Why You Keep Falling in Love with the Same Characters (And Why That’s a Good Thing)

Photo by Mike Erskine on Unsplash

Think about your all-time favorite character. What makes them so unforgettable? Chances are, you've met a dozen others just like them—but somehow, they still feel unique.

As a writer or creative, whether in film or literature, have you ever wondered why some stories do better than others? Sure, it may sometimes boil down to other storytelling techniques, but characters are central to every story. And if your characters are lacking, you have a big problem; no other storytelling techniques can save you.

Some people think repetitive character types are lazy storytelling. But what if familiar characters are actually what makes stories so powerful?

If it ain't broke, why fix it?

In this issue of the Potential Paradox, we'll explore why we repeatedly encounter the same character types and why that's not a flaw but a storytelling strength.

Why We Recognize the Same Character Patterns

Great stories are built on archetypes. Period.

Throughout history, certain character types keep appearing in all the stories we love and cherish, including the hero, the mentor, the rebel, and more.

This is because archetypes are backed by human psychology and are deeply human.

Carl Jung, a Swiss psychiatrist and psychoanalyst, proposed that archetypes are universal images residing in the collective unconscious, a shared reservoir of human experience beneath our individual minds.

These archetypes are instinctive, not learned. They are psychological blueprints that shape how we perceive and interact with the world. They are fundamental to the human experience, including birth, death, conflict, and growth.

We recognize them instinctively because they're hardwired into us, shaped by millennia of survival and social evolution.

For example, the hero resonates because we are all heroes in our own life stories. We all face trials and yearn for triumph. The shadow, on the other hand, feels familiar because we wrestle with our own inner darkness.

Joseph Campbell, a mythologist, built on Jung's ideas and distilled them into a universal narrative structure he called the monomyth or Hero's Journey.

In his book The Hero with a Thousand Faces (1949), he analyzed myths worldwide and found they often follow a similar arc. Though in his book, it is a 17-stage cycle, it can be simplified into three phases:

• Departure: The hero leaves the familiar world.

• Initiation: The hero faces trials and transforms.

• Return: The hero comes back changed.

Campbell saw this pattern everywhere--from ancient epics like Gilgamesh to modern films like Star Wars.

It's not just storytelling. It's mirroring our psychological and spiritual growth, which I continually discuss in the Potential Paradox.

Familiarity results in an instant connection by the audience.

Our brains recognize patterns--when we meet a character that fits an archetype, we instantly understand them.

For example, we know a "Reluctant Hero" like Frodo Baggins or Katniss Everdeen will struggle initially, but eventually, they will step into their role.

All of this is great!

It makes stories more straightforward to engage with, creates emotional resonance, and taps into universal human experiences that we can all relate to.

For instance, we don't need an origin story for every Mentor character; we already understand their role when we meet Gandalf, Dumbledore, or Yoda.

The 5 Core Character Archetypes That Make Stories Feel Timeless

The five core character archetypes are as follows:

• The Hero - The one who goes on the journey (Harry Potter and Luke Skywalker)

• The Mentor - The wise guide (Dumbledore, Gandolf, Mr. Miyagi)

• The Rebel - The rule-breaker (Loki, Han Solo, Jack Sparrow)

• The Everyman - The relatable, normal character (Jim Halpert, Bilbo Baggins)

• The Shadow (Villian/Antihero) - The dark force that tests the hero (Darth Vader, The Joker)

Even in different settings, these archetypes persist across cultures and genres--because they reflect human roles.

Why Familiar Characters Still Feel Fresh

It's not the archetype--it's how you use them. You can reinvent archetypes by giving them unique motivations, flaws, and/or challenges. For example, Sherlock Holmes (the Genius Detective) was reinvented in BBC's Sherlock and Elementary.

Blending archetypes creates complexity. The best characters don't fit just one mold--they mix traits. Think Walter White (Breaking Bad) starts as the Everyman but evolves into the Villian.

And lastly, modern storytelling subverts expectations. Characters can twist traditional roles to keep the story fresh. A great example of this is Frozen, which flipped the Disney "prince saves the princess" trope by making the true hero Elsa and Anna's sisterhood.

Another great example is Tyrion Lannister (Game of Thrones), who has subverted archetypes several times throughout the series, from the Wise Mentor to the Flawed Outsider, the Jester to the Tragic Underdog, the Nobleman to the Outcast, and so on.

Why Readers (and Writers) Should Embrace Familiar Characters

Familiarity helps us engage with stories faster; remember that.

Archetypes provide emotional depth and structure to storytelling.

The best stories feel timeless and original--because they remix familiar character foundations.

The next time you recognize a familiar character type, ask yourself: what makes this version unique? What about this archetype resonates with me?

The best stories aren't about creating something entirely new--they're about finding new ways to tell the stories we've loved forever.

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