The Myers-Briggs Fan Types

In the world of fandoms, you'll run across every kind of person. Go to a midnight release. You'll inevitably see someone cosplaying a character. You'll see someone who looks (and smells) like they haven't left the house in weeks. You'll see someone who definitely doesn't want to be there, but is just there because their friend/sibling/significant other wanted them there. You'll see people who look like they belong in the fandom and people who very much don't. But what do the different personality types look like as fans?

ISTP

The Fanfic-er

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Fanfic-ers love to experiment, to explore. If they find a fandom they like, their first reaction will be to change it up, to see what would happen if the story had gone differently, had gone how they think it should, rather than how the author thought it should. What does the author know anyway?

ISFP

The Fanartist

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Similar to the Fanfic-er, Fanartists want to put their own spin on fandoms they love. But rather than rewrite the story, Fanartists will play with the aesthetics of the fandom, finding personal expression through something outside of themselves, whether it's physical art, makeup, cosplay, or something else entirely. There's nothing fun in leaving things as they are, so Fanartists will switch things up, just for the sake of it. Just don't criticize their work.

ESTP

The Everyfan

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Everyfans have a finger in every fandom they've seen. Forget going all in on one fandom, Everyfans want the thrill of having it all. And they'll be an active part of every fandom they're in—until it gets boring. Because once the fandom stops being stimulating and interesting, Everyfans will move onto the next hot fandom.

ESFP

The Actor

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Who does an interpretive dance to their favorite opening song? Who can be found at midnight showings in full costume acting out scenes from the last movie? Who will make people laugh when marathons get boring by making up dialogue? Actors, of course. Actors will read the room and make sure the entire room is having a good time. And they'll love it.

INFJ

The Shipper

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Shippers want everyone to be happy. Particularly, they want everyone to be happy with everyone else. And their pairings would work, too, whether it's a platonic friendship or a bromance or a full-blown romantic endeavor, because they know how to find the path to success, no matter how long it is. Shippers know that love is pain, but they also knows that love will fix the world. Any world.

INFP

The Big Ball of Feels

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Big Balls of Feels can't handle any fandom, but they love them all. You'll often find them squeeing and clutching their hearts and crying over cinnamon rolls. When they're in a fandom, they're all in, because their poor feels can't handle more than a few fandoms at a time.

ENFJ

The Theme Partier

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Theme Partiers have a lot of friends and a lot of feelings. So what better way to express those feelings than with all those friends at a fandom-themed party? Not only do Theme Partiers use their parties as an outlet for their need to be with people, they use parties as an excuse to win others to their fandoms. Because is there really anything better to advocate what you believe in than a party?

ENFP

The Efangelist

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Efangelists want everyone to love their fandoms. There aren't other options. Because how can friends be truly connected if they don't have connections at every level? Efangelists have unending energy and will come up with increasingly creative schemes until the entire world knows about and loves their fandoms, with all the best intentions, of course. What do you mean it's weird? You'll love it!

ISTJ

The Shusher

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Shushers are rational above all else and like to have all the facts when it comes to their fandoms. And obviously, the best way to get all the facts is to pay attention to the book/show/movie. And you interrupting their research... well, that's just impractical. So shush. We'll analyze it later.

ISFJ

The Fan Mom

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Fan Moms, just like their distant relation the Soccer Mom, just want everyone to be taken care of and included. Supportive, enthusiastic, and observant, Fan Moms will purposefully become the center of any fandom group, only so that they can more easily reach everyone else. And you can always bet that Fan Moms will be at any fandom gathering with snacks and a shoulder to cry on.

ESTJ

The Orderly

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Orderlies know exactly how people in a certain fandom are supposed to act. You can find them weeding out gifs that aren't true to the fandom, moderating forums, or single-handedly building a fanbase around something. But they know that groups are best when individuals hone their strengths, so if you need someone to sort you into a Hogwarts house, the Orderly is your fan.

ESFJ

The Yes Fan

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Yes Fans are into whatever their friends are into, and they're into it wholeheartedly. When their friends switch fandoms, they switch fandoms. But they'll also take a piece of every fandom with them, because when they can't be surrounded by their real life friends, they'll take solace in the company of their fictional friends.

