What is your favorite persona archetype?

[BearBear]

For me it's definitely tsundere, and to me that means a cold calculating and emotionless stoicism with an underlying care and kindness that makes up for the rest. This character is unapproachable, typically beautiful, typically intelligent, neat, organized and well kept. When interacting with this character you will seemingly gain nothing and presumably lose their interest the more you do. However they're exterior is disjointed to their interior and they're typically somewhat personable and reasonable once you've gained their trust and respect. I know a lot of people and I know someone like this that I would give the world to because I know they're genuine. (No one you know.)

Though in storytelling, you tend to exemplify and narrow a character's scope for the sake of an easily understood character, they can change over time, so that one-dimensional character can be stretched through their canon experiences. I like the transformation tsundere goes through as I typically identify with the one trying to get past that iron clad armor of a personality.

 

[pmmg]

While I was not aware of that term, I think my MC is something like that, so I may hold on to the term tsundere.

I dont know which persona type I like best. I have stronger opinions on which I dislike the most. I think I will just take any character that makes the story work without feeling like they are forced in, or making me go BS.

Typically, I like character with the wounded brooding persona of Batman, but not with all his skills. I like the struggle characters go through, and the way it changes them, maybe not the same as tsundere, cause that seems to imply there were always such, it just needed to be unlocked. I also like characters who are uncertain about the outcome, but find themselves the only one in a position to do, and then wrestle with it. I like people who rise to the occasion, and those who overcome weakness.

But, if I had a list of Persona types in front of me, I am not sure which I would pick out. I'd need to see the list.


I think I will add, that when creating characters, I dont really go looking for a place to pigeon hole them. Like, if I had a list, I would not go, okay, ill make this one tsundere, and then attach to them all the traits. I just make them as needed and let their personalities and persona's speak to me as to who they are. That they come out like some that may fit a category is just ancillary.

 

[Queshire]

We'll make a weeb out of you yet PMMG.

I don't know if I would say that I'm good at writing them, but I love writing heroic schemers. Generally they'll be the sort of schemers that value decorum instead of the more chaotic or mad scientist type schemers. Many of them will be either nobles in their own right or invoke the kind of tropes that go with them. Oh, and naturally they're badass enough to take care of themselves in a fight even if they prefer to avoid a fight in the first place.

 

[pmmg]

Well, lets not get carrier away . Ive seen some animes

 

[BearBear]

Well, lets not get carrier away . Ive seen some animes

Sir dragon, I don't think you understand the situation.

 

[Demesnedenoir]

What the hell is anime?

 

[pmmg]

I accept. I have enjoyed many animes, and not enjoyed others. They are not extra special to me. But you can enjoy them as you will.

 

[Finchbearer]

Well BearBear if we’re looking at traditional archetypes, the Sage and the Explorer will always present interest to me.

I have a character who is probably a Sage and a Lover. And my protagonists, well they are Explorers of course.

One is more a Magician, the other is more of an Outlaw.

 

[Insolent Lad]

The Reluctant Hero pops up quite a lot in my stuff. The protagonist who (a la the typical hobbit) would sooner sit home but circumstances force him to act.

 

[BearBear]

Another couple favorites of mine are the anti-hero, and anti-villian.

 

[pmmg]

Another couple favorites of mine are the anti-hero, and anti-villian.

Antihero is low on my list, iffy on anti-villain.

 

[Mad Swede]

I don't have any favourite character archetype, nor do I ever set out to write a certain sort of character in terms of an archetype. I just enjoy writing characters with all the complexity that most people have. For me it's the motivation that drives the characters and the way they interact with other characters that makes the characters interesting and which drives the plot.

 

[BearBear]

I don't have any favourite character archetype, nor do I ever set out to write a certain sort of character in terms of an archetype. I just enjoy writing characters with all the complexity that most people have. For me it's the motivation that drives the characters and the way they interact with other characters that makes the characters interesting and which drives the plot.

I wouldn't say I start out making a one-dimensional character but it often evolves that way as it feels somewhat comfortable to be able to clearly demark a character and by making them somewhat predictable such that when they break character in terms of actual depth, it's a sort of in a shock value way that makes it fun. In this it also shows metaphorically that you--the reader or anyone--can actually be beyond their roles and catagories that are put on people. It's a cliché by now and pretty common especially in children oriented stories but I like it and my characters naturally do this for me.

 

[Vafnir]

While I don't have specific terms for the character archetypes I'm going to describe, there are a few I seem to like more than others.

One of them is the unapproachable, kind of aggressive and offensive character full of distrust, who seems to be spiteful towards everyone, at first. They don't like to be touched or be close to someone else. However, there is one person they seem to open up towards more than the rest, and that person helps them open up towards other people. Thus, the more time they spend around these people, the more they realize that they do value them as friends and not everyone in the world is out to get them.

