More commonly referred to as the Mother in the past, the Caregiver is someone who selflessly and wholeheartedly supports those around them, often at their own expense. This archetype can be a parent, best friend, partner, teacher, mentor, guardian, sibling, etc.

The Caregiver usually isn’t the star of the show but supports the main character throughout, pushing them to give it their all. It is common to see a Caregiver as an accompanying character to the Hero.

‍Traits: Compassionate, loving, caring, selfless, loyal, honorable, consistent

‍Pitfalls: Too selfless, vulnerable from giving too much, lack of personal goals or growth

‍What to watch for: Subvert expectations of your traditional Caregiver by making them care for or enable the antagonist. Try having them exploited to the point where they become bitter. Show a breaking point or at least a little bit of selfishness. A Caregiver can be so shallow that they become flat, so add some extra complexity to their story.

‍Examples: Mary Poppins (Mary Poppins), Hagrid (Harry Potter), Samwise Gamgee (Lord of the Rings), Charlotte (Charlotte’s Web

The Common Person is the one that everyone can easily relate to. They are the ones who work with their hands, real salt-of-the-earth kind of folk. While they usually don’t have a higher education or experience outside of their everyday life, they aren’t necessarily clueless.

The Common Person seeks security more than grandeur. People get along with them easily, but they often lack the means to stand out and can easily fade to the background.

‍Traits: Empathetic, hard-working, kind, virtuous, accepting, belonging, grounded, relatable

‍Pitfalls: Lack of power or uniqueness, Unprepared

‍What to watch for: It’s easy to write a Common Person as an Innocent, who you will learn about later. While blurring the lines between archetypes can be handled well, be careful about exposing how oblivious your Common Person is if they are the protagonist—and don’t just make them stumble around as an inept Innocent for cheap laughs.

Examples: Bilbo Baggins (Lord of the Rings), Ron Weasley (Harry Potter), Anastasia (Anastasia), Leslie Knope (Parks & Recreation)

The Hero is the character that rises to meet whatever challenge is presented in your book. They can be a reluctant hero who is resistant to their new role or someone born to wear a cape and fight villains.

Whatever their origins, the Hero is one of the most common archetypes in writing. They might wear spandex, chainmail, or just stand up to a schoolyard bully, but almost every story has a Hero.

‍Traits: Strong, persistent, courageous, honorable, stand up for those who can’t stand up for themselves

‍Pitfalls: Arrogance and hubris

‍What to watch for: When writing your Hero, be careful of making them too good. They shouldn’t be untouchable, as that removes any form of suspense, nor should they go their whole lives without encountering a moral dilemma. A superhero who has to choose between saving a loved one or a bus of children makes for a much more compelling character than one who can easily accomplish both.

‍Examples: Frodo Baggins (The Lord of the Rings), Joan of Arc, Harry Potter (Harry Potter), and Captain Marvel (Marvel)Want to know more about the Hero archetype? Click here to continue our character archetype masterclass.

Defined by their unending optimism and naivety, the Innocent, who is often a child or child-like, is morally pure in action and intent. They usually start from a good, comfortable place until a singular event radically alters their world, opening their eyes to a reality that was either blissfully ignored before or did not impact them until now.‍

Traits: Honest, trusting, enthusiastic, open, caring, loving, sincere

‍Pitfalls: Naïve, too trusting, unskilled or powerless, inexperienced, unaware, vulnerable

‍What to watch for: The Innocent is usually the starting point of a character. They are someone who grows and changes throughout their journey. “Chosen One” cliches (i.e. The Innocent who then becomes incredibly powerful for no reason) can be easily mishandled, but the Innocent has so much room for growth (or a descent into darkness) that it is hard to make them into a cliché beyond the first act.

‍Examples: Scout (To Kill a Mockingbird), Merry and Pippen (Lord of the Rings), Rapunzel (Tangled)

The Magician is an archetype that can apply equally to both heroes and villains.

Even if they don’t wield literal magic (though they can, depending on your genre), the Magician is so skilled that it almost seems inhuman. Magicians also search for more power for themselves rather than to help someone else. It’s important to note that Magicians and other archetypes who seek “power” aren’t necessarily magical or supernatural. Power, in this article, can refer to knowledge, political capital, wealth, physical or mental strength, etc. Magicians have an abundance of their power and strive for more.

