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Archetypal Tiering
Introduction
Archetypal Tiering is a classification system based on the narrative role or archetype a character embodies, rather than their raw statistics or scaling. This system is used to explain how certain characters function in crossovers or within their own works, where their archetype dictates how strong, fast, intelligent, or resilient they will appear. A character’s placement within this system reflects how they are generally portrayed across different contexts rather than a strict measurement of ability. Thus this is a more "objective" way of scaling a character versus the normally used Codex Statistics assumptions.
Concept
In crossovers and meta-narratives, characters are often adjusted to fit an archetypal role. For example, a character whose defining trait is overwhelming strength may be portrayed as equal to other Power Houses, regardless of canonical power gaps. Archetypal Tiering highlights these narrative patterns, providing a way to classify characters based on the "role" they fulfill in story dynamics.
Main Archetypes
- Power House: Characters defined primarily by physical strength. They are portrayed as strong enough to match anyone they need to in the narrative, regardless of statistical differences.
Examples: Mr. Incredible (The Incredibles), The Hulk (Marvel Comics), All Might (My Hero Academia)
- Speedster: Characters whose defining trait is speed. They will be shown as faster than almost anyone else, scaling to whoever they need to keep up with.
Examples: The Flash (DC Comics), Sonic the Hedgehog (Sonic the Hegehog), Quicksilver (Marvel Comics)
- God: Characters who embody godhood within the narrative. They are portrayed with reverence, overwhelming authority, or divine power, even if other gods in their series vary widely in strength. Not every divine figure qualifies—this archetype is for those consistently treated as "godlike."
Examples: Greek Gods (myth-based depictions)
- Skill Master: Characters who rely on mastery, technique, or intellect rather than raw stats. They consistently overcome stronger, faster, or more durable opponents due to narrative emphasis on their skill.
Examples: Batman (DC Comics)
- Gag/Toonforce Character: Characters defined by comedy or absurdity. Their powers, durability, and feats are treated as limitless for the sake of humor, regardless of context.
Examples: Bugs Bunny (Looney Tunes), Arale (Dr. Slump), Chowder (Chowder)
- Monster/Horror Villain: Characters framed as unstoppable forces of terror. They may overwhelm beings far above them in raw stats, simply because the narrative archetype treats them as an existential threat.
Examples: Jason Voorhees (Friday the 13th), Xenomorphs (Alien), Predator (Predator), Godzilla (Godzilla)
- Genius: Characters always portrayed as intellectually equal to their peers, regardless of their specific continuity. In crossovers, they are match the "genius tier" of other settings regardless of who had more impressive intelligence showings.
Examples: Dr. Eggman (Sonic the Hedgehog), Dr. Wily (Mega Man), Dr. Light (Mega Man), Rick Sanchez (Rick and Morty)
- Battle Junkie: Characters defined by their love of fighting. They are consistently portrayed as thrill-seekers in battle, drawn toward the strongest opponents no matter what.
Examples: Son Goku (Dragon Ball), Kenpachi Zaraki (Bleach)
- Compulsive Hero: Characters who will always step into the role of the protagonist, regardless of whether or not they are in the main spotlight. Their archetype compels them to do good and drive the story forward.
Examples: Neptune (Neptunia), Dragon Quest IV Hero (Dragon Quest)
- The Loser: Characters who, no matter how much they achieve, find a way to lose in some form. Even victories may be undercut by comedic failure or narrative misfortune.
Examples: Wile E. Coyote (Looney Tunes), Yamcha (Dragon Ball), Misogi Kumagawa (Medaka Box)
- Reality Bender: Characters who can manipulate or warp reality or the narrative itself, automatically scaling to suit the situation.
Examples: Doctor Manhattan (Watchmen), Q (Star Trek), Anthony Fremont & Audrey Fremont (Twilight Zone)
- Understudy: Characters trained under a mentor or master who, by narrative design, will never surpass them as long as they remain the understudy.
Examples: Robin (DC Comics), Kid Gohan (Dragon Ball)
- Jack of All Trades: Characters who are competent in many areas but not the best in any single domain. They match through versatility rather than raw specialization.