INTJ

The Closet Fan

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Closet Fans are as much a fan as anyone else, sometimes even more so. They'll care deeply about fandoms, but they don't see the point in broadcasting to the world what they do and don't love. It's none of the world's damn business, anyway. Until someone is wrong, that is.

INTP

The Theorist

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Theorists often publish articles with the tagline, "This will blow your mind!!!," though they probably didn't actually add that line. Theorists are amazing at connecting the dots, solving the murders, drawing parallels between fandoms, coming up with fan theories spanning not only decades of a fandom but often multiple fandoms at once. Talk to them for too long and your mind will most likely explode.

ENTJ

The But Actually

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Who can spot a flaw from a mile away and has no problem pointing it out? But Actuallys. They know how the world works, and if a fandom ignores that, But Actuallys will let you know. They'll argue plot holes for hours, and they'll be the ones walking out of movies going, "that could never happen," and then going into extreme detail as to why it could never happen. Prove them wrong, however, and you'll win their respect. Until you take your argument just a step too far. "But ACTUALLY..."

ENTP

The But What If

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Similar to the But Actually, But What Ifs will also be the ones walking out of movies saying, "that could never happen." But rather than explaining why it couldn't happen, But What Ifs will come up with an infinite number of scenarios that might have fixed the plot hole. And even if there wasn't a plot hole, they'll argue different scenarios, different plots, until you're blue in the face. What? It's fun.

What kind of fan are you?

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The Office: Myers-Briggs Personality Types (Part Two)

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Since bringing you part one of this special series several months ago, I have felt the need for a part two, centering on supporting and minor characters from The Office. Let's explore these crazy characters and their antics and find out why they do the things they do!

Angela Martin -- ISTJ "The Logistician"

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While I would certainly say that Angela is a rather caricatured and exaggerated version of an ISTJ, I would say that she's an ISTJ nonetheless. She is perhaps an oversimplification of the type.

ISTJs are often known as rule-followers, with an extremely strong sense of personal integrity and accountability. However, this accountability can lead to her being disliked around the office. She may sometimes speak her mind too freely and say unkind and hurtful things. She's not a terribly tactful person, but she performs well at her job and gets things done well and accurately. 

Creed Bratton -- INTP "The Logician"

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Creed is certainly not a typical INTP. (He's perhaps what an INTP is like after years of doing drugs. That dude's brain is gone.) His logic is strange to the world around him, and yet his brain makes perfect sense to him. What regular person would ever sprout mung beans on a paper towel in his desk drawer for nutrition? (The smell, man. The smell.) Or who would admit to the camera that "I just really like stealing things"? Only Creed. Only Creed. 

Creed is certainly a daydreamer (he can't even remember what his job title at Dunder-Mifflin is), and yet his unemotional logic and self-assurance are what convince me that he's not a Feeling type. He doesn't often interact with his co-workers, because of his Introversion. And his utterly strange, disorganized mess of a self is a clear mark of an iNtuitive Perceiver. (I'm one myself.) Creed might just win the medal for the strangest character on the show, which is a feat unto itself. 

Kelly Kapoor -- ESFP "The Entertainer"

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Upon really digging into these characters, I found another ESFP among the bunch besides Michael Scott: Kelly Kapoor. Getting stuck back in the annex doesn't give her enough time to get all of the attention Michael does, but she makes it count when she can. Her personality can fill up the whole office. She's incredibly extroverted and quite impulsive. 

Like most ESFPs, Kelly is a very emotional person. She also loves the spotlight and attention. One thing people might not recognize, though, is that Kelly is incredible with people. She works in customer service and no one in the office could do the job quite like she can. She knows exactly what to say to disgruntled customers and that is a true gift.

Andy Bernard -- ENFP "The Campaigner" or ESFP "The Entertainer"

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For Andy, it was a nearly impossible decision to make in regards to his personality. If anything, I might say he's borderline between a Sensor and an iNtuitive. With someone of his caliber of personality, it's a tough decision to make. On the one hand, he makes some very split-second decisions that tend to border on the N side, but he also has a perspective on life that is very sense-oriented, not always intuitive. 

