CHARACTER TYPE AND TROPE THESAURUS

APEX PREDATOR



Never struggle with Show-and-Tell again. Activate your free trial or subscribe to access the Character Type And Trope Thesaurus, or visit the Table of Contents to explore unlocked entries.

CHOOSE MY PLAN

HELPFUL TIP:

Using a trope or archetype helps readers quickly understand a character, but stopping there creates a weak and predictable figure. Instead, add depth with a unique backstory, emotional wounds, and related fears and flaws. You can also break expectations with an unusual job, relationship, secret, or positive trait.
DESCRIPTION:
These creatures have advanced features, such as incredible strength, speed, hearing, or extrasensory abilities, that make them superior to humans. One look at these monsters—sometimes, just the mere mention of them—can create fear and terror in others.

FICTIONAL EXAMPLES:
The shark (Jaws), the balrog (The Fellowship of the Ring), the xenomorph (Alien), Gozer the Destructor (Ghostbusters), death angels (A Quiet Place franchise)

COMMON STRENGTHS:
ADAPTABLE, ALERT, BOLD, DECISIVE, EFFICIENT, FOCUSED, INDEPENDENT, PERSISTENT, PROTECTIVE, RESOURCEFUL, SIMPLE

COMMON WEAKNESSES:
CALLOUS, CONFRONTATIONAL, CRUEL, DEFENSIVE, DEVIOUS, EVIL, GREEDY, HOSTILE, IMPULSIVE, INFLEXIBLE, IRRATIONAL, MANIPULATIVE, SELF-DESTRUCTIVE, UNCOMMUNICATIVE, UNCOOPERATIVE, VINDICTIVE, VIOLENT, VOLATILE

ASSOCIATED ACTIONS, BEHAVIORS, AND TENDENCIES:
Having no mercy
Relying heavily on instinct
Fiercely guarding their territory
Needing to feed or hunt to stay alive
Having their own way of communicating with their own species
Being single-minded in their pursuit of prey
Having good instincts
Agility and speed
Being able to camouflage themselves and blend into their environment
Having their own kind of intelligence
Lacking the human capacity for logical reasoning
Exhibiting exceptional hunting skills
Having a strong survival instinct
Aggression
Curiosity
...

FEARS THAT MIGHT LIMIT THE CHARACTER:
...

SITUATIONS THAT WILL CHALLENGE THEM:
...

INNER STRUGGLES TO GIVE THEM DEPTH:
...

CLICHÉS TO BE AWARE OF:
...

TWIST THIS TROPE WITH A CHARACTER WHO...:
...

CREATE SOMETHING NEW:
...

...