Another one I like is the bubbly character, who is unable to sit still and seems to express their affection towards others by more physical means, be it sudden hugs or fist bumps on the shoulder. And despite their cheerful persona not being a facade, they do have their inner struggles they initially hide and try to keep inside, but when all the stuff kept inside start to boil over, they try to fight the problem at its core, on their own at first, but entrusting their feelings and struggles to their friends later on.

And for some reason, I like the idea of a "voluntary" servant who also happens to be a good friend of the person they serve.

 

[Miles Lacey]

My favourite characters are females who are average working class girls who merely blend into the background because they look, dress and behave just like everyone else. They work in minimum wage jobs, live in neighbourhoods with bad reputations and deal with the prejudices of those who equate poor and working class people with criminality, drug & alcohol addictions and mental health issues.

They don't choose to be heroes. They don't want to be heroes. They just want what they believe is theirs because of genuine hard work rather than silver spoons, old school ties or other forms of privilege. Along the way towards achieving their own goals they help others and this is what leads to them becoming heroes.

To me, heroes need worthy antagonists who are driven by noble values centred around a (misguided) sense of patriotic duty, religious fervour and a personal ambition to be the ones to deliver their countries from chaos and division.

 

[Finchbearer]

My favourite characters are females who are average working class girls who merely blend into the background because they look, dress and behave just like everyone else. They work in minimum wage jobs, live in neighbourhoods with bad reputations and deal with the prejudices of those who equate poor and working class people with criminality, drug & alcohol addictions and mental health issues.

They don't choose to be heroes. They don't want to be heroes. They just want what they believe is theirs because of genuine hard work rather than silver spoons, old school ties or other forms of privilege. Along the way towards achieving their own goals they help others and this is what leads to them becoming heroes.

To me, heroes need worthy antagonists who are driven by noble values centred around a (misguided) sense of patriotic duty, religious fervour and a personal ambition to be the ones to deliver their countries from chaos and division.

There are some themes here that I’m exploring in my own writing. I actually have one female character who comes from the peasantry (poor farming/crofting community) and her friend comes from the landed nobility. It’s set in a historical context, but females at that time from any class would have had to fight against the patriarchy. I’m also exploring crossing those class divides, and how it is or isn’t linked to identity or destiny.

 

[BearBear]

To me, heroes need worthy antagonists who are driven by noble values centred around a (misguided) sense of patriotic duty, religious fervour and a personal ambition to be the ones to deliver their countries from chaos and division.

So you're saying their (the wallflower's) call to action isn't obligation or internal heroic compass, but rather just to support what they think is right?

I'm building a story with this kind of protagonist right now actually. She starts off exactly like this but is forced into doing things she'll later regret, and the heroic part comes in after the damage is done.

 

[FifthView]

Although I have watched a lot of anime, I have never fallen into the "culture" of anime, so I was unfamiliar with the term tsundere, indeed with the whole system of personas/archetypes used to describe various characters in Japanese anime. A quick search has led to a torrent of information, and now my head is spinning.

I could list specific characters I like the most, but trying to classify them in this system is hard because I'm not familiar with the system of classification.

I also have a difficult time believing anime characters (and personas/archetypes) can translate well to written, non-comic or manga, fiction. Naruto is a favorite character, but I very much doubt he can be translated into fiction in a way that I would like to read. So I wonder whether this classification system would be good for me?

If I had to create my own label, or borrow from another classification system, to describe a favorite character type, I'd go with "heroic martyr." This is the character that constantly suffers but always presses forward, who ends up very damaged by the end even if he "wins" the final struggle. Spider-man is a great mainstream example of this. Many of my favorite characters in fantasy would fall into this category.

 

[BearBear]

Naruto is a favorite character, but I very much doubt he can be translated into fiction in a way that I would like to read.

There's a lot of variation and flavor even if you tried to put Naruto himself in your work he would still shake out unique.

The old heros of comic legend, X-Men, DC, Marvel, are not necessarily martyrs but I too like the power they have. The one thing I didn't like was how powerful they were without really working for it. I like a hero that built their legend from scratch, with nothing genetic or imbued to speak of. Batman except without money, Ironman same. Why do they need to be billionaires to be superheros? Anyway. Superman was like lifting a tractor while in diapers so it's very hard for me to relate to him and I want to relate to the hero.

 

[Queshire]

Hm, I think there was a miscommunication here. Tsundere is just a trope. It's the same thing as the wise old mentor or the rakish rogue. There's no special system to it beyond the simple tendency of different genres and different cultures to produce their own tropes.

As for translating Anime influences to prose? Well, I can't really comment on your own tastes but er... it already exists? A large number of anime start out in prose form before being turned into a show.