However, these types are often difficult to distinguish between, so let's talk about things we know for sure. Andy is a crazy extrovert, joining the ranks of Michael Scott and Kelly Kapoor. He loves to entertain (often reaching Michael's ranks in that department) and to be the center of attention. Although he may seem very easygoing, on the inside he's very sensitive, and perhaps easily duped. While he may not always be liked, he has a generous heart.

Holly Flax -- INTP "The Logician"

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Holly has always been one of my favorite characters on this gem of a television show. Though she seems a lot like Michael at first, she's actually quite different from him (even though they're just both total goofballs). She enjoys having her own space and time, and her Thinking side helps her make unbiased decisions concerning her HR job. She's not swayed by her feelings the way Michael is. 

But she also has the crazy spontaneity of most iNtuitive Perceivers. She tends to go with the flow and laugh at herself and others, just as Michael does. They're almost together, and it's not difficult to see why. 

Who from The Office are you most similar to?

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Yuri!! On Ice: Myers-Briggs Personality Types

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One of the things that makes Yuri!! On Ice just so damn good is the characters. Our main three characters are so well written, with so much depth, that it’s easy to fall in love with them. Because we know them. So why don’t we try to get to know them even better with a Myers-Briggs Personality test each.

Katsuki Yuuri - The Defender

ISFJ’s are highly concerned with the feelings and opinions of the people around them, which we know Yuuri to be. Defenders often underplay their accomplishments and hold themselves to high standards. They also spend a lot of time crying in a bathroom stall after embarrassing themselves in front of an audience. Yuuri is both imaginative and hardworking and can be very enthusiastic when motivated. He also makes few bonds to other people in his life due to his shyness, but when he does connect with someone, he cares for them deeply (i.e. Phichit, Victor, Vichhan).

Defenders have been known to repress their emotions until the point of outbursts. This aligns with how Yuuri handles conflict or heightened emotions. Like when he makes an impassioned promise to skate with Eros. Or when he makes an impassioned declaration to win the gold medal with love to the press. Or when he starts yelling at Victor before a particularly nerve wracking skate (when Victor wasn’t being that helpful). Yuuri, my dude, get it together.

Victor Nikiforov - The Entrepreneur

ESTP’s are the kind of people who walk into a room and just own it. They’re charismatic and charming as all hell but they also get stuff done. And if that ain’t Victor Nikiforov, I’ll eat my hat. Entrepreneur’s need to be stimulated, need to pursue drama, passion and pleasure, even if that leads to a risky lifestyle. And I’m pretty sure Victor has “Rules were made to be broken” tattooed on his lower back. Victor might be the definition of “extra,” but he’s also a smart and practical man. You don’t get to be a world class athlete by living the party lifestyle 24/7. He works hard on his passions.

Victor is made up of the ESTP’s weaknesses too. He can be insensitive or impatient with the feelings of others, like being unable to handle other people crying. He also doesn’t take a whole lot of consideration into how his risky actions can affect the people around him. Like his coach Yakov for example. Yakov puts so much work into Victor's career and what does Victor do? He ups and leaves Russia, abandoning Yakov, to find himself a Yuuri. The one place I see a difference between the Entrepreneur personality type and Victor is how they handle their romantic relationships. ESTP’s have a harder time with long term, committed relationships, as they are easily bored and in need of excitement. But Victor is 100% head over heels for Yuuri. I think this may have to do with the fact that Yuuri is a part of Victor’s work. Entrepreneurs devote a huge amount of their passion towards their goals and Yuuri’s success is one of Victor’s goals. He’s so heavily intertwined with that part of Victor’s life, his relationship with Yuuri has the potential to be everlasting (or we riot).

Yurio Plisetsky - The Executive

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There really isn’t a personality type called “The Angry Brat,” so Yurio technically falls under The Executive. Yurio is incredibly dedicated and strong-willed. Throughout the show, we see him continually push himself to be the best. The boy knows what he wants and he’ll do whatever he has to do to get it. He’s also very direct with his feelings, making no attempt to hide his anger for the sake of those around him. Executives are very loyal people, once they find a person they respect.

