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Escaflowne: Archetypes
The following was written by Vanessa A. Cox, and is reprinted here with her permission.
Archetype: Images people
create to explain that which is unexplainable. These images have been so
similar throughout various cultures that Carl Jung called it the Collective
Unconscious. There are three types of archetypes: character, situational,
and symbolic.
Character Archetypes
| Archetype | Character | Description |
| The Hero | Van Fanel | The Hero is a protagonist who's life is a series of well-marked adventures. The circumstances of his birth are unusual, and is raised by a guardian. He will have to leave his kingdom, only to return to it upon reaching manhood. |
| The Initiates | Van Fanel and Hitomi | The Initiates are young heroes or heroines who must go through some training and ceremony before undertaking their quest. |
| Mentor | Valgus | The mentor is a teacher to the initiates. They often serve as a father or mother figure. |
| Mentor-Pupil Relationship | Valgus and Van | In this relationship, the mentor teaches the pupil the necessary skills for surviving the quest. |
| Father- Son Conflict | Allen and Leon | In this relationship, the tension is built due to separation from childhood or some other source when the two meet as men. |
| Hunting Group of Companions | The crew of Crusader | These are loyal companions willing to face hardship and ordeal in order to stay together. |
| Loyal Retainers | Allen, Hitomi, and Merle | The retainer's duty is to reflect the nobility and power of the hero. |
| The Devil Figure | Dulando | This character is evil incarnate. |
| The Evil Figure with Ultimately Good Heart | Folken | A devil figure with the potential to be good. This person is usually saved by the love of the hero. |
| The Platonic Ideal/ Damsel in Distress | Hitomi | Platonic Ideal is a woman who is a source of inspiration to the hero, while the damsel in distress is a vulnerable woman who needs to be rescued by the hero. She is often used as a trap to ensnare the unsuspecting hero. |
Situational Archetypes
| Archetype | Situation | Description |
| The Quest | To defeat the Zaibach Empire | What the hero must accomplish in order to bring fertility back to the wasteland. |
| The Task | To return Hitomi to Earth | The nearly superhuman feat the hero must perform. |
| The Initiation | Destruction of Fanelia | The adolescent comes into his maturity with new awareness and problems. |
| The Journey | To warn other kingdoms about Zaibach | The journey sends the hero out to collect info or discover some truth that will help save his kingdom. |
| The Fall | Van loses his will to fight | The descent from a higher to a lower state of being. It is also the loss of innocence. |
| Nature vs. Mechanistic World | Gaea vs. Zaibach Empire | Nature is good while technology is evil. |
| The Unhealable Wound | Van's drive for vengeance | Either a physical or psychological wound that cannot be fully healed. The wound symbolizes a loss of innocence. |
| The Ritual | Van's coronation as king | The actual ceremonies the initiate experiences that will mark his rite of passage into another state. A clear sign of the character's role in his society |
| The Magic Weapon | Escaflowne | The weapon the hero needs in order to complete his quest. |
Symbolic Archetypes
| Archetype | Symbolism | Description |
| Supernatural Intervention | Van's mother and Hitomi's grandmother | Spiritual beings intervene on the side of the hero or sometimes against him. |