5 party member archetypes.

By no means am I an expert in gaming. I could barely call myself a gamer, if at all. However, I have noticed several overused game character archetypes, especially in RPGs, so I created this post to present my findings and to serve as a reference if I ever decide, for whatever obscure reason, to somehow create my own RPG. Do keep in mind that these traits are also common in anime and manga too. 

As always, this list of character archetypes is not the be-all-and-end-all, but the types listed here are so common it's not even funny. Or maybe it is funny. I dunno.

1. The Hero (a.k.a "You")

In most cases, this is the guy you get to be when you play a RPG, or the main character of a series. He may or may not be the actual party leader. He could be just an average Joe dragged unwittingly into this mission by another member of the party or by whomever brought the party together; he could be the one on a mission, recruiting more members as the story progresses. 

To accommodate most players, he's the Jack of All Trades, and often in the beginning, a master of none. In games, this gives you a chance to level up whichever stats you fancy, and in anime/manga, it gives room for character growth and plot development. He's often the most neutral character in the game/series, since he exists as a medium onto which we the audience may project ourselves.

He's pretty much guaranteed to be one or more of the following things:
innocent and pure; cool and calm; ambitious and stubborn; unreasonably happy and easy-going.

2. Second-In-Command

This guy pretty much exists to complement and support the Hero, and is everything the Hero lacks. Because they tend to be polar opposites, the 2IC can be the Hero's closest friend or biggest rival, and their relationship can fluctuate between these two extremes throughout the series. His abilities may be similar, if not just a bit more advanced compared to the Hero's, and he's probably pretty good with close combat or some other standard technique. Regardless of his default personality, he is often the one on the party who is the most morally ambiguous - if there's a chance, he'll probably be the first to defect and betray the party. However in the absence of the Hero, he will be the one to fill his shoes. If the game/series calls for character death, you can bet your bottom dollar that this guy will be the one to kick the bucket. And if he's not the only one to die, then he'll be the last to die, and it's his death that will cause something to snap in the Hero to turn him into an invincible fighting machine and ultimately beat the bad guys.

3. The Brain

Sometimes portrayed as really old or really young. The Brain could be a techie, thief, mage or something else that requires a high mental/intellectual capacity. If he's not a child prodigy or all-knowing sage, then he's often the crazy, socially inept one who is furiously dedicated to his craft. Being the one who often pulls the strings behind the scenes, this guy is the one on the party who never fights directly, instead going for an indirect approach using stealth or long-range attacks, machines, fire power, or spells. The Brain always ensures that your party is well-equipped for whatever mission you undertake, and will usually be the one who thinks of the strategy for your missions.

4. The Tank

Often the largest/bulkiest member of the party, the Tank's disposition ranges from cute and dim-witted, to being too angry or brawl-hungry for his own damned good. Unlike the Brain who strategises and plans his moves carefully, the Tank bowls in to a situation, guns blazing. He may or may not do a decent amount of damage before getting overtaken by a smarter enemy and needing one of the other party members to come to his rescue. The Tank may end up as the butt-monkey for the rest of the party. He and the Brain either get along really well or not at all. If the Brain is teenaged or older, they will hate each other's guts. If the Brain is a kid, they'll get along like a house on fire (I've always wanted to use that metaphor, teehee). Either way by the end of the game/series, they will both acknowledge that the other plays an important role in the party.

5. The Extra Baggage

The character who plays the role of the Extra Baggage may vary depending on the other party members. More often than not, the role is taken by a female or a child, or a female child. While she may have some sort of power with which to defend herself, she sure as hell won't use it until it's too late (can be because she hates violence or is simply too scared to fight). If the Hero himself is not pure and all-loving and benevolent, then the Extra Baggage will be. She'll encourage the party to stick together and press on towards their goal. Chances are that she'll be the primary love interest for the Hero too, in which case the 2IC may battle for her affections. Generally the Extra Baggage is almost completely expendable apart from the fact that they are: 
a) the only one who knows where they're going;
b) the only one with the ability to unlock something crucial to the mission;
c) the only one who can heal everyone else's wounds or keep the entire party from disbanding.
So basically, you're stuck with him/her whether you like it or not. :/

Inspiration from this post was drawn from this article on TvTropes.Org
Credit to IX for helping me with this post!! <3