Intro
Back again with a new installment of the 12 character archetypes! I know I haven't been updating frequently for a while, but I'm trying to get back into it. Having a new born does take a lot of time and energy though, so no promises for a 2x week update😜.
Either way, let's get into the next Archetype I will be adding to the list. This will be the forth out of twelve. This week will be 'The Orphan'. Despite it's name, I don't feel it's simply characters who have lost their parents. There is a lot more to it than that. So let's see what we have this time.
Like always, try to think of characters that would fit this trait, and let's see if we agree with each other!
What is the Orphan Archetype?
As said before, this is not simply a literal orphan. Of course, it could be someone who lost their parents and has to live on their own, but there is a lot more to it than that. The orphan wants to belong somewhere in the world, and doesn't feel like they belong right now. They are sometimes isolated as well. They want to find their place in the world, where people will accept them for who they are. Usually, these kind of characters are ordinary people who are 'chosen' to become a hero, or mainly just go on a quest to find the place where they belong.
Character Strengths
- Empathy: They can often understand how people feel and relate to their feelings
- Survival Instincts: They know how to survive on their own and make the best of their surroundings
- Sense of being chosen: They are often 'the chosen one' to save the world or save a person.
- Adaptability: They can adapt easily to new surroundings and a new life.
- Resilience: They can quickly adjust to or recover from a stressful or difficult situation
Character Weaknesses
- Lack of self-confidence: They are often not very confident of themselves. Sometimes caused by them being isolated from the world and their caretakers, but not always.
- Eagerness to please: They often want to please others and are focused on that instead of on themselves and their own future.
- Fear of abandonment: They find friends and family along the way, but they are afraid to lose those people as well.
- Sometimes Overly Trusting: They are easy to trust people when they don't even know them. Sometimes leading to them being lead into a trap or be betrayed.
These are the traits that usually fit a character like this. Let's see who they fit into in the Disney Universe.
Disney Character Examples
Tarzan (Tarzan)
Tarzan technically already is an orphaned character, but there is more to his character that fits in to it. He wants to belong in the world. He wants to belong with the gorilla's, but when he meets Jane and the others, he sees something familiar. He wants to learn more about them, feeling like he belongs with them. He has survival instincts, easily adapting to the jungle and being resourceful with everything around him. He isn't just acting like a gorilla, but does things his own way, like making a spear to catch fruit, or covering his mother from the rain. As a child he is eager to please Kerchack who doesn't like him because he is a human child. He tries his best to impress him, even though it often fails.
Hercules (Hercules)
Hercules is also someone who wants to belong in the world. He is also very eager to please literally everyone. He doesn't just want to be a god and belong with them, he wants to please others and be a Hero, He is very resilient, able to adapt to a completely new life easily. He goes from 'Zero to Hero' very quickly. I do feel he can sometimes be a bit too trusting with people. For example with Meg, and even Hades, taking his deal quickly. Though he did it to save Meg, I wonder if Hades would have been able to convince him without her as leverage.
Quasimodo (Hunchback Of Notre Dame)
There are a lot of main characters on this list but Quasimodo also belongs here. He wants to belong and is isolated from the world completely. He wants to please his master. Though he was raised by Frolo, I feel the overly trusting trait is also something that would fit him. Though he does go against him a few times, he does trust Frolo, who tells him he is ugly and deformed. He believes that people will hate him, like Frolo tells him. He is also very empathetic, caring about the people around him while he watches them from above.
Flynn Rider (Tangled)
Maybe a little bit of a stretch, but I can see a few things fitting him. He definitly has survival instincts as a wanted criminal. He can easily escape danger and get out of trouble. He easily found the tower when he was on the run and also managed to find it back quickly even though he was only there once. He also shows a bit of empathy towards Rapunzel when she tells him why she never left the tower before. And though it is more my take than clearly in the movie, I can see him as someone who is afraid of being abandoned. He was an orphan after all, never knew his parents or who he was. I can see him being afraid to be abandoned again after being alone for such a long time.
Conclusion
These are the four characters I can come up with right now that fit this type. I'm sure there are others as well. Do you know someone I might have forgotten? Please let me know and we can all learn from each other! Remember that one person could fit int more archetypes depending on how you view the person. There are no wrong answers, it's just something fictional anyway.
So, I hope you like this blog post and stay tuned for more! We have 8 more types to go before this series is over.
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