The 12 Literary Archetypes
Use these archetypes to help write your next novel.
At its fundamental core, an archetype is an original pattern or model. Comprised of a set of memories or ideas shared among humanity, it is recognized universally.
Famous psychologist Carl Jung sought to explain the human psyche. In doing so, he realized 12 character archetypes found across different cultures and seen in different periods.
He believed these 12 archetypes resided in our collective unconscious and were ultimately something we all have in common.
These archetypes allow us to understand stories from all parts of the world. They are the common themes that connect us each together. Understanding the 12 archetypes also allows us to better write characters into our stories.
1. Ruler — The Joffrey’s of the writer world
The Ruler, archetype believes power is everything. These are types of characters like Joffrey from Game of Thrones or the overarching Big Brother in 1984. Their greatest fears are being overthrown or having their kingdoms fall into chaos. They yearn to control every aspect of their subjects’ lives, leaving no room for error or independent thinking.
This character type that uses psychological torture to get their subjects to fall in line. They…
