What are the 12 character archetypes?

Category: books and literature fiction
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Here are the 12 common character archetypes, as well as examples of archetype in famous works of literature and film.
  • The Lover.
  • The Hero.
  • The Magician.
  • The Outlaw.
  • The Explorer.
  • The Sage.
  • The Innocent.
  • The Creator.



Subsequently, one may also ask, what are the 12 common archetypes?

Twelve archetypes have been proposed for use with branding: Sage, Innocent, Explorer, Ruler, Creator, Caregiver, Magician, Hero, Outlaw, Lover, Jester, and Regular Person.

Beside above, how many character archetypes are there? 12 archetypes

Similarly one may ask, what are common character archetypes?

Here's a list of some of the most commonly found archetypes in literature.

  • The Hero. Summary: The hero is always the protagonist (though the protagonist is not always a hero).
  • The Mentor. Summary: The mentor is a common archetype in literature.
  • The Everyman.
  • The Innocent.
  • The Villain.

What are the 7 archetypes?

The 7 story archetypes are:

  • Overcoming the Monster.
  • Rags to Riches.
  • The Quest.
  • Voyage and Return.
  • Comedy.
  • Tragedy.
  • Rebirth.

39 Related Question Answers Found

What are Jung's 4 major archetypes?

The psychiatrist and psychotherapist Carl Gustav Jung proposed that everyone's personality contains elements of four major archetypes. These archetypes provide models for our behavior and influence the way we think and act. Jung labeled these archetypes the Self, the Persona, the Shadow and the Anima/Animus.

How many archetypes are there in 2k20?

There should be 20 or so archetypes.

What is the shadow side?

The 'shadow' is the side of your personality that contains all the parts of yourself that you don't want to admit to having. It is at first an unconscious side. It is only through effort to become self-aware that we recognise our shadow. Although many infer the shadow is 'negative', this is not really true.

What are female archetypes?


According to most Jungian psychologists, there are seven feminine archetypes that prevail in contemporary society—the mother, the maiden, the queen, the huntress, the wise woman, the mystic and the lover. The presence of these archetypes in our psyches account for the major differences among women.

What archetype is Cinderella?

Cinderella. Cinderella's fairy godmother is her mentor, hero and earth mother because she helps and guides her to prince charming. She leads Cinderella in the right path but until the very last moment. Cinderella's fairy god mother is her earth mother because she is kind, caring and loving of Cinderella.

What is the synonym of archetype?

original, archetype, pilot(noun) something that serves as a model or a basis for making copies. "this painting is a copy of the original" Synonyms: pilot light, pilot film, master copy, pilot, cowcatcher, pilot program, original, fender, master, buffer, pilot burner, airplane pilot.

What is persona and shadow?

If our persona is our public face, then our shadow is our hidden face in the sense that it largely is our unconscious face. It is our repressed, disavowed and neglected parts or roles that constitute our shadow. The relationship between persona and shadow is a reciprocal one.

What is a flat character?

Flat characters are two-dimensional in that they are relatively uncomplicated and do not change throughout the course of a work. By contrast, round characters are complex and undergo development, sometimes sufficiently to surprise the reader.

What makes a tragic hero?


Tragic hero as defined by Aristotle. A tragic hero is a literary character who makes a judgment error that inevitably leads to his/her own destruction. In reading Antigone, Medea and Hamlet, look at the role of justice and/or revenge and its influence on each character's choices when analyzing any “judgment error.”

What is a foil character?

In fiction, a foil is a character who contrasts with another character, usually the protagonist, to highlight qualities of the other character. In some cases, a subplot can be used as a foil to the main plot. This is especially true in the case of metafiction and the "story within a story" motif.

What is the victim archetype?

The root of the Victim archetype is a fear that you cannot survive or will not survive. Not just physical survival but the survival of your identity, your hopes and dreams or sense of self. Deep down there is a belief that you don't deserve to thrive and the Victim is a way to have passive control over your life.

What is archetypal character?

Archetype Definition
In literature, an archetype is a typical character, an action, or a situation that seems to represent universal patterns of human nature. An archetype, also known as “universal symbol,” may be a character, a theme, a symbol, or even a setting.

What is an everyman character?

A character who is ordinary enough to be relatable to the average audience member. Everyman characters are often working or middle class and deal with everyday problems, be it school, work, family or romance.

How do I stop being a cliche character?


Here's how to avoid character cliches in your storytelling:
  1. Focus on Your Character's Origin Story.
  2. Go In Depth With Character Description.
  3. Give Your Characters a Range of Emotions.
  4. Give Your Character a Sense of Motivation.
  5. Give Your Character Fears and Flaws.
  6. Give Your Character Strengths.

What is direct characterization?

Direct characterization means the way an author or another character within the story describes or reveals a character, through the use of descriptive adjectives, epithets, or phrases.

Why do writers use archetypes?

Knowing about archetypes helps you decide if a character should be true to, or against, type, for your particular story. It can help a writer avoid cliches. Archetypes exist because they help produce emotion in the reader, which is really the only reason for writing. A story is an emotion-producing machine.