movies about hero's journey

The 12 Best Movies That Follow the Hero's Journey

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Everyone who's interested in how stories are made is bound to have heard the term "the Hero's Journey." Also known as the monomyth, it's a story archetype coined and popularized by Joseph Campbell in the mid-1900s when he noticed that heroes in myths typically go through the same 17 stages in their journey, from the call to adventure that gets the character out of their comfort zone, to the freedom to live found at the end of the ordeals in their adventure.

This narrative template has served as the basis and inspiration of countless stories throughout history – including numerous outstanding films. From a grand fantastical story like Star Wars , to something more grounded in reality like O Brother, Where Art Thou? , these movies don't always follow every single one of the steps outlined by Campbell, but they stick to more than enough to call each of them a hero's journey . A tried-and-true way of telling successful stories that resonate with audiences of all ages and nationalities, movies that follow the Hero's Journey, if well-written, are always a delight like no other.

12 'Men in Black' (1997)

Barry sonnenfeld's campy sci-fi comedy.

One of the most iconic movies you may not know is based on Marvel comics , Men in Black is the story of a cop ( Will Smith ) who, after a chase with an otherworldly being, is recruited by an organization that monitors and polices alien activity on Earth. There's something for every sci-fi fan to enjoy in this movie, from visually stunning special effects to mind-blowing action and just the right amount of humor.

Men in Black follows the Hero's Journey nearly to a tee , from Agent J getting the call to join the mission of protecting the planet from alien threats and initially refusing the call, to him finally learning to master his two worlds and become the hero he was meant to be. The result is a thrilling sci-fi action adventure that doesn't get nearly enough praise nowadays, with a heroic protagonist that's a joy to follow through his journey.

Men In Black

Watch on Hulu

11 'O Brother, Where Art Thou?' (2000)

Joel and ethan coen's take on an old classic.

The Coen brothers are masters of making some of the most entertaining crime movies, and O Brother, Where Art Thou? is definitely one of their best. Loosely based on Homer 's The Odyssey , it's about three fugitives roaming the southern U.S. in search of treasure with the law hot on their heels. Unlike the Greek classic, however, the Coens' crime film has great Southern American music, traditional Western tropes, and stars George Clooney , Tim Blake Nelson , and John Turturro .

The characters in O Brother, Where Art Thou? encounter mentors, face challenges, and go through profound transformations , just like the heroes in the monomyth do. The ensuing adventure is as humorous as it is exciting, an offbeat adaptation of a massively important and influential classic. You can't go wrong with a well-written and well-directed Coen brothers movie, so O Brother should easily please all cinephiles' palates.

Rent on Apple TV

10 'Batman Begins' (2005)

Christopher nolan's reinvention of the caped crusader.

Movies with Hero's Journey archetypes are fun enough as they are, but mix those elements with a superhero origin story, and you get one of the best entries in the superhero genre . That's what Batman Begins is, as it reinvents the story of Bruce Wayne's ( Christian Bale ) origins as the vigilante hero Batman, by placing the character on a journey to become the guardian that his beloved Gotham City deserves.

Christopher Nolan's first installment in his Dark Knight Trilogy feels more like a character-driven thriller than a traditional superhero film, in the best sense possible. The director cleverly fits Bruce's process of becoming the Dark Knight into Campbell's monomyth , showing audiences how the hero is eventually able to master his new identity to save his city.

Batman Begins

Watch on Max

9 'The Matrix' (1999)

Lana and lilly wachowski's game-changing extravaganza.

When the Wachowskis released The Matrix before the turn of the century, the world was taken by storm, and the sci-fi genre in films would never be the same again. In the movie that cemented him as an action star, Keanu Reeves plays Neo, a man who joins a group of insurgents in their fight against the powerful computers who rule Earth. To this day, The Matrix still receives praise as one of the best sci-fi movies ever .

With its visual innovations, clever cinematography, and unique philosophical themes that have been endlessly analyzed throughout the years, The Matrix was unlike anything audiences had seen before at the time of its release . Perhaps one of the main reasons why its story clicked so well with viewers around the world was because it closely follows the stages of the Hero's Journey, as Neo goes from an average Joe to an all-powerful hero.

Neo (Keanu Reeves) believes that Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne), an elusive figure considered to be the most dangerous man alive, can answer his question -- What is the Matrix? Neo is contacted by Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss), a beautiful stranger who leads him into an underworld where he meets Morpheus. They fight a brutal battle for their lives against a cadre of viciously intelligent secret agents. It is a truth that could cost Neo something more precious than his life.

8 'Kung Fu Panda' (2008)

Mark osborne and john stevenson's martial arts adventure.

For those that think that family animated movies are exclusively for children, Kung Fu Panda is the perfect mind-changing watch. It follows Po ( Jack Black ), a lazy panda who dreams of being a kung fu hero, as he's thrust into a journey of discovering his destiny as the Chosen One. There are many examples of the Hero's Journey in movies that logically follow the same structure, but the creative things that Kung Fu Panda does with the archetype are entirely its own .

Just like all the compelling heroes of Campbell's model, Po is called to action, goes through several life-threatening ordeals with help from friends and allies, and finds that the power to be the guardian of the Valley of Peace comes from within. Sprinkled with hilarious humor, outstanding voice acting, and some of the best action in any animated film , it's undoubtedly one of DreamWorks Animation's best efforts.

Kung Fu Panda

7 'finding nemo' (2003), andrew stanton's love letter to fatherhood.

Hero's Journey movies are usually action-focused epics, and not often family-friendly stories about fish. That only makes Finding Nemo even more special. It's the story of Marlin ( Albert Brooks ), a timid clownfish who, after his son Nemo ( Alexander Gould in one of the best child voice performances in animated cinema) is kidnapped, sets out to find him against all the threats that the deep blue sea has to offer.

Though Finding Nemo isn't your typical kind of hero's journey, where the story is much more intimate and the biggest threats that the characters face are mostly internal, it very much follows the formula. What finds itself transformed in the end is the relationship between Marlin and Nemo, in one of the most touching endings of Pixar's filmography.

Finding Nemo

Watch on Disney+

6 'The Wizard of Oz' (1939)

Victor fleming's timeless musical classic.

An exciting adventure that uses both black-and-white and beautiful color , through a fantastical land that any movie fan would love to live in, The Wizard of Oz follows Dorothy ( Judy Garland ) in her journey through the magical land of Oz, searching for a mysterious wizard who can send her back home.

The movie was an absolute sensation when it came out, and even after more than three-quarters of a century, it's still remembered as one of the greatest American movie masterpieces. The stages of the monomyth are clear in The Wizard of Oz : the ordinary world is Kansas, Dorothy crosses a very literal threshold to a vastly different world, and her journey of transformation is full of faces both friendly and menacing.

The Wizard of Oz

5 'the lion king' (1994), roger allers and rob minkoff's twist on shakespeare.

1994's The Lion King is a movie that needs no introduction. Many would say that it's the best-animated movie to ever come out of Disney, and it's fully understandable, thanks to its timeless songs and the animated film's brilliant depiction of grief . It's the grand and epic story of Simba ( Matthew Broderick ), a lion cub prince who's tricked into exile by his uncle Scar ( Jeremy Irons ), who wishes to have the throne for himself.

The animation is majestic, with some really charming character designs, and the story is compelling from beginning to end. Its philosophical themes of identity and self-discovery are beautiful, and the way they're conveyed through a classic hero's journey structure in The Lion King is simply perfect . The film is in certain ways an adaptation of William Shakespeare 's Hamlet , but its fidelity to Campbell's monomyth is much more interesting to dissect.

The Lion King (1994)

4 'harry potter' saga (2001 - 2011), warner bros.' magical journey through hogwarts.

The Harry Potter series features not just one, but eight of the movies that best follow the Hero's Journey. From Chris Columbus 's Sorcerer's Stone to David Yates 's Deathly Hallows — Part 2 , the franchise follows the coming-of-age story of the titular character ( Daniel Radcliffe ) and his two best friends, as they grow to become key players in a war against an evil wizard.

Everyone has a different favorite installment in the series, but every Harry Potter movie plays an equally crucial role in the overarching narrative of the story, which very closely follows the monomyth . Not only that, but each film follows a smaller version of the general model as well. It's probably what makes these movies so easy to enjoy, since they so faithfully walk along the lines laid out by Campbell and so many filmmakers from before 2001.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

An orphaned boy enrolls in a school of wizardry, where he learns the truth about himself, his family and the terrible evil that haunts the magical world.

3 'The Lord of the Rings' Trilogy (2001 - 2003)

Peter jackson's walk to mordor.

There are countless things that make Peter Jackson 's The Lord of the Rings trilogy one of the best fantasy film franchises of all time, and one of the most important is the fact that all three installments in the trilogy truly feel like part of a greater whole, as they collaborate in telling the story of Frodo ( Elijah Wood ), the Fellowship of the Ring, and their efforts to destroy the greatest tool of an evil tyrant terrorizing Middle-earth.

Of course, the monomyth-following template was already there, set in stone by the legendary J.R.R. Tolkien when he wrote what's undoubtedly one of the best series of fantasy books in history. Even yet, the way Jackson and company built on top of that, telling a story that feels undeniably cinematic, is admirable beyond measure.

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

2 'citizen kane' (1941), orson welles's groundbreaking masterpiece.

When Orson Welles made his passion project Citizen Kane , he probably had no idea that he was making what would in the future be referred to as the single greatest film of all time by thousands of people, as well as one of the most essential movies of the '40s . Inspired by magnate William Randolph Hearst , it's a character study about a group of reporters trying to decipher the last words of Charles Foster Kane (Welles), a powerful newspaper tycoon.

Citizen Kane is an entirely unique picture, and the way it's structured is just as well. Citizen Kane follows Campbell's monomyth formula in a very non-traditional way , which only makes it more of a groundbreaking story. There are plenty of good reasons for its fame, and that's certainly one of the biggest.

Citizen Kane

1 'star wars' (1977), george lucas's revolutionary space opera.

Perhaps no movie more famously follows the Hero's Journey archetype than Star Wars , with George Lucas having taken direct inspiration from Campbell . The hero in this particular story is Luke Skywalker ( Mark Hamill ), a young farm boy who's thrown into an adventure far greater than anything he'd encountered before, joining the Rebellion against the dictatorial Galactic Empire.

One of the best space operas of all time, Star Wars showcases what makes the monomyth such an effective way of telling stories and celebrating the art of storytelling itself. Luke is a deeply compelling hero, his journey is incredibly entertaining, and all the allies and villains that he encounters along the way are equally iconic. As far as modern myths go, Star Wars is certainly one of the best.

Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope

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Movies That Follow The Hero's Journey, Ranked By How Well They Use The Monomyth

Vote up the movies that most effectively use the hero's journey.

While there are always exceptions, nearly every film relies on some kind of narrative structure. In its most simplistic form, this structure has a beginning, middle, and end. There are problems and solutions. The main character changes and grows. Viewers are inherently familiar with these elements, but may not be aware of their inner workings.

One of the most widely-used storytelling methods is the monomyth - better known as the hero's journey - which was described and codified by writer Joseph Campbell. There are 17 stages to this narrative pattern that can be split across three acts: Departure, Initiation, and Return. In a nutshell, a hero's journey movie sees the protagonist embark on an adventure or quest. Along the way, they face obstacles that make them question themselves and their purpose. Even though they inevitably hit rock bottom, the hero perseveres and grows into a new person in the end.

While Campbell's full structure includes 17 stages, let's quickly break down the 7 main ingredients:

The Ordinary World - The hero lives a familiar and simple life

Call to Adventure - The hero is presented with a challenge in the unknown world, but is reluctant

Crossing the Threshold - The hero decides to enter the unknown world to take on the challenge

Trials - While meeting mentors and helpers, the hero must overcome obstacles that lead to the main challenge

The Abyss - Setbacks accumulate and leave the hero with a sense of hopelessness

Atonement - Through reflection and aid from others, the hero regains their way

The Return - The hero resumes their quest, overcomes the main challenge (the climax), then returns to the familiar world as a changed person

With that basic understanding of how the monomyth works, take a look at the biggest movies that follow the hero's journey to storytelling success.

Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope

• 20th Century Fox

What Is The Journey? Luke Skywalker finds out his father was a Jedi and joins Obi-Wan Kenobi, Han Solo, Chewbacca, and two droids to rescue Leia Organa from the Galactic Empire.

What Trials Do They Face?  At first, Luke is unsure if he's worthy of learning how to become a Jedi and wield the magical power called the Force. However, after his aunt and uncle are killed by Stormtroopers, he embarks on a journey with Obi-Wan and begins to learn the ways of the Jedi. He is pulled into a world he knows nothing about, as he's forced to adapt on the fly, survive, and face the seemingly impossible threats of the Empire and Darth Vader. The danger only grows when Obi-Wan is struck down by Vader, leaving Luke without a teacher.

How Do They Overcome?  While Luke hasn't reached the point where he is the Jedi Master everyone knows here, he starts to believe in his own abilities and trust the power of the Force. He successfully taps into the Force to destroy the Empire's world-destroying weapon, the Death Star, and gains the confidence to join the Rebels in the ongoing fight against the Empire.

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The 'Lord of the Rings' Trilogy

• The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
• New Line Cinema

What Is The Journey?  The young hobbit Frodo Baggins travels to Mount Doom in Mordor to destroy the powerful One Ring and bring an end to the evil reign of the Dark Lord Sauron.

What Trials Do They Face? Frodo embarks on a literal journey of considerable length, spanning three films. Every twist and turn signals a new threat as the forces of evil try to stop him from reaching Mordor. With each step, he must also resist the temptation of power that the One Ring presents - everyone who has carried it before has become corrupted at some point. As Frodo struggles with the belief that his willpower is not strong enough to resist the ring, his friends and allies, in particular his best friend Samwise Gamgee, aid and encourage him on his quest.

How Do They Overcome? Frodo realizes he isn't an island and needs to rely on the help of others. He shows the ultimate act of bravery by letting go of the burden of believing he is the only one who can complete this mission on his own and accepts the importance and assistance of the Fellowship around him. With Sam's help getting him to Mount Doom and pulling him  back from the brink at the last moment, Frodo completes the mission and returns home to the Shire, irrevocably changed by what he's been through. 

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

What Is The Journey?  11-year-old orphan Harry Potter, who has been mistreated his whole life by his uncaring aunt and uncle, discovers he is a wizard. What's more, he's a legend among wizards for defeating the Dark Lord Voldemort as an infant. Now, as he attends the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, he must live up to the massive expectations on him as "Boy Who Lived” while Voldemort threatens to rise again.

What Trials Do They Face?  For so long, Harry believes himself to be a nobody. Learning of his true heritage is full of joy and uncertainty, as he has great expectations to live up to, but no magic experience whatsoever. He must learn everything about this world from scratch, while withstanding the pressure of everyone watching him more closely because of who he is. Despite the belief and guidance of mentors such as Albus Dumbledore, Rubeus Hagrid, and Minerva McGonagall, he also has a laundry list of people waiting and rooting for him to fail. Harry also doesn't have the luxury of time on his side either, as whispers about Voldemort's return surface.

How Do They Overcome? Harry embraces his natural curiosity and bravery, facing up to unknown challenges even without the certainty that he'll win. He also forms tight bonds with his friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, who have his back no matter how grim the situation gets. Together, they navigate past magical traps and secure the Sorcerer's Stone before Voldemort - whose spirit has been lurking inside of one of their teachers, Professor Quirrell - can use it to restore his life. Harry rises to the challenge and accepts that he will likely have to face Voldemort again in the future.

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What Is The Journey?  Computer hacker Thomas Anderson, AKA Neo, suspects something isn't right in the world around him, and discovers what everyone perceives to be real is simply a facade to conceal what's actually taking place. When a mysterious mentor named Morpheus offers Neo the infamous red pill, Neo must forget everything he knows of the world and embrace a new truth.

What Trials Do They Face?  Neo is told he's the chosen one who needs to liberate humanity from its enslavement by the machines. However, he lacks the knowledge and skills to fight back against the Matrix, which requires him to change his way of thinking and develop the skills to manipulate the Matrix, which can extend to slowing down time and bending bullets. Morpheus opens his eyes to the reality of what's happening, but Neo is in a race against time to fulfill the prophecy while keeping the pesky agents - who could double as Ray-Ban models - at bay.

How Do They Overcome?  Neo accepts the prophecy that he's the chosen one. He lets go of everything he thought was real to ascend to a higher plain of existence and embrace his destiny to show other humans that freedom is possible.

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• Sony Pictures Releasing

What Is The Journey? Teen Peter Parker gets bitten by a radioactive spider, giving him superpowers; however, he needs to learn how to use these special - and sticky - abilities for the greater good of mankind.

What Trials Do They Face? The young Peter loses his mentor, Uncle Ben, and questions if he has the inner strength to juggle life as a teenager and fighting crime as the masked superhero known as Spider-Man. At the same time, a highly powered and deadly villain known as the Green Goblin rises in the city and offers Spider-Man a place by his side. Peter feels a moral obligation to his uncle's teachings and declines the offer, but now he needs to dodge the never-ending pumpkin bombs hurled at him by the Goblin, whom he soon discovers is his best friend's father.

How Do They Overcome? Peter finally understands his uncle's teachings: “With great power comes great responsibility.” He fights the Green Goblin, knowing that this battle will change both Spider-Man and Peter in the end. Finally, he accepts that his life will never be the same again because his powers are both a gift and curse that he needs to learn how to use for the benefit of all - yes, even J. Jonah Jameson, who sees him as a menace.

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The Lion King

• Buena Vista Pictures

What Is The Journey? After the death of his father Mufasa in a stampede, the young Simba runs away into exile, believing himself to be responsible for the traumatic event. However, he must return to reclaim leadership of the Pride Lands from his uncle, Scar, in order to save the animal kingdom.

What Trials Do They Face?  Due to Scar's manipulation, Simba feels incredible guilt over his father's death. Consequently, he tries to forget who he really is as he lives a carefree life with his pals, Timon and Pumbaa. It takes a combined effort from Nala and Rafiki, plus a message from his father on the other side, to remind Simba of who he is: the rightful king. At the same time, Simba is afraid to return after being away so long, especially due to the danger presented by Scar and his army of hyenas who now control the Pride Lands.

How Do They Overcome? Simba remembers the lessons he learned from his father about the qualities of being a king and how being afraid is never a bad thing. He finds the courage to face his past to create a new future. At the same time, his guilt is unburdened when Scar reveals his role in Mufasa's death, which gives Simba a renewed purpose to fight his uncle. He eventually takes his rightful place as the king of the Pride Lands.

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• Paramount Pictures

What Is The Journey? After escaping evildoers, genius-billionaire-playboy-philanthropist Tony Stark realizes he has used his influence, intelligence, and tech for all the wrong reasons. Now, he plans on using his abilities for the benefit of the world.

What Trials Do They Face? After being captured by terrorists, Tony's heart requires technological intervention from scientist Ho Yinsen to keep on ticking, which acts as both a reminder of the power and danger of his creations. Using a newfound appreciation for life and understanding from Yinsen of how his selfishness caused strife, he needs to learn how to harness all his abilities into fighting the very people he used to do business with. At the same time, he meets resistance from some within his company, like Obadiah Stane, who opposes Stark's desire of ceasing extremely profitable weapons manufacturing.