Examples: Spider-Man (Marvel Comics), Leonardo (TMNT), Sora (Kingdom Hearts)
- God Slayer: Characters defined by their ability to take on divine or god-like opponents. Their archetype ensures they can challenge even the most powerful beings in crossovers or narrative scenarios, often through sheer determination, skill, or unique abilities.
Examples: Kratos (God of War), Dante (Devil May Cry)
- Underdog: Characters consistently at a disadvantage compared to opponents but able to succeed through cleverness, persistence, or narrative support. Their victories are hard-earned or improbable, distinct from The Loser archetype.
Examples: Guts (Berserk)
- Adventurer/Wanderer (also called Nomad/Explorer): Characters defined by their nomadic nature, traveling from place to place rather than remaining tied to a single location. Their archetype centers on exploration, discovery, and constant movement, whether for personal growth, helping others, or pursuing their own goals. In crossovers, these characters are often depicted as adaptable, able to fit into any new setting or environment with ease.
Examples: Inuyasha (Inuyasha), Geralt of Rivia (The Witcher), Monkey D. Luffy (One Piece)
- Leader: Characters who command, guide, or inspire others through charisma, experience, strategic skill, or sheer dominance of situations. They often occupy the head of teams, armies, organizations, or nations, shaping events by their decisions and presence. Villainous leaders rely on power, manipulation, or fear to control their followers, while heroic leaders inspire loyalty and coordination.
Examples: Frieza (Dragon Ball)
- The Lancer: Characters who serve as the foil, rival, or counterbalance to the Leader. They usually highlight what the Leader lacks, either through personality, abilities, or worldview, and in doing so create tension or synergy that drives the story. Depending on context, they may be loyal second-in-commands, competitive rivals, or even antagonists that still mirror the Leader’s role.
Examples: Piccolo (Dragon Ball), Vegeta (Dragon Ball)
- Strategist: Characters who excel at planning, coordination, and foresight. Their role is to guide others or set up victories through tactical precision, often scaling them narratively above physically stronger peers.
Examples: Shikamaru Nara (Naruto)
- Tech Wizard: Characters whose defining trait is their mastery over technology, machines, or digital systems. In crossovers, they are scaled to remain relevant by adapting or hacking into nearly any technological environment.
Examples: Donatello (TMNT), Barbara Gordon/Oracle (DC Comics), Futaba Sakura (Persona 5)
- Gamer: Characters whose skill or worldview is shaped by gaming. They often approach scenarios like "games," allowing them to exploit systems, patterns, or meta-rules in ways other characters cannot.
Examples: Haseo (.hack)
- Athlete: Characters whose physicality is rooted in sports-like prowess rather than superpowers. They are narratively scaled by sheer conditioning, determination, or competition-based skill.
Examples:
- Racer: Characters whose defining role is tied to racing or vehicular competition. In crossovers, they tend to match other racers regardless of raw speed stats, emphasizing narrative parity.
Examples: Go Mifune (Mach Go Go), F-Zero/Captain Falcon (F-Zero), Lightning McQueen (Cars)
- The Heart: Characters who serve as the emotional or moral center of a team. Their archetype scales them narratively through inspiration, support, and unifying others, even when not the strongest.
Examples: Steven Universe, Sora (Kingdom Hearts), Katara (Avatar: The Last Airbender)
- The Healer/Medic: Characters who focus on restoring health, curing ailments, or supporting allies through medical knowledge, mystical healing, or other restorative means. In crossovers, they are portrayed through being indispensable to team survival and often narratively balance against fighters through their supportive power.
Examples: Sakura (Naruto), Aerith (Final Fantasy VII), Mercy (Overwatch)
- Messiah: Characters whose primary role is to save, protect, or guide others, often framed as destined or fated to do so. Their archetype emphasizes moral, narrative, or prophetic significance, granting them influence or relevance beyond raw power.
