Star Wars MBTI Chart

Note: an updated version of this chart and expanded discussions about Star Wars characters’ Myers-Briggs types can now be found on my other blog Star Wars Personalities.

My Star Wars obsession has lain dormant for 10 years, buried under delta shields, gate addresses, consulting detectives, and madmen in blue boxes. As The Force Awakens, so has the part of me that used to spend hours on Star Wars message boards debating casting news and plot points for the prequels trilogy. I’ve seen it twice now — once opening night and then again yesterday.

I know the fact that most of the EU is no longer cannon has irritated/incensed some people, but at least it’s easier to catch-up on what’s in-cannon now. I’ve been watching Clone Wars (which I thoroughly enjoy) and reading some of the novels, so those will figure into this typing chart.

Readers have been so happy with my Disney princesses chart trying to sort characters by their actual type rather than shoe-horn one into each category that I decided to do something similar for Star Wars. Share it with your friends, spread it around Pinterest, comment with what you like and dislike. For interested parties, I’ve added some of my reasons for typing each character this way below the chart. Enjoy 🙂

Update January 2017: I’ve updated  the chart with characters from Star Wars Rebels. Click here to visit the post analyzing their personality types.

A Few Notes …

A note on spoilers: it’s impossible to avoid all spoilers when talking about the characters who appear in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, but I will try to keep them as few as possible and promise no major plot spoilers.

Force Awakens SPOILER WARNING

some character and scene spoilers ahead; no major plot spoilers

Much of what I’ll cover specifically has already been seen in trailers, but if you’re tying to avoid any character or scene descriptions before seeing The Force Awakens, then don’t read my write-ups on Rey, Finn, Poe Dameron, BB-8 and Kylo.

A note on Jedis: people often type the Jedi knights as Intuitives, largely because of their force sensitivity. That’s not what I’ve done, however, and here’s why:

1) the Force isn’t something you need Intuition to sense. For those who are as strongly Force-sensitive as the Jedi, it’s something real and tangible that they can tap-into and use. They wouldn’t have the same skeptical reaction as someone like Han Solo.

2) The Jedi order is a traditional institution intensely suspicious of new ideas and reforms, even if they’re suggested internally. That sort of thing is typical of institutions run by SJ Guardian types. You’ll also get NF Idealists involved if they believe in the ideals of their chosen institution (though ENFPs are more likely to push for reforms and chafe at restrictions). This heavily informed how I typed Jedi who were at odds with the counsel like Qui-gon and Anakin.

Star Wars Typing Analysis

ESTJs

That Princess Leia leads with Extroverted Thinking (Te) is prominently displayed in Episode IV. Her response to Darth Vader, her criticism of her rescuers, and the way she instantly takes charge of every situation are characteristic of dominant Te types. She’s a take-charge type who is fiercely loyal to family and values, and demands the same level of commitment from others. Leia isn’t an ENTJ like her father, Anakin, though. Her support function is Introverted Sensing (Si) rather than Introverted Intuition (Ni), like her adopted father Bail Organa. She’s a Guardian, not an innovator. Her focus isn’t on innovating the future so much as it is on shaping the present in a practical way.

Mace Windu isn’t an easy character to type. He simply doesn’t have many personality-revealing moments on screen. We do know he’s the voice of the counsel when dealing with Palpatain. He’s never shy about voicing his opinion, which is generally free of emotion and based on the logic dear to a Thinking-type’s heart, and seems to lead with that as an outward focus (Te). Windu is intensely committed to Jedi tradition and autonomy (resists outside control as much as possible — puts Anakin on the counsel but won’t make him a Master in Episode III). The autonomy could be an Intuitive trait, but overall I see more evidence of Si love of tradition and filtering perceptions through past experiences (rather than Ni scanning for new patterns).

ISTJs

Owen Lars is a classic Guardian type. He’s cautious, traditional and a bit stern. It’s clear that he’s also an Introvert (comfortable moisture farming out in the middle of nowhere with few people around, and seeming to prefer it that way) and a Thinker who rarely expresses his emotions. The in-canon book Heir to the Jedi includes Luke’s memories of Uncle Owen as someone who always expressed his love through actions rather than using words to show his feelings.

