List of similarities between main protagonists in fantasy/adventure films
Stereotypical main protagonists in fantasy/adventure films;
Harry Potter – Harry Potter series
Scott Pilgrim – Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
Luke Skywalker – Star Wars series
Woody – Toy Story
Frodo – Lord of the Rings
Soren – Legend of the Guardians: Owls of Ga’Hoole
Max – Where the Wild Things Are
Taran – The Black Cauldron
Similarities: All of these characters have something dark
that happened in their past or something that is currently troubling them.
Harry Potter and Luke Skywalker are both orphans and adopted by their uncle and
aunty and discover more about how they lost their parents as their respective series goes
on. Some of these troubles are far less serious and very childish such as
Woody’s jealousy of Buzz Lightyear, Scott Pilgrim’s break up with his ex and Max’s
argument with his mother. These characters are all young, although the ages
vary greatly between 8 and 23. Woody’s age is debatable as he is a toy but he
acts very jealous and naïve and appears to be based on a man in his early
twenties. Soren is an owl but clearly based on an adolescent male and Frodo is
50 years old, which is equal to being an adolescent male for his race as he
isn’t human but a hobbit. These characters all have a rather carefree nature
when around people they are comfortable with but act much differently when
around people or things that remind them of their past, for example Harry
Potter is very carefree when with his friends Ron and Hermione but becomes very
timid around his aunty and uncle and almost vicious when faced with the man who
killed his parents; Voldemort. Another example is Scott Pilgrim, when around
his girlfriend and friends he is very child-like, immature and doesn’t seem to
care about anything but when he is forced to talk to Gideon, the man who steals
his girlfriend, he becomes a very violent and aggressive young man. All of
these characters are forced into an argument or a fight with a family member or
close friend. Harry has a severe fall out with his best friend, Ron and is
forced to fight the man who loved his mother, professor Snape. Luke Skywalker
must fight his own father, Darth Vader who turns out to be alive after he
reveals his true identity to Skywalker who thought he was dead. Frodo is
attacked by his trusted companion Boromir and Soren must fight his own brother
in a war.
Alternative main protagonists in fantasy/adventure films
(Female);
Babydoll – Sucker Punch
Alice Kingsleigh – Alice in Wonderland
Dorothy Gale – Wizard of Oz
Lyra Belacqua – Golden Compass
Ofelia – El Laberinto des Fauno
Female protagonists in these films are usually 20 years of
age or under, the oldest in the proceeding list being Babydoll from Sucker
Punch at 20. Alice Kingsleigh is 19, Lyra Belacqua is 12, Dorothy Gale is 11
and Ofelia is 9. Female lead protagonists are often very timid but grow strong
as an individual in this genre of film. Alice Kingsleigh is very doubtful that
she plays an important role in wonderland and seems very scared when faced with
challenges at the beginning of the film but in the end manages to fight and defeat
the Jabberwocky. At the beginning of Sucker Punch Babydoll is a timid abused
young woman but during the film becomes a fierce warrior who defeats a dragon,
giant samurai based robots and many other unnatural enemies. Many of these
characters are set a particular challenge; Alice must end the evil queens
reign, Ofelia is set three gruesome challenges by Pan the faun and Babydoll
must collect 5 items in order to escape the brothel/asylum. Much like the male
characters many of these characters have something dark in their past such as
Babydoll’s accidental murder of her little sister. These characters also have several
friends who accompany them in their adventure; Lyra Belacqua has an armored bear
companion, Dorothy Gale is accompanied by a lion, scarecrow and tin man and
Babydoll has 4 friends that want to escape the asylum/brothel with her.
