Archetypes

A major problem in a lot of writing is the "who's the main character" problem. This occurs when a side character becomes too detailed. While you want your allies and enemies to have personalities, basing them on archetypes helps keep this problem at bay.

Family

The family archetypical category is filled with parental figures that serve to flush out a character's backstory.

Absent/dead Parent(s): Parent(s) who leave/have already left during the beginning of the story. Their absence could motivate your character to find them, be a better parent than them, or be self-sufficient. An example is Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games. Before the book begins, her father is dead, and her mother is so wrought with grief that she can barely function.

Ideal Parent: A parental figure that takes care of an orphan. They show the orphan that there are good people in the world. Justice Strauss from A Series of Unfortunate Events is an excellent example of this archetype, as she cares for the Baudelaire children as if they were her own.

Wicked Step-Parent: The Wicked Step Parent hates their stepchild and does everything they can to make them miserable. The Wicked Step Parent is also a villain archetype. Cinderella's Lady Tremaine is the textbook example of this trope.

Workaholic Parent: A parent who is completely enamored with their work, which causes them to not care for their children. This, like the absent/dead parent trope, causes the character to do things so that the parent will give them attention. It also might cause them to want to be a better parent than them or learn to be self-sufficient. Examples include the money-hungry Mr. Banks from Disney's Mary Poppins.

Mentors

The mentor helps your character develop their abilities and often fills a spot the parental figure is unable.

Crazy Professor: A teacher with unusual or eccentric ideas that don't make sense to most people. Protagonists with this kind of mentor either don't think outside the box, or society looks down upon the mentor's ways. Back to the Future's Doc exemplifies this archetype, as characters in the film find him "dangerous."

Elderly Master: A mentor that is extremely old. They will typically teach the protagonist traditions that have been forgotten by society. Protagonists who are impatient will often benefit from having this archetype teach them. For example, master Oogway from Kung Fu Panda would fall into this category.

Hermit: The hermit is a mentor that lives alone. Often disillusioned or banished from society, characters might call them strange or crazy. A social outcast protagonist might relate to this kind of mentor. At the beginning of Star Wars, Obi-Wan Kenobi would be an example of this mentor, as he is living alone in Tatooine.

Whiskey Priest: The Whiskey Priest is the "do what I say, not what I do" of mentors. Often holding others to a moral standard, this mentor doesn't follow that code at all. Robin Hood's Friar Tuck is a classic example of this category.

Wise Mentor: The wise mentor is the classic teacher figure. They are knowledgeable, morally sound, and looked up to by most characters. The patient, intelligent Dumbledore from Harry Potter is a well-known version of this archetype.

Villains

While it isn't recommended to make your antagonist an archetype, it is sometimes nice to have a platform to expand upon, which this category does

Tyrants: Tyrants are villains who have and covet power. They include corrupt kings/queens, like Alice in Wonderland's Queen of Hearts, cruel bosses, like Miranda Priestly from The Devil Wears Prada, illegitimate rulers, a la The Lion King's Scar, and evil dictators like Snowball from George Orwell's Animal Farm.

Dark Lord: A classically evil villain. They typically control a large disposable army or loyal cult and wage war with the side the hero fights for. Lord of the Rings' primary antagonist, Sauron, is derived from this archetype. These antagonists seem impossible to defeat due to their power and plentiful resources.

Evil Scientist: Often the creator of "The Experiment," the evil scientist enjoys using their intellect and resources to hurt society. Marvel Comic's Doc Ock would be classified under this category.

Puppet Master: The puppet master is a character revealed to be the one behind the scenes pulling strings. They could also be called a secret antagonist. Spoiler alert, but in Treasure Island, Long John Silver is this archetype.

Enemies

In stories, the antagonist is who your character would be if they went down a different path. The enemy is who your character would align with if they actually went down that path.

Backstabber: A character that your protagonist thinks is an ally, only to be betrayed by them in the crucial moment. They can fracture a protagonist's trust and shock the audience in one fell swoop. The most famous example of this is Brutus in Julius Caesar.

Bully: A character who actively seeks to harm, intimidate or torment another through emotional, physical, and mental means. This could push your character to their breaking point or be used to make them stronger. An example of this is Christine Hargensen, who bullies the titular Carrie.

The Experiment: The experiment, often the creation of the "Evil Scientist," is a creature/deformed human that seeks to harm others. While it could be a villain, it seldom is, as its purpose is to warn the audience of the danger of messing with nature. Jurassic Park's dinosaurs would fall into this category.

Unlawful Judge/Sleazy Politician: This category isn't reserved for corrupt magistrates, but any person in power who overlooks evidence to convict/harm the protagonist for their own benefit. Judge Cary Rossington from Steven King's Thinner belongs in this category.

"Nice Guy": This character pretends to be a stand-up guy, even though he is the opposite. He is often a love interest before he reveals his true nature. Pride and Prejudice's Charles Bingley is counted under this category.

Scrooge: A cranky old man who just wants to make others miserable. Mustrum Ridcully from the Discworld series stomps his way into this category.

Henchman: The henchman can range from a random, faceless goon for the hero to the antagonist's right-hand man, a la Count Tyrone Rugen from The Princess Bride.

Friends Or Enemies

Depending on your character's traits, morals and rank, these archetypes could be your protagonist's ally or enemy.

