Archetypical characters in fairy tales fall into certain categories by their visual appearance,
Characteristics,
Personal traits and their mission.
We will find common archetypes in fairy tales,
Myths and folklore.
There are universal and similar archetypes that appear in different cultures and fairy tales told in different parts of the world.
Classical archetypes in fairy tales are damsel in distress type of princesses,
Evil stepmother in the stories such as Hansel and Gretel,
Wise old mage whose job is to help the protagonist in their journey like Dumbledore or Merlin or Gandalf.
Here are some of the most well known archetypes.
Hero Here is the protagonist of the fairy tale.
There are several different types of heroes.
Hard working hero who starts from the bottom.
They work hard,
Build friendships and achieve their goals.
Their hard work gets paid when a magical animal or a fairy godmother comes to their assistance.
Being polite and a hard worker are usually the best ways to deal with magical creatures from other realms.
Many princesses from classical fairy tales such as Cinderella and Snow White fall into this category.
Protagonist can also be a selfish hero.
In the beginning of the story character comes out as selfish and spoiled,
But because of a magical interference they need to learn how to behave themselves.
Rogue heroes are vague characters and we don't always know whose side they are on.
These are characters such as Robin Hood,
Puss in Boots and even Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Caribbean.
Outcast hero is a character who has fallen away from all social casts.
Another Scream fairy tale,
Steady Tin Soldier,
Tells from a one-legged tin soldier who does not see any kind of future for himself.
Another outcast hero is the street rat,
Aladdin.
The Villain Villain is the antagonist of the story and someone who is against the hero.
Villain has a conflict with the protagonist and they conceive a plot to go against them.
This can include taking something important from the protagonist or threatening them or their families.
This can work as a catalyst for the story.
Villains come in many forms and usually they have one major fault,
But in the end it is the protagonist who manages to destroy the villain one way or another,
Using this fault as their advantage.
Traditionally in fairy tales villains are represented having all opposite qualities to the hero.
In fairy tales sidekick is usually a friend or a close companion of the protagonist.
Sidekicks can have multiple roles in the story.
They can help the protagonist to achieve their goals and become heroes themselves.
In Lord of the Rings Samwise was the one who saved Frodo's life and eventually it was because of him that the ring was destroyed.
Often the sidekick has different or completely opposite visual appearance than the protagonist.
Samwise is a gardener,
Whereas Frodo is considered to belong to the higher class of the hobbits.
Robin Hood's sidekick and best friend is Little John,
Who despite of his nickname is a way bigger man than Robin.
Villain can also have their own sidekicks.
In Peter Pan Captain Sook's sidekick is Mr.
Smee.
Mr.
Smee is described to be a small and round man.
He is as evil,
But less smart as his captain.
Peter Pan also has his own sidekick.
Tinkerbell may be a small fairy who cannot speak,
But she is sassy and has no problems of expressing her opinions.
Mentor Mentor is the counselor and the advisor of the hero.
Usually mentor is an older person who possesses magical powers.
They help the protagonist to beat the villain.
Often they train and give them tools for beating the enemy.
Sometimes mentor dies in the story and the protagonist follows the path that was led by their mentor.
Death of the mentor can also work as a catalyst that sends the hero to their quest.
Feminine in fairy tales comes in different forms.
Here are some examples.
Damsel in Distress Damsel in Distress is a common fairy tale archetype.
Majority of the Damsel in Distress fairy tales were written by men.
Often the archetype is added into the story to beat the romantic interest of the protagonist slash male hero.
Damsel is depiction of youth,
Beauty and innocence.
They are kind,
Sweet and virginal.
Damsel is often a captive of the villain,
And it is part of the hero's journey to save the damsel.
She is a one-dimensional character,
Who is more seen as an object than as a person.
Within recent decades the image of the damsel in distress has been turned upside down.
Many modern retellings it is the princess herself who is the hero.
There are also cases where the hero is on its way to rescue the damsel,
Just to find out that they are perfectly capable to defend themselves.
Femme Fatale Femme Fatale is the total opposite to Damsel in Distress.
Femme Fatale is French for fatal woman.
In traditional fairy tales she is a trickster character or villain's sidekick.
They try to lure and destroy the protagonist with their charms.
Archetype goes all the way back to old myths and stories about goddesses such as Lilith and Inanna.
In modern fairy tale retellings character of Femme Fatale becomes more humane when the reasons for their actions are explained with backstories.
The Old Crone In fairy tales the old woman has dual roles.
She can be helpful or malicent character.
Archetype of a helpful crone is connected to the idea of a fairy godmother.
She can be a mentor.
Originally old women in fairy tales were helpful characters.
When witchcraft accusations became more common,
The old crone was turned into a witch.
In fairy tale literature crones mainly have negative associations.
In the Slavic story of the Baba Yaga we have a witch who is both helpful and feared.
Baba Yaga is the helper and protector of the young girl Vasilisa,
But she is also a witch with otherworldly powers.
She is also a seer and an oracle.
In folk tales the old woman is a helpful figure who gives good advice for the protagonist and helps them in their journey.