Yurio is incredibly stubborn, refusing to bend to the will of anybody unless he directly sees it benefiting him. Just like his fellow ESTJ’s, he has a hard time getting himself to relax and has an even harder time expressing emotion. Not that he won’t tell you exactly what’s on his mind, but he considers showing any softer emotion than pure rage a weakness. Even his feelings towards Victor or Yuuri, that most people would express as positive emotions, he has to spew them out as anger. For example, when he wanted to give Yuuri some of the food his grandfather made, he had to physically assault him before offering any. Or when he has to physically assault Victor before expressing concern for his career choices... and ends up insulting Yuuri. The latter did not go very well for him at all.

"You be nice to my anxious pork cutlet bowl boy.

Do you share a personality type with any of our figure skating faves? What personality type do you think some of the other characters have?

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Disney's Beauty and the Beast: Myers-Briggs Personality Types

All images belong to Disney. Not me.

With the release of the live-action Beauty and the Beast this week, I thought I'd type the characters in the animated movie--because who doesn't love finding out the Myers-Briggs type of their favorite characters? I find it fascinating. I wonder if the new characters will have the same types!

So, without further ado, here are the personality types of the Beauty and the Beast characters.

Belle: INFJ

Belle is a discontent dreamer. I've seen her typed a lot as an INFP, which, an argument could be made for that as well. But it's the discontent part that makes me think she's an INFJ. She's too practical to be an INFP. She knows what she wants and she takes steps to get there. She wants to be somewhere else, so she reads. All the time. She wants to wander the castle, so she does. She has very strong feelings, but she always channels them into action, a product of the Introverted Intuition/ Extraverted Feeling dynamic that INFJs have going on. Her responses are very deliberate and lack the energetic illogicality of an INFP.

The Beast (Prince Adam): INFP

The Beast is just a big, fuzzy ball of feels. I'm sure being turned into a beast as a child probably had some sort of bearing on his mental functions, but as he exists now, he's definitely an INFP. Extraverted Thinking is lowest on an INFP's function stack, hence the reason that everything he does is guided by his feelings rather than rational thought. He's lost hope that a girl will like him, partially because he's a beast, but mostly because his mind is hardwired to not believe that anyone will live up to his standards. He takes everything personally, a very common trait in INFPs. But he also understands Belle's needs, hence the library and letting her see her father. Also, Belle and the Beast seem to have an INFP/INFJ relationship, another reason I believe she's not an INFP.

Maurice: INTP

Maurice is the inventor. He's too dreamy and unsure to be an INTJ. Definitely Introverted Thinking: he's always lost inside his head, explaining half-ideas so often that everyone thinks he's crazy. But his inventions actually do work, hence the Thinking. He's very absent-minded, but also very enthusiastic about it. Definitely INTP.

Gaston: ESFP

Gaston is 100% Extraverted Sensing, an ESFP's primary function. He's all about the aesthetic. He loves his reflection and cares too much about his appearance to be anything else. Plus, he even admires Belle's beauty. He always has to be the center of attention, and every time he's the center of attention, it has to be a big to-do, which is all ESFP. Thinking and Intuition are low the ESFP stack, hence his contempt for reading and people who do. When he goes to attack the Beast, he doesn't think it through at all, he just uses his charisma to inspire the townsfolk to follow him. No doubt about this one.

LeFou: ESFJ

LeFou is very sincere and loyal and energetic--all qualities of an ESFJ--he's just not very bright. Thinking and Intuition are also lowest on the ESFJ stack, making Gaston an easy person for LeFou to latch onto. He's sociable, drawing everyone in the tavern into kissing up to Gaston like he does, and he's always eager to help, both manifestations of Extraverted Feeling, an ESFJ's primary function. He just wants everyone to be happy. Especially Gaston.

Lumiere: ENFJ

Lumiere takes it upon himself to be the leader in the castle. He has lots of grand ideas and does whatever it takes to make sure people are making those ideas come about. His Extraverted Feeling--an ENFJ's primary function--allows him to understand people, which he uses to get them to do whatever he wants. Thinking is lowest on his stack of functions, hence the reason his schemes just happen, much to the irritation of Cogsworth.

Cogsworth: ISTJ

Cogsworth is the rule-following one who keeps reminding everyone of their duty to the master. He needs everything to be in order according to what he believes is right, and Lumiere and the rest of the castle staff cause him no end of grief by not following his rules and order. Very ISTJ.

