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Archetypes in Avatar

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  • Avatar of avatar44vb

    avatar44vb

    [1]Nov 24, 2006
    • member since: 07/15/06
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    Hey.

    I don't know how many of you know what archetypes are, but they're sort of like these recurring themes that show up in a story or any other work.?? I know that really doesn't explain any thing.?? The best way to explain an archetype is to give an example of one.?? For example: Good vs. Evil is an archetype.?? Aang represents good and??Azula represents evil.

    This thread is designed to help the Avatards, like myself, find an intersting and insightful look into the show that we all love.?? Post your archetypes here.?? Be sure, though, to explain where exactly this arechtype comes from, so be specific!

    I'll start:

    The Hero:

    Aang is the hero in this tale.?? He represents the main character and his quest (another one) to master all four elements and defeat the Fire Nation will be achieved at the end of this show.

    See waht I mean?

    Good luck in finding those archetypes!?? I bet you there's tons more; I've found them before, but I can't think of them from the top of my head.

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  • Avatar of Eman5805

    Eman5805

    [2]Nov 24, 2006
    • member since: 11/05/04
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    The Monster:

    Actually this one has been suprisingly absent...the person who's forced to do terrible things against his or her will, or does terrible things without meaning to making other people hate him. I guess the machinist could count, but overall I'm suprised we haven't seen the monster in Avatar yet...unless somebody can think of someone who fits the label of Monster (and no Jet doesn't count just cuz Katara called him that)

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  • Avatar of masterofaeons

    masterofaeons

    [3]Nov 27, 2006
    • member since: 05/12/04
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    The Awesome Supergirl:

    A woman who without any reason is supremely powerful and without effort decimates any opponent. Hers is usally a sad story which almost always involves the loss of her mother (and sometimes even the father as well) and she grows up on her own two feet but overcomes things she shouldn't by any credible means. As desperate as the female protagonist is, she never succumbs to any seduction any is the most moral, most opinionated and most all around "amazing" character the script pens.

    While this archetype was most recently seen in Smallville in the character Lana Lang, it also applies to other femme fatales as Moonlighting's Maddie Hayes and Scrubs's Carla Espinoza. See also: Mary Sue.
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  • Avatar of grundy_03

    grundy_03

    [4]Nov 27, 2006
    • member since: 04/06/06
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    The OAF (sokka)

    the usually dumb comic releif that is full of sarcasim and wit but not much else

    they get all the painful jokes
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  • Avatar of grundy_03

    grundy_03

    [5]Nov 27, 2006
    • member since: 04/06/06
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    the cold hard b****-willing to do anything to get what they want- betrayal, deception, manipulation...

    this one is azula manipulating her brother and family to get what she wants, killing anyone who gets in her way of capturing the avatar and winning the war...
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  • Avatar of Ecfyeti

    Ecfyeti

    [6]Nov 28, 2006
    • member since: 05/23/03
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    The Primordial Beast could be the Avatar State, the primordial beast usually takes the form of a great beast that represents a part of the protaganist he must come to terms with.
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  • Avatar of BrainMan820

    BrainMan820

    [7]Nov 28, 2006
    • member since: 12/10/04
    • level: 16
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    Aang - The Reluctant Hero
    Zuko - The Angst-Ridden Youth
    Azula - The Sadist
    Master Pakku - The Elderly Martial Arts Master
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  • Avatar of NRPREZ1

    NRPREZ1

    [8]Nov 28, 2006
    • member since: 10/23/05
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    The Voice Of Reason - This character keeps one or more or the other characters in line by being somewhat like a conscience. This character is usually older and will give the others little bits of wisdom from their own experiences throughout life. This is our beloved Iroh "The Dragon of the West".
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  • Avatar of GiverSSJ

    GiverSSJ

    [9]Nov 28, 2006
    • member since: 06/27/05
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    The Anti-Hero

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-hero

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  • Avatar of mistaria

    mistaria

    [10]Nov 28, 2006
    • member since: 10/15/06
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    I dont have anything substantial to offer to this discussion but I wanted to pop in and say you are awesome for starting this thread. Oh, and that I just had to do a paper that had to do with Freud and Jung. :p
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  • Avatar of FreakishChild

    FreakishChild

    [11]Nov 28, 2006
    • member since: 06/19/05
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    Courtesy of TvTropes.Org and a few archetypes I've learned here and there.

    The Gaang-The Multinational Team

    Aang-The Chosen One

    Katara-The Goddess

    Toph-Extraordinary Empowered Girl

    Zuko-The Atoner

    Sokka-The Comedic Hero

    Iroh-The Spirit Adviser

    Koh-The Shifter

    Jet-The Tragic Hero

    Yue-The Princess

    Azula-The Temptress, she's a special case, this one. While she doesn't offer sexuality as her fruit, Azula has been known to lure her brother by the offering of Father's acceptence.