How Do They Overcome? Tony's cockiness, though initially a flaw, turns out to be his biggest asset, as he refuses to accept the status quo. Redirecting his unrestrained confidence from selfish pursuits towards making the world a better place, he becomes the hero no one believed he could be, putting a stop to Stane's plots to take over Stark Industries sell more and more weapons. In the ultimate showboating act and declaration of defiance, he reveals himself to the world as Iron Man, daring anyone to stop him.

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Kung Fu Panda

What Is The Journey? A bumbling panda and kung fu fan, Po is unwittingly selected as the Dragon Warrior, a prophesied hero. However, neither Po nor others believe it to be true.

What Trials Do They Face?  Po is shocked to be named the Dragon Warrior, since he knows he tumbled into a scenario rather than being intentionally selected. He isn't a natural martial artist and struggles under the training of Master Shifu. It also doesn't help that the Furious Five - a group Po adores - don't believe in the poor panda. To make matters worse, the dangerous snow-leopard Tai Lung is on the loose and Po will need to build his skills quickly in order to face him.

How Do They Overcome? Po uses his lovable personality to win over others, while he develops an unorthodox martial arts style. As he progresses and his heart proves to be his greatest strength, he starts to believe in his potential and realizes he is special in his own way.

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Batman Begins

• Warner Bros. Pictures

What Is The Journey?  After the death of his parents, Bruce Wayne trains his mind and body to become Gotham City's protector and the scourge of every criminal.

What Trials Do They Face? Due to his family's high profile, Bruce is burdened with carrying on the legacy of the Wayne name and being a public figure. Internally, he harbors a strong desire for justice to eradicate the city's corrupt criminal justice system. Knowing he will need to shed the Wayne name and become something else, Bruce embarks on an arduous journey to learn from the greatest masters as he trains his mind and body as a weapon to fight crime. However, his choice to become a symbol of justice rather than executioner results in his former master, Ra's al Ghul, turning into his enemy and threatening to burn Gotham City.

How Do They Overcome?  As Batman, Bruce honors the code of standing for justice and believing his actions can inspire hope, even when it would be easier snapping necks and putting bullet holes in fiends. Despite the adversity he faces and the limits he is pushed to, he remembers the promise he made on his parents's grave to protect Gotham City, carrying that with him as he embraces his new purpose as Batman.

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Finding Nemo

• Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

What Is The Journey?  Meek and overprotective clownfish father Marlin must find the courage to embark on an unpredictable quest into the darkest reaches of the ocean to bring his son, Nemo, back home.

What Trials Do They Face?  Marlin fears his own shadow, treating life with the utmost caution and preferring the mundane over adventure. With his son gone, he needs to swim out of his comfort zone in more ways than one. He braves the dangers and uncertainties of the ocean, searching hard and refusing to give up on his son. Joining Marlin is the forgetful Dory, who teaches Marlin more about the importance of living in the moment and experiencing the fun of not knowing what happens next. 

How Do They Overcome? There are two major lessons that Marlin learns in the process of finding Nemo: first, he is brave and doesn't need to live his life in a state of paralyzing fear. Secondly, Nemo is more than capable of looking after himself, so it's up to Marlin to let go and allow his son to live life with all the risks that entails.

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Men in Black

What Is The Journey?  After NYPD officer James Darrell Edwards III impresses the mysterious Agent K, he is enlisted into a top-secret organization known as the Men in Black, which is responsible for keeping an eye on extraterrestrial life on Earth.

What Trials Do They Face?  Taking the alias of Agent J, James is thrown into the deep end as he tries to wrap his head around the MIB's rules and dealing with extraterrestrials. K isn't exactly the most fun-loving, friendly mentor, either, so J frequently feels like he's letting himself and everyone else down by not being good enough. Among all this inner turmoil, there is a genuine alien threat to deal with, too, and it's up to J and K to avert a massive inter-species war. 

How Do They Overcome?  J trusts his natural instincts and abilities, while also applying everything he has learned from K to save the day. Ultimately, he discovers that K wasn't training him to be his partner, but his replacement. The student becomes the master in a bittersweet but moving passing-of-the-torch moment.

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The Wizard of Oz

• Loew's, Inc.

What Is The Journey?  Dorothy Gale dreams of a better life away from Kansas, “Somewhere Over The Rainbow.” However, when she her dog Toto get swept up in a tornado and land in the magical, colorful world known as Oz, she needs to follow the yellow brick road to the Emerald City and speak to the mysterious Wizard about helping her get back to Kansas.

What Trials Do They Face? From the get-go, Dorothy is in a pickle, as she's stuck in an unknown place. Complicating things more, her house lands on the Wicked Witch of the East, which upsets her sister, the Wicked Witch of the West. Now, not only does Dorothy need to make her way on foot to the Emerald City and find the Wizard of Oz with help from her motley crew of companions, but she also needs to keep looking over her shoulder because the Witch has nefarious plans for her. Then, to top it all off, Dorothy finds out the Wizard is a fraud, and it appears to be like there's no way back to Kansas.

How Do They Overcome? Despite the uncertainty, Dorothy learns to embrace the weird and wonderful land of Oz , and learns a lot from her companions, the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion. So, when she finds out she can tap her heels and wish her way back to Kansas, she does so. Once she sees her friends and family again, she realizes that there's truly no place like home.

What Is The Journey?  Paraplegic marine Jake Sully infiltrates the Na'vi tribe of the planet of Pandora through the use of an avatar as part of a mission for the Resources Development Administration (RDA). After he spends some time among the tribe, he begins to question his loyalties, especially as he falls in love with a Na'vi named Neytiri.

What Trials Do They Face?  Sully needs to keep the purpose of his mission a secret to the Na'vi, as they cannot know his real reason for being on Pandora. As he learns more about the nature of Na'vi life and their respect for each other and the world, he becomes torn about what he should do. The RDA promises him they will help walk again if he gives them what they want, while the Na'vi provide a honest way of life. However, the RDA holds all the power here, as they can simply disconnect his body from his avatar.

How Do They Overcome? Sully chooses love and loyalty to the Na'vi over the RDA, revealing the truth to the tribe. While it's a difficult decision that risks his own safety, he finds himself inspired by the Na'vi way of life and chooses to be on the right side of history. Thankfully, the Na'vi come through for him, as well, and he ends up permanently inhabiting his avatar body and becoming a part of their community.

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What Is The Journey? As cracks appear in her seemingly idyllic life in Barbieland, Barbie ventures to the real world to find the child playing with her who is connected to her sudden worries about mortality.

What Trials Do They Face?  Barbie's sense of inadequacy kicks off when she starts to feel imperfect in a perfect world. It causes her to have an existential crisis about who she is and what defines her. This isn't exactly helped when she experiences the harshness of the real world, either. Even once she finds her “child” - who turns out to be an adult woman named Gloria - she needs to evade Mattel corporate employees trying to capture her, and also deal with Ken, who comes to believe that turning Barbieland into a patriarchal society is the only way to bring value to who he is.

How Do They Overcome? Barbie learns it's important to form her own self-identity, embracing the messy parts of life that bring meaning. She also shows compassion and empathy toward Ken and his brethren, encouraging the citizens of Barbieland to treat each other equally and in a way that doesn't devalue anyone else. Finally, after a meeting with Mattel co-founder Ruth Handler, Barbie decides to write her own story and become a human rather than an idea.

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10 Good Movie Examples Showing the Hero’s Journey

• April 18, 2022

The Hero’s Journey is an old literary device that appears in a wide variety of stories throughout human history. As such, it has also featured in many popular films since the dawn of cinema.

Although there are some deviations, the hero’s journey usually consists of a cyclical story with some main narrative beats. An ordinary person receives a call to adventure that requires them to leave their known, comfortable life for the unknown. They may refuse this call, but they soon reach a threshold where they need to answer it, which begins their transformation over the course of the story. They then set out on their journey, typically with the aid of a helper and/or mentor. They face challenges and temptations before experiencing a revelation that results in growth and change. The hero then atones and confronts the final conflict. At last, they are rewarded for their efforts and return to a known existence.

The following are ten films in a variety of genres that serve as great examples of the hero’s journey. Given the nature of this subject as an entire narrative story arc, do note that spoilers may be discussed for all films below.

Movie Examples Showing the Hero’s Journey

1. the lord of the rings trilogy (2001-2003).

This classic high fantasy epic is one of the most recognized depictions of the hero’s journey in fiction. The story centers around a hobbit named Frodo, who comes into possession of the Ring of Power, an object of evil that will doom the world if it falls into the wrong hands. With the aid of his mentor figure, the wizard Gandalf, Frodo must leave his idyllic homeland of the Shire and travel across the realm of Middle Earth to see the Ring destroyed. A powerful story about the horrors of war and how the bonds of fellowship carry people through the darkest times, The Lord of the Rings knows who the true heroes are and how they are ultimately changed by their experiences.

Duration: 2h 58m (The Fellowship of the Ring); 2h 59m (The Two Towers); 3h 21m (The Return of the King)

Rating: All PG-13

2. Star Wars (1977)

Almost everyone has heard of Star Wars, and it also happens to be a strong depiction of the hero’s journey. Farmboy Luke Skywalker lives an uneventful life on the remote desert planet of Tatooine. That changes when he comes into possession of a pair of droids holding secret information vital to the resistance against the Empire. He then must set out to ensure the stolen plans for the Empire’s new superweapon, the Death Star, are delivered to the resistance so they stand a chance of destroying it. With the help of his mentor, Obi-Wan Kenobi, he learns the ways of the Jedi, an ancient order of mystical knights. Throughout the story, Luke transforms into a Jedi Knight and true hero. The original film, released in 1977, was an instant sensation that changed the art of filmmaking forever.

Duration: 2h 1m

3. Black Panther (2018)

Many superhero films also follow the hero’s journey, but 2018’s groundbreaking Black Panther, part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, is one of the best examples. Upon the death of his father, T’Challa becomes king of the hidden African nation of Wakanda. Throughout the story, he goes through death and rebirth and is challenged by the antagonist’s viewpoint. The end sees a return and atonement as he leads his nation and his people forward. Hailed as a breakthrough for Black storytelling and representation, Black Panther is a shining example of a film done right on all counts.

Duration: 2h 14m

Rating: PG-13

4. Airplane! (1980)

This irreverent, hilarious comedy film actually follows the story of the hero’s journey quite closely. A spoof of the earlier airline disaster movie Zero Hour! (1957), Airplane! follows former fighter pilot Ted Striker as he boards a plane in a desperate attempt to keep his ex-girlfriend, Elaine, who is working as a flight attendant, from leaving him. Struggling with the guilt of a command decision he made that saw his entire squadron destroyed, Ted is forced to grapple with his fears and take control of the plane when the flight crew becomes incapacitated due to bad fish. Well-known for throwing silly jokes at the audience non-stop, Airplane! has earned its reputation as one of the funniest films ever made.

Duration: 1h 28m

5. The Matrix (1999)

The Matrix follows the hero’s journey almost step by step. In it, regular office worker Thomas Anderson moonlights as a hacker known as Neo. When he is contacted by the mysterious and seemingly superhuman Trinity and Morpheus, Neo learns that the world in which humans live is a massive simulation run by machines and that he may be “the chosen One” who will save humanity from its prison. The film adheres to the death and rebirth aspect of the hero’s journey, as only through doing so can Neo become what he is destined to be. With a strong story, deep philosophy and jaw-dropping special effects, The Matrix remains a touchstone of cinematic brilliance that has kept audiences talking for years.

Duration: 2h 16m

6. The Lion King (1994)

Disney’s The Lion King tells the story of Simba, a young lion from the Pride Lands, as he learns to follow in his father’s footsteps to become king. Wrenched from his childhood life when his treacherous uncle Scar murders his father, Simba flees from the Pride Lands to the jungle where he would rather start a new life. But as the rightful king, he learns that he cannot hide from his destiny forever and that he must return to the Pride Lands and confront Scar once and for all. A classic animated film with beautiful animation, an unforgettable story and a stellar soundtrack, The Lion King will long be remembered as one of the best animated films ever made.

7. Avatar (2009)

James Cameron’s Avatar turned heads when it was released in 2009 for the film’s astonishing special effects which revolutionized motion capture technology. The hero of the story is Jake Sully, a former Marine who has been rendered paraplegic. He is sent to the alien world of Pandora as part of a program to put human beings in control of artificial bodies of the indigenous Na’vi that can survive in the planet’s environment. Jake begins seeing Pandora in a different light through his interactions with the Na’vi woman Neytiri and, realizing that plundering the planet for its natural resources is wrong, Jake seeks his atonement by fighting with the Na’vi to protect their home.

Duration: 2h 42m

8. Hacksaw Ridge (2016)

Aside from science fiction and fantasy films, war movies are another genre where the hero’s journey story is common. Hacksaw Ridge, directed by Mel Gibson, is based on the true story of World War II medic Desmond Doss, the only recipient of the Medal of Honor who joins the war efforts as a conscientious objector. Doss signs up to become a combat medic after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor but steadfastly refuses to take life, which earns him scorn and even arrest. After sticking to his pledge and saving dozens of people during the Battle of Okinawa, he returns home to have his heroism finally recognized.

Duration: 2h 19m

9. Spirited Away (2001)

Winner of the second-ever Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, Spirited Away is the crowning achievement of Japanese director Hayao Miyazaki, who has had a long and storied career producing lauded, beloved films. The hero of the story is 10-year-old Chihiro, who, along with her parents, wanders into the spirit world. When her parents are turned into pigs as punishment after eating food that doesn’t belong to them, she is left alone and afraid. With the aid of her helper, the mysterious young man Haku, she begins working at a bathhouse under the eye of the sinister Yubaba. Having to stay in this strange new world, Chihiro must adapt and grow if there is to be any hope of saving her parents and returning to the human world.

Duration: 2h 5m

10. The Hunger Games Series (2012-2015)

Living in one of the poorest districts of the dystopian nation Panem, Katniss Everdeen receives her call to adventure when her younger sister is selected to participate in the titular Hunger Games. A brutal competition where children fight to the death for the entertainment of Panem’s elite, Katniss does the only thing she can – volunteers to take her sister’s place. Suddenly thrust in front of the cameras, she quickly becomes a real symbol for a growing resistance movement against the Capitol. Challenged by the part she must play and the horrors she witnesses, she is forever changed by her experiences.

Duration: 2h 22m (The Hunger Games); 2h 26m (Catching Fire); 2h 3m (Mockingjay – Part 1); 2h 17m (Mockingjay – Part 2)

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Finding the Hero’s Journey in Crowd Favorite Films

By sara mcguire.

Any movie pop culture buff will probably be familiar with the Hero’s Journey. A contemporary version of Joseph Campbell’s Monomyth , the Hero’s Journey is an archetypal plot structure that forms the basis of almost every movie in Hollywood.

Christopher Vogler, the man who condensed the Hero’s Journey into the twelve stages we’re most familiar with, developed the archetype while working at Disney. Christopher Vogler’s Hero’s Journey As a very brief reminder, the twelve stages of Vogler’s Hero’s Journey are:

• The Ordinary World: The hero is introduced in the ordinary world.
• The Call to Adventure: The initiating conflict alerts the hero to the adventure.
• Refusal of the Call: The hero is hesitant to accept the call to adventure in the special world.
• Meeting with the Mentor: The mentor introduces the hero to the special world and guides them in training to embark on the adventure.
• Crossing the First Threshold: The hero passes the point no return and commits wholeheartedly to the adventure.
• Tests, Allies and Enemies: The hero explores the special world and makes friends and enemies along the way.
• Approach to the Innermost Cave: The hero draws closer to both the heart of the special world and the heart of the story.
• The Ordeal: The hero faces their greatest challenge yet and undergoes a process of “death” and “rebirth.”
• The Reward: The hero experiences the consequences of surviving “death” and obtains the object of their quest.
• The Road Back: The hero begins their return to the ordinary world but a final trial faces them.
• The Resurrection: The hero emerges from the special world changed by their experiences and the wisdom they’ve gained.
• Return with the Elixir: The hero returns to the ordinary world with their special object, which they use to make the ordinary world better.

Movies That Follow the Hero’s Journey

One of the most commonly cited examples is Star Wars , which does follow the plot structure very closely, except that Luke encounters his Mentor, Obi-Wan Kenobi, before he refuses the call to adventure. Still, Luke’s classic heroism, the trials he faces against the Dark Side, and the allies he gains along the way are so textbook that Star Wars lends itself very well to the Hero’s Journey. It was the unique setting, compelling characters and other original details that made the story so exciting when it was released--but it’s a combination of these unique elements and the tried and true plot structure that make it a classic. The Hero’s Journey crops up in virtually every iconic movie you can think of over the last fifty years. Take one of Disney’s biggest successes: The Lion King (1994). The movie follows Simba, the young heir to Pride Rock, who is tricked into exile by his uncle Scar. In reality, Scar wants to usurp the throne and become king, but Simba is led to believe that he was the one who caused his father’s death.  When Scar tells Simba he must leave at once, Simba answers the call to adventure and finds himself alone in the unknown desert. He is found by Timon and Pumbaa, his two mentor figures, who introduce him to a “hakuna matata” lifestyle in the jungle (the “Special World”). Simba’s greatest trial is introduced by his reunion with his childhood friend, Nala. She tells Simba about the about Scar’s wrath and encourages him to return to Pride Rock and take back his rightful role as king. This could be seen as a repeating of the call to adventure phase and it also represents the approach to the innermost cave.  His greatest ordeal is facing not only Scar (physical), but also the guilt he feels for the death of his father, Mufasa (emotional). The “elixir” that he ultimately returns to the “Ordinary World” with is his clear conscience and the knowledge that his father will live on within him. Spider-Man (2002) also follows the Hero’s Journey perfectly, despite being in an entirely different story in terms of characters, setting, and genre. Peter Parker is a meek, nerdy boy living in Queens. He receives his call to adventure when a genetically-engineered spider bites him on a school trip to the Oscorp lab and he develops spider-like powers. At first, he uses his powers frivolously to gain money in an underground wrestling ring, a refusal of the “call” to use his powers to fight crime. Uncle Ben is his mentor (a mentor who dies earlier than most mentors), who offers him an iconic piece of advice: “With great power comes great responsibility.” When uncle Ben is killed by a runaway thief outside of Peter’s wrestling venue--the very same thief that Peter allowed to escape--Peter crosses the threshold and enters the symbolic “special world” where he uses his powers to fight crime. After his trials facing the Green Goblin and saving love-interest Mary-Jane, the “elixir” he gains is knowledge of the dark side of life (after all, his best friend’s father, Norman Osborn, turns out to be the Green Goblin) and the resolution that he must use his powers to protect the city and the people he loves. Where the resolution of Simba’s story was a happy one, Peter Parker’s story ends on a bittersweet note--this shows that while a plot may have the same core structure, the stories can still vary greatly between them. The Heroine’s Journey What the infographic above does not include are movies featuring heroines who follow the same plot structure. Such movies exist, popular examples being The Hunger Games and The Wizard of Oz , but they are far fewer than their male-centric counterparts. That’s why, in response to the Hero’s Journey, literary and pop culture theorists have developed the Heroine’s Journey. The most well-known interpretation of the Heroine’s Journey was developed by Maureen Murdock. Like the Hero’s Journey, the Heroine’s Journey is cyclical and takes place between the “Ordinary World” and the “Special World”, however, the stages are focused on the heroine’s process of rejection and re-acceptance of the feminine. This archetypal plot structure is much less known than the Hero’s Journey, but more film enthusiasts are starting to use it as a framework to analyze stories. Movies that follow the Heroine’s Journey include Room (2015), Brave (2012) and Inside Out (2015). As films with female protagonists become more and more prominent in mainstream film, we’re probably going to see more and more films that follow the Heroine’s Journey. I know I’m excited to see what movies are to come. Maybe we’ll also start to see some Heroine’s Journey infographics pop up. For now, the Hero’s Journey is a plot structure that continues to guide crowd favorite films.