Jock: This thick-headed archetype typically bullies nerds. Kurt and Ram from Heathers belong on the enemy side of this category. The Breakfast Club's Andrew Clark falls into the friend part.

Rebel: The rebel loves to break the rules and cause mayhem. Jack D. Ripper from Dr. Strangelove is counted in this category.

Childhood Friend: The childhood friend is a character that your protagonist was friends with growing up.

Deformed: A character is treated as lesser due to their physical appearance. Frankenstein from Frankenstein and Sloth from Goonies represent the two sides to this archetype.

Double Agent: These characters pretend to be loyal to one person/place, only to feed information to the enemy. This category also includes triple agents and quadruple agents. Any multiple of "agent" after that would be ridiculous. Harry Potter's Severus Snape falls into this section.

Femme Fatale: A murderous woman who uses her beauty and wit to benefit herself. This archetype is also classified under the protagonist and love interest category. One example is Circe from The Odyssey.

Allies

Allies are characters that your protagonist befriends throughout the story.

Klutz: An ally that consistently fails no matter how hard they try. One example of this is Harry Potter's Neville Longbottom.

Sidekick: The protagonist's version of the right-hand man, the sidekick is often the hero's best friend. Sidekicks will usually have an opposing personality to the protagonist, acting as a foil to the hero. Samwise Gamgee from The Lord of the Rings is a perfect example of the sidekick.

Comic Relief: The comic relief's job is to break the tension by using humor. The charm behind the comic relief is that their humor is unintentional; they do not know that they are funny. For example, Scooby-Doo from the aptly named show Scooby-Doo is often a comic relief.

Gentle Giant: Despite their size and strength, this character is amiable and is relatively harmless. Typically, they are not very bright. Ludo from The Labyrinth would be considered a gentle giant.

Human Plot Device: The entire point of this character is to exposition dump or to move the plot forward without having a narrator. Unless you are writing a comedy, parody, or satirical story, avoid having this archetype as they add nothing. Liz from Purge: Anarchy would be considered by some to fall into this category.

Jester: While looking very similar to the comic relief character, the main difference between the two jokers is the intent behind the humor. Jesters often use humor for a more serious purpose, like hiding past trauma or criticizing society. Beetlejuice from Beetlejuice would belong here.

Independent: The independent character wants nothing to do with anyone and is often coerced into the plot. Think Aragorn from Lord of the Rings.

Love Interests

Here are some people for your protagonist to fall in love with (or not).

Bad Boy: The greasy-haired, rule-breaking boy that your law-abiding protagonist can't help but fall for. JD Salinger's Catcher in the Rye character Holden Caulfield is a classic example of the bad boy trope.

Boy/Girl-Next-Door: Wholesome character who is stereotypically beautiful, kind, and talented. They are either ignored by your protagonist until the hero realizes how great they are, or they friendzone the protagonist. Pam from The Office is the adult version of this archetype.

Damsel in Distress: A woman in need of rescuing. Princess Fiona from Shrek took this archetype and spun it around by making her powerful.

Southern Belle: A southern woman who is flirtatious but innocent. She has manners, or, at the very least, tries to. Disney's Charlotte La Bouff from their version of The Princess and the Frog belongs here.

Star-Crossed Lovers: A romantic pairing whose love means their doom. Romeo and Juliet are the most famous pair.

Romantic Runner-Up: The one in the love triangle who doesn't get the girl/guy. Hunger Games' Gale Hawthorne is placed here.

"Nice Guy": This character pretends to be a stand-up guy, even though he is the opposite. He is often a love interest before he reveals his true nature. Pride and Prejudice's Charles Bingley is counted under this category.

Femme Fatale: A murderous woman who uses her beauty and wit to benefit herself. This archetype is also classified under the protagonist and friends/enemies category. One example is Circe from The Odyssey.

Heroes

While making your protagonist an archetype isn't recommended, it is sometimes nice to have a platform to expand upon, which this category does.

Anti-Hero: A protagonist who doesn't possess the usual traits of a hero. They typically lack morals and have a problem with authority. Pirates of the Caribbean's drunkard of a hero, Jack Sparrow, fits into this category.

Tortured Hero: Typically the star of romance books, this hero needs someone to save him from their past scars.

"Chosen One": The hero prophesied to save the world through their extraordinary power. The Lego Movie does a great job flipping this archetype with its protagonist Emmet Brickowski.

Underdog: All the odds are against this protagonist, but you can't help but root for them. Rocky from Rocky belongs here.

Final Girl: The girl who survives the horror movie thanks to her wits and creative solutions. A Cabin in the Woods does an excellent job at poking fun of this trope with Dana Polk.

Good Guy: This is your most stereotypical, do no wrong, protagonist. They save the day and get the girl without breaking a sweat. Prince Phillip from Disney's Sleeping Beauty is in this category.

Idiot Turned Hero: The awkward, socially stunted outcast becomes the person to save the world. How to Train Your Dragon's hero, Hiccup, would be placed into this archetype.

Action Guy: This all brawn, few brains, hunk of a man beats up the bad guys. Arnold Schwarzenegger's character in Predator, Dutch Schaefer, would fall here.

Orphan: A character who loses their parents due to tragic, and often mysterious, circumstances. One of the many examples of this archetype is Harry Potter from Harry Potter.

Femme Fatale: A murderous woman who uses her beauty and wit to benefit herself. This archetype is also classified under the protagonist and friends/enemies category. One example is Circe from The Odyssey.