This doesn’t mean they must be good or bad, but all Magicians continually seek more.

‍Traits: Intelligent, powerful, disciplined, omniscient and/or omnipotent, intuitive, perceptive, clever

‍Pitfalls: Arrogance, hubris, selfishness

‍What to watch for: We don’t need more villains who are evil for the sake of being evil. I think we’re over the evil genius or super villain who just wants to watch the world burn without relatable motivation. The Marvel Cinematic Universe has been better at subverting the stereotype of an evil Magician lately. Look at Thanos; he is evil and seeks ultimate power but is someone we can empathize with at times.

‍Examples: Hermoine Granger (Harry Potter), Doctor Strange (Marvel), Regina George (Mean Girls), Sherlock Holmes (Sherlock Holmes)Want to know more about the Magician archetype? Click here to continue our character archetype masterclass.

While not always an actual orphan, the Orphan is a character who is taken from a state of unimportance or poverty and dropped into one of excitement or grandeur. This message resonates very well with readers since the excitement of these life-changing events is something most of us yearn for.

Beyond that, Orphans seek a group to belong to, a sort of family to create or join in place of the family they never had or lost.

The Orphan can overlap quite a bit with the Common Person or the Innocent, so be mindful of that when using this archetype. You can draw on the strengths of the other archetypes, and watch out for their shortcomings.

‍Traits: Survivalists, empathetic, determined, driven

‍Pitfalls: Lack of access to resources, underdeveloped from their isolation, unconfident

‍What to watch for: Take a look at the Innocent and Common Person archetypes to understand better clichés to watch for and how to make a unique Orphan. Orphan archetypes, especially in speculative fiction, can easily fall into the “Chosen One” cliché if not written well. Bear in mind that the Orphan often transitions to other archetypes throughout their character arc.

‍Examples: Simba (The Lion King), Harry Potter (Harry Potter), Annie (Little Orphan Annie)

The Sage, also referred to as the Mentor, shares many qualities with the Magician but is driven by different motivations. While the Magician seeks personal advancement—whether for good or ill—the Sage aims to assist others. Sages possess power or knowledge like Magicians, but they focus on passing their wisdom to a pupil.

Parents and teachers serve as realistic examples of Sage characters, though, like their mystical counterparts in speculative fiction, they often tend to be vague in their teachings. After all, you can’t truly learn a lesson unless you put in the effort to understand it first, right?

‍Traits: Wise, caring, patient, insightful, rational ‍

Pitfalls: Passive, cautious, arrogant, isolated ‍

What to be mindful of:  The trope of seeking out all-knowing masters, especially those who end up being killed by the villain (only to be avenged by their student), is becoming a bit worn out. If you choose to use this trope, consider adding a fresh twist. Also, like other powerful archetypes, be sure to give Sages a flaw to keep them compelling.

‍Examples: Professor McGonagall and Dumbledore (Harry Potter), Gandalf (Lord of the Rings), Hannibal Lecter (Silence of the Lambs), The Oracle (The Matrix), Obi-Wan Kenobi (Star Wars), The Ancient One (Doctor Strange)

An archetype that often skews towards the villainous, the Seductress wields their power—whether it be intellect, wit, physical allure, influence, or other leverage—to achieve their desires. This doesn't necessarily mean they are evil.

The hallmark of a Seductress is their inclination to make enticing offers that always come with hidden strings. These strings typically benefit the Seductress more than what they appear to be sacrificing. This archetype is commonly used to emphasize that something might be too good to be true. However, when well-written, a Seductress can illuminate the perils of unchecked greed and ambition.

‍Traits: Manipulative, charismatic, amoral, independent, clever, survivor ‍

Pitfalls: Isolated, unfulfilled (even if unaware), standoffish, selfish ‍

What to keep in mind: The name itself suggests an archetype rooted in the stereotype of a woman who seduces and deceives a man to achieve her goals. But it's 2021—your Seductress is not bound by gender, sex, age, motive, or methods. There are numerous avenues of power (political, economic, magical, etc.) that a Seductress can exploit to get what they desire.

‍Examples: Black Widow (Marvel), Mystique (X-Men), Sirens (The Odyssey), Mephistopheles (Faust), Lucifer (Supernatural)