What is my protagonist’s character archetype?

There are essentially four types of characters:

• The Hero/Heroine
• Mr/Ms Average
• The Underdog
• The Lost Soul

Knowing your protagonist’s archetype will give you confidence in how you decide to portray them. You’ll have a better understanding of how they fit into the world you’re creating, how other characters see them, and how your reader will react to them.

So let’s take a look at each character archetype in turn.

❤ The Hero/Heroine

Heroes and heroines are confident people and generally act without hesitation or self-doubt. They are leaders, not followers. Other characters usually idolise them, think highly of them, and look to them for guidance. These characters are superior to the reader. As such, readers admire them and tend to fantasise about being just like them. Examples are Indiana Jones, Princess Leia, and Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games.

❤ Mr/Ms Average

As the name suggests, these characters are average, everyday people. Being ordinary, they tend not to be all that different from other characters in the story, in terms of status and personality. They are equal to the reader and therefore arouse sympathy. Readers see themselves in such characters and identify with the desires, needs and doubts, as well as their struggle to overcome all obstacles in their path. Examples are Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice and John McClane in Die Hard.

❤ The Underdog

Underdogs are unlikely heroes, who are often outmatched and overwhelmed by the opposition. Other characters underestimate them. They are inferior to the reader, which means the reader wants to help, protect and console them. The reader feels compassion for the reader because of their handicaps, and admiration for their determination. Examples are Harry Potter, Frodo Baggins, and Erin Brokovich.

❤ The Lost Soul

These characters are otherwise known as anti-heroes. They are morally defective and represent the dark side of human nature. Their relationships with other characters may be negatively affected as they generally act out of self-interest. They are opposite to the reader, and although the reader may not like such characters, they are often fascinated by their complexity and admire the way they defy normal laws and social mores. Examples are Captain Jack Sparrow, Scarlett O’Hara, and Walter White from Breaking Bad.

While there are any number of character archetypes — one only needs to google the term to discover hundreds of possibilities — most will fit into one of the four categories above.