Examples: Frodo (Tolkien's Legendarium), Messiahs (Megami Tensei), Makoto Yuki (Persona 3)
- Impersonator: Characters who adopt the identity, role, or appearance of someone else, usually for deception, infiltration, or strategic advantage. Their archetype emphasizes cunning, misdirection, and the narrative impact of mistaken identity.
Examples: Mystique (X-Men), Zamasu (Dragon Ball), Takaya Sakaki (Persona 3)
- Detective: Characters defined by their investigative skills, logic, and ability to deduce hidden truths. Their archetype emphasizes cleverness, observation, and problem-solving, allowing them to navigate challenges, anticipate opponents, or uncover mysteries.
Examples: Sherlock Holmes (Sherlock Holmes), Batman (DC Comics), Ameillia Watson (Hololive), Detective Columbo (Columbo), Raido Kuzunoha XIV (Devil Summoner Raidou Kuzunoha), Shotaro & Philip (Kamen Rider W)
Additional Archetypes
- Trickster: Characters who win or survive through deception, cleverness, or manipulation rather than direct power. Their victories often rely on exploiting rules, tricking stronger foes, or turning situations to their advantage.
Examples: Loki (Various Depictions), Bugs Bunny (Looney Tunes), The Joker (DC Comics)
- Mentor/Old Master: The archetypal teacher or seasoned warrior whose skill or wisdom lets them stand alongside younger, stronger fighters. They may be put stronger or more skilled then whoever the protagonist is equal to to remain relevant through sheer mastery or narrative respect.
Examples: Beerus (Dragon Ball), Master Roshi (Dragon Ball), Jiraiya (Naruto), Yoda (Star Wars)
- Rival: A character whose role is to mirror or challenge the protagonist. In crossovers, they are often elevated to match the hero’s strength regardless of prior limitations.
Examples: Vegeta (Dragon Ball), Gary Oak (Pokemon), Shadow the Hedgehog (Sonic the Hedgehog)
- Protector/Guardian: Characters who are framed around defense or guardianship. Their archetype allows them to withstand overwhelming odds to fulfill their duty of protecting others.
Examples: Optimus Prime (Transformers), Captain America (Marvel Comics)
- Dark Reflection: Characters that exist as thematic counterparts to the protagonist. Their role often grants them parity with the hero in strength or ability, even when canonically weaker.
Examples: Dark Link (The Legend of Zelda), Venom (Marvel Comics)
- Light Reflection: Characters that serve as the bright or idealized counterpart to a darker protagonist or central figure. They highlight themes of purity, hope, or righteousness, standing in symbolic opposition to the other’s flaws or destructive tendencies. Their archetype ensures a thematic balance, even if their narrative role is less prominent.
Examples: Superman (DC Comics) to Ultraman (DC Comics), Frodo Baggins (The Lord of the Rings) to Gollum (The Lord of the Rings)
- Unstoppable Force: Not strictly horror-based, but characters framed as relentless engines of destruction. They move forward regardless of damage or opposition, embodying inevitability.
Examples: Doomsday (DC Comics), Juggernaut (Marvel Comics), Nemesis (Resident Evil)
- Destined One/Chosen Hero: Characters whose archetype revolves around fate or prophecy. In crossovers, their status as “chosen” tends to elevate them above others regardless of showings.
Examples: Link (Legend of Zelda), Harry Potter (Harry Potter), Frodo Baggins (Lord of the Rings)
- Comic Relief: Distinct from Toonforce—these are characters who exist primarily for humor but still operate under the rules of their world. In crossovers, they are often made into bumbling sidekicks or “soft losers.”
Examples: Krillin (Dragon Ball), Usopp (One Piece), Kazuma Kuwabara (YuYu Hakusho)
- Wildcard/Chaos Agent: Characters who defy structure and act unpredictably. They often exist to destabilize the narrative or setting, making them dangerous or useful depending on circumstance.
Examples: Kefka (FFVI)
- Everyman: Characters who are consistently portrayed as “normal” in comparison to others, but their relatability or humanity keeps them relevant. They often succeed through heart, persistence, or sheer narrative favoritism.