    Edited on 11/29/2006 5:05am
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  • Avatar of avatar44vb

    avatar44vb

    [12]Nov 28, 2006
    • member since: 07/15/06
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    • posts: 41

    masterofaeons wrote:
    The Awesome Supergirl: A woman who without any reason is supremely powerful and without effort decimates any opponent. Hers is usally a sad story which almost always involves the loss of her mother (and sometimes even the father as well) and she grows up on her own two feet but overcomes things she shouldn't by any credible means. As desperate as the female protagonist is, she never succumbs to any seduction any is the most moral, most opinionated and most all around "amazing" character the script pens. While this archetype was most recently seen in Smallville in the character Lana Lang, it also applies to other femme fatales as Moonlighting's Maddie Hayes and Scrubs's Carla Espinoza. See also: Mary Sue.

    um.. no offense, but it's supposed to be in AVATAR, not Smallville.?? I love your enthusiasm, though.

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  • Avatar of avatar44vb

    avatar44vb

    [13]Nov 28, 2006
    • member since: 07/15/06
    • level: 3
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    grundy_03 wrote:
    the cold hard b****-willing to do anything to get what they want- betrayal, deception, manipulation... this one is azula manipulating her brother and family to get what she wants, killing anyone who gets in her way of capturing the avatar and winning the war...

    are you sure this is a real archetype??? i see how it fits, but i'm not sure it's a real archetype

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  • Avatar of avatar44vb

    avatar44vb

    [14]Nov 28, 2006
    • member since: 07/15/06
    • level: 3
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    mistaria wrote:
    I dont have anything substantial to offer to this discussion but I wanted to pop in and say you are awesome for starting this thread. Oh, and that I just had to do a paper that had to do with Freud and Jung. :p

    Thank you so much!?? This really means a lot to me!?? feel free to add any.

    ??suggestions to people who might want to add more:

    Try to add only one, if you can.

    Explain each one so that this can be a sort of learniing experience (you can use that as an excuse on parents if you get in trouble for posting)

    Another one:

    The Unhealable Wound: Zuko's scar

    The Unhealable Wound is exaclty what its name implies. while zuko's can be taken away physically (supposedly by katara), it can never be taken away emotionally.?? zuko is reminded of it every time he looks at himself in the mirror and is forced to think of what could have been. it still hurts deep inside and he may never get over it and get on with his life.

    sorry for posting three times in a row, but it's my thread

    just kidding, it's really for the fans of the show.

    Edited on 11/28/2006 9:34pm
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  • Avatar of sesshylvr4ever

    sesshylvr4ever

    [15]Nov 28, 2006
    • member since: 02/15/06
    • level: 14
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    i cant think of any archetypes besides the ones already mentioned but i think this is a really good thread and hopefully ill come up with something cause i had alot of ideas but i forgot them
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  • Avatar of masterofaeons

    masterofaeons

    [16]Nov 29, 2006
    • member since: 05/12/04
    • level: 15
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    avatar44vb wrote:

    masterofaeons wrote:
    The Awesome Supergirl: A woman who without any reason is supremely powerful and without effort decimates any opponent. Hers is usally a sad story which almost always involves the loss of her mother (and sometimes even the father as well) and she grows up on her own two feet but overcomes things she shouldn't by any credible means. As desperate as the female protagonist is, she never succumbs to any seduction any is the most moral, most opinionated and most all around "amazing" character the script pens. While this archetype was most recently seen in Smallville in the character Lana Lang, it also applies to other femme fatales as Moonlighting's Maddie Hayes and Scrubs's Carla Espinoza. See also: Mary Sue.

    um.. no offense, but it's supposed to be in AVATAR, not Smallville. I love your enthusiasm, though.


    Er, all of that alluded to our Amazing Karara.
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  • Avatar of grundy_03

    grundy_03

    [17]Nov 30, 2006
    • member since: 04/06/06
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    ocourse it is there are thousands of them in heaps of shows
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  • Avatar of Moviemaster2222

    Moviemaster2222

    [18]Nov 30, 2006
    • member since: 07/16/05
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    I know that Long Feng is an Archetype but I for got what it is called, but he is the kind of gu who rules in the shadows and truly wields all the power.
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  • Avatar of grundy_03

    grundy_03

    [20]Dec 3, 2006
    • member since: 04/06/06
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    long feng would probably be the betrayer or evil plotter

    pretty much the bad guy on the good side
    just like the dragon of the west is kind of the good guy on the evil side
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