Mrs. Potts: ISFJ

Mrs. Potts is the reliable, supportive, motherly type. She takes care of everyone and makes sure everything is in order according to her specific ideals, which is very indicative of Introverted Sensing, an ISFJ's primary function. She also makes sure everyone is happy, indicating an ISFJ's secondary function: Extraverted Feeling.

Chip: ENFP*

Chip is too young to properly type, but he seems to be growing into an ENFP. He's excitable and idealistic, always wanting to be with people and have things going on. An ENFP's primary function is Extraverted Intuition, which shows itself in the fact that he's always trying to take in and understand everything going on around him and expressing how he feels about it (which is an indication of Introverted Feeling, an ENFP's secondary function).

Do you share a type with any of the characters? Do you think any of them should be typed differently? Tell us in the comments!

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The Office: Myers-Briggs Personality Types (Part One)

Since I started rewatching The Office this past weekend, I've come to realize how brilliant and groundbreaking the characterization of each character is in this one-of-a-kind TV show. As a curious person, that quickly leads to me examining their personalities. Not only is it a lot of fun, but it also helps me to relate more easily to the characters and to understand their motivation behind their strange and confusing actions. After some thought, I've decided to bring some of these analyses to you today.

Michael Scott -- ESFP "The Entertainer"

Michael is certainly an "entertainer." He has a natural love for being in the spotlight (which, in his case, may get him into trouble more often than not), but he also has a genuine love for the people around him. He loves excitement and mischief and trying new things. He takes great pleasure in the aesthetic things in life; he loves good food and drinks and clothes.

Michael, as a person, may come off strong on a first meeting. But he's an extremely loyal person once you get to know him. He would take a bullet for any of his friends, and he would do anything to try to please them.

Dwight Schrute -- ESTJ "The Executive"

Dwight Schrute is a strange man. He also may come off strong on a first meeting, but his reasons for that are fundamentally different than Michael's reasons. He seems authoritative and unwavering in his internal sense of justice, and that can leave an impression of harshness. ESTJs are guided by their stubborn value systems; in some ways, that may make Dwight give an aura of coldness, but this is because this is how he truly sees society to work. There is a definite right and wrong on every issue in his mind. 

ESTJs are often very good employees, which is a quality that serves Dwight well through his years at Dunder-Mifflin. In 2006, he's the company's top Salesperson. He's more than dedicated to his job; he practically worships it. This is how he strives to keep order in his life and in Scranton.

Pam Beesly -- ISFP "The Adventurer"

Pam is a true ISFP. Her gentleness and artistry really shines through in her life, especially in later seasons of the show. In the beginning, she's not willing to open up to the camera, but we see her joy for life come through, especially when she starts dating Jim later on the show. 

Pam aspires to find meaning in life. During the first couple of seasons, she's held back by fear instead of following her dreams like she really wants to do. But what she really wants to do, instead of being a receptionist, is to draw and to use her artistic skills to bring joy into the world. 

Jim Halpert -- ENTP "The Debater"

Out of all the characters, Jim was the most difficult to figure out. In some ways, he's like a chameleon. He's able to fit in to nearly any social situation with his wit and sharp qualities. That being said, I was only sure of two dimensions of his personality: Intuitive and Perceiving. However, I finally settled on ENTP. First, Jim loves to debate and see what he can learn from a given situation. A devil's advocate, in some sense. 

His constant pranking is also an indication of the ENTP's constant quest for mental stimulation and knowledge. Work is certainly not fulfilling for him, and thus he uses the energy he has left in making complicated pranks come to fruition around the office. He's certainly an idea-maker, and those ideas are an integral part of The Office.

Do you share a type with a character on The Office? Who is your favorite?

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'Stranger Things': Myers-Briggs Personality Types

Spoilers included for Stranger Things.

I hate being confused by shows, especially when the ending leaves me with even more questions than the entire rest of the show did. So, in an attempt to clear up some of my thoughts about this mental roller coaster of a show--and because waiting for season two seems like such a monolithic feat--here are the unofficial Myers-Briggs types of the major characters of Stranger Things.