Examples: John McClane (Die Hard), Charlie Brown (Peanuts)
- Dreamer: Characters who exist primarily within a dream, simulation, or virtual world. Their abilities and interactions are often constrained or defined by the rules of that environment, and tiering is based on the narrative logic of the dream or program.
Examples: Madotsuki (Yume Nikki), Neo (The Matrix), Alice (Alice in Wonderland)
- Force of Nature: Characters defined by overwhelming, unavoidable presence or impact. Their actions shape or dominate the environment itself, and they are often depicted as unstoppable in any context due to raw force, size, or inevitability rather than conscious skill. Unlike typical Power Houses, their strength lies in scale and inevitability rather than directed combat strategy.
Examples: Godzilla (Godzilla)
Sub-Archetypes
Some archetypes appear primarily as refinements or offshoots of the core roles. These often overlap heavily with their parent archetype but have enough narrative presence to be recognized on their own.
- Dark Lord: A tyrannical ruler or embodiment of evil authority. Functions as the villainous counterpart to the heroic leader, commanding armies through fear, domination, or dark charisma.
Examples: Sauron (Lord of the Rings), Dracula (Castlevania), Ganondorf (The Legend of Zelda)
- Antihero: Characters who occupy the protagonist role but lack traditional heroic qualities. Often morally gray, reluctant, or self-serving, yet still function as central figures in the narrative.
Examples: Skull Man (Skull Man), Denji (Chainsaw Man)
- Antivillain: Villains whose goals may be noble or sympathetic, but whose methods place them in opposition to the protagonist. Their archetype frames them as conflicted or morally complex foils.
Examples: Mr. Freeze (DC Comics), Magneto (Marvel Comics), Zuko (early Avatar)
- Black Knight: The corrupted or fallen counterpart to the heroic knight. Serves as a rival or thematic opposite, often embodying twisted honor or a dark reflection of the hero’s ideals.
Examples: Darth Vader (Star Wars), Cecil (Dark Knight form)
- The Minion/Underling: A subordinate archetype who exists under a stronger villain or master (in rare cases they are stronger then the villain and will usurp them). Defined less by power and more by loyalty, cowardice, or servitude.
Examples: Stormtroopers (Star Wars), Bebop & Rocksteady (TMNT), Jessie & James (Pokemon)
- False God: Characters who claim, are believed to be, or present themselves as gods despite not actually being divine. This archetype often emphasizes deception, overwhelming power mistaken as godhood, or manipulation of faith. They can function as antagonists, rivals, or even tragic figures, depending on whether they intentionally foster worship or simply can’t control others’ perceptions.
Examples:
- Knight-Errant/Youxia: A wandering warrior archetype found across cultures. Defined by travel, dueling, and living by a personal code, usually helping others or testing themselves in battle.
Examples: Inuyasha (Inuyasha), Guts (Berserk), Musashi (historical/mythic depictions)
- Youxia (China)
- Ronin (Japan)
- Knight-Errant (Medieval Europe)
- Cavaleiro Andante (Iberian tradition)
- Paladin (Western chivalric tradition, when cast as lone rovers)
- Banished Knight or Exile Knight (various European tales)
- Bogatyr (Slavic folklore)
- Errant Hero (generalized modern term)
- Reluctant Hero: A character thrust into the protagonist role against their will. While often subtypes of Everyman or Chosen Hero, they are distinct in their unwillingness to embrace destiny or ignorance to the fact that they are the chosen one.
Examples: Emett (The Lego Movie)
- Mage/Magician: The archetypal magic user of the cast. Defined by spellcasting, magical knowledge, or supernatural versatility, often scaling as long-range or problem-solving specialists.
Examples: Gandalf (Lord of the Rings), Vivi (FFIX), Doctor Strange (Marvel Comics)
- Sidekick: Secondary characters who exist to support or complement a primary hero. Distinguished from Understudies by being treated as near-equals or partners rather than eternal apprentices.
Examples: Robin (DC Comics), Tails (Sonic the Hedgehog), Bucky Barnes
- One Man Army: Characters depicted as capable of defeating overwhelming numbers or armies single-handedly. Their archetype emphasizes endurance and combat effectiveness against impossible odds.
