Guide to Char. Archetypes Pt1

Guide to Character Archetypes Part 1


I made a list of basic character archetypes. There are plenty more, and you can scour the internet looking for them. But I wrote the most common, and some odd ones you've probably never thought of.


The Hero
The protagonist on a literal or figurative journey often from childhood to adulthood, innocence to experience.



Death
The antagonist or character blocking the hero's path.


Shadow
The hero's inner evil, the dark side of his psyche that makes success difficult or impossible unless accepted.



Mother and Father
Yup, the parental units are near and dear to our hearts and especially our minds because of their nurturing or lack thereof.



The Wise Old Man
A mentor, a teacher, a counselor



The Friendly Beast
This shows that nature is pro-hero.



The Devil
The bad, bad person who tempts the hero



The Scapegoat
A person (or animal) whose death relieves others of a sin or wrong



The Outcast
A character banished because of his wrong doing; often a wanderer



The Earth Mother
A female character, naturally, who offers spiritual and emotional comfort



The Temptress or Terrible Mother
A female who tempts the hero and tries to bring about his end. Synonyms include femme fatale, witch, sorceress, and siren because these suggest the magical powers of a seductive woman.



The Platonic or Perfect Woman
The hero has primarily an intellectual love for this woman who inspires his best.



The Unfaithful Wife
Cheater, cheater.



The Damsel in Distress
Help me! Help me, please!



Star-crossed Lovers
Lovers fated to suffer a tragic end.



The Trickster
This character has a negative nature, a character that might be a fraud, a prankster, a con man, a joker, etc. However, they might be helpful to the hero at some point.


I hope this helps.


Thanks for Reading,
M G Kalar,
Marielle WindWolf