A Hero is a character, usually coming from a humble beginning, with a unique strength. Their stories usually foreshadow greatness before they get called on a quest where they have to battle obstacles all along the way before finally achieving the goal and saving the day. 

Think about Harry potter. A poor orphan living with a neglectful family. He has a unique strength as he is the only one to ever survive Lord Voldemort which also foreshadows his greatness. Throughout every year at school he completes a new quest, fighting new foes, and ultimately defeating them. 

Or Luke Skywalker. He was also an orphan living with a poor family. He also realized he had a unique strength that lead him to his guide, Obi Wan Kenobi and then to Yoda. He was called on perilous quests to help defeat the imperial armies which ultimately lead him to saving the galaxy from Darth Vader. 

Think about most heroes, Batman, Superman, Hercules, Frodo, and you’ll see this story repeated over and over again. 

This is the Hero Archetype.

What is an Archetype? 

An Archetype is a symbol, an ideology, a motif. It represents a character type that we as people naturally follow. Archetypes help us visualize and understand people, groups, and organizations. There are many different natural archetypes, but this framework was first studied by Carl Jung, a Swiss psychologist and later broken into 12 key archetype systems by Carol Pearson in Awakening the Heroes Within. 

So what does this have to do with you?

Archetypes don’t just happen in books or movies. They exist in the world around us. Archetypes are a tool that help you tell a story, and helps your audience connect with you. Here are the 12 archetypes and their characteristics. Where do you fit?

Need to make sure your brand reflects your archetype? Let’s Talk!