Fictional Characters With the INTJ Personality Type
Fictional Characters With the INTJ Personality Type
Screenwriters love a character who is highly intelligent, independent, and hard-working — which is why there are so many great INTJ fictional characters to choose from! INTJ characters' complex and often controversial nature make them captivating and engaging to watch.
These characters easily draw viewers in and make us wonder about their history and deeper feelings. Not emotionally expressive by nature, it can take time for an INTJ to give away these pieces of themselves.
Though, of course, not all INTJs are antagonists or villains, we often see fictional INTJs cast as such probably because villains typically have a well-thought-out master plan, and are always a step ahead of everyone, and must have an element of emotional detachment to execute their plan. INTJs' complicated nature leaves much of their motivations hidden – it’s easy to become hooked as we discover more and more throughout the course of a movie or series.
Here’s a look at five of the best complex and interesting INTJ fictional characters:
Gandalf - The Lord of the Rings
A complex individual throughout the Lord of the Rings series, Gandalf is a great example of an INTJ character who is a true-born leader with a master plan for the greater good. He is a skilled strategist, able to deduce information from many sources and organize it all into a cohesive plan.
An introvert at heart, though Gandalf is well-acquainted and respected throughout Middle Earth, he takes the role of an observer at events and spends time gathering and analyzing information. This trait, coupled with his immortality, explains his deep wisdom and highly intellectual nature.
Gandalf uses logic to delegate and spread knowledge but has little tolerance for incompetency and doesn’t hesitate to speak his mind. He is able to intuitively see others’ perspectives and view the bigger picture. Gandalf stops at nothing to fulfill his quest of defeating Sauron and the One Ring while helping his friends along the way.
Beth Harmon - The Queen’s Gambit
Throughout the main protagonist's lifespan, we see Beth’s tenacity and persistence -- from childhood to adulthood. She is single-minded in her long-term plan to be the best chess player there is.
This becomes evident when she learns Russian as a child to speak the language of her future World Championship opponents. Fiercely intelligent, Beth picks up the incredibly cerebral game of chess quickly and intuitively as a child.
Like many INTJ characters, over the course of her career, we see Beth having to overcome many internal emotional struggles. She fights to stay independent and dislikes letting anyone grow close to her.
She makes it through her adoptive mother’s funeral without crying but shows her emotional side by breaking down when she’s alone. Though cold and ruthless at times, Beth’s relatability and sheer determination make it impossible not to root for her success.
Severus Snape - Harry Potter
This controversial anti-hero is a good example of what an unhealthy INTJ can look like. We see Snape’s thirst and dedication to obtaining knowledge in his early life as a student, not just intensively learning everything but innovating and improving spells and potions.
Though certainly impressive, Snape’s high intellect, coupled with his self-obsessed nature, leads him to believe he is superior to others -- and he doesn’t hesitate to show it.
Snape treats his students with disdain, handing out harsh punishments and low grades for no good reason. Though, in the end, he does the right thing for Harry, his years of bullying and cruelty leave many refusing to believe he is a good person. His love for Lily contradicts his unfeeling and ruthless exterior, but this love doesn’t extend to anyone else and makes him paranoid and self-sabotaging in the long run.
Katniss Everdeen - The Hunger Games
A less obvious choice because of the environment she has been raised in, Katniss’ INTJ character traits are revealed over the course of the series. From the beginning, we see her dedication and expertise in survival, thinking ahead, and using all available resources to keep her family safe in a war-stricken world.
In the Hunger Games, Katniss quietly gathers information and uses it to her advantage, outsmarting other competitors and even the powerful players in the Capitol.
Though she keeps most at arm's length, she loves her friends and family fiercely- quite literally sacrificing herself for her little sister and risking death to save Peta. Her selectiveness when choosing who to let in becomes a major strength in a world where sabotage is rife, and people are hard to trust as it is.
Petyr Baelish “Littlefinger” - Game of Thrones
An extreme version of an emotionally distant INTJ character, Littlefinger’s whole life revolves around his professional aspirations. He has little time for relationships, and those he does have are for the sole purpose of political manipulation and maneuvering. Littlefinger treats people like pawns in a game, using information sources from his businesses to accrue intelligence and wealth.
His single-minded quest for power makes him ruthless to excess -- using threats, blackmail, and non-discerning assassination on anyone who gets in the way. To most, Littlefinger is not a likable or relatable character, but his detailed planning and determination are admirable.
These are just five of the most interesting characters in the film world, but there are many others that you’ll relate to if you’re an INTJ. While these characters can often be the anti-hero and come across as callous and uncaring, they have many admirable traits and make for an intriguing watch.
