Why This is Good

The Trickster, unlike the Shapeshifter, changes other people, rather than changing himself. The trickster can be evil or benign, an ally, and enemy or a neutral character. The trickster disrupts things, initiates change, and can cause problems but also help reveal things, bring about comic relief, and most importantly, change. The trickster is a rebel, a prank-playing, class-clown joker who relishes making the other characters laugh, change, or see the folly in how they are living their lives.

As with the other archetypes, a character can be a trickster in addition to being something else.  A hero can be a trickster, like Peter Pan, Aladdin, Happy Gilmore or Peter from Office Space. A nemesis or shadow archetype can also be a trickster.  A threshold guardian or herald can be a trickster. The Joker in any of the Batman movies or stories represents a trickster who is also the nemesis.

A trickster relishes chaos and wants to disrupt the normal order. This may be malevolent, as with the Joker, or any number of villains, but it may also be a good think to disrupt what has become a too rigid and overly strict society.  Peter Pan is a trickster because doesn’t want to follow the rules and grow up and be a responsible adult. He prefers to play and have fun and go against the norm. He tricks and torments, Captain Hook, making it seem like a fun game, rather than a serious showdown with a dangerous villain.