Character Archetypes

Archetype versus Stereotype

Stereotypes take a general character and oversimplifies his or her qualities with predictable traits. For example:

An innocent boy who is destined to defeat an evil witch. 
A beautiful princess who prefers the clever commoner over the clumsy prince.
The banished prince who will one day reclaim his rightful place on the throne. 

Predictable characters make for predictable stories. There's no reason to get invested in a story when you already know the ending.

An archetype is a model from which a character is based. Let me introduce a few archetypes by telling a story...

Herald

A young child stumbles into a village on the edge of death. Everyone gathers around to see him. He collapses and with his dying breath says, "Run." 

This character is the herald. He upsets the balance of normal life and announces the conflict that begins the story. The herald doesn't always need to be a person. It can be a force or event: war, a wedding, being sent back in time, etc.

Hero

Everyone is worried by the message, so the worried people appoint the most clever person in the village, Sam, to go out and investigate what it all means.

Here we have the hero. The story of the hero is not about bravery, but of self-sacrifice. It is about what they learn and how they grow. The hero can be willing, reluctant, innocent, vengeful, foolish, or insane. They can be a loner, a warrior, a coward, or a drunkard. He can be weak, strong, unassertive, or stubborn. But the essence of the hero is the price they pay to obtain their goal.  A hero must grow. 

Gate Keeper

Sam sets out for his journey, but does not know where to begin. He decides to talk to Old Scruffy who lives alone at the edge of the village. Old Scruffy has traveled and seen the world beyond the tiny hamlet. When Sam arrives at Scruffy's hut, he is given the cold shoulder and told to leave. Scruffy has no time to deal with nonsense.

Old Scruffy is our gate keeper, the first obstacle in our hero's journey. He represents the things to come and shows that the journey will not be easy. The gate keeper is there to test the hero's worthiness and is the threshold that the hero must be overcome in order to enter the new world.

Mentor

Sam is persistent and eventually Old Scruffy, who is impressed by Sam's wit, grants him an audience. Scruffy takes Sam under his wing, sharing wisdom from his travels and training him for what lies beyond the village.

Our gate keeper has now become the mentor. The mentor prepares our hero for the challenges ahead through training, equipment, or information. Sometimes they give the hero a gift, usually requiring the hero to pass a test before it is given. The gift can  a magic item, a vital clue, medicine, or an insignificant object that only becomes important later in the journey.

Shadow

Sam has learned all he can from Scruffy and now it's time for the final test: a deadly duel. Scruffy comes at Sam with lethal intent, giving him a taste of the kind of hostility he will have to face in the world outside. Failure for Sam can mean a major setback or even death.

Our mentor has become  the shadow - a worthy opponent with whom the hero must struggle. The shadow is often an antagonist, but an antagonist is not always a villain. Sometimes an antagonist is a good guy who disagrees with the hero. The shadow is in direct conflict with the hero. The two must fight until the other is incapacitated. 

Ally

Sam sets out on his journey after passing his test. On the road he meets Cliff, a member from the neighboring village. Cliff is looking for his younger sister, who has recently gone missing. He also meets Jack, a noble who is traveling the country in order to learn about the suffering of commoners. The three decide to travel together.

Our hero has gained allies - characters with a shared goal or purpose. An ally's journey can also starts with the arrival of a herald. In that sense, an ally is also the hero of his or her own story.  

Trickster

Cliff often gets our group of travellers in trouble through mischief or carelessness. Though he often complains and acts cowardly, Cliff is always there when the chips are down.

Cliff is our trickster. He keeps the story in proportion by providing comedic relief and offsets any heavy drama. No matter what role the trickster takes, they often represent the use of cunning in the face of an overwhelming force. 

Shape Shifter

Jack is always down for the fight, but is often aloof. He claims that he is traveling on a whim, and usually does not talk about himself or share his thoughts. When asked, he is ambiguous about his own goals. Sometimes it is hard to believe the sincerity of his words.

Jack is the shape shifter. The loyalty of the shape shifter is uncertain, and constantly keeps the hero off guard. The shape shifter ultimately has their own agenda and stands to profit.

And...

With that I will have to let you imagine the rest of the story. 

A stereotyped character is created when the author says their character that their character is only one thing. Archetypes say that a character is all of these things. Let's try applying this to a popular character: BATMAN!

The death of Bruce Wayne's parents has a lasting effect on his life, leading him to create the crime fighting persona, Batman. This traumatic event is the Herald.

Batman takes Robin under his wing, taking care and training him. Batman becomes a Mentor.

Despite fighting crime, Batman often breaks the law. He is not held accountable for questionable deeds. Sometimes Batman will do something villainous because he believes it is for the greater good. He is a Shadow.

The persona of billionaire Bruce  Wayne is that of a playboy. His personality is opposite of Batman: cheerful, social, materialistic. Billionaire Bruce Wayne never reveals his true intentions or opinions. Shape Shifter.

That's all I can think of for now. 

I'm a bit of a geek when it comes to stories and storytelling... Hope you found all this at least as half as interesting as I did. Maybe even learned something!