Examples: Doomguy (Doom), Master Chief (Halo)
- Pint-Sized Powerhouse: Characters who, despite their small stature or unassuming appearance, possess extraordinary strength, ability, or influence. This archetype thrives on the contrast between how they look and what they can actually do, often shocking both allies and enemies when their true power is revealed.
Examples: Yoda (Star Wars), Chibi Moon (Sailor Moon), Kid Goku (Dragon Ball), Astro Bot (Astro Bot)
- Lawbringer: Characters who embody duty, justice, or enforcement of order. They act according to strict codes, laws, or principles, often valuing their mission or system above personal feelings or morality. Whether heroic or authoritarian, their archetype defines them through unwavering adherence to their sense of justice or obligation.
Examples: Judge Dredd, Robocop, Javert (Les Misérables), Captain Holt (Brooklyn Nine-Nine)
Archetypal Tiering Table
To organize the system more clearly, Archetypal Roles are grouped into three broad categories:
- Combat-Oriented: Archetypes defined by their approach to fighting, such as overwhelming strength, speed, mastery, or relentless force. These characters are comparable to other similar combat-oriented tiers in crossovers primarily through how they battle.
- Narrative/Story-Oriented: Archetypes shaped by their role in the story. Their power or relevance often comes from being gods, rivals, chosen heroes, or horror monsters, regardless of direct statistics.
- Comedic/Meta-Oriented: Archetypes whose strength, weakness, or presence is tied to comedy, trickery, or narrative meta-rules. These characters often bend logic for humor or unpredictability.
| Category | Archetype | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Combat-Oriented | Power House | Defined by immense physical strength. Always portrayed as strong enough to match the narrative’s needs. |
| Speedster | Defined by speed, shown as the fastest no matter the context. | |
| Skill Master | Overcomes stronger foes through mastery and technique. | |
| Battle Junkie | Loves fighting above all else, constantly seeks strong opponents. | |
| Protector/Guardian | Defined by defense or duty, often stands unyielding against impossible odds. | |
| Unstoppable Force | Relentless engines of destruction, defined by inevitability. | |
| Stone Wall | Characters defined by extreme durability or endurance, able to withstand punishment far beyond their peers. | |
| Glass Cannon | Offensively overwhelming but narratively fragile, often falling if hit. | |
| Reality Bender | Characters who can warp reality or the narrative itself, often scaling automatically to the situation. | |
| Understudy | Skilled characters who train under a mentor/master and will never surpass them within the narrative. | |
| Jack of All Trades | Characters who are competent in many areas but not the best in any single domain. They are comparable through versatility rather than raw specialization. | |
| God Slayer | Characters who specialize in taking on divine or god-tier opponents, scaling automatically to challenge them. | |
| Underdog | Characters consistently at a disadvantage compared to opponents but capable of hard-earned victories. | |
| Adventurer/Wanderer (Nomad/Explorer) | Characters defined by their nomadic nature, constantly moving from place to place in pursuit of adventure, purpose, or personal goals. Their adaptability ensures they remain relevant in any setting or crossover. | |
| Leader | Characters who command, guide, or inspire others through charisma, experience, or dominance. They shape events by directing teams, armies, or organizations, either through leadership or control. | |
| Lancer | Characters who serve as the foil, rival, or counterbalance to the Leader. They often contrast the protagonist’s traits, either through personality, combat style, or worldview, creating tension or synergy that drives the story. Their role can vary from loyal second-in-command to competitive rival or even villainous right-hand. | |
