Character archetypes, like in the introduction section, can help you familiarize yourself with popular trends to see what works and to find ways to alter those clichés into something more unique. After listing common types, I'll offer a few examples of ways to either subvert them or defy a smaller expectation within them.

The following archetypes can appear in any genre, not only fantasy, and they can be a protagonist, antagonist, or side character:

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The Lover: the romantic lead who follows their heart over logic most often. This character often shows a humanistic element to the protagonist, is passionate, but also tends to be irrational.

The Ruler: the character who holds some kind of power over others, whether it be political or emotional. They usually have high status, but are out of touch with the reality that the other characters know. For this reason, they are often disliked by the other characters.

The Joker/Jester: the funny character who lightens the mood and provides comedic relief, but who can also offer insightful truths from time to time.

The Magician: a powerful character who knows secrets of the world and can help characters accomplish their goals.

The Mentor/Sage: a character with wisdom to offer, often in the form of training. They usually are experienced and insightful, but are hesitant to join the action of the story.

The Caregiver: the character who continuously supports other characters, even at their own expense. They are honorable and selfless, but lack the skill or will to be a leader.

The Explorer: a character who is driven to push themselves and others beyond their comfort zone. Often likes to go beyond the status quo and into the unknown. They are curious and motivated, but rarely satisfied.

The Warrior/Hero: this archetype refers to the character who is motivated to go out and conquer whatever conflict they are facing. They are usually incredibly competent, and have a plan to gain victory. These characters typically experience a setback or crisis of self-doubt before the climax in which they beat all odds.

The Innocent: this character is considered pure, and only has good intentions. Most often, they are a child or youthful character. They tend to be kind, sincere, vulnerable, and naive.

The Rebel/Outlaw: the character who refuses to comply with society's demands. These are usually independent thinkers who may be considered a criminal.

The Seductress: this archetype is the role in which a character offers some tempting offer to another character, whether it be power, love, status, etc., but their promises have some sort of drawback or consequence. These characters are typically charismatic and lack a sense of morals.

The Everyman: the character who serves to be relatable to the audience and remain recognizable from everyday life. They add a sense of familiarity in an otherwise dramatized or fantastical story.

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Now, let's deconstruct a few of these. Take "The Innocent" for example: you can build this character up as being naive and pure, then add a twist in which they turn out to be evil, or give them a backstory where they were previously sinister in some way.

You can take "The Warrior/Hero" where the character is confident that they can defeat the villain, but the reader knows they are severely unprepared or incompetent.

Perhaps you switch up The Seductress type by having the character offer a strings-attached promise, but near the end of the story, they unexpectedly make good on their promise. This is in essence what I did with Jimin in The Siren's Curse.

The degree of twists you put on these archetypes is up to you. Whether it's making a typically male type a female instead, or completely subverting a built up expectation and flipping it on its head, feel free to play around with your options! Every story has already been told, but you can mix and match and add personal touches to make yours feel distinct from others. Just remember, you do not have to feel limited to only these archetypes.