About Sara McGuire

Sara McGuire is a Creative Content Specialist at Venngage infographics . In her free time she enjoys baking, reading graphic novels and poetry, and hanging out with her cat.

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What is a Monomyth? 5 Films That Play It Out

A lot of people think that there are only a handful of stories out there to tell, and every script falls under one of those plots. One of those stories could be the hero’s journey or the monomyth, a concept developed by writer Joseph Campbell in his work The Hero with a Thousand Faces .

Borrowing the term from James Joyce’s Finnegans Wake , Campbell describes the monomyth as a recurring pattern shared by multiple famous works from different times and cultures. Needless to say, it is a concept with which any student enrolled in screenwriting school would be intimately familiar.

This pattern focuses on a single protagonist following a distinct arc, with many of the same beats on that arc. Figures that follow this epic journey include Moses, Jesus Christ, and the Buddha. But it’s not just classic stories that use the monomyth—it can be found throughout modern pop culture and is the foundation for many of the superhero and Young adult-themed franchises dominating Hollywood right now.

Here, then, are just five famous examples of the omnipresent monomyth:

1.  The Matrix

The first step in the hero’s journey is the call to action, where a seemingly normal person in a normal, mundane life is brought into the larger, more fantastical world.

In this case, cubicle drone Thomas Anderson follows the white rabbit and ends up discovering the Matrix and the Real World. He gains amazing powers and saves both worlds as Neo.

2.  Men in Black

NYPD Officer James Edwards follows the same path as Neo, who finds out that aliens live among us when he joins the MiB as Agent J. A crucial component of the monomyth is supernatural aid in the form of a mentor or guide. Neo had Morpheus, and Agent J had Agent K.

Will Smith’s lead character must enter the Belly of the Whale, the monomyth step where the hero separates from the normal world, never able to return. Edwards does this when his identity and fingerprints are erased, permanently becoming Agent J.

3.  The Hunger Games

Katniss Everdeen is a recent example of the monomyth, a normal girl from humble roots who enters the strange world of the Capital and the Arena and uses her superior skills at archery, hunting, and problem-solving to take down tough competition and an entire evil empire.

While doing so, she must follow the Road of Trials, the first step of the monomythic second major arc, Initiation. This includes winning over sponsors and allies while impressing the Gamemakers during training and then competing in the Hunger Games itself.

4.  The Lion King

While science fiction and fantasy often use the monomyth, it doesn’t mean it can’t be found in genres. One famous example is The Lion King , itself an adaptation of Shakespeare’s Hamlet . After Simba is cast out into the strange jungle world outside of his pride, he makes peace with his new life and surroundings, enjoying the good life with his two mentors, Timon and Pumbaa.

This stage is called the Apotheosis, a period of recharging before the hero’s return arc, often after he or she has even died. In this case, Simba didn’t physically die, but his ties to his Pride have. This step follows Atonement with the Father, which Simba does much more literally while speaking with the ghost of his dad, Mustafa.

5. Star Wars

Not necessarily the entire trilogy (or hexalogy, or soon-to-be ennealogy) but specifically episode IV, A New Hope , is a classic example of the monomyth. In the span of the first film, Luke Skywalker goes from an innocent farmer on a backwater planet to a wielder of the Force and the hero of the empire. He becomes the Master of Two Worlds, the penultimate step of the monomyth, when he joins his material piloting skills with his spiritual Jedi abilities to make a one-in-a-million shot to destroy the Death Star and save the day.

This also becomes Luke’s Freedom to Live, the final step. Luke would have more training and confront his father in the future, but Joseph Campbell wasn’t thinking of the era of never-ending sequels and spin-offs when describing the monomyth. Nobody’s perfect.

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The monomyth is just one of many formats at a screenwriter’s disposal. In the screenwriting programs at NYFA, students learn fundamental concepts and techniques on how to craft a compelling script. To learn more, please visit our Screenwriting School page.

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Blog Graphic Design What Your 6 Favorite Movies Have in Common [Infographic]

What Your 6 Favorite Movies Have in Common [Infographic]

Written by: Sara McGuire Jun 25, 2018

It’s a story we’ve seen many times over: an unlikely hero embarks on a journey that has been thrust upon them.

Along the way, the hero make some allies and enemies, maybe even fall in love. At the outset, they become stronger and wiser than they were when they embarked on their journey.

No matter what the genre or setting of the story is, the central narrative follows the hero’s journey structure. This is known in literary circles as the “monomyth” or, in pop culture, as the “h ero’s journey” .

Here are 6 iconic movies that follow the hero’s journey:

This infographic shows the progression of the hero’s journey in six iconic movies: Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (2001), Star Wars (1977), The Matrix (1999), Spider-Man (2002), The Lion King (1994) and The Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001-2003). Click to enlarge.

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A very brief history of the hero’s journey

The monomyth was first conceptualized by Joseph Campbell in his book The Hero with a Thousand Faces (1949).

In Campbell’s monomyth, the hero embarks on a circular journey comprised of seventeen stages. The book identifies a narrative pattern throughout works of mythology (and narrative in general).

The monomyth has since been adapted and condensed into twelve stages by Hollywood executive Christopher Vogler.

Vogler developed his version of the monomyth while working at Disney, and once you recognize the pattern, you’ll be able to identify it in some capacity in almost any film. He’s the one who popularized calling it the “hero’s journey,” and his version focuses specifically on movie narratives.

The 12 stages of Vogler’s hero’s journey

Let’s break down each step in the hero’s journey (warning, many GIFS ahead).

1. The Ordinary World

The hero is introduced in their ordinary world. The mundane ordinary world is presented in stark contrast with the “special world” that the hero will enter when they accept their quest.

In Spider-Man , Peter Parker is introduced as a regular, particularly nerdy teen in Queens–quite the opposite of the kickass crime-stopper he becomes.

2. The Call to Adventure

The initiating incident of the story takes place. The hero is introduced to the challenge or problem that their quest will seek to overcome.

In Star Wars , the call to adventure comes in the form of Princess Leia’s message, delivered by R2-D2.

3. Refusal of the Call

The hero hesitates to accept the call to adventure. This could be because they don’t feel they have the skills to take on the quest or they don’t want to leave the life they know.

In The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Frodo is reluctant to leave his comfortable and familiar life in the Shire in order to face the unknown dangers that await him on his journey.

4. Meeting with the Mentor

The hero meets a wise, usually older, woman or man. The mentor guides the hero in gaining the supplies and knowledge needed to embark on the adventure. However, the mentor can only go so far with the hero.

In The Matrix , this is where Neo meets Morpheus, who tells him to take the red pill or the blue pill.

5. Crossing the First Threshold

The hero commits wholeheartedly to the adventure and integrates into the special world. There is no turning back from this point.

In Spider-Man , Peter crosses the threshold when he catches the thief who killed his Uncle Ben and realizes that he must use his powers to stop crime.

6. Tests, Allies and Enemies

The hero explores the special world, faces trial, and makes friends and enemies along the way.

In Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone , this is the part where Harry adjusts to life in the Wizarding world, makes friends with Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, and becomes enemies with Draco Malfoy.

7. Approach to the Innermost Cave

The hero draws closer to the center of the story and the special world. Often, this “innermost cave” is where the “object” or “elixir” of the quest is hidden. The object of the quest may be an actual treasure or a symbolic achievement.

The innermost cave takes the form of the Death Star in Star Wars ; Luke and his companions must infiltrate the ship to save Leia.

8. The Ordeal

The hero is pushed to the brink of death or loss and faces the greatest challenge yet. It is through this struggle that the hero experiences a process of death and rebirth (figuratively or literally).

In The Lion King , Simba’s ordeal means he must face the guilt he feels for his father’s death and reclaim his right to Pride Rock, which has been taken over by Scar.

9. The Reward

The hero experiences the consequences of surviving death (figuratively or literally) and retrieves the object of their quest. It’s often at this point that the hero has a love scene with their love interest and reconciles with their enemies.

In Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone , Harry passes the obstacles barring the Philosopher’s Stone and discovers that the stone has appeared in his pocket.

10. The Road Back

The hero returns to the ordinary world or continues onward to an ultimate destination, but their trials aren’t over just yet. They are often pursued by a vengeful force that they must face.

In the Lord of the Rings trilogy, this is where Gollum confronts Frodo at the ledge of the volcano and tries to take the Ring back from him.

11. The Resurrection

The hero emerges from the special world fundamentally changed by their experiences.

In The Lion King , Simba learns the truth that it was Scar who orchestrated Mufasa’s death. Simba throws Scar off Pride Rock in order to reclaim his place as king.   

12. Return with the Elixir

The hero brings with them the object of their quest, which they use to better the ordinary world in some way–whether it’s through knowledge, a cure, or some form of protection.

In The Matrix , armed with the knowledge of the truth, Neo delivers a message to the Matrix that he will save humanity.   

What can we learn from the hero’s journey?

Not surprisingly, the hero’s journey has been adopted by content marketers because it acts as a framework for effective storytelling.

The lesson we can take away from the hero’s journey is similar to the lesson we took away from our creepypasta study . The formulas that are recycled again and again in narrative are in place because they work. It’s the same with formulas for design , or any other aspect of creation.

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But while a story revolving around a protagonist’s change makes for a solid base plot, there need to be significant variations to the story, characters, and setting to make the story new and exciting.  Otherwise, you end up with empty clichés and forgettable stories.

This is a lesson that extends beyond movie makers and fiction writers to content creators in general.

Whether you want to make an infographic , write an informative blog post , create a marketing plan or even plan a lesson , the hero’s journey can offer you a basis of how an effective “plot” or content strategy progresses.

How to create your own timeline infographic

Do you want to create your own timeline infographic ? You don’t need years of design experience to make one—just start with an infographic template .

Follow these steps to create your own timeline infographic:

• Create an outline for your timeline infographic
• Pick a layout for your timeline infographic
• Create the framework for your timeline
• Add dates, text, and images to your timeline infographic
• Embellish your timeline infographic with colors , fonts , and decorative shapes
• Download and share your timeline infographic

1. Create an outline for your timeline infographic

Before you get started, make an outline of the information that will be in your timeline. Outline the number of events and the order in which they’ll appear your timeline. Include headers and descriptions for each event, and any design notes you want to keep in mind.

For example, here’s part of the outline for the Google I/O timeline infographic we made:

2. Pick a layout for your timeline infographic

Next, plan how you want to lay out your information. There are several basic timeline layouts you can use.

The tree timeline layout , which has one central line with even branching off from it:

USE THIS TIMELINE INFOGRAPHIC

The snake timeline layout , which winds back and forth across the page (great for saving space):

CREATE THIS INFOGRAPHIC TEMPLATE

And the step-by-step layout , which looks like a more traditional process infographic :

3. Create the framework for your timeline

Once you’ve picked which timeline layout you want to use, it’s time to plot out your timeline. Map out each event and figure out how the information will be arranged on the page.

If you’re using a timeline template , then the framework will already be laid out for you. All you have to do is input your information, add or take away events, and customize the design.

4. Add dates, text, and images to your timeline infographic

With a framework in place, start to fill in your timeline dates, text, and any supporting images. Don’t worry too much about style at this point–you can jazz up the design after you’ve laid out all the information.

5. Embellish your timeline infographic with colors, fonts, and icons

Once you’re happy with how your information is laid out, you can spice up your design. Think about what kind of mood you want your timeline infographic to have. Then, pick a color scheme that reflects that mood. Similarly, pick fonts that reflect the theme of your timeline.

You can also embellish your timeline design with icons. Icons are perfect for emphasizing and visualizing important points on your timeline.

You’re done! Download your timeline and share it with your audience.

For more detailed instructions, read our guide How to Create a Timeline Infographic in 6 Steps .

Check out our other pop culture infographics:

Every Betrayal Ever in Game of Thrones 

7 Essential Design Principles We Can Learn From Star Wars

What Netflix’s Top 50 Shows Can Teach Us About Font Psychology

What Disney Villains Can Tell Us About Color Psychology

The Hogwarts Guide to Company Culture

The infographic in this article was created by Joanna Lu.

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Why the 'Barbie' Movie is the Perfect Example of the Hero’s Journey

Just because she’s blonde and has a perfect smile and an amazing DreamHouse doesn’t mean she can’t also be a Hero. With a capital H. When I saw Greta Gerwig’s masterpiece,  Barbie , for the first time, I left the theater feeling positively thrilled.

Yes, fine, that thrill was partially because of America Ferrera’s rousing speech about what it means to be a woman , that incredible Depression Barbie commercial, and the Ken dance number in Act Three.

But it’d also been a long time since I saw a movie with a good Hero’s Journey structure, and I was thrilled that an unsuspecting movie like  Barbie  so perfectly exemplified this classic storytelling concept.

What is the Hero's Journey?

The Hero’s Journey is a structural storytelling concept known as the “monomyth.” First introduced by Joseph Campbell in a detailed 17-step template in which a Hero ventures from the known to the unknown, deals with some kind of major challenge, and returns home transformed. The Hero’s Journey was eventually popularized by Christopher Vogler, a Hollywood producer who wrote up a company memo that explained and condensed Campbell’s monomyth structure into 12 phases.

For this piece, I have used Vogler’s 12 steps, though I’m confident that this analysis of  Barbie  could be expanded to fit Campbell’s more detailed structural breakdown.

Read More: Breaking Down the Character Archetypes of the Hero’s Journey

Barbie's Hero Journey

Ordinary world.

In the first part of any Hero’s Journey story (any story at all for that matter), the Hero is introduced in their ordinary world. We see the Hero — also known as the Main Character or Protagonist — in their everyday life and are presented with some context and background to get the story going.

Barbie  begins with a voiceover introduction courtesy of Dame Helen Mirren that explains how Barbie came to be. We see that there’s the Real World and there’s Barbie Land, and Helen Mirren tells us that the Barbies believe all problems of feminism and equal rights in the Real World have been solved because of them.

We meet our Hero, the titular blonde doll, Barbie. She floats to the ground from the top floor of her house. Her feet stay on pointed tip toes even when she takes her shoes off. She’s surrounded by incredible, accomplished Barbies in a perfect pink world.

Oh, and Ken’s there too. His job is just beach (NOT lifeguard) and all he really wants is for Barbie to pay attention to him.

The Call to Adventure

So we’ve met our Hero (Barbie) and the Ordinary World has been established (everything is perfect in Barbie Land). Now it’s time for the Call to Adventure.

The Call to Adventure can take many forms depending on the construct of the story, but it can usually be boiled down to… *something important happens* to the Hero. An event occurs that affects the Hero, a conflict or source of tension is introduced, the Hero is confronted with a problem of some kind or makes a decision that will have major consequences later.

In  Barbie , the *something that happens* happens at Barbie’s typical nightly blowout party. During a perfectly choreographed dance number, the Barbies are marveling at how every day in Barbie Land is perfect when Barbie wonders aloud: “Do you guys ever think about dying?”

Refusal of the Call

After the Call, there’s the Refusal. The Hero hesitates to go on the adventure because they’re scared, insecure, intimidated, or confused. They love their Ordinary World and under no circumstances do they want to leave it behind.

Barbie may have interrupted the dance party with her incessant thoughts of death, but that’s not all!

She wakes up the next day to find her perfect pink life in total chaos. Instead of waking up refreshed, she’s tired. Her breath smells bad. Her shower is freezing cold. Her milk is expired and her breakfast waffle burnt to a crisp. When she tries to float to the ground, she falls on her face.

And then, the worst of the worst: Barbie realizes that her feet have gone flat.

Now, in  Barbie , the Refusal of the Call is actually combined with the next step in the Hero’s Journey, the…

Meeting With the Mentor

In this stage of the Hero’s Journey, the Hero is still hesitant, still not 100% committed to the adventure ahead. But thankfully they encounter a Mentor, who gives them some kind of advice, information, or helpful item for what lies ahead.

Contrary to what image has probably been conjured up in your head, the Mentor doesn’t always take the form of someone old and wise. They can, instead, appear as a choppy-haired woman with multi-colored face scribbles who is, for some reason, always in the splits.

In her abstract, weird house up on the hill overlooking Barbie Land, Weird Barbie explains that Barbie’s malfunctions have opened a portal between the Real World and Barbie Land. She then gives Barbie the choice between a high heel (ignorance) and a Birkenstock (enlightenment).

Barbie chooses the high heel (she just wants everything to stay exactly as it is), making this moment the Refusal of the Call during the Meeting with the Mentor.

Weird Barbie forces her to choose the Birkenstock and gives her instructions on how to get to the Real World.

Crossing the Threshold

After Meeting with the Mentor, the Hero has accepted the Call and is going on an adventure. They leave their Ordinary World behind and Cross the Threshold into something new. Structurally, this step in the Hero’s Journey signifies the end of Act One and the beginning of Act Two.

One of the best parts about  Barbie ’s structure is that it features an incredibly literal Crossing the Threshold moment.

Barbie — and Ken, after he stows away in her pink convertible and forces her to let him tag along — literally leave the Ordinary World of Barbie Land behind and Cross the Threshold into the next part of the story.

They travel by car, boat, rocket ship, tandem bicycle, camper van, snowmobile, and finally roller skate into the Real World of Los Angeles, California. But something’s not right…

Tests, Allies, and Enemies

Also known as the Fun and Games if you abide by Blake Snyder’s Save the Cat beats, this part of the Hero’s Journey is all about learning the rules of the New World. The Hero is presented with Tests, meets their Enemies, and figures out who their true Allies are. It’s a crucial step in the Journey, albeit a transitional one.

In the Real World, Barbie can’t seem to concentrate enough to locate whoever is playing with her. She sends Ken off on a walk, closes her eyes, focuses, and finds her girl.

Meanwhile, Ken starts to notice how men are treated in the Real World and the Mattel headquarters gets a call from the FBI about the escaped Barbie and Ken. As the Mattel black suits discuss what needs to be done to contain the dolls, a Mattel assistant named Gloria overhears… a woman who just so happens to be doodling things like Irrepressible Thoughts of Death Barbie.

Barbie goes to a school and finds Sasha, the girl she saw in her visions. But Sasha and her friends aren’t happy to see Barbie at all, in fact, her friends delight in watching as Sasha executes a flawless verbal takedown of the cowboy-hat-clad blonde.