| Strategist | Characters defined by tactical brilliance, always able to outplan opponents or lead others to victory regardless of direct power. | |
| Tech Wizard | Characters who master technology and machines, narratively able to adapt to almost any system. | |
| Gamer | Characters who approach conflict like a game, exploiting rules, systems, or meta-patterns to succeed. | |
| Athlete | Characters scaled through their physical conditioning, competitive drive, and sports-like abilities rather than superpowers. | |
| Racer | Characters whose role revolves around vehicular speed or racing; scaled to rival other racers regardless of raw speed stats. | |
| The Heart | Characters who serve as the emotional or moral center, narratively scaling by inspiring and unifying others. | |
| The Healer/Medic | Characters who provide healing and restorative support, scaling by their indispensable role in keeping teams alive. | |
| Messiah | Characters destined or fated to save or guide others, often narratively elevated beyond raw power. | |
| Impersonator | Characters who assume another identity or role to deceive, manipulate, or gain advantage. | |
| Detective | Characters who solve mysteries, deduce hidden truths, or anticipate opponents using intelligence and observation. | |
| Narrative/Story-Oriented | God | Embodies divinity or overwhelming reverence in the story. |
| Genius | Always portrayed as intellectually equal to other "genius tier" characters. | |
| Compulsive Hero | Always takes the protagonist role, even outside their story. | |
| Mentor/Old Master | Veteran figures treated as higher through wisdom, mastery, or respect. | |
| Rival | Narrative foil who will always be comparable to the hero regardless of feats. | |
| Dark Reflection | Thematic counterpart to the protagonist, often given parity. | |
| Light Reflection | Characters that serve as the bright or idealized counterpart to a darker protagonist or central figure. They embody purity, hope, or restraint, standing as symbolic opposites to the flaws or destructive tendencies of their darker counterpart. | |
| Destined One/Chosen Hero | Elevated by prophecy or fate, often surpasses limits due to narrative destiny. | |
| Everyman | “Normal” characters whose relatability or persistence lets them stay relevant. | |
| Monster/Horror Villain | Horror figures portrayed as unstoppable threats regardless of canon stats. | |
| Fallen Hero/Corrupted Hero | Once-heroic figures defined by tragedy or corruption, often portrayed as equal or superior to their former selves. | |
| Dreamer | Characters who exist primarily within a dream, simulation, or virtual world, with abilities and interactions defined by the rules of that environment. | |
| Force of Nature | Characters defined by overwhelming, unavoidable presence or impact. Their actions shape or dominate the environment itself, making them unstoppable due to sheer scale, mass, or momentum rather than skill or cunning. | |
| Lawbringer | Characters who represent law, duty, or order, following strict codes or enforcing justice even at personal cost. | |
| Comedic/Meta-Oriented | Gag/Toonforce | Operates on cartoon logic, capable of anything for comedy. |
| Trickster | Relies on cunning, deception, or manipulation over brute force. | |
| Comic Relief | Exists for humor but within their world’s rules; often bumbling. | |
| Wildcard/Chaos Agent | Unpredictable disruptors who destabilize situations. | |
| The Loser | Consistently finds ways to lose, even in victory. | |
| Fourth Wall Breaker | Characters aware of being fictional, often exploiting narrative itself. |
| This dropdown contains the quick reference version for all of these archetypes. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Sub-Archetypes Table
These archetypes generally function as refinements or offshoots of the core roles, often tied to a parent archetype but distinct enough to stand on their own.
