The Great Archetype List – From Myths to Modern Worlds

[Kevin]

So… I’ve been thinking about this lately.
I mean, we’ve created so many gods, heroes, mentors, villains, tricksters — all these figures that keep coming back in our stories.

Carl Jung called them archetypes: the deep patterns of the human mind that reappear everywhere, in myths, books, and movies. They’re what create gods, heroes, and even monsters. Even Pokemons are archetypes !!

What if we tried to make the most complete list of them together — across fantasy, science fiction, and mythology?
I thought we could start by identifying them in the stories we all know:

Harry Potter → The Orphan Hero (Harry) / The Mentor (Dumbledore) / The Shadow (Voldemort)

Star Wars → The Chosen One (Luke) / The Wise Old Man (Yoda) / The Fallen Hero (Anakin)

The Lord of the Rings → The Ring-Bearer (Frodo) / The King in Exile (Aragorn) / The Trickster (Gollum)

Game of Thrones → The Reluctant Leader (Jon Snow) / The Broken King (Theon) / The Mother (Daenerys)

To find the archetype of a character, try to look at the core of what they are — the simplest expression of their essence. What drives them? What do they represent? Then see where they fit… or argue about it! 😄

Now it’s your turn — what archetypes do you see in your favorite worlds?
You can add new figures, name new archetypes, or even invent your own.
Let’s see how far we can go.

🏺 Mythological Archetypes (examples)

These are timeless models — gods and heroes that shaped how we imagine personality and destiny:

Zeus – The Ruler / King

Athena – The Wise Strategist / Mentor

Ares – The Warrior

Aphrodite – The Lover / Seductress

Hermes – The Trickster / Messenger

Hades – The Shadow / The Keeper of the Unknown

Prometheus – The Rebel / Creator

Orpheus – The Artist / Dreamer

Persephone – The Innocent / The Bridge Between Worlds

Apollo – The Healer / The Rational Ideal

Dionysus – The Chaotic Spirit / The Liberator

🦸 Modern Archetypes (The Avengers as examples)

Even our superheroes follow the same eternal patterns:

Iron Man (Tony Stark) – The Inventor / The Redeemed Ego

Captain America – The Soldier / The Idealist

Thor – The God Reborn / The Warrior King

Black Widow – The Spy / The Redeemer

Hulk – The Monster Within / The Repressed Power

Doctor Strange – The Magician / The Seeker of Knowledge

Scarlet Witch – The Sorceress / The Tragic Creator

Loki – The Trickster / The Shadow Brother

Spider-Man – The Everyday Hero / The Innocent

Thanos – The Dark Father / The Destroyer

These lists are just a starting point to help you find where your favorite characters might fit — even though the true list of archetypes is probably infinite.

So… who would you add? And which archetype feels the most alive in today’s stories?

[Jabotikaba]

Simon from The Dragonbone Chair -- The Orphan Hero