his shoulder.

Or maybe he has the sleeves rolled up and is staring down someone who’s wronged him.

Character Archetype: The Wise

There are many different archetypes that people can embody in their lives. One of these is the Wise Character Archetype, which means that this person is a calm and collected individual who provides wisdom to others when they need it most.

These characters have been seen throughout history as wise mentors who provide guidance on how to live life in an honorable way.

The Wise is a character archetype that has been around since the beginning of time. They are often seen as wise elders, teachers, and mentors to people in their communities.

The wise character archetype is a protagonist or main character in fiction who has many years of knowledge, experience, and wisdom.

They are often mentors to their less-experienced peers. The wise archetype can be found in literature from time immemorial as well as in modern stories such as Star Wars – Obi Wan Kenobi and Harry Potter – Dumbledore are just two examples.