Propp's theory of characters. The 8 different character types and examples taken from: The Lion King, The Hunger Games etc.

1. Propp’s theory:
THE EIGHT CHARACTER TYPES
Daniel Brown

2. Vladimir Propp
 Propp was a Russian structurist, looking at narrative structure. He broke up
fairy tales into segments and intricately studied its structure.
 Vladimir Propp created a character theory, he argued that all narratives
have eight character types:

3. The Hero
The hero is the character that leads the narrative. The
character is usually looking for something, trying to
solve something. They are typically the person that
wants to succeed.
An example of a hero is Katniss
Everdeen from the Hunger
Games.

4. The Villain
The Villain is the character that creates a disruption
in the narrative’s equilibrium, thus making the hero
fight to restore things.
President Snow is the villain in the
Hunger Games Trilogy.

5. The Dispatcher
The dispatcher sends the hero on their task/journey to
restore the equilibrium. Consequently, the dispatcher is seen
as a wise character.
The dispatcher in the Hunger
Games trilogy can be considered
the villain (Professor Snow) as he
sets the task for the hero.

6. The Helper
The helper(s) assists the hero in restoring equilibrium. The helper
may be a sidekick, they may be present from the start of the film
or during the hero’s journey.

7. The Princess/Prize
The princess, or in some films a prize, is usually
the victim of the villain, they have to be saved by
the hero.
The princess of the Hunger Games is
arguably the hero’s sister as she needs to
be saved from the villain.

8. The Father
The father typically rewards the hero for their efforts. The father is the
key figure that the hero needs to persuade. The father may also be
the one that dispatches the hero to save the princess/prize.
An example of a
father is in
Disney’s Lion
King.

9. The Donor
The donor gives something, like knowledge and/or
weapon. They also aid on the hero’s journey.
Haymitch provides the physical
things to help the hero.

10. The False Hero
The false hero is a character that appears to be good
throughout the film but it’s soon realised they are actually an
antagonist.
An example of a
false hero is Prince
Charming in the
Shrek sequel.