It's time for what I deem the 'fan favorite' of all the Archetypes: The Outlaw. That's right, it's our favorite rough-around-the-edges-scoundrel with the heart of gold. The character that, though they may be slightly questionable in what they believe, they ultimately win us over with their conviction and their 'caution to the wind', 'I won't be a part of your system' attitude, as well as a heavy dose of charisma. There are many ways you can go about writing or using The Outlaw, both for good characters as well as for bad characters. The big thing that needs to be remembered with this archetype is that they tend to operate in extremes both for the good and bad. So many things they do become a 'risk versus reward' scenario, with the stakes for that risk/reward pretty high. Either because of the plot they find themselves in, OR because it is self-inflicted in which case, becomes a plot point. Either way, things are about to happen. There are many ways you can depict or break down The Outlaw, but making sure, like The Hero, there are relatable flaws that are central to the character. Utilizing a hurt, or an insecurity or some tragic piece of backstory will always be a solid way to breakdown a character with a rough-and-tumble personality. The character themselves are always going to be ready to go their own way and skirt the established system wherever they can, and at their core, they should have the motivation that they believe the system should be changed. This can be for good, or for bad, for altruistic reasons or for purely selfish motives. Whichever way you want to go with your character, remember to keep their arc in mind. The Outlaw character, when a supporting character, doesn't have to have as dramatic of a character arc but they do need to have at least some change of perspective, otherwise they become flat and a pretty stock character that won't resonate as a character as much as one who has the ability to learn and grow. Some examples of The Outlaw are:

Time for, what I like to call, the ‘fan favorite’ of all the archetypes, The Outlaw. That’s right, our rough around the edges scoundrel with a heart of gold. As a central character or as a supporting character, The Outlaw tends to be one of the most fun archetypes to write and draw! So let’s get into it! Who is your favorite Outlaw?

I didn't want y'all to think I was going to leave you hanging on which mascot ended up winning! So by an overwhelming margin, the winner was 'The MESSY BOI'! 🦑 Which means he will get the final rendering honors, but in the meantime, I wanted to do some sketches of the more 'fun' mascot ideas that come from the runner up of the first initial phase of designs! So here are the new Silly Squids, take a look, watch the video and vote for your favorite and why!

Next up for ‘An April of Archetypes’ is The Magician! One of the more common archetypes that tends to fill the roll as a secondary or supporting character, but is very important especially if you are following the structure of ‘the Hero’s Journey’ for your story. Share your magician archetypes! Would love to see everyone's take!

Time for the next archetype as we go through the 12 most common archetypes is: The Magician. The Magician is right up there with The Hero as one of the most common archetypes that you will find, especially if the story follows the traditional structure of 'The Hero's Journey.' Wherever you have a character who is seen as a prophet, a wizard, a wise man, or maybe even that crazy old kook who talks to himself and lives underneath a bridge. Regardless of the state in which you find 'The Magician', the core of the character remains the same, that they have a decidedly clear power or understanding that is special and beyond that of a normal person in their world. Whether through supernatural ability, physical ability or higher knowledge, the core of all of this is the desire for more of that power. The choice as to whether obtaining that power is a good or bad thing is up to you, and where it gets important to define whether you have a more heroic magician on your hand, or an outright villain. The cool thing about 'The Magician' is that they aren't locked solely into fantasy or actual magic in order to fit into this archetype. It could look more like science or technology or influence (political or otherwise). Many times in a story, it is The Magician who comes along and helps to push our hero into action, helping to be the catalyst to start their journey and begin. Pride, hubris, corruption and disassociation can be some built in pitfalls/weaknesses for this archetype, which is super helpful to know in order to help make a compelling character-based story. Understanding those pitfalls will help to balance out the power, whether its true omnipotence or omniscience and help create some built in conflict to be catered to the character's arc. Some examples of 'The Magician' are: Saurumon (LOTR) Gandalf (LOTR) Morpheus (The Matrix) Anakin Skywalker (Star Wars) Professor Severus Snape (Harry Potter) 'Q' or 'Q-Branch' (Bond Franchise) All desire obtaining more in some shape or form. From political power, power over nature, power over man or the obtaining of wisdom and intelligence beyond that of a normal person. Figuring out how the Magician character acts once they achieve that goal is up to you, and it can have pretty large story ramifications!