heroes villians archetypes speaker chris huntlley

Heroes, Villians &DramaticaArchetypes

Speaker: Chris Huntley

• A Few Character Problems

• Eight Character Archetypes

• Complex Characters

• Heroes and Main Characters

• Villains and Impact Characters

Overview

Typical Character Development Problems

• I want a main character who is NOT a hero.

• My characters are little more that set decoration. How can I make them essential to the story?

• My characters are too simple. How can I give them greater dimensionality? Make them more “real?”

Simple Characters:Eight Archetypes

Protagonist Antagonist

Reason Emotion

Sidekick Skeptic

Guardian Contagonist

Archetypes in Star Wars

ProtagonistAntagonistEmotionReasonSkepticSidekickGuardian

Contagonist

Luke SkywalkerThe EmpireChewbacca

Princess LeiaHan Solo

R2D2 & C3P0Obi Wan

Darth Vader

16 Character Motivations

ProtagonistAntagonistEmotionReasonSkepticSidekickGuardian

Contagonist

ConsiderReconsider

FeelingLogic

DisbeliefFaith

ConscienceTemptation

PursueAvoid

UncontrolledControlOpposeSupport

HelpHinder

Decision Element Action Element


ConsiderReconsider

FeelingLogic

DisbeliefFaith


PursueAvoid


HelpHinder


Luke SkywalkerThe EmpireChewbacca

Princess LeiaHan Solo

R2D2 & C3P0Obi Wan

Darth Vader


ConsiderReconsider

FeelingLogic

DisbeliefFaith


PursueAvoid


HelpHinder


DorothyWicked Witch

Tin ManScarecrow

Cowardly LionToto

GlindaWizard of Oz

Complex Characters

• Complex Characters contain one or more problem-solving elements in a non-archetypal arrangement.

• Simple Example: Achetypal “swap” in The Wizard of Oz—The Scarecrow and the Tin Man

Main Character vs. Protagonist

• Main Character: The Character through whom the audience experiences the story.

• Protagonist: The Character who is the prime mover and principle proponent of the Story Goal in the overall story.

“Hero” Characters

• Heroes are most often BOTH the Main Character and the Protagonist.

• Many stories, however, separate the role of the Protagonist from the perspective of the Main Character.

• Can you think of some examples where the Main Character is NOT the protagonist?

Examples

• Sherlock Holmes stories: Sherlock Holmes is the protagonist; Watson is the Main Character.

• Hellboy (Movie)—Hellboy is the protagonist; Idealistic and naive agent John Myers is the Main Character.

• The Terminator—Kyle Reese is the protagonist; Sarah Connor is the Main Character.

Impact Charactersvs. Antagonists

• A Protagonist is balanced by an Antagonist

• Antagonists are against the story goal

• A Main Character has personal issues and is challenged by an Impact Character

• The Impact Character represents an alternative way of solving personal issues

“Villain” Characters

• Villain usually describes the Antagonist

• A Villain can both the Impact Character and the Antagonist

• But, like the Hero, a Villain can be complex

• Anime examples...

Heroes and VillainsExample: Dragonball Z (1999)

CHARACTER'SNAME:GokuSPECIALID:MainCharacterTYPE:Protagonist

CHARACTER'SNAME:LordFriezaSPECIALID:ImpactCharacterTYPE:Antagonist

Themainandimpactcharactersareusedinthemostsimpleandbasicway.Theysustainaba6leformorethanadozenepisodesthatculminateswhentheImpactCharacterforcestheMainCharactertochange(literally!)

Heroes and VillainsExample: Death Note (2008)

CHARACTER'SNAME:RiatoSPECIALID:MainCharacterTYPE:Antagonist

CHARACTER'SNAME:LSPECIALID:ImpactCharacterTYPE:Protagonist

The Main Character is this idealistic serial killer who spends most of the story trying not to be discovered while the Impact Character is the brilliant detective after him.

• Eight Character Archetypes

• Complex Characters

• Heroes and Main Characters

• Villains and Impact Characters

Review

Typical Character Development Problems• I want a main character who is NOT a hero

Make your main character someone other than the protagonist of the story.

Typical Character Development Problems• I want a main character who is NOT a hero

Make your main character someone other than the protagonist of the story.

• My characters are little more that set decoration. How can I make them essential to the story?

Assign character functions to the characters. This makes them essential to the exploration of the story.

Typical Character Development Problems• My characters are too simple. How can I

give them greater dimensionality? Make them more “real?”

Make your characters complex by assigning them atypical character functions. Complex characters seem more “real” than the simpler Archtypes. Making them the Main or Impact Character gives them greater depth.

Questions?

A downloadable PDF of this Session will be available at Dramatica.com

Character Dimensions• Motivation—the drive to resolve

problems

• Methodology—the means taken to resolve problems

• Evaluation—the standards by which progress is determined while resolving problems

• Purpose—the end sought by resolving problems

Character Dimensions

• Sixteen (16) Motivation Elements

• Sixteen (16) Methodology Elements

• Sixteen (16) Evaluation Elements

• Sixteen (16) Purpose Elements

• A total of Sixty-Four (64) Character Elements with which to build your Objective Characters

Character Dimensions

Well-rounded Complex Characters should have character elements from all four character dimensions.

Example Multilevel Protagonist Archetype

• Motivation: Pursue

• Methodology: Proaction

• Purpose: Actuality

• Evaluation: Effect

An archetypal Protagonist is driven to pursue, acts proactively to get real world results, and evaluates how it’s doing by its effectiveness. (Think “James Bond.”)

Example Multilevel Sidekick Archetype• Motivation: Support

• Methodology: Protection

• Purpose: Inertia

• Evaluation: Result

An archetypal Sidekick is driven to provide support, acts protectively to keep things the way they are, and evaluates how it’s doing by the results of its efforts. (Think “Pepper Potts”)

Changing an Archetype to a Complex Character


• Methodology: Proaction



An archetypal Protagonist is driven to pursue, acts proactively to get real world results, and evaluates how it’s doing by its effectiveness.


The complex character is driven to pursue, does not take action in order to achieve real world results, and evaluates how it’s doing by its effectiveness. (Think “Ghandi.”)


• Methodology: Inaction




The complex character is driven to pursue, does not take action in order to be more desireable, and evaluates how it’s doing by its effectiveness.


• Methodology: Inaction

• Purpose: Desire


Consider Logic

Feeling

Faith

Temptation Disbelief Hinder Oppose

HelpSupportConscience

Reconsider Un-controlled

Avoid /Prevent

ControlPursue

heroes villians archetypes speaker chris huntlley

Spiritual

protagonist main character

character problems

character throughwhom

main orimpact character

main characters villains

simple characters

assign character functions

hero characters heroes