Character Type Meaning Example

Hero The main character. They have

to overcome an obstacle, a
challenge, and most likely a
quest or mission that they have
been set by the dispatcher.

Villain The villain opposes the

character in one way or
another. They might have
different values that clash which
create that hatred towards each
other. Typically, they are
morally bad, highlighting the
goodness of the hero. They
might stop the hero from
achieving their goal.
Donor The donor is a person who gives n/a
the hero an object that helps
them either by empowering
them or is important for
completing their quest. This role
can be combined with that of a
helper.
Helper Usually a sidekick. The helper
supports the hero on their
quest, they may be present
throughout the story or appear
at critical moments to provide
support

Princess The princess is often a ‘reward’

for the hero or may be wooed
by the false hero. They may be
seen truly little in the story
perhaps only appearing at the
end or could be an integral
character who accompanies the
hero on their mission where he
may win her heart by the
actions he shows throughout.
The princess may also be the
object which is deliberately
sought after by the hero
perhaps finding where the
villain has taken her.
 Dispatcher The dispatcher is the character
who send the hero on their
mission. Sometimes the
dispatcher may be the princess;
father who gives the hero a set
of quests to be completed
before he gains the hand of the
princess
False Hero Appears to act heroically and
may even be initially mistaken
for the real hero. The character
may at first appear good but
really is evil, they will try to steal
the hero’s thunder, grab all the
credit and may even try to win
over the princess.

The Princess’ The princess’s father is a key

Father figure for the hero to persuade,
as the father is almost always
protective of his daughter. He
may be the one to dispatch the
hero on his mission to save the
princess. The father may also be
in competition in some way with
the hero for the princess’
affections and a triangle may
form. On the other hand, he
may be villainous and lock his
daughter away; who the hero is
trying to rescue her from