stock character
literary or social stereotype used to create characters or determine their role in a story
antihero
leading character in a film, book or play, who is devoid of heroic qualities
Death
personification of death
Anarch
stock character
salaryman
Japanese white-collar worker
space marine
infantry space force
puppet master
stock character
swan maiden
archetype in myth
tragic hero
stock character; hero with a major flaw that leads to their eventual death and downfall
damsel in distress
theme in storytelling, stock character; a noble Lady in need of rescue, traditionally from dragons
knight-errant
chivalric literature stock character
simpleton
a person whose foolish actions are the subject of often-repeated stories
Big Bad
major recurring adversary
boy next door
stock character; an average and nice guy
cat lady
single woman, often a stock character, who owns many pet cats
Christ figure
type of character
competent person
Hyper-skilled pulp fiction protagonist
hooker with a heart of gold
stock character; prostitute with heart and intrinsic morality
rakehell
person (usually male) habituated to conduct considered immoral by the dominant culture of the society in which they reside
spear carrier
stock character; minor character who appears in several scenes, but mostly in the background
Tortured artist
stock character; character who is in constant torment due to frustrations with art and other people
youngest son
stock character
hero
character type
jungle girl
stock Tarzanesque female character in comics and fiction
Karen
common given name used as pejorative American slang term referring to an annoying white entitled woman
sexy librarian
stock character
black knight
literary stock character who masks their identity
Byronic hero
Type of antihero often characterized by isolation and contemplation
yokel
stock character; unsophisticated country person
Mary Sue
stock character; youthful but one-dimensional character with overly idealized and hackneyed mannerisms, often considered a stand-in for the author
straight man
stock character, notable for remaining composed in a comedic performance
Dark Lord
stock character; an evil, very powerful, often godlike or near-immortal sorcerer
elderly martial arts master
stock character; a wise, powerful man teaching his powerful craft to a young student, often needs to be avenged
Romantic hero
literary archetype referring to a character that rejects established norms and conventions, has been rejected by society, and has themself as the center of their own existence
gentleman detective
type of fictional character
scene stealer
character in a film or dramatic performance that dominates the audience's attention
town drunk
stock character; male in a small town who is drunk more often than sober
tricky slave
stock character of a clever lower-class person
femme fatale
stock character: woman who uses her sexual attractiveness to get what she wants from men
Hardboiled detective
stock character
Becky
pejorative American slang term
sidekick
subordinate but significant character in a fictional work
picaro
character type
Southern belle
stock character; young woman of the American Old South's upper class
evil genius
character type
redshirt
stock character; an expendable character who dies soon after being introduced
Igor
traditional cliché hunch-backed assistant or butler to many types of villain
Dark Lady
stock character; a dark, malicious or doomed woman
Shakespearean fool
character archetype recurring in the works of William Shakespeare
Pioneers-heroes
Soviet children heroes of World War II
gag character
character that is mainly used for the joke in comic strips and TV shows