Top Ten Tuesday: Character Archetypes I Love and Hate

The Hostess

There's no way to escape tropes; they're in books, movies, and tv shows. And while sometimes they can be annoying, some tropes do end up being successful. So here are my top ten worst and least favorite character archetypes (which are basically tropes) in literature, with some examples.

All covers are courtesy of Goodreads.

1. Chosen One

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Of course I had to start with this trope! Even though it's used so much, I don't really care. It excites me that you could live life normally until one day, everything changes.

Hear that Hogwarts? I'm still waiting...

2. Selfless hero(ine)

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Look, I get trying to save some people, but why would you want to save the villain when they're still clearly trying to kill you?! I'm sorry, but I hate it when characters are overly selfless. 

Tris cared too much about Caleb. The end killed me.

3. Damsel in distress

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No way, not in this century. The independent, strong woman is way more awesome. 

The women in Julius Caesar are pretty much all reliant on their husbands (one kills herself when she thinks her husband dies). I know the play was written for the audience of that time period, but it's annoying because we're still reading Shakespeare in this time period.

4. Hero's Mentor

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They're gonna die anyways, so it's better not to get too attached. Some also seem omnipotent/ultra-wise, and I hate characters knowing things before the reader.

5. The Traumatized Villain

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If there's a really good story, then I'd like to hear it. Mostly, though, villains are traumatized over the dumbest things!

6. The Loyal Friend of the Hero

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Thomas Cresswell is just the best, y'all.

Yay, friendship! This is crucial in mysteries and fantasy the most. It's great that the hero can rely on someone in their crazy life. It's even better if the friend undergoes some transformation along with the hero for bonus character growth. 

7.  The Frenemy

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I think this is more of a middle grade thing, but the sarcastic frenemy provides A+ entertainment. They're usually ridiculous and aren't to be taken seriously.

Jasper was hilarious. He also had appreciable character growth, transitioning from being an annoying, jealous brat to a loyal friend.

8. The Hormonal Teen

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I actually don't like the way teens are portrayed in media, too. They're not all crazy or drug addicts. 

9.  The Traitor

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This trope is overused, and traitors are kind of predictable. There should be better ways of introducing conflict.

10.  The Superhero

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Reading about people learning new powers is the closest I'll get to learning them *sigh*. 

So that's it for this week. Did you recognize these archetypes? Which tropes do you like/dislike (here's a list of even more to choose from)? Tell me below!