I was hoping new character Rey would be an INTx type, since there are so few women of those types in fiction, especially as “light side” characters. But she’s an amazing ISTJ, which is also a type you don’t see very often as women. She’s definitely an introvert and a thinking type — prefers working and living on her own, doesn’t stick around for long conversations, won’t tolerate being touched (hand-holding) for no apparent/logical reason, and runs into the woods when confronted with something she doesn’t understand. That she stays so long on Jakku says SJ type to me, as does her hesitancy to move forward into the unknown. When confronted with something an Intuitive likely would have found fascinating to analyze, she wants no part of it because it upsets the established order of her world. She needs time to adjust to new ideas. There were times during action sequences that I thought she might be ISTP, but overall I think she comes down on the ISTJ side.

ESFJs

You’ll find a lot of ESFJs in service roles, and that’s how Bail Organa approaches politics. Like most SJ types he values traditional institutions, and he’s fighting to uphold the Republic as it was meant to be. I’ve seen them described as “natural people organizers,” and we do indeed see him at the center of political groups in the Clone Wars and in deleted scenes from Episode III. Padme describes him as, “the finest public speaker I know” (Clone Wars S3E11); not a trait exclusive to Extroverted Feeling types, but the ability to connect with and sway an audience is common among Fe users. He’s not the same type as ENFJ Padme, though. While fighting a bill that would deregulate the banks to fund more troops during the Clone Wars,  SJ Senator Organa focus his argument on exercising fiscal responsibility in not bankrupting the Republic, while NF Senator Amidala focuses on moral responsibility to not prolong the war.

ISFJs

Obi-Wan Kenobi isn’t as stereotypically ISFJ as a character like Samwise Gamgee, but I do think that’s the best fit for him. He’s an introvert — comfortable working on his own, unlikely to seek out groups of people in any of the movies, actively avoiding socializing with politicians in Episode III, and keeping his own counsel throughout Episode IV. His Extroverted Feeling (Fe) makes him a good teacher who can connect with other people, but it’s not the function he leads with. Like several other Jedi (as I type them at least), he’s a Guardian type who focuses on the problem at hand and relies heavily on the past to determine his future action. He also shares a common ISFJ trait of blaming themselves for everything that goes wrong with the people around them — taking full responsibility for failing Anakin (Episode III — “I have failed you Anakin”) and for the decision to train him (Episode V — “I thought I could instruct him just as well as Yoda. I was wrong”).

C-3PO is more of a caricature of the ISFJ personality type than a good representative. ISTJs and ISFJs are the types who most often report their inferior function showing up constantly in daily life, and some can develop a reputation as “worry-warts.” As a protocol droid programmed to relate to people, he falls on the Feeling rather than Thinking side.

One of the new characters, Finn fits right into the Star Wars family, and he’s sooooooo ISFJ. Clearly an introvert, but we’ll start with his co-pilot function that he uses when interacting with the outer world. You all know from the trailers that he was a Stormtrooper, so it’s not a spoiler to talk about how badly cut-out for that job an Fe user is. One of the criticisms I’ve seen leveled at this new film is that Finn breaks his Stormtrooper conditioning too easily with no explanation, and I think his personality type is that explanation. The ISFJs who are soldiers, like Captain America, need something to fight for and want to know they’re protecting people. Finn doesn’t have that as a Stormtrooper.  As soon as he leaves, he takes on a clear Protector role. SJ types are usually most comfortable sticking with what they know and following others’ lead, but when the authority they’ve trusted betrays them, it’s not pretty. There’s a scene in this film where Finn confronts a former commander that I’m sure will have many ISTJS and ISFJs cheering inwardly. Further proof that he’s using Introverted Sensing (Si) and isn’t an INFJ is his desire to run away because he’s basing his perceptions of the future on what’s he’s known in the past. Si pulls from memory when making decisions like this, while Intuition would look more at the future possibilities.

