Throughout history, philosophers and scholars have recognized three fundamental aspects of human nature: the mind that thinks and reasons, the body that acts and experiences, and the soul that feels and connects.
These three aspects represent different ways of engaging with and understanding the world around us.*
Each of these aspects manifests in two distinct forms: a pure, internal expression and an active, outward-directed application. From this emerge six fundamental character archetypes that encompass the major ways people approach life and its challenges:
• Mind gives us the pure intellectual pursuit of the Thinker and the principled conviction of the Crusader.
• Body expresses itself through the raw strength of the Warrior and the dynamic experiences of the Adventurer.
• Soul manifests in the nurturing connections of the Guardian and the creative vision of the Visionary.
Understanding these archetypes isn’t about limiting your character’s actions – it’s about grasping their fundamental way of seeing and engaging with the world. This core nature will guide how they approach challenges, relate to others, and grow through their adventures.
* OK, so I’m a non-reductionist materialist, and this body-mind-soul thing is nonsense. However, it is useful nonsense in this context.
Who is this for?
For Players during character creation: It helps you establish a clear and consistent foundation for your character. By choosing an archetype you’re defining how your character fundamentally engages with the world. This guides all your other choices and helps create a coherent character concept.
For Players during play: Your chosen archetype serves as a touchstone for consistent, authentic roleplaying. In any situation, you can ask yourself “How does a [Warrior/Thinker/etc.] naturally engage with this?” The archetype explores the Why? question, instead of merely listing near-endless possible actions (What? How?). A Guardian’s first instinct in a crisis will be to protect others, while an Adventurer will embrace the thrill of danger, and a Visionary will seek a unique perspective. This makes roleplaying feel natural rather than forced.
For DMs: This framework helps you evaluate and thus reward roleplaying in a more objective way. When players make choices that align with their character’s archetypal nature, that’s good roleplaying – regardless of whether those choices advance the plot or solve problems. Secondly, it helps you create more engaging situations by presenting challenges that resonate with different archetypal approaches.
For the Party: Different archetypes bring different perspectives and approaches to each situation, creating rich opportunities for interaction and problem-solving. The Crusader’s principled stance might clash with the Adventurer’s desire for new experiences, while the Guardian’s protective instincts balance the Warrior’s confrontational nature. These dynamics create natural roleplaying moments and help each character shine in their own way.
What this is not
A personality test or trait assessment – your character’s specific traits, habits, likes, dislikes, quirks, and mannerisms will emerge through play;
A motivational profile based on basic desires (like power, curiosity, or status, cf. Steven Reiss) – while these drives may influence your character, the archetype represents something more fundamental: their core way of engaging with and understanding the world;
A character class or profession – warriors can be any archetype, and any archetype can be a warrior;
A straightjacket for your character – your character will grow and change naturally through play, while maintaining their core way of engaging with the world.
Selecting your north star
Choose your character’s archetype based on how they fundamentally engage with the world. Each description offers guidance rather than rules: understand the spirit of your chosen archetype and let it inform your character’s actions. The key is to grasp the underlying spirit of your chosen archetype and let it inform how your character thinks and acts.
For each archetype, we give below:
- Core drive: fundamental motivation and worldview
- Strengths: what makes them distinctive
- Key behaviours: typical actions
- Natural responses: how they handle situations
- Relationships: how they interact with others
- Red flags: signs of acting out of character
- Famous examples from fiction
How to use your archetype
- Read through the archetypes and choose one that resonates with your character concept. This becomes your foundation for how your character approaches situations. For example, if you choose Warrior, your character will naturally confront challenges head-on rather than seeking diplomatic solutions.
- When faced with a situation, you can refer to your archetype’s “Natural Responses” as a guide. If your Thinker character encounters a threat, their instinct would be to step back and analyse rather than rush in. This helps you maintain consistent characterisation.
- Let your archetype inform how your character communicates. Your Crusader might speak formally and make moral pronouncements, while an Adventurer might use casual, witty banter.
- Use the Red Flags as your self-check system. If you find your Guardian character repeatedly refusing to help others, it signals you’ve drifted from the archetype’s core nature.
The Thinker – a.k.a. Scholar, Sage, Observer
1. Core drive: Seeks understanding through analysis and observation.
2. Strengths:
– Sharp, methodical mind
– Keen attention to detail
– Patient and thorough
3. Key behaviours:
– Gathers information before acting
– Works from the background
– Questions everything systematically
4. Natural responses:
– To Threats: Steps back to analyse; seeks indirect solutions
– To Social: Observes more than participates
– To Problems: Gathers data and considers all angles
– To Emotions: Favours logical analysis
5. Relationships:
– Values competence over charisma
– Maintains emotional distance
– Shares knowledge rather than feelings
6. Red flags:
– Acting without analysis
– Being openly emotional
– Seeking attention
7. Famous Thinkers:
– Sherlock Holmes (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle stories)
– L (Death Note anime/manga)
– Rick Sanchez (Rick and Morty)
– Velma (Scooby-Doo)
The Warrior – a.k.a. Challenger, Champion
1. Core drive: Seeks to prove strength and maintain control.
2. Strengths:
– Confident and decisive
– Natural leader
– Action-oriented
3. Key behaviours:
– Takes charge in crises
– Confronts challenges directly
– Competes to excel
– Defends their position
4. Natural responses:
– To Threats: Faces them directly; may escalate
– To Social: Establishes hierarchy
– To Problems: Takes immediate action
– To Emotions: Channels into action
5. Relationships:
– Respects strength
– Expects loyalty
– Challenges rivals
6. Red flags:
– Avoiding confrontation
– Showing weakness
– Deferring unnecessarily
7. Famous Warriors:
– Ajax the Greater (Greek myth; pure physical might and direct confrontation)
– Tyr (Norse myth; pure warrior valour)
– Harry Callahan (Dirty Harry films; direct confrontation, strength-based)
– John McClane (Die Hard films; direct action, proves strength)
– Rocky Balboa (Rocky films; pure physical challenger)
– Ellen Ripley (Alien films; direct confrontation, proves capability)
– Riddick (Chronicles of Riddick; pure physical dominance)