“You’ve been making women feel bad about themselves since you were invented. You represent everything wrong with our culture. Sexualized capitalism. Unrealistic physical ideals,” Sasha says. Barbie protests, but she continues. “You set the feminist movement back 50 years. You destroy girls’ innate sense of worth. And you are killing the planet with your glorification of rampant consumerism.” Then she calls Barbie a fascist and sends her on her way in tears.

The Approach

Once the Hero has learned the rules of their New World, they build up to the first pivotal moment of the story (AKA: the Midpoint). This leadup period is known as the Approach.

In this stage, the Hero plans how they will take on the central conflict, deal with setbacks, adopt new ideas, and generally just take a moment to reflect.

The Mattel black suits catch up with Barbie and she willingly goes with them to headquarters. Gloria, who just so happens to be Sasha’s mom, sees them get in a car but isn’t able to stop them in time to talk to Barbie.

Meanwhile, Ken has done all sorts of research about the patriarchy and decided that he needs to take the idea back to Barbie Land. He heads back without Barbie…

Nowadays we call this part of the plot the Midpoint , but in the Hero’s Journey, it’s known as the Ordeal. Something big happens to the Hero. Things go wrong, there are more obstacles, and the story shifts in a new direction.

At Mattel, Barbie is a little horrified to learn that there are no women in charge at Mattel. The CEO convinces her to get back in her box, and she does… but just as they are about to twist-tie her hands in place, Barbie panics and asks to check her hair in the bathroom. Then she takes off running.

The Mattel black suits pursue Barbie through headquarters, but she loses them. Inside the overlooked room she finds an old woman named Ruth. Barbie confesses that the Real World isn’t what she thought it’d be and Ruth says it never is… and it seems like they’re about to have an important conversation when the black suits close in. Ruth shows Barbie the way out and Barbie rushes outside to find Gloria (and an annoyed Sasha in the passenger seat).

As Gloria leads the Mattel black suits in a crazy car chase, she confesses that she started playing with Barbie again recently out of loneliness and had begun making drawings like she and Sasha used to. She thought it would be joyful, but instead, she got sad and weird and so did her drawings.

And that’s when Barbie realizes the girl she’s come to the Real World to find isn’t Sasha at all… it’s Gloria.

The Ordeal is over, the Hero has survived (though probably not totally unscathed) and can now seize their Reward, the thing that will allow them to take on the big conflict of Act Three.

In  Barbie , this part of the story structure can be a little deceiving because Barbie herself doesn’t actually know she’s seizing the Reward and things look pretty bleak.

After Barbie, Gloria, and Sasha escape the Mattel black suits, Barbie leads them back to Barbie Land. She has seemingly achieved her goal — she went to the Real World, found Gloria, and is now going to fix the rip between the two worlds.

But all is not well in Barbie Land… Ken has taken over and instituted the patriarchy. The other Barbies have been stripped of their positions and accomplishments and made to be subservient, Ken has renamed Barbie’s DreamHouse the “Mojo Dojo Casa House,” and the Kens have banded together and plan to hold a special election to make Barbie Land into an official Kendomland.

Barbie falls to the ground in defeat, declaring that it’s the lowest she’s ever been emotionally and physically.

Cue Depression Barbie commercial.

Read More: Screenwriting Advice from Lady Bird Writer/Director Greta Gerwig

The Road Back

After everything they’ve learned, the Hero decides they must return to their Normal World. But there are more challenges on the horizon, and more conflict to come. The stakes are getting higher, and the Hero takes a moment to regroup before the Final Battle.

Even though this stage is called the Road Back, it doesn’t refer to the sequence in  Barbie  in which she returns to Barbie Land. Because before she can truly be on the Road Back, Barbie must experience the full extent of what’s happened to her home and realize she must make it right again.

In the wake of Barbie’s depressive slump, Gloria and Sasha decide to leave and go back to their world. Alan hijacks their drive and is about to help them escape when, long story short, Sasha realizes they can’t leave Barbie Land in shambles.

Gloria, Sasha, and Alan — god bless Alan — find Barbie at Weird Barbie’s house. She’s still face-down on the floor, upset because she feels like she’s not good enough for anything.

Barbie’s despair leads to Gloria’s incredible speech about the contradictory nature of being a woman. And that speech breaks Pulitzer Barbie out of her patriarchal stupor. “By giving voice to the cognitive dissonance required to be a woman under the patriarchy, you robbed it of its power.”

Together, they formulate a plan to take Barbie Land back. See, Gloria (and her rousing speeches about women) were Barbie’s Reward all along, the key to winning the final battle in Act Three…

The Resurrection

This is it. The Climax. The Final Test. The Resurrection. In this part of the Hero’s Journey, the Hero uses everything they’ve learned along the way to face the central conflict once and for all.

Barbie, Gloria, Sasha, Alan, and Weird Barbie begin their plan to take Barbie Land back by getting the other Barbies away from their Kens long enough to wake them up.

Once all the Barbies have been released from their patriarchal stupors, the final part of the plan commences. Sasha explains: “Now that they think they have power over you, you make them question whether they have enough power over each other.”

Barbie goes to Ken and, playing into his ego, rekindles their relationship. He’s thrilled. That night, the Kens play guitar and sing at their Barbies for hours and hours… and just when the Kens think they have completely conquered the Barbies, the women play on their egos and petty jealousies and turn the Kens against one another with a single faked text message.

In an epic musical number, the Kens go to war. On the beach because, where else? By the time the Kens finally unite and set aside their issues, it’s too late. They forgot about the special election, and while they’ve been hitting each other with lacrosse sticks and showing off their fierce dance moves, the Barbies have reinstated the Constitution and taken Barbie Land back for good.

The Final Battle is over and has been won or lost (in the Barbies’ case, victory!) and now the Hero can return to their Ordinary World with an Elixir of some kind (usually knowledge). The Return is the Ending, the Resolution. It completes the character arc and brings the Hero’s Journey full circle.

Barbie apologizes to a distraught Ken for taking advantage of him and encourages him to figure out who he is without her. “Maybe all the things that you thought made you  you  aren’t really you,” she says, and realizes that the same is true for herself.

The CEO of Mattel — oh right, the black suits have finally caught up to the Barbies — offers to restore everything in Barbie Land, but the Barbies refuse. In a moment of inspiration, Gloria suggests Ordinary Barbie and the Mattel black suits love the idea because their magic tablet says it will make them a ton of money. The End. Happily Ever After.

And then Sasha wonders about Barbie, who laments that she doesn’t think she has an ending.

Out of nowhere, Ruth arrives and reveals herself to be the inventor of Barbie and confesses that Barbie’s lack of an ending was always the point. She takes Barbie’s hand and they walk off together into a colorless void between worlds.

Barbie wonders if maybe she isn’t Barbie anymore and asks for Ruth’s permission to become human. Ruth says she doesn’t need her permission and helps Barbie see a vision of women in the Real World to help her make a final decision.

Barbie closes her eyes, breathes deeply, and sees a vision of women everywhere. Mothers. Daughters. Aunts. Grandmothers. Sisters. Friends. Young and old. In joy and despair, sadness and celebration. Wonderful and flawed and so very human.

And she says yes.

Barbie becomes Barbara and makes a life for herself as a human in the Real World where, with Gloria and Sasha’s encouragement, clad in comfortable pale pink Birkenstocks, she walks confidently into her first gynecologist appointment.

Greta Gerwig’s Mattel masterpiece  Barbie  is one of the best examples of the classic Hero’s Journey story structure in recent years.

Barbie may not truly return to her Ordinary Barbie Land World in the end, but by deciding to become human, by going on her Hero’s Journey and discovering what it means to be a woman — what it means to be human — her story comes beautifully full circle.

Read More: Barbenheimer: Why Are 'Barbie' and 'Oppenheimer Battling at the Box Office?

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The hero’s journey breakdown: ‘star wars’.

By Ken Miyamoto · October 11, 2019

How does Star Wars: A New Hope follow Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey breakdown?

Welcome to the inaugural installment of our new series A Hero’s Journey Breakdown where we explore Joseph Campbell’s mythological storytelling structure and how iconic films fit into that mold.

First up is Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope . Let’s break down the plot and structure of George Lucas’ 1977 space-opera, the first in what would become an epic franchise spanning nearly 40 years, and see how it fits within The Hero’s Journey. You can download the script below to follow along.

But before we do that, let’s make sure we have the basics down, including what the Hero’s Journey is, where it originated, and who created it.

The Hero’s Journey 101

The “hero’s journey” is a common narrative archetype that features the different stages of a protagonist’s journey in a story. It has been studied and analyzed by many scholars from a multitude of disciplines, but one interpretation has found its way into the minds of almost every writer studying the craft.

The Monomyth

In 1949, writer and professor of literature Joseph Campbell wrote one of the most influential works in storytelling, The Hero with a Thousand Faces, in which he theorizes that stories often share a basic structure. Dubbed the “monomyth” or “the hero’s adventure,” Campbell lays out 17 stages of this narrative archetype, from  but some have crafted their own interpretations and renditions that the writing community has used as guides in their own work.

Joseph Campbell’s Monomyth

Vogler: The Writer’s Journey

Christopher Vogler’s approach to Campbell’s structure broke the mythical story structure into 12 stages. For this series, we define the stages in simplified interpretations:

• The Ordinary World : We see the hero’s normal life at the start of the story before the adventure begins.
• Call to Adventure : The hero is faced with an event, conflict, problem, or challenge that makes them begin their adventure.
• Refusal of the Call : The hero initially refuses the adventure because of hesitation, fears, insecurity, or any other number of issues.
• Meeting the Mentor : The hero encounters a mentor that can give them advice, wisdom, information, or items that ready them for the journey ahead.
• Crossing the Threshold : The hero leaves their ordinary world for the first time and crosses the threshold into adventure.
• Tests, Allies, and Enemies : The hero learns the rules of the new world and endures tests, meets friends, and comes face-to-face with enemies.
• The Approach : The initial plan to take on the central conflict begins, but setbacks occur that cause the hero to try a new approach or adopt new ideas.
• The Ordeal: Things go wrong and added conflict is introduced. The hero experiences more difficult hurdles and obstacles, some of which may lead to a life crisis.
• The Reward : After surviving The Ordeal, the hero seizes the sword — a reward that they’ve earned that allows them to take on the biggest conflict. It may be a physical item or piece of knowledge or wisdom that will help them persevere.
• The Road Back : The hero sees the light at the end of the tunnel, but they are about to face even more tests and challenges.
• The Resurrection : The climax. The hero faces a final test, using everything they have learned to take on the conflict once and for all.
• The Return : The hero brings their knowledge or the “elixir” back to the ordinary world.

Breaking Down the Journey: A New Hope

Here we turn to George Lucas’s Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope .

Note: As with any application of story structure or formula, this is just a hindsight interpretation and implementation of The Hero’s Journey to this cinematic tale. There can and will be variances. 

The Ordinary World

Luke Skywalker is living a normal and humble life as a farm boy on his home planet of Tatooine.

Call to Adventure

Luke is called to his adventure by two individuals — R2-D2 and Ben Kenobi. Luke triggers R2-D2’s message from Princess Leia and is intrigued by her and the message.

When R2-D2 escapes to find Ben Kenobi, Luke follows and is later saved by Kenobi, who goes on to tell Luke about his Jedi heritage. Kenobi suggests that he should come with him to Alderaan.

Refusal of the Call

Luke refuses Kenobi, telling him that he can take Kenobi and the droids as far as Mos Eisley Spaceport — but he can’t possibly leave his Aunt and Uncle behind for some space adventure.

Crossing the Threshold

When Luke discovers that the stormtroopers searching for the droids would track them to his farm, he rushes to warn his Aunt and Uncle, only to discover them dead by the hands of the Empire.

When Luke returns to Kenobi, he pledges to go with him to Alderaan and learn the ways of the Force like his father before him.

Tests, Allies, and Enemies

After Luke, Kenobi, and the droids hire Han Solo and Chewbacca to transport them off of Tatooine and onto Alderaan, Kenobi begins Luke’s training in the ways of the Force.

Wielding his father’s lightsaber, Kenobi challenges him to block the shots of a small training remote. At first, he can’t do it. But then Kenobi gives him a helmet to wear that has a blast shield that blocks his view of the remote. Kenobi teaches him to reach out and trust his feelings.

Luke blocks three shots from the remote — blind.

The Approach

The plan to defeat the Galactic Empire is to bring the Death Star plans to Alderaan so that Princess Leia’s father can take them to the Rebellion. However, when they arrive within the system, the planet is destroyed. They come across the Death Star and are pulled in by a tractor beam, now trapped within the metaphorical belly of the beast — The Galactic Empire.

As Kenobi goes off to deactivate the tractor beam so they can escape, Luke, Han, and Chewbacca discover that Princess Leia is being held on the Death Star with them. They rescue her and escape to the Millennium Falcon, hoping that Kenobi has successfully deactivated the tractor beam.

Kenobi later sacrifices himself as Luke watches Darth Vader strike him down. Luke must now avenge his fallen mentor and carry on his teachings.

Luke has saved the princess and retrieved the Death Star plans. They now have the knowledge to destroy the Galactic Empire’s greatest weapon once and for all.

The Road Back

Luke, Leia, Han, Chewbacca, and the droids are headed to the hidden Rebellion base with the Death Star plans. They are suddenly pursued by incoming TIE-Fighters, forcing Han and Luke to take action to defend the ship and escape with their lives — and the plans.

When they are triumphant, they realize that the Galactic Empire must be tracking them. But they have no choice but to race against time to take the plans to the Rebellion and prepare for battle.

The Resurrection

The Rebels — along with Luke as an X-Wing pilot — prepare to take on the Death Star.

The Rebellion and the Galactic Empire wage war in an epic space battle. Luke is the only X-Wing pilot that was able to get within the trenches of the Death Star. But Darth Vader and his wingmen are in hot pursuit. Just as Darth Vader is about to destroy Luke, Han returns and clears the way for Luke.

Luke uses the Force to guide his aiming as he fires upon the sole weak point of the deadly Death Star, destroying it for good.

Luke and Han return to the Rebellion base, triumphant, as they receive medals for the heroic journey. There is peace throughout the galaxy — at least for now.

Hopefully now you have a better idea of what the Hero’s Journey looks like in the wild. Be sure to check out our other Hero’s Journey Breakdowns for more examples from cinema’s greatest films.

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12 Best Movies That Follow the Hero’s Journey

Everyone who’s interested in how stories are made is bound to have heard the term « the Hero’s Journey. » Also known as the monomyth, it’s a story archetype coined and popularized by Joseph Campbell in the mid-1900s when he noticed that heroes in myths typically go through the same 17 stages in their journey, from the call to adventure that gets the character out of their comfort zone, to the freedom to live found at the end of the ordeals in their adventure.

This narrative template has served as the basis and inspiration of countless stories throughout history – including numerous outstanding films. From a grand fantastical story like Star Wars , to something more grounded in reality like O Brother, Where Art Thou? , these movies don’t always follow every single one of the steps outlined by Campbell, but they stick to more than enough to call each of them a hero’s journey . A tried-and-true way of telling successful stories that resonate with audiences of all ages and nationalities, movies that follow the Hero’s Journey, if well-written, are always a delight like no other.

12 ‘Men in Black’ (1997)

Barry sonnenfeld’s campy sci-fi comedy.

Image via Sony Pictures Releasing

One of the most iconic movies you may not know is based on Marvel comics, Men in Black is the story of a cop ( Will Smith ) who, after a chase with an otherworldly being, is recruited by an organization that monitors and polices alien activity on Earth. There’s something for every sci-fi fan to enjoy in this movie, from visually stunning special effects to mind-blowing action and just the right amount of humor.

Men in Black follows the Hero’s Journey nearly to a tee , from Agent J getting the call to join the mission of protecting the planet from alien threats and initially refusing the call, to him finally learning to master his two worlds and become the hero he was meant to be. The result is a thrilling sci-fi action adventure that doesn’t get nearly enough praise nowadays, with a heroic protagonist that’s a joy to follow through his journey.

Men In Black

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11 ‘O Brother, Where Art Thou?’ (2000)

Joel and ethan coen’s take on an old classic.

The Coen brothers are masters of making some of the most entertaining crime movies, and O Brother, Where Art Thou? is definitely one of their best. Loosely based on Homer ‘s The Odyssey , it’s about three fugitives roaming the southern U.S. in search of treasure with the law hot on their heels. Unlike the Greek classic, however, the Coens’ crime film has great Southern American music, traditional Western tropes, and stars George Clooney , Tim Blake Nelson , and John Turturro .

The characters in O Brother, Where Art Thou? encounter mentors, face challenges, and go through profound transformations , just like the heroes in the monomyth do. The ensuing adventure is as humorous as it is exciting, an offbeat adaptation of a massively important and influential classic. You can’t go wrong with a well-written and well-directed Coen brothers movie, so O Brother should easily please all cinephiles’ palates.

Rent on Apple TV

10 ‘Batman Begins’ (2005)

Christopher nolan’s reinvention of the caped crusader.

Movies with Hero’s Journey archetypes are fun enough as they are, but mix those elements with a superhero origin story, and you get one of the best entries in the superhero genre. That’s what Batman Begins is, as it reinvents the story of Bruce Wayne’s ( Christian Bale ) origins as the vigilante hero Batman, by placing the character on a journey to become the guardian that his beloved Gotham City deserves.

Christopher Nolan’s first installment in his Dark Knight Trilogy feels more like a character-driven thriller than a traditional superhero film, in the best sense possible. The director cleverly fits Bruce’s process of becoming the Dark Knight into Campbell’s monomyth , showing audiences how the hero is eventually able to master his new identity to save his city.

Batman Begins

Watch on Max

9 ‘The Matrix’ (1999)

Lana and lilly wachowski’s game-changing extravaganza.

When the Wachowskis released The Matrix before the turn of the century, the world was taken by storm, and the sci-fi genre in films would never be the same again. In the movie that cemented him as an action star, Keanu Reeves plays Neo, a man who joins a group of insurgents in their fight against the powerful computers who rule Earth. To this day, The Matrix still receives praise as one of the best sci-fi movies ever.

With its visual innovations, clever cinematography, and unique philosophical themes that have been endlessly analyzed throughout the years, The Matrix was unlike anything audiences had seen before at the time of its release . Perhaps one of the main reasons why its story clicked so well with viewers around the world was because it closely follows the stages of the Hero’s Journey, as Neo goes from an average Joe to an all-powerful hero.

8 ‘Kung Fu Panda’ (2008)

Mark osborne and john stevenson’s martial arts adventure.

For those that think that family animated movies are exclusively for children, Kung Fu Panda is the perfect mind-changing watch. It follows Po ( Jack Black ), a lazy panda who dreams of being a kung fu hero, as he’s thrust into a journey of discovering his destiny as the Chosen One. There are many examples of the Hero’s Journey in movies that logically follow the same structure, but the creative things that Kung Fu Panda does with the archetype are entirely its own .

Just like all the compelling heroes of Campbell’s model, Po is called to action, goes through several life-threatening ordeals with help from friends and allies, and finds that the power to be the guardian of the Valley of Peace comes from within. Sprinkled with hilarious humor, outstanding voice acting, and some of the best action in any animated film, it’s undoubtedly one of DreamWorks Animation’s best efforts.