ESTPs

If you thought Han might belong in the Extrovert category, we just have to look at Lando Calrissian to see the differences between ESTP and ITSP. Han is a solo smuggler (sorry — couldn’t resist); Lando is comfortably running a large group of people. He thrives in the outer world of leading battles and charming the people he meets. I’ve read one description that said ESTPs act first, then fix their mistakes as they go. They’ve very good at improvising, and we see this as Lando manages to navigate his shifting allegiance with Vader and even play a key role in getting the better of a Sith Lord.

Quinlan Vos seems like an ESTP in the Clone Wars episode he appears in, and reading Dark Disciple by Christie Golden cleared away any doubts about his type within the first few chapters Even when he’s hiding his Force use, he demonstrates the quick reaction time and physical skills that characterize the ‘real-time kinetic’ Extroverted Sensing (Se) process (quote from Personality Hacker’s discussion of Se, or “Sensation”). His secondary Introverted Thinking’s skill in filtering out inaccurate information comes in handy as an undercover operative for the Jedi counsel. Spoilers ahead for Dark Disciple. His tertiary Extroverted Feeling (Fe) is strong, and when he gives in to his feelings for Ventress and to using the Dark Side, he falls into an Se/Fe loop that circumvents his wiser brain functions.

Poe Dameron is a new character I really liked. He’s got the typical STP charm, and unlike many action heroes he’s more of an Extrovert than an Introvert. There’s an early scene in the film where he starts a conversation with his captror, Kylo Ren because he can’t stand more than a few seconds of silence. He clearly loves people, and emerges as a natural leader.

ISTPs

I love ISTPs in fiction. They make the best action heroes. To quote the article I just linked to, “These cool, collected types have the sharpest tactical abilities of any of the 16 types. They’re called ‘the crafters’ but really they excel at anything that involves quick-thinking, and hands-on tactical intelligence.” Sounds like our favorite scruffy nerf-herder Han Solo, doesn’t it? One of the great things about Han is that his character is consistent throughout the four episodes he appears in, and I loved seeing him in The Force Awakens.

ISTP is also an obvious choice as the type of most bounty hunters like Janga Fett and his clones, including Boba Fett. Really, it would be impossible to fit all the ISTPs on this chart — I’m sure many of the Rebel pilots are ISTP as well.

ESFPs

You’re not allowed to use Jar-Jar Binks‘ typing to be mean to ESFPs, okay? Okay. He doesn’t fit the type perfectly (which I’m sure will relieve Jar-Jar hating ESFPs) but his heavily caricatured character seems closest to this function stack: Se/Fi/Te/Ni. Dominant Extroverted Sensing helps him adapt to different situations, and its quick kinetic reaction time would help explain his ability to stay alive if we’re not going to buy into the Darth Darth Binks theory. I go with Introverted Feeling (Fi) as his secondary function because he’s more concerned with what feels right to him than what anyone else thinks, and Extroverted Thinking (Te) as tertiary since he’s not shy about sharing his thoughts on everything.

I think you’ll all like BB-8 much better than Jar Jar. He’s up-beat, adaptable, and outgoing — all typical of Se types.  I love this droid — he’s now my second-favorite behind R2-D2. He’s also ready to attack anyone he thinks hurt his friends, and shows a high emotional intelligence that I think points to a type that uses Fi as his second function.

ISFPs

We see very little of Shaak Ti in the films — even her death in Episode III ended up on the cutting room floor. She’s in Clone Wars to a limited extent, and spends most of her time on Kamino overseeing training of the clone troopers. What we do see of her shows her as patient, reserved, and ready to give second chances. This fits with the ISFP’s preference for acting as a quiet supporter even when leading.

