Vladimir Propp’s theory of characters

Propp’s theory:THE EIGHT CHARACTER TYPES

Daniel Brown

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:

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.