Kung Fu Panda

7 ‘finding nemo’ (2003), andrew stanton’s love letter to fatherhood.

Hero’s Journey movies are usually action-focused epics, and not often family-friendly stories about fish. That only makes Finding Nemo even more special. It’s the story of Marlin ( Albert Brooks ), a timid clownfish who, after his son Nemo ( Alexander Gould in one of the best child voice performances in animated cinema) is kidnapped, sets out to find him against all the threats that the deep blue sea has to offer.

Though Finding Nemo isn’t your typical kind of hero’s journey, where the story is much more intimate and the biggest threats that the characters face are mostly internal, it very much follows the formula. What finds itself transformed in the end is the relationship between Marlin and Nemo, in one of the most touching endings of Pixar’s filmography.

Finding Nemo

Watch on Disney+

6 ‘The Wizard of Oz’ (1939)

Victor fleming’s timeless musical classic.

An exciting adventure that uses both black-and-white and beautiful color, through a fantastical land that any movie fan would love to live in, The Wizard of Oz follows Dorothy ( Judy Garland ) in her journey through the magical land of Oz, searching for a mysterious wizard who can send her back home.

The movie was an absolute sensation when it came out, and even after more than three-quarters of a century, it’s still remembered as one of the greatest American movie masterpieces. The stages of the monomyth are clear in The Wizard of Oz : the ordinary world is Kansas, Dorothy crosses a very literal threshold to a vastly different world, and her journey of transformation is full of faces both friendly and menacing.

The Wizard of Oz

5 ‘the lion king’ (1994), roger allers and rob minkoff’s twist on shakespeare.

1994’s The Lion King is a movie that needs no introduction. Many would say that it’s the best-animated movie to ever come out of Disney, and it’s fully understandable, thanks to its timeless songs and the animated film’s brilliant depiction of grief. It’s the grand and epic story of Simba ( Matthew Broderick ), a lion cub prince who’s tricked into exile by his uncle Scar ( Jeremy Irons ), who wishes to have the throne for himself.

The animation is majestic, with some really charming character designs, and the story is compelling from beginning to end. Its philosophical themes of identity and self-discovery are beautiful, and the way they’re conveyed through a classic hero’s journey structure in The Lion King is simply perfect . The film is in certain ways an adaptation of William Shakespeare ‘s Hamlet , but its fidelity to Campbell’s monomyth is much more interesting to dissect.

The Lion King (1994)

4 ‘harry potter’ saga (2001 – 2011), warner bros.’ magical journey through hogwarts.

The Harry Potter series features not just one, but eight of the movies that best follow the Hero’s Journey. From Chris Columbus ‘s Sorcerer’s Stone to David Yates ‘s Deathly Hallows — Part 2 , the franchise follows the coming-of-age story of the titular character ( Daniel Radcliffe ) and his two best friends, as they grow to become key players in a war against an evil wizard.

Everyone has a different favorite installment in the series, but every Harry Potter movie plays an equally crucial role in the overarching narrative of the story, which very closely follows the monomyth . Not only that, but each film follows a smaller version of the general model as well. It’s probably what makes these movies so easy to enjoy, since they so faithfully walk along the lines laid out by Campbell and so many filmmakers from before 2001.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

Adaptation of the first of J.K. Rowling’s popular children’s novels about Harry Potter, a boy who learns on his eleventh birthday that he is the orphaned son of two powerful wizards and possesses unique magical powers of his own. He is summoned from his life as an unwanted child to become a student at Hogwarts, an English boarding school for wizards. There, he meets several friends who become his closest allies and help him discover the truth about his parents’ mysterious deaths.

3 ‘The Lord of the Rings’ Trilogy (2001 – 2003)

Peter jackson’s walk to mordor.

There are countless things that make Peter Jackson ‘s The Lord of the Rings trilogy one of the best fantasy film franchises of all time, and one of the most important is the fact that all three installments in the trilogy truly feel like part of a greater whole, as they collaborate in telling the story of Frodo ( Elijah Wood ), the Fellowship of the Ring, and their efforts to destroy the greatest tool of an evil tyrant terrorizing Middle-earth.

Of course, the monomyth-following template was already there, set in stone by the legendary J.R.R. Tolkien when he wrote what’s undoubtedly one of the best series of fantasy books in history. Even yet, the way Jackson and company built on top of that, telling a story that feels undeniably cinematic, is admirable beyond measure.

2 ‘Citizen Kane’ (1941)

Orson welles’s groundbreaking masterpiece.

When Orson Welles made his passion project Citizen Kane , he probably had no idea that he was making what would in the future be referred to as the single greatest film of all time by thousands of people, as well as one of the most essential movies of the ’40s. Inspired by magnate William Randolph Hearst , it’s a character study about a group of reporters trying to decipher the last words of Charles Foster Kane (Welles), a powerful newspaper tycoon.

Citizen Kane is an entirely unique picture, and the way it’s structured is just as well. Citizen Kane follows Campbell’s monomyth formula in a very non-traditional way , which only makes it more of a groundbreaking story. There are plenty of good reasons for its fame, and that’s certainly one of the biggest.

Citizen Kane

1 ‘star wars’ (1977), george lucas’s revolutionary space opera.

Perhaps no movie more famously follows the Hero’s Journey archetype than Star Wars , with George Lucas having taken direct inspiration from Campbell. The hero in this particular story is Luke Skywalker ( Mark Hamill ), a young farm boy who’s thrown into an adventure far greater than anything he’d encountered before, joining the Rebellion against the dictatorial Galactic Empire.

One of the best space operas of all time, Star Wars showcases what makes the monomyth such an effective way of telling stories and celebrating the art of storytelling itself. Luke is a deeply compelling hero, his journey is incredibly entertaining, and all the allies and villains that he encounters along the way are equally iconic. As far as modern myths go, Star Wars is certainly one of the best.

Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope

NEXT:Movies You Didn’t Realize Were Based on Greek Mythology

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12 Hero’s Journey Examples in Disney Movies

Looking for the hero’s journey examples in Disney movies? Discover our guide with our top picks!

The hero’s journey is a narrative structure that’s been used in literature for thousands of years. This structure and its inherent stages are discussed in the seminal work by Joseph Cambell, The Hero with a Thousand Faces . Checking out the best Disney movies can be helpful when writing essays about movies .

The hero’s journey structure can be identified in movies, too, and those from the Disney studio are no exception. Below you’ll find our selection of the top twelve Disney films that follow this distinctive pattern. And once you recognize the structure, you might start to spot it everywhere!

Here Are The Best Hero’s Journey Examples in Disney Movies

1. the lion king, 3. hercules, 5. toy story, 7. finding nemo, 9. pocahontas, 12. the jungle book.

The Lion King is a much-loved Disney movie released in 1994. It follows a clear hero’s journey narrative structure. Simba’s Ordinary World is the Pride Lands, where he was born and lives with his family. We learn how important it is to him to grow to be as strong and competent as his father, Mufasa, who he will one day succeed as king.

Simba’s story progresses through all the stages of the hero’s journey. From the Call to Adventure, where Simba is encouraged to visit the elephant graveyard by his uncle Scar, to The Reward, which sees the young protagonist lose his self-doubt, the one thing holding him back from becoming a hero. Finally, the Return with the Elixir. Simba, taking up his father’s crown, restores his kingdom. His journey has healed both himself and the Pride Lands. You might also be interested in these hero’s journey examples in real life .

Mulan is another Disney movie in which the hero’s journey is clearly evident. A couple of stages are particularly clear. Encountering Mushu the dragon is a comedic rendering of The Meeting of the Mentor part of the hero’s journey. At the same time, The Road Back is Mulan’s physical race against time as she dashes home to warn Shang of the Huns’ plan to storm the palace. You might also be interested in these personal narrative examples .

• English (Subtitle)

Pretty much the epitome of the hero’s journey, Hercules is a Disney classic from 1997 that literally follows a hero’s journey! While it departs a fair way from the twelve labors tale of the original legend, it still sticks to Joseph Campbell ’s monomyth structure. Even the Crossing the First Threshold stage is clearly delineated, with Hercules engaging in a little warm-up roundhousing with a centaur to save Meg.

• English, English (Subtitles)
• Audience Rating: G (General Audience)

The hero’s journey can be simplified into three key stages: Departure, Initiation, and Return. The title character of Aladdin begins life in Agrabah as a ‘street rat’ – but we see him leave his ordinary world when he’s lured into entering the Cave of Wonders, sent on a mission by the villainous Jafar (Departure). 

Our hero meets the genie and sets off on a spectacular adventure, dealing with enemies and difficult matters of the heart (Initiation)! He triumphs in the end, though, defeating Jafar, winning over his true love, and finally becoming comfortable in his skin (Return). For more, check out these hero’s journey short stories examples .

It’s not just the narrative structure that can have an archetypal structure: the heroes themselves can often be categorized into archetypes, too, such as The Warrior (Hercules) or The Orphan (Aladdin). One of the lesser-seen hero archetypes is The Caregiver, represented in Toy Story by the character of Woody the cowboy, who oversees and generally looks after all of Andy’s other toys.

The arrival of Buzz Lightyear causes Woody’s consternation. Still, after many trials and challenges Woody has to face in rescuing the toy astronaut, the pair must team up to escape the cruel boy next door, Sid, and save his ill-treated toys. You might also be interested in these tragic hero examples .

In Moana , when a mysterious, dark force threatens her island, Moana is called to adventure to discover how to save her community. During her quest, the heroine faces multiple challenges, meets her mentor, the mighty Maui , and Returns with the Elixir, saving her island and coming home triumphantly, recognized as the firm leader she is. 

It’s worth mentioning that Moana actually has two mentors. As well as Maui, her grandmother, also embodies the role of mentor, demonstrating how the hero’s journey structure has a little give in it and can flex to the story’s needs. Check out these essays about films .

• New Store Stock
• Japanese, Spanish, French, Russian, Arabic (Subtitles)

Finding Nemo is a classic hero’s quest tale – even if it features the most unlikely protagonists! The stages of the hero’s journey are nice and clear: Nemo is swept from his Ordinary World when he’s captured by a scuba diver and taken far from his home. His mission is to return to his dad, Marlin, who finds himself on the adventure of a lifetime as he seeks his lost son. 

Marlin finds his mentor, Dory. Together they navigate many dangers until they eventually find Nemo and return to their home in the reef. And the Elixir? Marlin is a way more chilled-out dad and enjoys a closer relationship with his son due to the quest.

• Lee Unkrich, Andrew Stanton (Actors)
• English, Dutch (Subtitles)
• English (Publication Language)

In Up , another unlikely hero, Carl, lives alone following the death of his beloved wife. The Call to Adventure takes the form of a construction company trying to force Carl out of his home to redevelop the land. And Carl’s having none of it. Faced with the prospect of a move to the Shady Oaks retirement home, Carl takes extreme action, attaching thousands of helium balloons to his house. There’s no going back once his adventure has literally taken flight!

• Running time 96 minutes
• Edward Asner, Jordan Nagai, John Ratzenberger (Actors)
• Bob Peterson (Director) - Bob Peterson (Writer) - Andrew Stanton (Producer)

Released in 1995, Disney’s Pocahontas may have raised eyebrows with its re-writing of history. Still, in terms of its adherence to the hero’s journey structure, it’s authentic. It features Captain Smith, the stereotypical brave explorer-type hero, and Pocahontas, the heroine of this tale.

The story focuses on the importance of remaining open-minded, accepting of differences, and knowing oneself – deeply – this is a hero’s journey story with a difference – but a hero’s journey story all the same.

• Polish Release, cover may contain Polish text/markings. The disk has English audio and subtitles.
• English, Spanish, Dutch (Subtitles)

A beautifully vibrant movie, Coco ’s plot follows Miguel, who loves music but has the misfortune of growing up in a family where music is banned. The young hero literally crosses the threshold when he enters the Land of the Dead in search of the truth about his family history and why music is such a taboo.

The Return with the Elixir stage is particularly magical in Coco : upon returning to the world of the living, there is reconciliation within Hector’s family, and music flows through the house once more – for good.

• Lee Unkrich (Director) - Adrian Molina (Writer) - Darla K. Anderson (Producer)

Step into the land of Brave , where a Scottish medieval Princess named Merida is frustrated at the fate being imposed upon her. She has no wish to marry and, to defy her family’s wishes, runs away to escape the betrothal. 

In the forest, Merida meets a witch and makes a life-changing (literally) bargain with her. Returning to the castle, she presents her mother, Queen Elinor, with the cake the witch has given her, promising that it will alter the situation. But this ‘alteration’ is not what Merida imagined.

• English, French (Subtitles)

Released in 1967, the original The Jungle Book movie remains much loved by audiences and features many unforgettable characters. In many ways, the movie reverses the traditional hero’s journey. Young Mowgli’s Ordinary World – the jungle – is anything but ordinary. And the narrative arc is driven by his journey (physically and spiritually) to a destination entirely alien to him: the human world. Looking for more? Check out our guide with movies that follow the hero’s journey !

• UK Import Exclusive Disney Villains Gloss Slipcover
• Subtitles: English, Spanish, Portugese
• Audio: English, Spanish, Portugese
• Phil Harris, Bruce Reitherman, George Sanders (Actors)

The 17 Steps of The Hero’s Journey and Their Manifestations in Film

Joseph Campbell’s The Hero with a Thousand Faces is a fantastic work of anthropology. In it he outlines the idea of “The Hero’s Journey”, which has 17 “steps”. Campbell postulates that all cultures share these 17 fundamental steps in their mythologies and stories. Storytellers have used Campbell’s ideas to make some of the most iconic literature and film in recent history.

This is not to say that every story features every step. This is also certainly not the only framework with which to analyze stories. The idea of there being a universal way of deciphering stories, and consequently better understanding the human experience, is not new. Italian playwright Carlo Gozzi claimed that there were 36 “dramatic situations”, renowned journalist Christopher Booker published his magnum opus work called The Seven Basic Plots: Why We Tell Stories , and even Aristotle was publishing works focusing on how drama should be told and why.

This topic is large and it can get pretty deep. People get doctorates in these sorts of subjects, and it can range from using a simple plot analysis device like this one…

…to discussions of the collective unconscious and Jungian archtypes based in Greek Mythology and our subconscious.

This article will illustrate and explain each step of the Hero’s Journey, as proposed by Campbell, by discussing its manifestations in films. Some of these examples are extremely well known, some are not, and some are curveballs that you may not have thought of before. This article will also compare and contrast movies of different eras and genres to better illustrate these steps, as well as to differentiate between various frameworks. Sometimes The Hero’s Journey doesn’t really apply to a story. That doesn’t make the movie bad, nor does it make it good. Art is a human thing, and often times it cannot be put perfectly into a box.

This list is certainly not meant to be exhaustive, nor is it meant to provide picture perfect examples of each step. There’s always room for interpretation. Being aware of these different steps and different frameworks, however, really makes your film viewing experience that much richer.

1. Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012) and “The Call to Adventure”

It is important to note that Campbell asserts that the steps in the Hero’s Journey correspond to the “journey” we all take in becoming fully functioning members of society. They can be seen as representations of stages we go through while we “grow up”. The first step in the adventure of growing up is having the urge to actually go on this adventure. Why would we want to leave the comfort of our childhood homes? Well there are plenty of reasons.

Maybe there is some threat to our home, and we have to go out to stop it. Maybe there is something we must obtain or do in order to prove ourselves as full grown adults and as worthy recipients of something only adults have; a family of our own for example. Or maybe it is simply the curiosity and desire to grow as people. No matter what the motivation is, it calls us out of our normal lives into something new, mysterious, and wonderful.

The Call to Adventure stage is just that; the part of the story where an ordinary person, living in an ordinary place, is called away for whatever reason to go on a journey and return (or not return) later having accomplished what they set out to do (this is referred to as “the boon” by Campbell).

This stage is not just another word for the “inciting incident”, which is often used in other frameworks of analysis. Often times the inciting incident and the Call to Adventure coincide, but there is certainly a distinct difference that should be explained. An inciting incident is simply the ‘narrative hook’ that gets the story going. While a Call to Adventure is almost always the inciting incident, not all inciting incidents are calls to adventure.

There are hundreds of examples for this delineation. Take John Carpenter’s Halloween. The inciting incident in that story is when Michael Myers escapes from the insane asylum. It is at this point that the audience goes, “Oh snap! He’s gonna go APE on some unsuspecting and lustful teens who are neglecting their duties as babysitters!” Everything else before that was just exposition. This incident, incites the interest of the audience. No one cared that Michael Myers was some troubled kid. No one cared why he murdered his sister, or what his therapy sessions were like (Sorry Rob Zombie).

That scene is not a call to adventure. Michael Myers isn’t called to do anything here. If he was called to do anything it was years ago during his time in the asylum. Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) isn’t called to do anything here either. You could argue she has her own call when Michael shows up to town and starts killing people, but the inciting incident of Halloween has nothing to do with Laurie arming herself with a phallic weapon to overcome a walking nightmare plaguing her town.

Not seen: An average person living an average life

Furthermore, in Star Wars: A New Hope, the inciting incident is the first scene of the movie. We get the fantastic visual storytelling of that space battle. We learn that there is a lopsided war going on between good and evil, and the side of good is in need of “A New Hope” (Ohh…I get the title now…). That first sequence is what gets the story going and the audience hooked. The Call to Adventure happens about a half hour later when Obi Wan asks Luke to come learn about the ways of the force.

We are going to talk about Star Wars later in another step, so let us return now to The Hobbit and discuss how this perfectly illustrates the call to adventure.

The Scene: An Unexpected Party

Bilbo Baggins wants nothing more than to be totally ordinary. His main points of pride are his garden, strict adherence to Hobbit culture, and making up new reasons to have 6 meals per day without being a professional body-builder. Basically, he doesn’t want to grow up and experience the world.

Until one day, a very strange wanderer claiming to be a wizard bids him join a company of dwarves and travel to a far off mountain to help reclaim their kingdom from a man-eating fire-breathing world-destroying megalomaniacal dragon.

Initially, Bilbo, as any sane person would, refuses this call to adventure (see next step), but is later called again when there is an ‘unexpected party’ at his house and he decides to not be a giant wuss, but rather someone who can easily be manipulated and guilted into things…er…I mean be an adventurer.

The dwarves bust in and give Bilbo a much needed dose of culture shock. Bilbo really understands that this proposition is real, and he has feelings of inadequacy. He sees a chance to make a difference not only for these dwarves, but maybe for himself too. He understands what he is setting out to do. His goals are clear, and he is soon off on a life changing and fulfilling journey.

Without this push, he would have just stayed at home and not changed.

Excuse me sir, is this the “Epic Biker Beard Party”?

2. George Lucas’s Star Wars: A New Hope (1977) and “The Refusal of the Call”

In this step of the journey, the hero decides, for whatever convenient reason, not to go on this journey. This is metaphoric for refusing to grow-up or embrace change and the result of which is stagnation in development.

Nobody likes a man-child. Everyone tends to look down on grown adults who refuse to act their age and reject responsibility. We have all had moments though, where we didn’t really want to leave and grow up. Part of us did sure, but some part of us didn’t want to leave our friends and loved ones for the unknown. If we always chose what was easy and safe, we never would have left living in caves. We would have been bogged down in stagnation, complacency, and ignorance. Accepting the call to adventure is accepting the desire for more knowledge and the ability to benefit others around you. Rejecting it is accepting death in our development.