Mike: INTP (the Logician)

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Mike is always the Dungeon Master in the boys’ games, which points directly toward him being an INTP. INTPs are detail-oriented, imaginative, and enthusiastic, all good qualities of a DM. He’s a loyal friend and a natural leader, always coming up with how the group is going to get out of the next problem and learning the pattern with each previous experience--a quality of Introverted Thinking and Extraverted Intuition, an INTP’s dominant and auxiliary functions. INTPs highly value honesty: after all, “Friends don’t lie.”

Dustin: ESFJ (the Consul)

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Dustin is the glue of the group. He just wants everyone to get along--a product of his dominant Extraverted Feeling. ESFJs try to avoid conflict, as shown when he runs away from the bullies, but he isn’t afraid to tell his friends to get their acts together and make up for the good of the group. He’s always supportive, encouraging, loyal, and genuine--all qualities of an ESFJ--and he’s guided by his sense of duty, always making sure everyone is safe and happy. Well, as happy as they could be under the circumstances.

Lucas: ISTP (the Virtuoso)

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Lucas is the creative one of the group. He has beliefs of what’s right and wrong, and he’s the one who addresses practical concerns when the group goes out. He’s rational in a crisis--a manifestation of Introverted Thinking, an ISTP’s dominant function--arming himself and saying, hey, maybe we shouldn’t take in this girl we know nothing about. ISTPs are governed by their sense of what’s fair and will often get stubborn to the point of spontaneous, risky behavior--like when he goes out searching for Will alone because he doesn’t think the group is doing the right thing.

Will: INFJ (the Advocate)

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We don’t get much on Will except what other people say about him. He portrays himself as a bad-guy-fighting wizard, so we know he’s smart and concerned with justice. He survives longer than anyone else in the Upside Down, so we know he’s strong-willed and is able to hold on to hope. INFJs are governed by Introverted Intuition and Extraverted Feeling, which means that they decide what to do based on what would make the most sense, what would follow the most internal principles, and what would be the best for the most people. So Will is able to hold onto hope because he knows his family and friends love him, he knows that surviving and attempting communication gives him the best chance of escaping, and he knows that if he dies, his family will be heartbroken. Plus, an INFJ’s inferior function is Extraverted Sensing, which, since Will is under a lot of stress, would manifest itself obsessively. In his time in the Upside Down, he’s constantly singing a song his brother introduced him to. He’s comforting himself with a specific sound over and over.

Joyce: ISFJ (the Defender)

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Joyce was one of the hardest to type. ISFJs are one of the most caring of all the types, their Extraverted Feeling making them in tune with the feelings of those around them, especially those they care about. We see that as she takes care of Eleven and comforts Jonathan. ISFJs are also imaginative, loyal, and enthusiastic, all traits we see as she searches for Will. However. When a person is under extreme stress, her functions will manifest themselves differently. Her inferior functions--which in this case would be Introverted Thinking and Extraverted Intuition--come to the forefront and directly influence all her actions, making her not act quite like herself. She destroys her house because she sees a pattern that she believes is leading her to Will. She tries to explain herself to people, but her half-ideas are dismissed as crazy talk. She also spends a lot of time stuck in her head in the moment, all her feelings bubbling up and spilling out everywhere, a product of Introverted Sensing and Extraverted Feeling--the dominant and auxiliary functions in an ISFJ, the ones that usually govern actions--gone wrong.

Jonathan: ISTP (the Virtuoso)

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Jonathan is a creative loner who loves taking pictures and then developing them himself--a piece of Extraverted Sensing, an ISTP’s auxiliary function, focused on the aesthetic. When Will goes missing, he quickly and rationally prioritizes what needs to happen and sets out to find him, even unashamedly buying a bear trap and gasoline. Because it’s right. But he, like his mother, is also under an insane amount of stress, leading his inferior functions--particularly Extraverted Feeling--to take over his decision making process. He’s paralyzed by his feelings for Nancy, so spontaneously stalks her and adds her feelings of sadness and desperation to his own. He deeply feels his mother’s sadness and it breaks him apart inside, even as he tries to protect her.