| Sub-Archetype | Parent Archetype | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Dark Lord | Leader | A tyrannical ruler or embodiment of evil authority, commanding armies through fear, domination, or dark charisma. |
| Antihero | Protagonist/Everyman | A protagonist who lacks traditional heroic qualities, often morally gray, reluctant, or self-serving. |
| Antivillain | Villain | A villain with noble or sympathetic goals but whose methods place them in opposition to the protagonist. |
| Black Knight | Rival | A corrupted or fallen knight archetype, serving as a thematic foil or dark mirror to the hero. |
| The Minion/Underling | Understudy | A subordinate archetype defined by servitude, cowardice, or blind loyalty to a stronger villain or master. |
| False God | God | A sub-archetype of the God archetype. Characters who pretend to be divine, are mistaken for gods, or exploit faith to maintain power. |
| Knight-Errant/Youxia | Adventurer | A wandering warrior archetype, traveling by personal code, dueling, and seeking purpose or honor. Appears in many cultures under names such as Youxia (China), Ronin (Japan), Knight-Errant (Europe), Cavaleiro Andante (Iberia), Paladin (Western chivalric tradition), Banished/Exile Knight (Europe), Bogatyr (Slavic folklore), Errant Hero (modern generalized). |
| Reluctant Hero | Everyman/Chosen One | A hero thrust into their role against their will, reluctant to accept destiny or responsibility. |
| Mage/Magician | Specialist | A magic user archetype, defined by spellcasting, supernatural versatility, or deep knowledge of the arcane. |
| Sidekick | Understudy | A partner-like support character to the hero, treated more as an equal than an apprentice. |
| One Man Army | Warrior | A character capable of defeating overwhelming numbers or armies single-handedly, embodying sheer endurance and combat power. |
| Pint-Sized Powerhouse | Power House | Characters who look small or harmless but turn out to be exceptionally strong or influential. |
Purpose
Archetypal Tiering is not meant as a replacement for the statistical tiering systems, but as a complementary framework to explain how characters are treated narratively across different works or crossovers. It reflects the role they play in story logic rather than concrete measurements. While the Tiering System and Codex Statistics section deal with a subjective view of works, Archetypal Tiering deals with the more objective side as it's what a character narratively will be portrayed as without the issue of surveying a number.
Notes
- Archetypes can overlap depending on the character. For example, a character may be both a Power House and a Battle Junkie.
- Placement is based on consistent narrative portrayal, not one-off instances or isolated storylines.
Archetypal Tiering Q&A
- Q: Can a character have multiple archetypes?
A: Yes. Many characters exhibit traits from several archetypes simultaneously. For example, a character could be both a Skill Master and a Protector/Guardian, meaning they are highly skilled and defensively focused. In crossovers, the most defining archetype often takes precedence for story purposes, but secondary archetypes may influence situational performance.
- Q: How are archetypes determined for a character?
A: Archetypes are based on consistent narrative patterns, abilities, and the character’s role in their story. This includes combat style, personality, and the way the narrative treats them in terms of power or relevance. While said character may be a threat in other series, the archetype would make them not at all a threat in crossovers with other series in most cases.
- Q: Can a character change archetypes over time?
A: Yes. Characters can evolve into different archetypes as their role, skills, or narrative function changes. For example, a sidekick may start as an Understudy but later become a Skill Master or Protector/Guardian.
- Q: Do archetypes dictate actual power levels?
A: Not directly. Archetypes are a tool for narrative scaling. They describe how characters function generally or in crossover contexts, not precise quantitative stats. There is no true way to "dictate actual power levels" as characters are always fluctuating.
- Q: Are comedic or gag characters treated differently?
A: Yes. Archetypes like Gag/Toonforce, Trickster, or Fourth Wall Breaker operate under narrative or comedic rules, often bypassing normal scaling logic. Their tiering reflects how they behave in-universe and across crossovers, rather than conventional feats.
- Q: How does tiering handle reality-warping characters?
A: Reality Bender archetypes are scaled based on their narrative or contextual limits. They are often treated as top-tier because their abilities adapt to the situation, but exact limits depend on the story.
- Q: Are there archetypes for non-combat roles?
A: Yes. Archetypes like Dreamer, Everyman, Compulsive Hero, and Understudy often focus on narrative role, persistence, or thematic relevance rather than direct combat capability.
Example Usage of Archetypal Tiering
- Character: Saitama (One Punch Man)
- Archetypal Tiering: Power House
- Character: Batman (DC Comics)
- Archetypal Tiering: Skill Master
- Character: Mr. Incredible (The Incredibles)
- Archetypal Tiering: Power House
- Character: Dick Grayson
- Key: Robin | Nightwing
- Archetypal Tiering: Understudy | Skill Master
- Character: Doctor Manhattan (Watchmen)
- Archetypal Tiering: Reality Bender / God
- Character: Wile E. Coyote (Looney Tunes)
- Archetypal Tiering: The Loser
- Character: Sora (Kingdom Hearts)
- Archetypal Tiering: Jack-Of-All-Trades
- Character: Madotsuki (Yume Nikki)
- Archetypal Tiering: Dreamer