Now, not every refusal of the call is an impetus for a manifestation of death, however, death shows the hero that there can be no life for them where they are now, and they are thus compelled to start their quest.

The Scene: The Destruction of Luke’s Homestead

After Luke is rescued from ISIL Sand People by Obi-Wan, and having refused to join Obi Wan in going to Alderaan to train in the force because he has to “help with the harvest” (ironically the same thing every girl ever said to Luke when explaining why she could not go on a date), Luke comes back home and realizes that everyone he knows and loves is dead. He now accepts the call to adventure, and starts his journey. Initially he wanted to join to learn more about his father (and therefore himself through family history), and learn about this mysterious thing called ‘the force’. He also talks about joining the rebellion and seeking adventure outside the boring life of the farm. Now, he has nothing holding him back. In fact, he might even have more motivation through feelings of revenge.

If this did not happen, Luke would just be a basement dweller at his Aunt’s house…like all of us

Another great example of this is in Sam Rami’s Spiderman (2002) when Peter Parker refuses to fight crime and lets the criminal escape after robbing the sleazy fight promoter. Peter is then hit with the death of his uncle, who was like a father to him. It is very clear that this moment of death, spurs Peter onto the path of fighting for justice and using his powers for good. He learns very quickly that selfish indulgence of his powers leads to death.

You know what is odd…why did they give him a pillow to rest his head on…but nothing to try and stop the bleeding?

3. John Milius’s Conan the Barbarian (1982) and “Supernatural Aid”

This is where our hero is equipped with tools necessary to defeat the evil that they will encounter later on. How could Perseus have defeated the Gorgon monster Medusa without the weapons given to him by the Gods? Or how could James Bond save the world without the amazing gadgets given to him by Q-Branch? Grounded in reality, how can we succeed in the world without gaining knowledge and harnessing skills passed down to us through our society?

The Scene: The Tomb of the Atlantean Sword

Conan has recently been released by his owners and literally sent out into the wild to fend for himself. At first this seems great! Finally, our hero can begin his quest for revenge. Except for one problem; he has no equipment or supplies.

Even though he is fueled with battle hardened combat skills from the gladiator pit to exact revenge on Thulsa Doom for the murder of his family, his first act of freedom includes running for his life from a pack of wild dogs hell bent on making him their next meal.

Our great and powerful hero, seemingly powerless against some mangy mutts, is at a low point. So low in fact, that in an attempt to escape, he accidentally discovers a cave and falls beneath the earth. There he discovers the tomb of an ancient king, perhaps once not unlike himself, and receives the Atlantean sword! He uses this sword to empower himself (as phallic objects normally do in stories), and embark on his quest to solve the riddle of steel and exact revenge. (Note the obvious symbolism in descending beneath the earth and arising again more powerful, this comes up a lot and not just at your local Sunday School.)

4. Chris Columbus’s Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001) and “Crossing the First Threshold”

Here our hero journeys outside of his ‘normal’ world and enters the exotic world of his journey. This step often involves magic to cross the threshold between worlds. However, it can be a boat ride from England to Normandy and you can be met by a hail of bullets like in Saving Private Ryan.

Here we, as well as the hero, are introduced to all the players in the new world. We learn the rules of the world, its layout, what is at stake, and so much more information. This is particularly potent in Sci-Fi and Fantasy films, where the hero is often a “Fish out of water”, and things can be explained to him and see for the first time. We, likewise, learn and experience all of it with the hero for the first time.

The Scene: Diagon Alley

Harry and Hagrid have just used magic to cross from the normal world into the bustling world of wizardry. Harry’s jaw is practically on the floor as he looks at all the new sights, sounds, people, animals, and strange shops around him. It truly speaks to the skillful writing of J.K. Rowling. Harry has no idea how any of this works, or where he should go, or who he should associate with, or anything else at all. He and Hagrid, while moving forward through the streets (and thus the plotline where Harry acquires and learns important things), drop a lot of expository dialogue in this scene and it introduces a vast new world for the hero and the audience.

5. Jonathon Demme’s The Silence of the Lambs (1991) and “The Belly of the Whale”

The hero is deep in this new world at this stage. They experience the dangers and mysteries first hand, and learn how to endure them in order to later harness and focus their strengths to accomplish their ultimate goal. Courage and steadfastness are paramount for the hero at this stage. The first threshold is majestic and wonderful, but this stage is often fraught with dread and terror.

The Scene: Clarice in the ‘Belly’ of the Insane Asylum

The whole plot of this movie hinges on Clarice Starling getting advice (supernatural aid) from Hannibal Lecture (mentor) in order to stop Buffalo Bill before he kills again (her boon). To get to this source of great power, she must travel through a rouges’ gallery of the criminally insane. She, and the audience, witness just how different and dark this world is that she must enter, literally and metaphorically. She is now far from the safe FBI training grounds, and stares down the edge of an abyss full of real monsters.

4 Replies to “The 17 Steps of The Hero’s Journey and Their Manifestations in Film”

Great article. Could have wished you had found better examples for a couple, namely Zardoz and Avatar, as both these movies are pretty bad.

Brilliant piece. Love to see Campbell in movie parameters. Thank you.

[…] Versão animada e resumida da jornada do herói. A estrutura narrativa que serve de base para boa parte das histórias fantásticas. O conceito foi criado por Joseph Campbell e é frequentemente encontrado em blockbusters. […]

Zardoz is BAD? Veronica Clarke, it’s clear to me that you are retarded, ignorant piece of shit and you have no taste in movies. Harry Potter is bad, Star Wars are terrible, Hobbit is a pile of cgi crap, Count Monte Christo is abomination, V for Vendetta is watered down shit, Avatar Hook and Narnia are childish and pointless, Last Crusade is a bit silly and instead to pick on any of those steaming lumps of turd, you decided to pick on Zardoz? How dare you, you clueless, useless, brainless piece of shit!!!!!!

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STAGES AND ARCHETYPES OF THE HERO’S JOURNEY

Introducing the monomyth.

The Hero’s Journey is a fundamental paradigm of human experience that is frequently the basis for written stories, drama, and film. It was initially described by mythologist Joseph Campbell, who relied in part on the insights of psychologist Carl Jung. The stages and archetypes of the Journey have been developed and applied to film by Christopher Vogler. The writings of these men demonstrate that the Journey is helpful in understanding both fiction and reality.

What follows may be modified and used as a handout or serve as the basis for direct instruction. It is designed to be used with TWM’s Lesson plans on the Hero’s Journey which are listed in the English Language Arts Subject Index .

Most films recommended by TWM for the study of the Journey are not action/adventure movies. This will allow teachers to demonstrate that this structure can be found in any important quest and in all types of stories.

The Hero’s Journey in Life and Art

The human condition requires purposeful effort for any achievement and often for survival. Myths and stories in all cultures contain tales of successful quests through which great achievements have been made. Some are efforts to save an individual or a group; others are missions to protect or transform a community; many are stories of personal growth and development. The protagonists of these successful quests are often called heroes and the tale of their efforts has come to be known as “the Hero’s Journey.” Mythologist Joseph Campbell, who pioneered the study of the Hero’s Journey, referred to it as “the Monomyth” because it appears in all cultures and is basic to what it means to be human.

The origins of the Hero’s Journey/Monomyth are in the earliest beginnings of the human race. Undoubtedly, tales of struggle and triumph were heard around campfires of tribes long forgotten. When starvation had stalked the community, there would be a celebration when hunters returned from the first successful effort after many failures. The hunters would have told the story of the difficulties they had overcome and their eventual triumph. When tribes had been locked in mortal combat and the resolution had been in doubt, the victors would have delighted in recalling the tale of the battle and how they had vanquished the enemy. Those best at telling stories, people who had a way with words or music, would be asked to repeat the tale, again and again, praising those who had saved the community.

When people started to put stories into writing, the first epic poem was The Odyssey, which describes the Hero’s Journey of Odysseus on his quest to return home from the Trojan War. Since that time, stories of the Monomyth have appeared in countless variations, not only in epic poems, but also in novels, comic books, and plays. Movie plots frequently employ versions of the Hero’s Journey.

Joseph Campbell describes the mythical quest in its simplest form:

A hero ventures forth from the world of the common day into a region of supernatural wonder: fabulous forces are there encountered and a decisive victory is won; the hero comes back from this mysterious adventure with the power to bestow boons on his fellow man.

In life and in fiction, certain stages can be identified in most Hero’s Journeys. These include a starting place, an ordinary world that is somehow deficient or inadequate; a call to action; first steps on the journey; meeting with a mentor; the crisis, a reward, and a return with the result or a prize that corrects the deficiency or inadequacy that launched the quest. Each journey has its unique aspects and not all stories of the Monomyth contain all of the stages of the classic Hero’s Journey. In many situations, some of the stages are combined or occur simultaneously. The order of the steps usually follow in a certain sequence, but not always. Different scholars have described the stages in slightly different ways, but in countless myths and stories, the outline of the Hero’s Journey can be clearly seen.

In addition, stories that manifest the Monomyth contain certain types of characters whose functions relate to the hero’s progress on the Journey. These include not only the hero and the mentor, but also the threshold guardian, the shadow, the trickster, and the shapeshifter. In similar fashion to the stages of the Journey, not all of these characters appear in every Hero’s Journey and in some Journeys functions of different character types are combined in one individual. Because these character types have a structural relationship to the Hero’s Journey and they are parts of the human experience that appear in generation after generation and in story after story, they are called the archetypes of the Hero’s Journey.

The Monomyth can appear in many different types of stories. Adventure tales describe the experiences of heroes as they overcome villains who threaten certain individuals or endanger an entire community. In a romance, one of the characters, or the couple acting together, are on a quest to requite their love and live happily ever after. Sports stories involve the effort of one team or one contestant to triumph over all the others. In tales of personal transformation and growth, people examine their own lives, muster the courage to change, and accept the challenges presented on the path to fulfillment. Each of these types of stories often employ the stages of the Hero’s Journey.

One reason that the Monomyth has endured is that it matches the way in which many events actually occur: it illustrates how human beings on an important quest interact with their environment and with other people. Each person will at certain times in life perform different versions of the Hero’s Journey or they will see others do it. Some people will go on a quest to make a difference in society; most people will, at times, serve as the hero for a quest that is important to their family, their school, a friend, or themselves. One example of the Hero’s Journey, which has been undertaken by millions of people will be explored in detail in detail in this essay. It is the journey of an alcoholic or a drug addict who decides to take control of life and stop using drugs.

Stages of the Hero’s Journey

Set out below is a description of the stages of the Hero’s Journey developed for screenwriters by Hollywood story consultant Christopher Vogler in his book, The Writer’s Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers, 3rd Edition. Vogler’s work is based on the stages of the Monomyth developed by Joseph Campbell.

Note that: Vogler’s formulation of the Hero’s Journey is not the classic mythical journey in which there is repeated divine intervention and a meeting with the goddess. Vogler’s version is updated for modern sensibilities and reflects the contemporary view of life. It has been adopted by TWM because it has direct relevance to the stories told in film and, quite often, to quests undertaken by people living in modern times. Note also that while Vogler’s work has been in movie-making, the insights in his book apply to any work of fiction.

The stages of the Hero’s Journey can be separated into three sections. The first consists of the expository phase of the story. The second unfolds the complications and the crisis which describe the Hero’s struggle and provide the action in the story. The third section concludes the journey with resolution and denouement.

SECTION ONE — Introduction to Setting, Characters, and Conflict

1. The Ordinary World: This is the setting with which the protagonist is familiar, the life experienced before the quest. There will probably be many loved ones and the comfort of familiarity in the Ordinary World. However, in some way it is unstable or dissatisfying for the protagonist of the mission described in the story; either the Ordinary World has changed or the hero-to-be comes to feel the need for change due to some internal conflict or realization. In some tales that express the Monomyth, the Ordinary World has been destroyed or made uninhabitable by an outside force and the protagonist has no choice but to start on the journey to find a new life. In other stories, the Ordinary World still exists and often exerts a strong influence pulling the protagonist back from the challenges of the quest. In the classic Hero’s Journey, a victorious hero returns to the Ordinary World bringing back objects: the hunter brings food and the victor brings the spoils of war. In other Journeys there is no return to the Ordinary World and the successful hero lives in a new world that is better than the old. This also occurs in quests of personal growth in which a character seeks to resolve contradictions in his or her personality or overcome an emotional challenge, such as grief from the loss of a loved one.

The journey of an alcoholic/addict from addiction to sobriety is an example of a Hero’s Journey. Like all examples of the Monomyth, in life or in fiction, it has its unique aspects. For example, the journey of the recovering alcoholic/addict continues through the life of the individual and has no final conclusion. This contrasts sharply with most Hero’s Journeys, such as those of a hunt to bring food back to the starving clan or the tale of an athlete who wins a medal at the Olympics. However, most stages of the Monomyth are clearly evident in an alcoholic/addict’s road to recovery.

The Ordinary World of alcoholics and drug users are the days, months and years before they decide to quit. For an alcoholic/addict the ordinary world is one in which the drug controls most actions. It is a time of lying, cheating and stealing to support the habit. It is a time in which the alcoholic/addict manipulates loved ones to support the habit or avoid the consequences of an intoxicated life. It is a time of failing to meet responsibilities and in a fundamental way, it is a time of being isolated and alone. For many heroes the comfort and familiarity of the Ordinary World calls to them during their journey, and that is certainly true for alcoholics/addicts. Many recovering alcoholics and drug abusers never lose the urge for their intoxicant of choice.

2. The Call to Adventure: The call to adventure can take many forms, but it always pulls the protagonist away from the Ordinary World into a new situation. The Call to Adventure may be something that the hero-to-be voluntarily accepts or it may be an event which compels the journey, leaving the protagonist no choice but to embark on the journey.

For many heroes there is one call to adventure that sets them on the Journey. For alcoholics/addicts, there are usually many calls to change their lifestyle. For those who become the heroes of their own journey to sobriety, there is a Call to Adventure that finally sends them on their journey. Recovering alcoholics/addicts call this “hitting bottom.” That’s the time when the alcoholic/addict realizes that to continue drink alcohol or use drugs is intolerable. Some come to understand that they will actually die unless they stop. Some, who drive drunk, realize that they will probably kill someone else as well. For others, it’s the knowledge that continuing as an alcoholic/addict will destroy their relationship with their children or other people whom they love.

3. Refusing the Call: At one point (or on many occasions) the potential hero feels the pull of the familiar comforts of the Ordinary World and resists going on the adventure. After all, every quest carries with it the risk of failure and some Journeys are downright dangerous.

There are many alcoholics/addicts who relapse and after hitting bottom, start to use alcohol or drugs again. This is the equivalent of Refusing the Call to the adventure of their personal Hero’s Journey to sobriety. Some of them can rebound from this set back and continue on with their quest; others are lost.

4. Meeting with the Mentor: A Mentor is a guide or a teacher who will help the hero-to-be gather the courage, find the right path, or pass the tests required for successful completion of their mission. The meeting with the Mentor can come at any point in the Hero’s Journey.

Mentorship is so important for recovering alcoholics/addicts that everyone who enrolls in Alcoholics Anonymous is assigned a sponsor, a person to whom they can go for support and who will answer questions about the process of recovery. The same is true in many treatment programs for alcohol or drug addiction. The sponsor is the mentor for the recovering alcoholic/addict. Of course, alcoholics/addicts can also find people outside of AA or their treatment program to serve as mentors.

5. Crossing the First Threshold: This is the point at which there is no turning back without an admission that the protagonist is not to be a hero. Crossing the first threshold can be a voluntary, considered action or it can be an external event which launches the protagonist on the quest.

For most alcoholic/addicts, Crossing the First Threshold is entering treatment or attending the first AA meeting and committing themselves to join the program. For the very few people who can rid themselves of addiction without AA or a treatment program, Crossing the First Threshold is the first time they put down a drink or a syringe, the first time they reject a line of cocaine, with a personal commitment to stop using drugs and reform their life. However, alcoholics/addicts can always start their quest again, and in this way, the turning back is not a permanent admission that they will not be a hero. In this way, the journey of an alcoholic/addict to sobriety differs from the classic Hero’s Journey.

SECTION TWO — Action, Climax, Triumph

6. Tests, Allies, and Enemies: In most important quests there will be obstacles to overcome and challenges to meet; on most, there will be allies to assist the protagonist toward the goal. There may also be enemies seeking to obstruct the way. Enemies may also be aspects of nature or a part of the protagonist’s psyche. In both film and literature, these elements of the Journey provide the action, provoke interest, and serve as complications on the path to the goal.

Many alcoholic/addicts never lose the desire for intoxication; every day they must resist the urge to relapse. In AA there is a saying that recovery occurs one day at a time; every day is a test for the heroes of their own journeys to sobriety. There are also special challenges, as when, at a party, someone mistakenly hands a drink with alcohol to the person in recovery. Another test may occur during a time of emotional distress when the desire to escape and numb reality becomes especially strong. There are allies on the road of recovery, such as family and friends who provide support as well as other members of AA. There are also enemies, such as friends who still drink or use drugs and who want to include the recovering alcoholic/addict in their intoxicated experiences.

7. Approach to the Inmost Cave: This is the turning point, the moment in which the protagonist seems to realize completely what must be done and to accept all accompanied risks including the possibility of failure. In some stories, failure means death. The Approach to the Inmost Cave is an essential element in most stories describing a quest. It reveals the fact that the hero-to-be is operating with full awareness of the consequences of failure.

There comes a time when the alcoholic/addict is well launched on sobriety and realizes the extent to which their life has changed and will change forever. This occurs when people in recovery fully accept that they will never again enjoy the intoxication of the drug, something that is desperately desired and physically craved. It comes when they understand that all aspects of the intoxicated life are being left behind. But there are also the benefits of recovery which beckon and the alcoholic/addict must choose. In recovery from alcoholism/addiction, this stage may come after the Ordeal, while in most Hero’s Journeys in which there is a specific challenge that has to be overcome, this stage comes just before the Ordeal. “Hitting bottom” could also be seen as the Approach to the Inmost cave, but this occurs early in the process and is more like the Call to Action.

8. Ordeal: The climax, or the peak experience in the adventure, appears in virtually all stories. The hero-to-be faces the moment of truth: will he or she prevail in the struggle with the enemy?

For a person entering recovery from alcoholism/addiction, the most intense times often occur early on, when the body’s physical desire for the drug is the most intense. However, given the nature of recovery from alcoholism and drug addiction, the moment of truth can be said to reoccur occasionally throughout the life of an alcoholic/addict, or even every day. As they say, for many alcoholic/addicts it’s one day at a time.

9. Reward: The payoff for the protagonist’s struggle may be as simple as survival or it may involve fantastic riches or symbolic prizes that make the experience worthwhile. The Reward may be personal growth, self-knowledge, or the reconciliation of conflicting parts of the personality.

