Character Archetypes
In the Action genre a lot of characters are based on an archetype created by Propps. And are mainly associated with character roles such as the hero, damsel in distress, helper and the father figure. Another important thing is that the characters personality normally corresponds with the characters roles which can be seen in the list below.
Hero: brave, strong and fearless the hero always prevails by overcoming all obstacles to save the day. A good example of this is Superman from superman (1978) who in the his films always wins and stops the villain. And while stereo typically male there are a few examples of Female heroes for example Lara croft from the film Tomb Raider (2001).
Damsel in distress: Weak, powerless and must be saved by the hero a good example of this would be Marion from the film Indiana Jones Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) who needs to be rescued by Indiana Jones.
Sidekick: A character who assists the hero in his journey to save the Damsel in distress. They are portrayed as weaker than the hero of the film however are shown to be very useful. A good example of a sidekick is Robin from the film Batman and Robin (1997) who assists Batman throughout the film.
Villain: Evil, cunning and devious the Villain is the polar opposite to the hero and plans to eradicate any one who stands in their way (usually the hero). A popular example of this is Darth Vader from Star Wars Episode IV a New Hope (1977) who threatens the galaxy for the glory of the empire.
Henchmen: The henchmen are the foot soldiers of the Villain and do whatever they say without hesitation. Normally they are portrayed as being idiots and are easily outmatched by the hero. A popular of a henchmen are Stormtroppers which are seen throughout the Star Wars franchise.
Father figure: The father figure is a person who the Hero looks up to and despite the name they have no biological relationship with the hero as in most action films the heroes parents have been killed or have already died prior to the film. An example of this is Alfred who is seen in many Batman films but most notably The Dark Knight (2008) where he assists Batman.
Sidekick: A character who assists the hero in his journey to save the Damsel in distress. They are portrayed as weaker than the hero of the film however are shown to be very useful. A good example of a sidekick is Robin from the film Batman and Robin (1997) who assists Batman throughout the film.
Villain: Evil, cunning and devious the Villain is the polar opposite to the hero and plans to eradicate any one who stands in their way (usually the hero). A popular example of this is Darth Vader from Star Wars Episode IV a New Hope (1977) who threatens the galaxy for the glory of the empire.
Henchmen: The henchmen are the foot soldiers of the Villain and do whatever they say without hesitation. Normally they are portrayed as being idiots and are easily outmatched by the hero. A popular of a henchmen are Stormtroppers which are seen throughout the Star Wars franchise.
Father figure: The father figure is a person who the Hero looks up to and despite the name they have no biological relationship with the hero as in most action films the heroes parents have been killed or have already died prior to the film. An example of this is Alfred who is seen in many Batman films but most notably The Dark Knight (2008) where he assists Batman.
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