Nancy: INFP (the Mediator)

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Nancy is always feeling things. She’s torn between Steve and Barb and her family and Jonathan, trying to make them all happy at once while still making herself happy. INFPs tend to always seek harmony and ideals simultaneously, often leading them to become paralyzed with indecision or to make terrible decisions in the name of finding the best possible feeling. An INFP’s dominant function is Introverted Feeling, concerned with personal ideals and principles. When Barb goes missing, Nancy does what it takes to go after her, not really thinking it through. Practicality isn’t an INFP’s strong suit. But she’s hardworking and brave, chasing what she believes is right, which more than makes up for it.

Steve: ESTP (the Entrepreneur)

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Steve is the quintessential popular kid. He’s got his pick of girlfriends, parents who go out of town leaving house open for parties, and people who revere him and/or pine over him. And he loves it. ESTPs thrive on drama and excitement, making themselves the center of attention, often with risky or unnecessary behavior. Steve thinks Nancy is beautiful, so he goes after her, but, more than that, he thinks he’s beautiful--a product of Extraverted Sensing, an ESTP’s dominant function. He always follows his own moral compass, boldly not caring for the rules or opinions of anyone else, which proves very helpful when he charges in with a baseball bat to help kill the Demogorgon.

Chief Hopper: ENTJ (the Commander)

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Hopper is the driving force behind the search for Will. He’s the perfect determined and logical offset to Joyce’s manic enthusiasm and feelings. He’s self-confident, strong-willed, and stubborn, unafraid to break into a top secret lab performing human experiments or even into another dimension. He completely throws himself into the search for Will, efficiently and strategically covering all his bases until he’s able to put together an idea of what happened. That’s Extraverted Thinking and Introverted Intuition--an ENTJ’s dominant and auxiliary functions--taking over the thought process and doing their job to sort information into usable pieces. When his daughter died, he started abusing substances--Extraverted Sensing gone wrong--but a new project to focus his attentions on allowed him to find a renewed purpose in life. 

Dr. Brenner: ENTP (the Debater)

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We don’t know a lot about Dr. Brenner. We know that he stole Eleven as a baby, raised her to believe that he was her father, and has since been conducting questionable experiments in his secret lab, getting rid of anyone who knows too much. Most people would be like, “Evil scientist! INTJ!” but an INTJ wouldn’t have convinced the child to call him Papa. ENTPs have Extraverted Feeling as their tertiary, or underdeveloped functions, which here is obviously twisted. He uses his knowledge of Eleven’s emotional state to twist her mind into explicitly trusting him and to manipulate her. He has an outgoing leadership quality that INTJs lack, causing the people at the lab to follow him in his crazy schemes, but he also lacks the inhibitions that most INTJs have, causing him to think, “Hey, yeah. Opening a portal to another dimension and sending people into it is definitely a good idea.”

Eleven: ISTP* (the Virtuoso)

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Eleven isn’t really possible to type yet. She spent the first half of the season speaking in one word sentences, and her entire past was spent in social isolation, which prevented any functions from taking precedence except the necessary ones for survival--which essentially amounted to hiding everything. She definitely shows tendencies for Introverted Thinking--you can see her pulling all the information she can in and assimilating it into her view of the world--but she shows tendencies for both Extraverted Feeling and Introverted Feeling. She’s only ever had to worry about herself, so all of her feelings are internalized and directed toward how she perceives the world. But the devotion she shows to everyone outside of the lab she meets makes me think that she’s going to develop into Extraverted Feeling. If I had to guess, I think Eleven is an ISTP. Her actions are governed by Introverted Thinking and Extraverted Sensing--taking the information in the world around her, sorting it in her mind, and acting according to what she believes is right. (An argument could be made that she’s governed by Introverted Sensing--concerned with internal senses like hunger and muscle tension--but I think that’ll wear off if she spends any significant amount of time away from the lab.) An ISTP’s inferior function is Extraverted Feeling, so, when she escapes the lab and is under extreme amounts of stress, this manifests itself most by her emotionally clinging to anyone she meets. But since her Introverted Thinking still plays a role, she doesn’t disclose anything about herself immediately. Only season 2 will show if I’m right, though.

Do you share a type with any of the characters? Would you type them as something different? Let us know in the comments!

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