It’s been a while, but here I am with the next in my character profiling series. These guys are really awesome characters and I loved the opportunity to write about them.
If you’re new to this series, here are the previous ones:
A reader of these, Erin, also made her own profile for the series and nailed a very accurate type. Here:
And, without further ado…
Character Profile 4
Oh, the 4s. I think the easiest way to identify these characters is that you will not meet anyone who’s read their story and doesn’t like them. They may fall into the background and be unnoticed, but genuinely disliking them is impossible.
Type 4s are by no means faultless. They have very obvious flaws, but these are most of the time nothing they can help.
For example: clumsiness, awkward ways of talking, lack of talent, some form of sickness or just pure bad luck are a few examples I can think of down this list.
Another easy identifier is that these guys make everyone laugh. Their humor isn’t as subtle or sarcastic as the Type 1s or 2s, but can be self deprecating, because of their faults. Sometimes their sheer honesty, optimism and straightforward way of looking at things just make you burst out laughing.
These guys love people. Friends, family and teammates mean everything to them and oftentimes they try too much to be liked by people. Type 4s see everyone as a unique individual and love becoming their friends and figuring them out. They put others before themselves to a fault.
But not all people love them. Type 4s are very open and will strike up a conversation and share with almost anyone, but there are villains and bullies who take advantage of that.
Because of their need to have people like them, having someone shove in their face that they don’t like them can really hurt these guys. Nothing crushes them more than thinking that they are not special and that no one notices or appreciates them. And a depressed Type 4 is a sad sight to see, considering their usual happiness and optimism.
List of common traits:
Outgoing
Funny
Loves people
Optimistic
Great smile (come on, admit it. All these guys have awesome smiles.I’ll include examples where I can.)
Self-Sacrificing
Honest
Side Character
Quirky
Obvious Fault
Someone who bullies them
Very open (everyone knows what these guys are thinking)
Can get depressed
Character List:
Emmet
(The Lego Movie)
Emmet is the picture of a Type 4. People are his life, and finding out no one cares about him or notices him is a crushing moment. Later, when he’s with real friends, he’s great at coming up with a plan to save the day by his ability to sense everyone’s strengths and play off them.
He has the obvious fault of being rather un-creative for most of the movie. Granted, the double-decker couch is pretty neat, but you’re going to need something a little more impressive to cut it with the master builder crowd, bud.
Emmet’s traits:
Outgoing
Funny
Loves people
Optimistic
Great smile (see below)
Self-Sacrificing
Honest
Obvious Fault: Not that creative
Someone who bullies them: Lord Business, but this is more “trying to murder” not “bully”.
Very open
Can get depressed
Riley
(National Treasure)
It’s been a while since I’ve seen either of these movies, but Riley is definitely in this group. Though he lacks a few of the situations that Type 4s usually find themselves in, his outlook on life and general demeanor match perfectly. He’s always the one to point out how ridiculous the current situation really is and his honesty always brings a smile.
Outgoing
Funny
Optimistic
Great smile
Honest
Side Character
Quirky
Very open
Flint Lockwood
(Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs)
Flint is the most quirky in this group. No one’s mind works like Flint’s, though he’s sure to tell everyone what he’s thinking. He wants to make people’s lives better with inventions, and is in heaven when everyone loves his food machine. He’s the first to step forward when anyone needs saving and is very self-sacrificing.
Outgoing
Funny
Loves people
Optimistic
Great smile
Self-Sacrificing
Honest
Quirky
Obvious Fault: Absent minded and very socially awkward.
Someone who bullies them: Brent and Earl (temporarily), The Mayor, Chester V.
Very open
Can get depressed (Ooooh yes.)
Archie Kennedy
(Horatio Hornblower A&E)
The perfect counterpoint to his reserved and serious friend, Horatio, Archie Kennedy is an impossible character to dislike. He takes time to get to know and befriend many men over the course of the story and is always ready with a joke and a smile. He was very bullied by a certain Mr. Simpson before the first episode takes place, and suffers from seizures apparently as an effect of that.
The presence of Simpson makes him practically shrink inside himself. The jokes, smiles and optimism disappear in fear of offending him.
Thankfully, this oppression doesn’t last long and we get our cheerful Archie back.
Outgoing
Funny
Loves people
Optimistic
Great smile
Self-Sacrificing
Honest
Side Character
Obvious Faults: Seizures. Prone to panic (his own words).
Someone who bullies them: Simpson
Very open
Can get depressed (perhaps more than anyone else in this group)
Mr. Bingley
(Pride and Prejudice A&E)
The grin sealed it on this one. By far, the most enthusiastic and cheerful, rich, English gentleman ever to grace the screen, Mr. Bingley practically lights up the room when he walks in. Social rank does not matter to him at all and everyone is as deserving of a smile and a bow as anyone else. If Bingley likes something, you will know right off and the inner angst of a certain Mr. Darcy is beyond his understanding. He lacks a few of the plots centering around usual Type 4s, being not one of the main characters, but he definitely belongs here.