You know you’re an ISFP when … You watch Star Wars with friends and you say “You know the Force is real, right?” and everyone thinks you’re kidding.” (Seen on an ISFP forum)

Aayla Secura is another compelling Jedi character who doesn’t get nearly enough screen time. In one of the few episodes where she plays a key role, Aayla tells Ahsoka she also struggled with feeling attachment for her master, and the fact that she admitted it instead of just flat-out discouraging Ashoka’s worry for wounded Anakin points to an Introverted Feeling concern with authentic emotional expression  (Clone Wars S1E13). Like Shaak Ti, Aaylae doesn’t actually talk in most of the episodes I’ve seen her appear in, preferring to support rather than take a more active/obvious role in decision making.

ENFJs

David Keirsey said the NF types’ greatest strength is in diplomacy, and much the same can be said of Padme Amidala. One of the defining aspects of her character is her constant insistence on diplomacy first. Like many women, she leads with Extroverted Feeling — a mental process that highly values harmony. Yet she’s also not shy about sharing her thoughts — contradicting Qui-gon in Episode 1 and telling Anakin he makes her feel uncomfortable in Episode II. She has a strong attachment to duty, is a bit bossy (as confident ENFJs can be), and hates the idea of living falsely. When paired with Introverted Intuition, Fe not only picks up on what others are feeling but also looks at things from their perspective. Padme knows that something is wrong with Anakin in addition to his mother’s death he slaughters the Sandpeople, and she knows he’s keeping something from her after his prophetic dream in Episode III. Typical of an Fe type, and she’s accepting of both revelations; more concerned with what it’s telling her about the man she loves than what actually happened. Having Sensing tertiary in her function stack lends a playful, in-the-moment aspect to her personality that shows up when she and Anakin are hiding out in the lake country. It also contributes to making her body guard tell Obi-Wan he’s more worried about her doing something foolish than Anakin.

It’s always a bit dangerous to type a villain as an NF because you know people are going to disagree with you, but that’s what I’m going to do with Kylo Ren. I really get the feeling Kylo is an Idealist type, with Extroverted Feeling (Fe) very near the surface. It’s hard to type him because we don’t really know what his goal is, but people are already talking about how he’s a new kind of villain. One video review I saw described him as “not your typical villain” and  another said, “they play very well with what a villain is, and they add some layers to it.” The NT villain has been done over and over again in film — people wouldn’t be saying this if they got the sense he was another character along these same lines. We expect NT villains driven by a lust for power and a need for control, and Kylo is something else. I chose ENFJ rather than INFJ for a couple main reasons. One: it’s strongly implied that he leads the Knights of Ren, in which case you could type him as an evil cult leader, which is usually the only ENFJ villain you see in fiction. Two: he doesn’t strike me as a Hitler-type INFJ villain trying to bring about a new world order — it’s more personal for him. I really don’t want to go into any more specifics here because of spoilers, but I do have more thoughts on his personality and I’ll write them up as a separate article (update: click here to read “Thoughts on Kylo Ren, the Force, and Evil ENFJs”).

INFJs

Typed as an INTP, Yoda sometimes is. Take time out from a battle for a spiritual pep-talk, however, the INTP does not. To motivate people by focusing on their feelings and individuality, and INFJ thing it is (Clone Wars S1E1). Also, keep in mind that he’s over 800 years old even in the first movie — he’s had time to become the most mature, integrated version of his personality type possible. Contrary to popular belief, even the greatest Jedi Masters aren’t emotionless — they just don’t have attachments to individual people. Yoda has feelings that he controls and channels, and he’s very much in tune to the feelings of others (which INFJs all do to a certain extent, even in the real world).  His logical, thinking side is just well developed tertiary Ti. Also, Yoda is a Mentor/Shaman archetype, and the little reclusive wizards/druids/yogis in the woods are usually INFJs.