The payoff for a recovering alcoholic/addict is a life without addiction and all that this means for a better quality existence. For many, it means avoiding death, because the alcoholism/drug addiction would have killed them. Many alcoholics stopped maturing emotionally on the day they started to drink, usually as a teenager. When they had a problem in life, instead of dealing with it and learning what was necessary for growth and development, they just took several drinks or a hit from the drug. Many alcoholics/addicts report that when they went into recovery, they were back at the age when they began their intoxicated lifestyle. Recovery allows them to experience growth to maturity, with all of its challenges and rewards.

SECTION THREE — Resolution and Denouement

10. The Road Back: Returning to the ordinary world can be a difficult journey in itself and may offer additional risks for the adventuring protagonist, who is still not yet a hero. Some will be able to negotiate the Road Back and some will not: the hunter bringing the kill back to the village may be set upon by a pack of wolves who steal the hard won prey. For those protagonists who do not successfully pass this stage, the quest ends in failure; they never become heroes.

The road back for a recovering alcoholic/addict can be seen as the rest of their life. In the alternative, it can be said that this stage is absent in this version of the Hero’s Journey.

11. Resurrection: At this point, the protagonist, now a Hero, becomes transformed by the experience of the quest into a new, or at least a better, person.

An alcoholic/addict committed to recovery is a transformed person.

12. Return with the Elixir: In stories in which the Ordinary World still exists, upon re-entering that world, the Hero shares with those who stayed behind the prize won on the adventure. The Elixir shared can be abstract, such as love, or it can be concrete, such as something the group needs in order to survive or prosper. When the Ordinary World no longer exists or the Hero cannot, for some reason, return to the Ordinary World, the Hero will share the Elixir with those who accompanied him or her on the quest or those who inhabit the new world in which the victorious Hero will live. In journeys of personal growth and development, the Elixir is the new realization that the Hero has about life or about the self. The last two or three stages are often combined, especially in journeys of personal growth and development.

The Elixir for the recovering alcoholic/addict is the understanding that a sober life is better than an intoxicated life.

Archetypes in Life and Art

Certain character types and their structural relationships with others in family and community are parts of the human experience that repeat again and again. The functions of the father, the mother, the child, the hero, the mentor, and the trickster are found in most cultures and are timeless. People can take on different roles multiple times during their lives and they will change roles depending upon the situations in which they find themselves. For example, a person may be on a quest in one aspect of life and therefore take on the function of the hero, while at another time or in a different set of circumstances, the same person may function as a mentor for someone else’s quest. People can take on different roles in different situations and at different times. People are children in relation to their parents and later they are parents to their own children. As parents age, they become more child-like and their children take on the role of parent. People can take on more than one function at the same time. For example, every parent takes on different aspects of the mother (nurturing) and of the father (stern and judging); that is, aspects of both the mother and the father usually exist in varying degrees in any parent; and the relative strength of the different roles changes over time and as the situation changes.

Character types which have persisted over centuries and across cultures are called archetypes. The concept of archetypes is derived from the work of Swiss psychologist Carl Jung who theorized that people are born with a psychic inheritance, a collective unconscious, which affects all of human experience. Jung believed that this knowledge lies in our unconscious mind and can only be accessed indirectly through dreams, myths, forms of religious belief, and the arts, such as written fiction, movies, visual arts, music, and dance. It may be the Jung was correct or it may be that people learn about archetypes as children because there are certain basic ways in which human beings relate to each other in societies, in families, and in personal relationships. Whatever the source of the knowledge, the concept of archetype helps to organize and clarify human experience. As such, archetypes are an important part of understanding life and telling a story, whether in written form or presented on stage or screen.

Another way to look at archetypes is that they embody energies in the psyche that seek to fulfill a function in life and in story. Thus, one character can provide the energy to nurture, another the impetus to quest, a third the desire to the mentor, while a fourth provides the force of a leader, etc. The mother archetype nurtures, the father archetype judges, and the mentor archetype gives sage advice, etc. A person functions as a hero when engaging in purposeful effort, for example, putting a man on the moon or a journey of personal growth. The effort could be as simple as going on a trip and as mundane as learning to fit in when starting at a new school or asking a girl to go out on a date.

Every school contains character types that have existed for as long as we have had schools and which can be considered archetypes. The bully, the sports jock, the nerd, the class clown, and the teacher’s pet are examples. Centuries ago, the bully pattern of personality would have been evident in the powerful hunter or warrior who used his strength to dominate and hurt others. The characteristics of a bully contrast with those of a true leader, another archetype, who uses intelligence, knowledge, or the power of personality to take care of his people. And although math or science as fields of study are rather new in the long history of mankind, certainly there were members of ancient societies who involved themselves with numbers and were devoted to the accuracy of exchange, the measurement of distances, and even the passage of time. There have always been court jesters and comedians, and, of course, an individual favored by a person with power. Each of these functional types have recognizable expressions in school society.

While each archetype has its own constellation of attributes which most people recognize, everyone who functions as an archetypal character, in life and in story, will also have unique characteristics depending upon their culture, their own personality, and the situation. Dorothy Gale of The Wizard of Oz is a true heroine who defeats formidable adversaries on her journey. However, Dorothy, as required of a female by her culture, her time and her story, is always kind and considerate. While she kills the wicked witches of the East and the West as thoroughly as any action/adventure hero vanquishes a villain, Dorothy always kills by accident and without an intent to harm.

Joseph Campbell, the mythologist, refers to archetypes as elementary ideas and asserts that anthropologists and archeologists can account for the differences in the archetypes in mythologies across the globe as responses to environmental factors. In stories, the use of archetypes builds an empathic reaction as each reader or viewer sees many familiar aspects of characters who take on the archetypal roles. There is universal appeal when protagonists, antagonists, and ancillary characters exhibit aspects of various archetypes.

Archetypes of the Hero’s Journey – Characters of the Monomyth

There are certain archetypes which are often associated with the Hero’s Journey; their functions relate to the conduct of a quest. The following description of the archetypes of the Hero’s Journey are brief summaries derived from Christopher Vogler’s book. Mr. Vogler based his analysis on the ideas of psychologist Carl Jung and mythologist Joseph Campbell. Note that these summaries are an attempt to briefly describe complex personality patterns; they are necessarily incomplete.

1. The Hero is the person who embarks on the quest seeking to correct an imbalance in community, family, or psyche. For journeys of internal growth or reformation, the hero searches for the true self in its wholeness. The Hero can be willing or unwilling and can be acting on a matter which concerns society as a whole, relates to a specific group of people, or is personal to the Hero. The Hero can act alone or as the leader of a group.

2. A Mentor is an important individual, who transmits encouragement, understanding and wisdom to the Hero. The Mentor can simply give helpful advice or the mentor may also intervene and help the Hero surmount the challenges of the particular quest.

3. Threshold Guardians are characters who serve to challenge or obstruct the Hero’s progress from one stage of the Journey to another. They stand at the gateways to new experiences; their role is to keep the unworthy from continuing on the Journey. The Hero must prove his or her worthiness in some way, often by defeating and killing the Threshold Guardian or by passing some test.

4. A Herald issues challenges and announces the coming of significant change. The Herald is the voice demanding change and providing motivation for the protagonist to get on with the journey.

5. Shapeshifters , as seen from the Hero’s point of view, appear to change their form. The change may be in appearance, in mood, or in function with respect to the quest. For example, the Hero may have a romantic interest in a person who is fickle or two-faced. That person is a Shapeshifter.

6. The Shadow is a character who reflects or represents the dark, unexpressed, or rejected aspects of something, often a part of the Hero’s personality. A shadow character has the function of presenting the allure of qualities that a person must renounce and root out in order to successfully complete the quest.

7. The Trickster who sometimes supplies comic relief in a story, is nonetheless important as a catalyst for change and can sometimes be a Hero in his or her own right. Tricksters are also often Shapeshifters.

Some Other Important Literary Archetypes

Some of the archetypes identified by Carl Jung that are frequently found in the literature are summarized below.

1. The Father: Jung saw the authority figure as a powerful, serious-minded father, stern and judging. Usually, a character manifesting this archetype is male, but not always.

2. The mother: The individual who represents nurturing and caregiving is the Mother archetype. Often a character manifesting this archetype is female, but not always. Mentors often nurture and they are often male.

3. The Child: This archetype represents the innocence and potential for growth of children, who, with their honesty, pure-mindedness, and drive for growth and development offer salvation to errant adults. The Child Savior is a subset of this archetype. See TWM’s The Child Savior: An Example of a Literary Archetype.

4. The Maiden: Like the child, the maiden represents innocence and pure intention but has the added element of female sexual possibility and transition to another female archetype such as the Mother.

These archetypes may be found in many stories, including stories of the quest. They differ from the archetypes of the Hero’s Journey only because their function does not necessarily assist in reaching the resolution of a story of purposeful effort.

The Hero’s Journey/Monomyth is basic to the human experience. Jung, Campbell, and Vogler have shown that the stages of the Hero’s Journey correspond to what actually occurs in life. They have demonstrated that archetypes, assembled and reassembled in life and in stories, remain faithful to truths about human existence throughout time. The Hero’s Journey analysis assists in discovering the elemental messages of myth, drama, literature, and film. The Journey assists in understanding inner meaning and clarifying theme. In life, knowledge of the stages and archetypes of the successful quest will help people organize and understand their own experience.

Bibliography

• The Writer’s Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers, 3rd Edition, by Christopher Vogler;
• The Power of Myth by Joseph Campbell with Bill Moyers;
• The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell; The quotation beginning “The hero ventures forth . . . ” is from page 23;
• The Archetypes and The Collective Unconscious (Collected Works of C.G. Jung Vol.9 Part 1).

This article was written by Mary RedClay and James Frieden for TeachWithMovies.org.

The Art of Narrative

Learn to write.

A Complete Guide to The Hero’s Journey (or The Monomyth)

Learn how to use the 12 steps of the Hero’s Journey to structure plot, develop characters, and write riveting stories that will keep readers engaged!

Before I start this post I would like to acknowledged the tragedy that occurred in my country this past month. George Floyd, an innocent man, was murdered by a police officer while three other officers witnessed that murder and remained silent.

To remain silent, in the face of injustice, violen ce, and murder is to be complicit . I acknowledge that as a white man I have benefited from a centuries old system of privilege and abuse against black people, women, American Indians, immigrants, and many, many more.

This systemic abuse is what lead to the murder of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Sandra Bland, Eric Garner, Treyvon Martin, Philando Castile, Freddie Gray, Walter Scott, Tamir Rice and many more. Too many.

Whether I like it or not I’ve been complicit in this injustice. We can’t afford to be silent anymore. If you’re disturbed by the violence we’ve wit nessed over, and over again please vote this November, hold your local governments accountable, peacefully protest, and listen. Hopefully, together we can bring positive change. And, together, we can heal .

In this post, we’ll go over the stages of Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey, also known as the Monomyth. We’ll talk about how to use it to structure your story. You’ll also find some guided questions for each section of the Hero’s Journey. These questions are designed to help guide your thinking during the writing process. Finally, we’ll go through an example of the Hero’s Journey from 1997’s Men In Black.  

Down at the bottom, we’ll go over reasons you shouldn’t rely on the Monomyth. And we’ll talk about a few alternatives for you to consider if the Hero’s Journey isn’t right for your story.  

But, before we do all that let’s answer the obvious question- 

What is the Hero’s Journey?

The Hero’s Journey was first described by Joseph Campbell. Campbell was an American professor of literature at Sarah Lawrence College. He wrote about the Hero’s Journey in his book The Hero with a Thousand Faces . More than a guide, this book was a study on the fundamental structure of myths throughout history. 

Through his study, Campbell identified seventeen stages that make up what he called the Monomyth or Hero’s Journey. We’ll go over these stages in the next section. Here’s how Campbell describes the Monomyth in his book:

“A hero ventures forth from the world of common day into a region of supernatural wonder: fabulous forces are there encountered and a decisive victory is won: the hero comes back from this mysterious adventure with the power to bestow boons on his fellow man.” 

Something important to note is that the Monomyth was not conceived as a tool for writers to develop a plot. Rather, Campbell identified it as a narrative pattern that was common in mythology. 

George Lucas used Campbell’s Monomyth to structure his original Star Wars film. Thanks to Star Wars ’ success, filmmakers have adopted the Hero’s Journey as a common plot structure in movies. 

We see it in films like The Matrix , Spider-man , The Lion King , and many more. But, keep in mind, this is not the only way to structure a story. We’ll talk about some alternatives at the end of this post. 

With that out of the way, let’s go over the twelve stages of the Hero’s Journey, or Monomyth. We’ll use the original Men In Black film as an example (because why not?). And, we’ll look at some questions to help guide your thinking, as a writer, at each stage. 

Quick note – The original Hero’s Journey is seventeen stages. But, Christopher Vogler, an executive working for Disney, condensed Campbell’s work. Vogler’s version has twelve stages, and it’s the version we’re talking about today. Vogler wrote a guide to use the Monomyth and I’ll link to it at the bottom.)

The 12 Stages of The Hero’s Journey 

The ordinary world .

This is where the hero’s story begins. We meet our hero in a down-to-earth, or humble setting. We establish the hero as an ordinary citizen in this world, not necessarily “special” in any way. 

Think exposition . 

We get to know our hero at this stage of the story. We learn about the hero’s life, struggles, inner or outer demons. This an opportunity for readers to identify with the hero. A good idea since the story will be told from the hero’s perspective. 

Read more about perspective and POV here.

In Men In Black, we meet our hero, James, who will become Agent J, chasing someone down the streets of a large city. The story reveals some important details through the action of the plo t. Let’s go over these details and how they’re shown through action. 

Agent J’s job: He’s a cop. We know this because he’s chasing a criminal. He waves a badge and yells, “NYPD! Stop!” 

The setting: The line “NYPD!” tells us that J is a New York City cop. The chase sequence also culminates on the roof of the Guggenheim Museum. Another clue to the setting. 

J’s Personality: J is a dedicated cop. We know this because of his relentless pursuit of the suspect he’s chasing. J is also brave. He jumps off a bridge onto a moving bus. He also chases a man after witnessing him climb vertically, several stories, up a wall. This is an inhuman feat that would have most people noping out of there. J continues his pursuit, though. 

Guided Questions

• What is your story’s ordinary world setting? 
• How is this ordinary world different from the special world that your hero will enter later in the story? 
• What action in this story will reveal the setting? 
• Describe your hero and their personality. 
• What action in the story will reveal details about your hero? 

The Call of Adventure

The Call of Adventure is an event in the story that forces the hero to take action. The hero will move out of their comfort zone, aka the ordinary world. Does this sound familiar? It should, because, in practice, The Call of Adventure is an Inciting Event. 

Read more about Inciting Events here. 

The Call of Adventure can take many forms. It can mean a literal call like one character asking another to go with them on a journey or to help solve a problem. It can also be an event in the story that forces the character to act. 

The Call of Adventure can include things like the arrival of a new character, a violent act of nature, or a traumatizing event. The Call can also be a series of events like what we see in our example from Men In Black.  

The first Call of Adventure comes from the alien that Agent J chases to the roof of the Guggenheim. Before leaping from the roof, the alien says to J, “Your world’s going to end.” This pique’s the hero’s interest and hints at future conflict. 

The second Call of Adventure comes after Agent K shows up to question J about the alien. K wipes J’s memory after the interaction, but he gives J a card with an address and a time. At this point, J has no idea what’s happened. All he knows is that K has asked him to show up at a specific place the next morning. 

The final and most important Call comes after K has revealed the truth to J while the two sit on a park bench together. Agent K tells J that aliens exist. K reveals that there is a secret organization that controls alien activity on Earth. And the Call- Agent K wants J to come to work for this organization.  

• What event (or events) happen to incite your character to act? 
• How are these events disruptive to your character’s life? 
• What aspects of your story’s special world will be revealed and how? (think action) 
• What other characters will you introduce as part of this special world? 

Refusal of the Call

This is an important stage in the Monomyth. It communicates with the audience the risks that come with Call to Adventure. Every Hero’s Journey should include risks to the main characters and a conflict. This is the stage where your hero contemplates those risks.  They will be tempted to remain in the safety of the ordinary world. 

In Men in Black, the Refusal of the Call is subtle. It consists of a single scene. Agent K offers J membership to the Men In Black. With that comes a life of secret knowledge and adventure. But, J will sever all ties to his former life. No one anywhere will ever know that J existed. Agent K tells J that he has until sunrise to make his decision.

J does not immediately say, “I’m in,” or “When’s our first mission.” Instead, he sits on the park bench all night contemplating his decision. In this scene, the audience understands that this is not an easy choice for him. Again, this is an excellent use of action to demonstrate a plot point. 

It’s also important to note that J only asks K one question before he makes his decision, “is it worth it?” K responds that it is, but only, “if you’re strong enough.” This line of dialogue becomes one of two dramatic questions in the movie. Is J strong enough to be a man in black? 

• What will your character have to sacrifice to answer the call of adventure? 
• What fears does your character have about leaving the ordinary world? 
• What risks or dangers await them in the special world? 

Meeting the Mentor 

At this point in the story, the hero is seeking wisdom after initially refusing the call of adventure. The mentor fulfills this need for your hero. 

The mentor is usually a character who has been to the special world and knows how to navigate it. Mentor’s provides your hero with tools and resources to aid them in their journey. It’s important to note that the mentor doesn’t always have to be a character. The mentor could be a guide, map, or sacred texts. 

If you’ve seen Men In Black then you can guess who acts as J’s mentor. Agent K, who recruited J, steps into the mentor role once J accepts the call to adventure. 

Agent K gives J a tour of the MIB headquarters. He introduces him to key characters and explains to him how the special world of the MIB works. Agent K also gives J his signature weapon, the Noisy Cricket. 

• Who is your hero’s mentor? 
• How will your character find and encounter with their mentor? 
• What tools and resources will your mentor provide? 
• Why/how does your mentor know the special world? 

Crossing the Threshold 

This is the point where your hero finally crosses over from the ordinary world into the special one. At this point, there is no turning back for your hero. 

Your hero may not cross into the special world on their own. Or, they may need a dramatic event that forces them to act.

At this point, you’ll want to establish the dramatic question of your story. This is the question will your reader wants to answer by the end of your story. A dramatic question is what will keep your audience reading. 

Once J decides to commit to the MIB Agent K starts the process of deleting J’s identity. The filmmakers do a great job communicating the drastic nature of J’s decision. This is done through, again, action and an effective voice-over. J’s social security number is deleted, and his fingerprints are burned off. He dons a nondescript black suit, sunglasses, and a sick-ass Hamilton watch . 

This scene is immediately followed by a threatening message sent by aliens called the Arquillians. They tell the MIB they will destroy the Earth unless J and K can deliver a galaxy. The only problem is no one knows what the galaxy is. So, we get our story question. Can J and K find and deliver the MacGuffin before the Earth is destroyed? 

Read more about MacGuffins here.

• What event will push your hero into the special world? 
• Once they enter the special world, what keeps them from turning back?
• What is the dramatic question you will introduce?
• How will your hero’s life change once they’ve entered the special world?

Tests, Allies, Enemies

This is stage is exactly what it sounds like. Once they’ve entered the special world, your hero will be tested. They will learn the rules of this new world. Your hero’s mentor may have to further teach your hero. 