Outgoing
Funny
Loves people
Optimistic
Great smile
Honest
Side Character
Quirky
Very open
Lord McDougal
(The Peleg Chronicles by Matthew Christian Harding)
Lord McDougal is the most chivalrous of the Type 4s. Despite having lost all earthly possessions and friends, save his shield-bearer (Fergus), he still travels the country and fights for the weak and needy. He has a bulletproof faith in God and no one meets him without being urged to follow the Lord.
McDougal has the awkward part down, too. But sees it as gift so not all his accomplishments will go to his head. He’s a redhead, gangly, tall and as awkward as they come when it comes to everyday things like walking, but whenever the situation calls for it he is completely focused and coordinated.
It’s literally impossible to not like Lord McDougal.
Highly recommend the books, by the way. 😉
Outgoing
Funny
Loves people
Optimistic
Great smile
Self-Sacrificing
Honest
Quirky
Obvious Fault: Awkwardness
Someone who bullies them: Aramis (He doesn’t show up much. But enough to qualify)
Very open
Can get depressed (well, it happened once…)
Cobalt Winter
(Odd Team Out, by me)
Oh, Cobalt. Being one of my own characters, he needs a bit more explanation. (Check here for his development story if you’re interested: Character Study: Cobalt Winter)
The inevitable favorite character of Odd Team Out, Cobalt was my starting point for searching out this type. He’s got a wonderfully mysterious name, but mannerisms that don’t match at all. A crooked smile and the tendencies to bump into everything and tease everyone head up the list.
Cobalt loves people and has a wide circle of friends that he’s constantly working to expand. He’s very honest, open and self-sacrificing with all of them. The quirks abound, so I shall not list them all here. If you want to hear more, comment. I’ll let Cobalt reply, if you so wish. 😛
Outgoing
Funny
Loves people
Ridiculously optimistic (He could be hanging off a cliff and still be able to find the good in the situation.)
Great smile (sideways though it may be)
Self-Sacrificing
Honest
Side Character (technically. Jean is the main character.)
Quirky
Obvious Fault: Clumsy
Someone who bullies them: Milton Hueso (*wince*)
Very open
Can get depressed
Captain Haddock
(Tintin books, by Herge. And movie by Steven Spielberg.)
Now, here’s a different kind. This is sort of an offshoot of this type, but Captain Haddock is enough of a Type 4 to put him up. He’s just a little different, but I’ll explain.
Captain Haddock shares the majority of these traits, but is the inverse of a few. For example, he’s not very outgoing. He doesn’t usually think the best of people he doesn’t know and can get in fights with people he does. He has a bad temper, which is a rare trait for a Type 4, seeing as they usually try to defuse situations involving bad tempers.
His sense of humor is a little different to, with more of a pessimistic view on things (i.e. “Blistering barnacles, why does everything happen to me?”) In most everyday situations, he does tend to be a pessimist. But when things really matter, the optimism usually wins out. More so in the movie than the books.
Funny
Loves people (deep inside his tough heart, yes.)
Great smile
Self-Sacrificing
Honest
Side Character
Quirky
Obvious Fault: Let’s just say it right out. He’s an alcoholic.
Someone who bullies them: Allan
Very open (he wins the prize for this one)
Can get depressed
So, that’s Character Profile 4!
Everyone has a Type 4 who’s captured their heart… who’s your favorite? Please comment and tell me!
I’ll try and write up any characters suggested!
~writefury
writefury 
Oh YES, Riley. He is the BEST ever. And also a pretty good representative of this type, I believe. 😉 *huggles him*
*nods* He doesn’t get nearly enough fans from those movies. He’s so funny and awesome! 😀
He is!!! I think it’s because not too many people watch those movies. I didn’t want to watch the first one, and then I couldn’t help but enjoy it. A lot. 😉
*mwahaha* They’re so mysterious it just stretches your mind like silly putty! It’s inspiring. 😉
*whispers* Hi… *giggles at Archie’s smile and grabs Siri by the ankle and pulls her under the table with me*
Yeah, you missed this one, but as you don’t read “Jedi Apprentice” you are forgiven. 😛
Thank you. 🙂 She may hang out with the group if she wants.
