All About Male-Dominated Archetypes

This list includes Women in fictional media whose personalities and characters are usually reserved for male-dominated roles.

In recent years, writers have become more and more interested in writing female characters. However, female leads are sometimes boxed into tropes that are stereotypically ‘girly’. Yet these male-dominated archetypes do not have to be just about male characters. Writers can use them as a starting point for female characters as well.

1) Buffy Summers (Buffy The Vampire Slayer)

Buffy redefines the heroic warrior archetype, which is traditionally male-dominated. As well as that, she’s shown to be ‘the chosen one’, which is commonly a trait for male characters, such as Harry Potter or Percy Jackson.

MORE: Why The Hero’s Journey Is NOT Just For Male Characters 

2) Shauna Shipman (Yellowjackets)

Shauna fits the survivor and leader archetype which is most often reserved for men in the media. Usually, morally complex antiheroes are male, so Shauna being brave and straightforward without shame is rare for women in TV.

3) Death (Sandman)

Death subverts the Grim Reaper archetype, which is typically depicted as male throughout most books, movies and television. Another example of a woman in this trope is Death in the short story ‘Death Speaks’ by Somerset Maugham, where the Grim Reaper is depicted as female.

4) Mizu (Blue Eye Samurai)

Mizu inhabits the warrior archetype. As a woman she challenges gender norms within a rigid and patriarchal society. Her plotline is very similar to Disney’s Mulan. However, the girls differ in personality, as Mizu uses vulgar language with little sympathy for her opponents, whereas Mulan is more kind-hearted.

5) Ambessa (Arcane)

Ambessa is a powerful military commander, a role more commonly held by men in fantasy and science fiction media. In many stories, military authority and unapologetic brutality are coded as masculine traits.

6) She-Hulk (Marvel)

She-Hulk challenges toxic masculinity in heroism. Male characters are often allowed to express rage as justified, or even heroic, while female anger is minimised or pathologised. She-Hulk acknowledges that women live with constant, socially imposed emotional frustration.

7) Fat Amy (Pitch Perfect)

Fat Amy reclaims the overt jester archetype, most often used for male characters like Chandler in Friends. She expresses desire openly, jokes about sex without apology, and treats herself as desirable by default, which is generally looked down on in larger -bodied women.

MORE: 3 Important Reminders For Writing Fat Characters

8) Megan (Bridesmaids)

Megan’s jokes are often crude, but she isn’t expected to be dignified or less rude with her words. In contrast, male characters are frequently ‘allowed’ to use offensive language, with women not being granted the same.

9) Ellen Ripley (Alien)

Ripley stands out as a character because of her leadership. While she is heavily sexualised in the final act of the movie, this is only one part of her character. She is the voice of reason to the crew, but is not listened to by the others. Instead of being eye candy, Ripley balances her sexuality with wit and intelligence.

10) Fleabag (Fleabag)

Fleabag is often very rude and brutally honest, a value usually found in male characters. Her relationship to guilt and responsibility further aligns her with male archetypes, as male characters are often permitted to carry guilt without resolving it.

MORE: 10 Lessons On Writing Women From Phoebe Waller-Bridge

Last Points

Celebrating women who embody male-dominated archetypes is important because it challenges long-standing gender norms in storytelling. Creating representation for women in a thought-out and well-written manner is crucial for fighting against the patriarchal standards in movies, TV and novels.

Happy International Women’s Day!

BIO: I’m Ivy, a homeschooled student who enjoys writing about media and culture. I really enjoy the horror genre, however my taste is very broad.