The hero will also begin collecting allies. Characters whose goals align with those of your hero’s. People who will help your hero achieve their goal. These characters may even join your hero on their quest. 

And this is also the point where your hero’s enemy will reveal themselves. Now, you’ve may have hinted at, or even introduced the villain in the earlier stages. But, this is where the audience discovers how much of a threat this villain is to your hero. 

Read more about creating villains here. 

J and K arrive at the city morgue to investigate the body of a slain member of Arquillian royalty. While there, J encounters the villain of the film. He is lured into a standoff with Edgar. Edgar isn’t Edgar. He’s a 10 foot tall, alien cockroach wearing an “Edgar suit.” 

J doesn’t know that yet, though. 

Edgar has also taken a hostage. He threatens the life of Dr. Laurel Weaver who has discovered the truth about aliens living on Earth. Dr. Weaver becomes an ally of J’s as he continues his search for the Arquillian’s galaxy. 

J is faced with a new test as well. Just before he dies, the Arquillian alien tells J that the galaxy is on Orion’s Belt. J must discover the meaning behind this cryptic message if he hopes to save Earth. 

• Who is the villain of your story, and what is their goal?
• Who are your hero’s allies?
• How will your hero meet them? And, How do everyone’s goals align? 
• How will your hero be tested? Through battle? A puzzle? An emotional trauma? 

Approach to the Inmost Cave

The inmost cave is the path towards the central conflict of your story. In this section, your hero is preparing for battle. They may be regrouping with allies, going over important information, or taking a needed rest. This is also a part of the story where you may want to inject some humor. 

The approach is also a moment for your audience to regroup. This is an important aspect of pacing. A fast-paced story can be very exciting for the audience, but at some point, the writer needs to tap the breaks. 

This approach section gives your audience time to process the plot and consider the stakes of your conflict. This is also a good time to introduce a ticking clock, and it’s perfect for character development. 

In Men, In Black the Approach the Inmost Cave involves an interview with a character called Frank the Pug. Frank is a Pug breed of dog. He’s an alien in disguise. 

Frank knows important details about the conflict between the Arquillians and Edgar. This is one of the funnier scenes in an overall funny film. 

Read more about alliteration here… jk. 

Frank also gives J a vital clue to determine the location of the Arquillian’s galaxy. They also discover that the galaxy is an energy source and not an actual galaxy. 

Finally, we have the arrival of the Arquillian battleship come to destroy Earth. They give the MIB a warning. If the galaxy is not returned in one hour the will fire on the planet. So, we have a literal ticking clock. 

• Where and how will your hero slow down and regroup? 
• What information or resources will they need to go into the final battle? 
• How can you introduce some humor or character development into this section? 
• What kind of “ticking clock” will you introduce to increase the stakes of your final act? 

The Ordeal 

The Ordeal is about one thing, and that’s death. Your hero must go through a life-altering challenge. This will be a conflict where the hero faces their greatest fears. 

It’s essential that your audience feels as if the hero is really in danger. Make the audience question whether the hero will make it out alive. But, your story’s stakes may not be life or death, such as in a comedy or romance. 

In that case the death your character experiences will be symbolic. And, your audience will believe that there’s a chance the hero won’t achieve their goal. 

Through the ordeal, your hero will experience death whether that be real or symbolic. With this death, the hero will be reborn with greater powers or insight. Overall, the ordeal should be the point in which your character hits rock bottom. 

The Ordeal in Men In Black comes the moment when J and K confront Edgar at the site of the World’s Fair. In the confrontation with Edgar, K is eaten alive by Edgar. At this moment J is left alone to confront death. The audience is left to wonder if J can defeat Edgar on his own. 

Guided Questions 

• What death will your hero confront? 
• What does “rock bottom” mean for your character? 
• How will your hero be changed on the other side of this death event? 

Reward or Seizing the Sword

At this point in the story, your hero will earn some tangible treasure for all their trouble. This can be a physical treasure. In the context of the monomyth, this is often referred to as the elixir or sword. 

However, the reward can be inwardly focused. Your hero might discover hidden knowledge or insight that helps them vanquish their foe. Or, your hero can find their confidence or some self-actualization. This reward, whatever it is, is the thing that they will take with them. It is what they earn from all their hard-fought struggles. 

Once K is eaten J seems to be on his own with a massive alien cockroach. This is a pretty bad spot for the rookie agent. What’s worse is the Arquillian clock is still ticking. Edgar, the cockroach, is about to escape Earth, with the galaxy, sealing the planet’s fate. 

All seems lost until J claims his reward. In this case, that reward comes in the form of an insight J has about Edgar. Being a giant cockroach, J realizes that Edgar may have a weakness for his Earth-bound counterparts. So, J kicks out a dumpster and starts to smash all the scurrying bugs under his foot. 

J guesses correctly, and Edgar is momentarily distracted by J’s actions. Edgar climbs down from his ship to confront J. Agent K, who is still alive in Edgar’s stomach, can activate a gun, and blow Edgar in two.  J’s reward is the knowledge that he is no longer a rookie, and he is strong enough for this job. J also captures a physical treasure. After Edgar has exploded, J finds the galaxy which Edgar had swallowed earlier in the film. In this scene, both dramatic questions are answered. The MIB can save the world. And, J is strong enough for the MIB.  

• What reward will your hero win?
• A physical treasure, hidden knowledge, inner wisdom, or all of the above? 

The Road Back 

At this point, your hero has had some success in their quest and is close to returning to the ordinary world. Your hero has experienced a change from their time in the special world. This change might make your hero’s return difficult. Similar to when your hero crossed the threshold, your hero may need an event that forces them to return. 

The road back must be a dramatic turning point that heightens stakes and changes the direction of your story. This event will also re-establish the dramatic question of your story. This act may present a final challenge for your hero before they can return home. 

In Men In Black, the road backstage gets a little tricky. The film establishes that when J crosses the threshold he is not able to go back to the ordinary world. His entire identity is erased. Having J go back to his life as a detective would also undo his character growth and leave the audience feeling cheated. Luckily, the filmmakers work around this by having K return to the ordinary world rather than J. 

After Edgar is defeated, K tells J that he is retiring from the MIB and that J will step in as K’s replacement. The movie establishes early that agents can retire, but only after having their memory wiped. So, K asks J to wipe his memory so that he can return to a normal life. Once again, J has to grapple with the question of whether he is strong enough for this job. Can he bring himself to wipe K’s memory and lose his mentor forever? Can he fill K’s shoes as an MIB agent? 

• How will your hero have to recommit to their journey? 
• What event will push your hero through their final test? 
• What final test will your hero face before they return to the ordinary world? 

Resurrection 

This is the final act of your story. The hero will have one last glorious encounter with the forces that are set against them. This is the culminating event for your hero. Everything that has happened to your hero has prepared them for this moment. 

This can also be thought of as a rebirth for your hero. A moment when they shed all the things that have held them back throughout the story. The resurrection is when your hero applies all the things they’ve learned through their journey. 

The final moment can be a physical battle, or again, it can be metaphorical. This is also a moment when allies return to lend a last-minute hand. But, as with any ending of a story, you need to make sure your hero is the one who saves the day. 

So, here’s where things start to get a little clumsy. There are a couple of moments that could be a resurrection for our hero J. It could be the moment he faces off with Edgar. This is right before Edgar is killed. But, it’s K that pulls the trigger and kills Edgar. Based on our explanation J needs to be the one who saves the day. Maybe by stalling for time J is the one responsible for saving the day? It’s hard to say what the filmmakers’ intention was here. 

The second moment that could represent a resurrection for J might be when he wipes K’s memory. It is the final dramatic hurdle that J faces before he can become a true Man in Black. But, this moment doesn’t resolve the conflict of the film. 

Notice that the Hero’s Journey framework isn’t always followed to the letter by all storytellers. We’ll get back to this point at the end of the article. 

• What final challenge will your hero face? 
• How will your hero use the skills they’ve used to overcome their last challenge?
• How will your hero’s allies help save the day?  

Return with the Elixir

The ending of your story. Your hero returns to the ordinary world, but this time they carry with them the rewards earned during their journey. They may share these rewards with others who inhabit the ordinary world. But most important, is that you show that your hero has changed for the better. 

The elixir represents whatever your hero gained on their journey. Remember, the elixir can be an actual physical reward like a treasure. But, the elixir can also be a metaphorical prize like knowledge or a feeling of fulfillment.  This is a moment where your hero will return some sort of balance to the ordinary world. 

Be sure to show that the journey has had a permanent effect on your hero. 

In the final scene of the movie, we see that J has taken on a mentor role for Dr. Weaver, an MIB recruit now. He has physically changed- his clothes are more representative of his personality. This physical transformation is meant to show that J has fully embraced his new life and journey. No longer a rookie, J has stepped into his mentor, K’s, role. 

• How will you show that your character has changed from their journey? 
• What reward will they bring back to the ordinary world? 
• In what way will they change the ordinary world when they return? 

Should I Use the Hero’s Journey for My Story? 

This is a question you should ask yourself before embarking on your journey. The Monomyth works well as a framework. This is pretty obvious when you realize how many films have used it as a plotting device. 

But there’s a downside to the popularity of the Monomyth. And that’s that audiences are very familiar with the beats of this kind of story. Sure, they may not be able to describe each of the twelve sections in detail. But, audiences know, intuitively, what is going to happen in these stories. At the very least, audiences, or readers, know how these stories are going to end. 

This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. If your story is exciting, well-paced, and the stakes are high, people aren’t going to mind some predictability. But, if you want to shock your readers- 

(And if you’re interested in how to shock readers with a plot twist, click here. )

this might not be the best story structure. And, despite how popular it is, the hero’s journey ain’t the only game in town when it comes to story structure. And, you can always take artistic liberty with the Hero’s Journey. The fact that audiences are expecting certain beats means you have an opportunity to subvert expectations. 

You can skip parts of the hero’s journey if they don’t fit your plot. With my example, Men In Black it was difficult to fit the story neatly into the hero’s journey framework. This is because aspects of the movie, like the fact that it’s a buddy comedy, don’t always jive with a hero’s journey. Agent K has an important character arch, and so he ends up killing the villain rather than J. But, K’s arch isn’t at all a hero’s journey. 

The point is, don’t feel locked in by any single structure. Allow yourself some freedom to tell your story. If there’s no purpose to a resurrection stage in your story then skip it! No one is going to deduct your points. 

With that said, here are a few resources on the Hero’s Journey, and some alternate plot structures you’ll want to check out! 

This post contains affiliate links to products. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links

Further Reading on Plot Structure and the Hero’s Journey

If you’d like to learn more about the Hero’s Journey, or Monomyth, why not go straight to the source? The Hero With 1000 Faces is a collection of work written by Joseph Campbell. His version of the hero’s journey has 17 stages. This is less of a writing manual and more of an exploration of the evolution of myth and storytelling through the ages. 

The Seven Basic Plots , by Christopher Booker, is another academic study of storytelling by Christopher Booker. Booker identifies seven basic plots that all stories fit into. They are: 

• Overcoming the Monster
• Rags to Riches
• Voyage and Return

The Snowflake Method is a teaching tool designed by Randy Ingermanson that will take you through a step-by-step process of writing a novel. The Snowflake Method boils down the novel-writing process six-step process. You will start with a single sentence and with each step you build on that sentence until you have a full-fledged novel! If you’re love processes then pick up a copy of this book today.  

In The Writer’s Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers, Hollywood consultant, Christopher Vogler teaches writers how to use the Hero’s Journey to write riveting stories.

Resources: 

Wikipedia- Joseph Campbell

Wikipedia- Hero With 1000 Faces

Published by John

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6 comments on “A Complete Guide to The Hero’s Journey (or The Monomyth)”

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I don’t understand the use of all those pictures/graphics you threw in as I was reading. They were extremely distracting and seriously detracted from whatever message you were trying to convey.

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The Story of an Exploration Hero Who Has Worked His Way Up from Common People

Original title: モブから始まる探索英雄譚.

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Where does the story of an exploration hero who has worked his way up from common people rank today the justwatch daily streaming charts are calculated by user activity within the last 24 hours. this includes clicking on a streaming offer, adding a title to a watchlist, and marking a title as 'seen'. this includes data from ~1.3 million movie & tv show fans per day..

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The Story of an Exploration Hero Who Has Worked His Way Up from Common People is 818 on the JustWatch Daily Streaming Charts today. The TV show has moved down the charts by -72 places since yesterday. In the United States, it is currently more popular than Limitless but less popular than Happy Endings.

Meet Kaito Takagi, your typical high schooler with a low profile. He spends his days exploring dungeons in Japan, hunting slimes for some extra cash. On the side, he quietly admires his childhood friend, the popular girl in class. One day, a rare golden slime shows up, and after Kaito defeats it, he finds a super valuable item—a card that can summon mythical beings! He decides to use it and summons a stunning warrior maiden. Now, Kaito has a chance to rise above his ordinary explorer life. Get ready for a modern fantasy story filled with battles!

Streaming Charts The JustWatch Daily Streaming Charts are calculated by user activity within the last 24 hours. This includes clicking on a streaming offer, adding a title to a watchlist, and marking a title as 'seen'. This includes data from ~1.3 million movie & TV show fans per day.

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Den of Geek

The Shadow Savaged Its Comic Book Lore and That’s a Good Thing

In the 1990s, David Koepp did something that would be unthinkable today: he completely changed and reinvented the origin story of The Shadow. Modern filmmakers should be so bold.

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Deep within the wilderness of Tibet, a warlord called Ying Ko dominates the villagers and consolidates all power for himself. But one day, Ying Ko is captured by a holy man and taken to a mystical temple. The holy man dazzles Ying Ko with displays of magic, none more chilling than when he refers to the warlord, a white American, by his true name: Lamont Cranston.

For all the strange choices that director Russell Mulcahy and writer David Koepp make for their 1994 film The Shadow , the titular hero’s origin might be the best. After all, Koepp created this backstory for the Shadow’s all by himself, a bold move when bringing to life a character who has been around for 60 years. Imagine if Superman: The Movie began with Clark Kent getting dosed with wonder drugs instead of fleeing Krypton, or if 1989’s Batman said that Bruce Wayne’s parents raised him to strike fear in the hearts of men. Yet Koepp’s backstory revision gave The Shadow a clear backbone on which to build the rest of the movie, teaching later filmmakers a forgotten lesson they should learn to follow again.

Who Knows The Origin of The Shadow?

The true origin of the Shadow is much more complicated than even the Orientalist vision provided by Koepp and Mulcahy. The Shadow began life in 1930 as a narrator, a pitchman that publishers Street & Smith designed as the host for their radio show, Detective Story Hour . In each episode of the Detective Story Hour , the Shadow introduced listeners to a dramatized version of a tale previously published in Detective Story Magazine .

The show boosted sales for Street & Smith, but also garnered attention for stories about the Shadow himself. So the publisher went straight to work, enlisting Walter B. Gibson to write Shadow pulp novels under the pen name Maxwell Grant. Hundreds of Shadow novels and stories have been published over the years, most recently by hit author James Patterson and his associates.

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In 1937, the Shadow became the main character of his own radio show where initially a young Orson Welles performed the character. The radio show ran until 1957, much longer than the Shadow comic strip, which only lasted from 1940 to 1942. After appearing in a series of short films in 1931 and 1932, the Shadow starred in multiple serials released between 1937 and 1946, as well as a 1958 television pilot called Invisible Avenger .

In 1964, the Shadow moved to his new regular home, the world of comic books. Shadow comics have been produced fairly regularly since then by publishers such as Archie Comics , both DC and Marvel , and most recently Dynamite Comics .

Who Is the Shadow?

Like any other character who has jumped across media and reboots, the Shadow has a few different backstories. According to the most common origin, the Shadow is really Lamont Cranston, a rich playboy who fights crime as a dark avenger of the night (why, yes, Bill Finger did borrow from the Shadow when developing Batman). But before that, the Shadow was World War I pilot Kent Allard, who battles baddies after learning magic techniques from a hidden tribe.

So Cranston must just be a new secret identity that writers made for a Shadow reboot, right? No, at least not at first. Instead Lamont Cranston was a rich guy who looked a lot like Allard. After the Shadow saved Cranston’s life, Allard borrows Cranston’s identity to further his own ends. In other words, Kent Allard pretends to be Lamont Cranston who pretends to be the Shadow.

Confused? Well, it gets weirder. Sometimes, Allard takes the identity of businessman Henry Arnaud, another separate person that the Shadow rescued and happens to look like him. Sometimes, he’s a janitor called Fritz. Sometimes, he’s a criminologist called George Clarendon. To the surprise of no one, most of these extra identities and backstories get ignored, going for the simpler explanation in which the Shadow is Cranston and that’s all. But, also to the surprise of no one, writers occasionally try to incorporate all of the previous story elements in one way or another, including Garth Ennis ’s recent run for Dynamite.

Unclouding Men’s Minds

Although some earlier Shadow stories had Allard use the alias Ying Ko, none featured the origin that Koepp made for the 1994 film. Koepp’s backstory for the movie doesn’t just streamline the overly convoluted nature of the character. As he explained to MovieMaker Magazine back in 1994, Koepp sought to distinguish his movie from Batman by focusing on guilt instead of revenge.

The writer found his hook in the famous tagline from the radio show and the piercing question: “Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men?” The Shadow knows, according to Koepp, because “he was uncomfortably familiar with the evil in his own heart.” By making the Shadow a former warlord who did horrible things and now wants to improve the world with the techniques he used, Koepp’s story became one “of guilt and atonement.”

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Koepp is hardly the only writer to change up superheroes for their big screen adaptations. Sam Raimi didn’t want to waste time explaining how a broke teen like Peter Parker could invent web-hooters, so he made his webbing organic for Spider-Man . More recently, directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, along with a group of co-writers, changed the insanely twisty history of Carol Danvers to streamline it for Captain Marvel .

But every time someone makes these changes, some superfans complain, insisting that creators respect the comics. That’s why we’ve got Tom Holland’s Peter Parker making web-shooters and Wolverine back in yellow spandex.

To be sure, there’s something thrilling about seeing comic panels make it to the big screen, even this far into the superhero boom. But those reproductions only matter to the degree that the movies tell good stories with compelling themes around them (see: Zack Snyder’s Watchmen ). If superhero movies get too caught up in copying the comics to please literalist fans, then the stories suffer. They’ve failed to transfer the essence of why the character works to the advantages and limitations of the medium of film.

The Shadow isn’t a great movie. But it didn’t falter because of a convoluted backstory or lack of thematic relevance. Who knows what high expectations lurk in the hearts of fans? The Shadow knows, and modern superhero moviemakers should know it too.

Joe George | @jageorgeii

Joe George’s writing has appeared at Slate, Polygon, Tor.com, and elsewhere!

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After two decades as one of the most beloved and enduring musicals on the stage, Wicked makes its long-awaited journey to the big screen as a spectacular, generation-defining two-part cinema... Read all After two decades as one of the most beloved and enduring musicals on the stage, Wicked makes its long-awaited journey to the big screen as a spectacular, generation-defining two-part cinematic event this holiday season. After two decades as one of the most beloved and enduring musicals on the stage, Wicked makes its long-awaited journey to the big screen as a spectacular, generation-defining two-part cinematic event this holiday season.

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