Forum - View topicIdentifying Character Archetypes
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DemonDragonJ
 Posts: 116 Location: Somewhere in the United States |
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The world of Japanese animation is vast indeed, with an incredible variety of fantastic locations, people, creatures, items, and abilities. The imagination and creativity of the creators of the numerous anime and manga series have created wondrous worlds that captivate their audiences with their vivid imager and excellent storytelling.
During my many years of watching Japanese anime, I have noticed a number of recurring themes throughout the various series that I have watched. In particular, I have been able to indentify several character archetypes, molds into which numerous characters can be classified based on qualities and traits that they have in common with each other. In this post, I shall list the most common character archetypes that I have witnessed, the traits that define them, and several examples of each. The "Shonen Action Hero" This character is usually the main protagonist of a shonen (male-oriented) series, and is among the most common of all character archetypes, from what I have observed. Identifying Characteristics 1. Is usually a teenage male (the exact age may vary, but between twelve and twenty-one years of age seems to be the most common range). 2. Usually has short, spiky hair that retains its style regardless of what may happen to the character. 3. Is usually incredibly optimisitc, with a "go get 'em!" or "never say die!" attitude. 4. Is usually an excellent fighter, but is often an underdog due to lack of recognition, and possesses a "rookie" or "dropout" image in the opinion of the people around him. 5. Has a hidden power that he can tap into during moments of great desperation or need. 6. Usually prefers action to thinking, and is often very impulsive, a trait that can get him into a great deal of trouble with other people, although this occurrence is usually used as a source of comic relief. 7. Often is somewhat unintelligent, unobservant, and/or possesses poor socialization skills. Examples 1. Goku (and to a lesser extent, Gohan and Goten) from Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, and Dragon Ball GT. 2. Yugi Moto from Yu-Gi-Oh! 3. Ichigo Kurosaki from Bleach. 4. Naruto Uzumaki from Naruto. 5. Monkey D. Luffy from One Piece. 6. Satoshi (Ash in the English version) from Pocket Monsters/Pokemon. 7. The majority of the main male protagonists from the various Digimon, Gundam, and Zoids series. The "Stern Older Brother" By far my favorite archetype, this character is usually the older brother of another character in the series, whether it be the main character, a friend of the main character, or someone else. Identifying Characteristics 1. Usually has long, straight hair that gives him a dramatic and deadly appearance. 2. Usually is tall and slender, with a straight, upright stature that makes him seem elegant and aristocratic 3. Usually is very calm, collected, and creepy in his mannerisms, often to an almost unnatural extent, showing very little emotions and being able to cause other people to tremble with his mere presence. Always speaks in a proper, formal manner and never uses slang words or regional dialects. 4. Is usually incredibly proficient in whatever form of fighting is used in his series. 5. Is not usually an ally of the main protagonist, but an enemy or rival. 6. Usually does not treat his younger siblings in a very nice manner, calling them weak or pathetic. 7. Is usually very popular with fans, due to the identifying characteristics mentioned above. Examples 1. Sesshomaru from Inu Yasha. 2. Zechs Marquise from Gundam Wing. 3. Seto Kaiba from Yu-Gi-Oh! 4. Neji Hyuga and Itachi Uchiha from Naruto. 5. Byakuya Kuchiki from Bleach. 6. Possibly Portgas D. Ace from One Piece (he is not very stern is his mannerisms, albeit more so than Luffy is, but he possesses enough of the other characteristics that identify this archetype to qualify as a member of it). The "Creepy Little Girl" This character is often used in a supporting role to the main character her series. Identifying Characteristics 1. Is usually slightly younger than the main character. 2. Often has pale skin due to lack of exposure to sunlight. 3. Despite her young age, is usually very observant and has an uncanny sense of intuition, being able to perceive things that other characters cannot. 4. Speaks in a slow, soft voice and never shows emotions of any type, rivaling the stern older brother in terms of emotionlessness. 5. Often harbors a deep, dark secret that is often the reason for her being so calm and creepy, which, when revealed to the main character, has a profound impact upon them. Examples 1. Rei Ayanami from Neon Genesis: Evangelion. 2. Ichigo Morino from Onegai Teacher and Onegai Twins. 3. Anju Maka from Chibi Vampire/Karin. The character archetypes listed above are the ones that I have observed the most frequently, and thus were the easiest to identify. If anyone else can name characters who fit into these archetpyes, or can identify another archetype, please post them here. I shall eagerly await receiving your responses! |
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dormcat
Encyclopedia Editor
 Posts: 9902 Location: New Taipei City, Taiwan, ROC |
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People write and sell books about those, so please don't ask others to do it for you for free. |
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DemonDragonJ
Posts: 116 Location: Somewhere in the United States |
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I am sorry, but I do not quite understand what you are saying. Could you please expand upon what you have said? |
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ikillchicken
 Posts: 7272 Location: Vancouver |
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If he had said: "Hey what are some common character archetypes? and what are some characters that fit into em?" I would agree with you, but he's already got a whole list. I think he just means, if anyone has anything to add post it. |
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dormcat
Encyclopedia Editor
Posts: 9902 Location: New Taipei City, Taiwan, ROC |
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There are many other books without such eye-candy covers so I wouldn't bother to post all of them. |
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darksideoftheanime
 Posts: 155 |
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Well if you have looking for anime character types you can always go here:
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/AnimeTrope They explain different kinds of genres, character types, and other things you see in anime. By the way, do they have any of those books in English? |
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