😀
I think I discovered another type five hiding in my own work… Only I just started out this story. Anyway, his name is Arden and he’s a detective–only in this world, people’s dreams are real, they are the heroes of another world, and everyone has superpowers, they just don’t have them in waking life. Arden is not actually the hero of the story, though. That would be Cael, a classic hero type, and a newcomer to the world of “aware” dreaming–basically, an “aware” dreamer is someone who realizes they are dreaming but also realizes that they are needed in the dream, which gives them the ability to manipulate dream reality or just to keep their memories of dreams in order. Anyway, Arden is a bit like the bad-guy-turned-good. He tries to be kind, but he’s arrogant and definitely untrustworthy. He’s not actually trying to further an agenda (which sets him apart from the true villain of the story). He just wants to rescue his missing mentor Sciel and restore order to the dream world, saving the people who’ve gone into comas because they’re trapped in their dreams and in danger of dreaming themselves literally to death, and also stopping the dream thieves. He wants to help people, but he’s fighting himself every step of the way, and there’s going to definitely be some unexpected heroism with his character. I want to make it seem like there is a reason why Arden is the way he is, but we never get to learn it. Basically, I’m going to imply that he’s been a victim in the past and it’s left him with villain-like tendencies.
Hmm, cool! 🙂 Nice write-up. You should add him to your post.
😀 I’ll try fleshing him out a bit more first. 😉
Warning this is actually sprinkle squink. My three favorite are Cobalt Riley and Archie. LOVE THEM ALL!!!!!! 🙂 :3) (smiley /w/ nose. 😉
[…] A Description about a Certain Character type: Who doesn’t love the likable, background charact…. […]
My character Meryl is definitely a type 4. People loving, she gets depressed (with reason), likes to impress people. Everyone who read about her (aka my family and a friend), loved her. 🙂
Cool! Yeah, these guys are show stealers. 😉
Interesting, this is the first time I’ve seen a girl type 4.
That is weird! But Meryl is definitely a type 4. 🙂
*hugs Cobalt* 😀
*hugs Cobalt with you* 😀
Cobalt: Umm… hi.
You’re awesome! 😀
Cobalt: *grin* So I’ve been told…
And I really want to read your books. 😀
Cobalt: Why thank you. *looks at me* Isn’t she a beta reader?
Well… technically. But I haven’t sent anything to her yet.
Cobalt: *smacks the back of my head*
Oh, I was thinking about doing OTO 2 for Nanowrimo… *goes back to my headache over deciding*
Whoop! *lets fly with random papers, mostly at the Master*
I don’t know. I was thinking about writing either Arden and Cael’s story, or else Jonathan and Casceny’s. Both of them have potential. 😉
By the way, what’s your username on there? Mine is the same, only capitalized (ErinKenobi2893).
I’ve never done it before, but I was just going to do “writefury”.
Oh, you should!
Ah. 😉
Which one do you think I should do? The story where people go to an alternate universe when they dream and some people are dreaming themselves to death or the one with time travel without much of a plot yet?
I’d say the dream one, since there’s more plot.
But if you want to go the pantser route, take the time travel. 😉
I think I’ll do the dream one.
Also, my dreams have such awesome plots it makes me want to cry. I dreamed last night that I was a police officer in a hospital that’d been evacuated for some reason–but we were supposed to search it– so maybe they’d been evacuated because there were rumors that it was going to be the target of a terrorist attack? Anyway, then one of our informants was reminiscing about jelly beans and I tried one, but it tasted like it had been poisoned (?!), and then we caught a criminal and I tackled him and he started making fun of me, asked me how much I weighed, I said 140, he said 114, it was really weird, I questioned him and ended up punching him again because he was struggling… it was really weird. Also, I think I was a guy… what is it with skinny guys in my fiction? *facedesk*
Weird. Yeah, I’ve gotten a couple plot ideas from dreams. They can be pretty interesting. 😛
I’ve never had a dream with my book characters in it, which is strange, because they’re usually what I’m thinking about before bed…
I have. Once or twice. It’s a bit of an odd experience sometimes. 😛
I bet. 😛 Though it would still be fun.
Indeed X-D
Good luck nano-ing! I’m doing it un-officially. Still trying to finish the book within the month, but not on the website, and if I finish my dad will buy my first copies for me. 🙂
AWESOME 😀 😀 😀
I still don’t know what I’m going to do or if I’m even going official this year :-S
We shall be unofficial buddies then. 😉 CB is unofficially doing it with Twinepathy as well, I believe.
😀
I think I might end up writing a fanfic, to placate Rosalie… she’s a bit sad that I don’t work on this fantastic idea I had for a Star Wars AU. I am the queen of AU. Seriously. 😛 Every fandom I have written has at least five AUs by me. 😛
Cool! 🙂 Yeah, I only had the Lego/Avengers AU. 😛
😛
This list is amazing! I love how much it coincided with my sidekicks post. I think my favorite example would be Kelsier from Mistborn, but his Character 4 qualities are a little hampered by PTSD and this nasty little need for revenge that he tries to keep hidden. Thanks foe the great post!
Awesome! Thanks! 😀 Sidekicks post? *looks around* where? I love sidekicks! 😉
xD Absolutely! And it’s a part of a series talking about Cliche Characters. https://castandrole.wordpress.com/2015/11/20/cliche-characters-the-sidekick/ I’ll definitely be checking out your other character posts!