ENFPs

Ahsoka is my favorite Clone Wars character, and she’s a great example of an ENFP. This type leads with Extroverted Intuition, which is “An external abstract/theoretical awareness. Ne notices and identifies the possibilities presented by its surroundings which may not yet be reality or presented as facts.”  This quote is from Meredith’s MBTI Function Theory For Beginners, and she goes on to say that Ne “May be characterized by unique theories and concepts, requiring of external mental stimulation, thinking out loud, a deep understanding of complex theories such as language, and distractedness.” From the very first time Ahsoka was introduced in the Clone Wars movie, she’s challenging authority, freely voicing opinions, and enthusiastically rushing into situations assuming she already understands what’s going on (with an Intuitive’s keen insight into patterns, she’s often right, but not always). Her secondary Introverted Feeling (Fi) is concerned with acting in accordance with her inner core beliefs. This is demonstrated in, well, just about every episode — she always does and says what she feels is right, even when it conflicts with Anakin, other Jedi Masters, or the entire Jedi counsel.

ZombiesRuinEverything already has an excellent article on Qui-Gon Jinn as an ENFP, so I won’t bother repeating an argument for his type here. I don’t agree with this blogger on all his typing ideas related to the Jedi, but I do for Qui-Gon.

INFPs

I’m actually going to reference one of the new in-canon books for Luke Skywalker‘s type. Heir to the Jedi, written by Kevin Hearne, is narrated first-person by Luke Skywalker himself. Hearne really did a good job of capturing Luke’s personality, and when reading about Luke’s inner struggle to make sure his actions line up with his personal convictions I was reminded of Personality Hacker nick-naming Introverted Feeling (Fi) “Authenticity.” It’s the function that INFPs use when making decisions. For example, Luke’s concerned about an order to “take care of” some guards not only because it’s murder, but also because he believes “killing someone is the opposite of caring for them” (p. 96). INFP is really the most obvious type for Luke. Of course the character who defeats the Dark Side will have Authenticity as their core mental process. Of course the man who saves Darth Vader will be the Idealist type Keirsey called “The Healer.”

ENTJs

A couple weeks ago I wrote a whole post on why I typed Anakin as an ENTJ. Click here to read that.

INTJs

Does typing Emperor Palpatain as an INTJ really need an explanation? The simple fact is that INTJs make awesome villains. Of course Mastermind is the the type you choose when creating an evil puppet-master whose villainy has to carry six feature films, not mention multiple TV series, books and comics.

Why would an INTJ take an INTJ apprentice? Maybe he saw enough of himself in Count Dooku to know Dooku could handle his part of the plan, content in knowing that if all went according to said plan Dooku wouldn’t be around long enough to become a threat. Can’t have a rival Mastermind around mucking-up your plans for galactic domination.

He’s very aloof, very self-contained, obviously completely fearless. He is extremely intelligent, perhaps more so than almost anyone else. He’s obviously a man of immense power. I don’t suppose that the question of moral values enter into his head. He’s not immoral — he’s amoral. Morality is a word that doesn’t figure in his vocabulary at all. It’s power. Which is something that exists very much in our world today.”
―Sir Christopher Lee’s thoughts on his character Dooku.

ENTPs

My favorite droid, R2-D2, is also one of my favorite personality types to see in fiction. This little guy could probably rule the galaxy himself if he wanted, but I suspect he’d get bored. His primary focus is on the external world of patterns, ideas, and possibilities (Extroverted Intuition), which we would expect from a droid programmed to work on spaceships and respond quickly (an astromech droid who isn’t focused on the outer world wouldn’t be much use). He’s a fiercely independent thinker who isn’t shy about sharing his thoughts on everything, whether or not his listeners can understand. He’s also highly intelligent and adapts quickly –hallmarks of the ENTP type which, for R2, are partly due to the fact that his memory was never erased.

INTPs

I had a hunch I wanted to type Asajj Ventress as an INTP from the first or second Clone Wars episode I saw her in, but needed more evidence than my gut feeling that she was extroverting Intuition (INTPs use Ne as their co-pilot). Once you get inside her head for Dark Disciple, it becomes clear that she leads with Introverted Thinking, and her Ne becomes more obvious as well. She prizes accurate information highly and all her decisions are impersonal and logical until Quinlan thaws the icy shell she’s built to keep people from hurting her anymore. It’s really an excellent book — I highly recommend it if you’re a fan of Clone Wars.

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