The Guardian – a.k.a. Nurturer, Carer, Empath, Healer
1. Core drive: Seeks to nurture and maintain relationships.
2. Strengths:
– Deeply empathetic
– Naturally supportive
– Relationship-focused
3. Key behaviours:
– Puts others’ needs first
– Mediates conflicts
– Provides emotional support
4. Natural responses:
– To Threats: Protects others; seeks peaceful solutions
– To Social: Creates harmony
– To Problems: Considers impact on all
– To Emotions: Embraces feelings openly
5. Relationships:
– Forms strong bonds
– Takes responsibility for others
– Seeks group harmony
6. Red flags:
– Putting self first
– Refusing to help
– Being confrontational
7. Famous Guardians:
– Frodo (Lord of the Rings; driven by need to protect and preserve)
– Sam Gamgee (Lord of the Rings; pure nurturing nature)
– Aragorn (Lord of the Rings; protects and guides others)
– Dr. McCoy (Star Trek; healing and caring central to nature)
– Alfred Pennyworth (Batman comics/films; pure nurturer, lives to support others)
– Baymax (Big Hero 6; pure caring programming)
– Nurse Joy (Pokémon; pure healing/caring archetype)
– Uncle Iroh (Avatar: The Last Airbender; nurturing wisdom and support)
– Wong (Marvel Cinematic Universe; supportive, protective nature)
The Adventurer – a.k.a. Explorer, Pioneer, Wanderer
1. Core drive: Seeks intense experiences and new challenges.
2. Strengths:
– Quick-thinking
– Resourceful
– Adaptable
3. Key behaviours:
– Takes risks
– Uses charm to advantage
– Questions authority
– Lives in the moment
4. Natural responses:
– To Threats: Uses mix of bravado and cunning
– To Social: Charming but distant
– To Problems: Improvises solutions
– To Emotions: Deflects with humour
5. Relationships:
– Forms quick bonds
– Values freedom
– Keeps emotional distance
6. Red flags:
– Playing it safe
– Getting too serious
– Following rules blindly
7. Famous Adventurers:
– Jason (Greek myth; seeker of the extraordinary)
– Sinbad (Arabian Nights; pure adventuring spirit)
– Bilbo (The Hobbit; seeks new experiences despite convention)
– Indiana Jones (Raiders of the Lost Ark; adventure and discovery seeker)
– Jack Sparrow (Pirates of the Caribbean; lives for experience and freedom)
– Lara Croft (Tomb Raider; driven by discovery and experience)
– Han Solo (Star Wars; pure thrill-seeker, freedom lover)
– Peter Quill/Starlord (Guardians of the Galaxy; thrill-seeker, experience-driven)
The Visionary – a.k.a. Creator, Artist, Dreamer, Poet
1. Core drive: Seeks to express personal truth and vision.
2. Strengths:
– Intensely perceptive
– Creative problem-solver
– Passionate
3. Key behaviours:
– Questions conventions
– Expresses dramatically
– Seeks deeper meaning
4. Natural responses:
– To Threats: Responds uniquely
– To Social: Intense but inconsistent
– To Problems: Finds unusual solutions
– To Emotions: Feels and expresses deeply
5. Relationships:
– Forms intense connections
– Seeks understanding
– Tests others’ commitment
6. Red flags:
– Being conventional
– Suppressing expression
– Choosing practicality
7. Famous Visionaries:
– David Bowie (musician; pure creative self-expression through constant reinvention)
– Willy Wonka (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory; creates from pure imagination)
– Elric of Melniboné (Moorcock novels; driven by expressing his unique, alien perspective)
– The Fool (Robin Hobb novels; expresses truth through art & prophecy, suffers for vision)
The Crusader – a.k.a. Champion, Guardian, Idealist, Reformer
1. Core drive: Seeks to uphold principles and fight wrongs.
2. Strengths:
– Unwavering conviction
– Self-disciplined
– Leads by example
3. Key behaviours:
– Takes moral stands
– Judges right from wrong
– Sacrifices for causes
4. Natural responses:
– To Threats: Shows righteous determination
– To Social: Formal and proper
– To Problems: Seeks clear moral solutions
– To Emotions: Channels into purpose
5. Relationships:
– Bonds through shared values
– Judges others’ choices
– Puts principles first
6. Red flags:
– Compromising beliefs
– Showing moral flexibility
– Acting without principle
7. Famous Crusaders:
– Gandalf (Lord of the Rings; every action serves moral purpose)
– Mr. Spock (Star Trek; driven by philosophical principles)
– Brienne of Tarth (Game of Thrones; driven by oaths and ideals)
– Wonder Woman (DC Comics; driven by ideals and justice)
– Joan of Arc (French historical; pure ideological warrior)
– Emily Pankhurst (British historical; driven by principles and reform)
– Malcolm X (American historical; driven by principles and reform)
– Martin Luther King Jr. (American historical; pure ideological drive)
Source
This is an adaptation of Paul Tomlinson’s Character Creation: A Guide to Archetypes, Motivation & Emotion for Writers & Actors (2018).
To find out more about Reiss’ theory that people share the same core basic drives, but differ in how strongly each drive matters to them, and that these differences help explain personality, values, and behaviour, here’s a link to one of his paper’s and to an introductory book on his website.