The Ultimate Hero's Journey
Page 2
Related:
030 – The Goddess
038 – The Herald
046 – The Mentor
004 – The Hero’s Anonymity
Nobody recognizes the Hero.
Description:
The Hero lives off the dark side’s radar. His surrogate home is located in suburbia or some other remote place.
The Mentor is the only one who knows about the One (or will soon, thanks to some special mark—see stage010).
Recurring motif: The number one, a symbol of the Hero being the One—a role he will step into as soon as he stops living in hiding.
Examples:
Star Wars: Luke lives in Tatooine, a planet on the outer rim of the galaxy. During his first scene the word “one” is said no less than eight times.
The Matrix: Neo—whose name is an anagram of “one”—lives in a suburban one-room apartment (which says “101” on the door).
Harry Potter: Harry lives in a suburban house, in a generic neighborhood. Today is his cousin’s eleventh birthday. Harry himself is almost eleven, too.
Sideways: Miles lives in a suburban house in Los Angeles. It is almost 11 o’clock.
Dodgeball:Peter lives in a suburban house in Los Angeles, too. The rule about the number one is changed for the number five, instead: It’s 5 minutes to noon, there are 5 messages in the answering machine, his water supply will be cut at 5:00 p.m., and the DVDs he rented (among them,Backdoor Patrol 5) are overdue. But note this: The Hero plus five friends are what’s needed to formone winning dodgeball team.
Related:
010 – The Sign of the One
005 – The Hero’s Talent
We get to see a token of the Hero’s superpower.
Description:
The Hero’s talent is not necessarily a superpower, of course. But the Hero must have some ability that no one else has. Such talent, however, is still untrained, intuitive, and impulsive.
In this stage we see the other side of the coin, too: The Hero’s Weakness (stage 026). so the audience can empathize with the Hero, because of both his remarkable talent and his human flaw.
The Hero’s story is bound to that of the Villain: They are basically the same guy, only on opposite sides of the theme (009 – Mutual Creation).
Examples:
Star Wars: Luke Skywalker is a hard-working, kind, and courageous young man. He is an outstanding pilot, too. However, he’s also a little too self-confident, which gets him in trouble. Anakin Skywalker (Darth Vader) was like that, too.
The Matrix:Neo’s talent is bound to his very existence: Heis The One. But he is skeptical, too, and clueless about what’s going on in the world—if such a thing exists.
Harry Potter: Harry can talk to snakes and make things disappear. Harry’s weakness is his cluelessness about his family, about magic, and about himself. Tom Riddle (Voldemort) was exactly like that, too.
Sideways:Miles is a writer and a teacher; he is very good with words. He solves theNew York Times crossword puzzle while driving, which is very irresponsible.
Dodgeball: Everybody likes Peter La Fleur; he is good with people. But he is also indolent.
Related:
011 – The Hero’s Immaturity; 026 – The Hero’s Weakness
006 – Foreshadowing
You have to put the gun in the mantelpiece before
it can go off in chapter sixteen.
Description:
Look for essential details of your story and then plant some elements of anticipation like artifacts, people, or situations.
Strive to include every element at least twice, and with purpose. Declutter your prose by removing unimportant bits. Make your foreshadowing subtle, almost subliminal.
Examples:
Star Wars: Anakin gets his arm cut off by Count Dooku; from then on, he uses a robotic arm that foreshadows his transformation into Vader. Then Luke also gets his arm cut off in a lightsaber duel, and a robotic hand replaces it. Will he also become a Sith Lord, or will he stay true to the light side? That’s the essential dilemma Luke faces.
The Matrix: Neo arrives late at work. His boss tells him, “You believe that you are special, that somehow the rules do not apply to you. The time has come to make a choice, Mr. Anderson.” And the story is about The One, for whom the rules don’t apply and who fights the Machines’ domination precisely through choice.
Let me include here an example from a different movie:Raiders of the Lost Ark.In the first act, Indiana Jones escapes the indigenous warriors in the jungle, but when he gets in his plane there’s a big snake inside the cockpit. Hehates snakes. In the second act, he is thrown into an Egyptian chamber. And what’s down there? Not one, but hundreds of the most venomous snakes in the world, of course. (By the way, that’s one of the many snake symbolisms in that movie).
Related:
084 – Snake Symbolism.
007 – The Surrogate Parents
The Hero lives in an ordinary home.
Description:
The surrogate family may be good people, but they represent the Ordinary World, which contrasts with the Hero’s prodigious capacities. They deny the Hero’s true origin and press the Hero not to follow destiny.
Examples:
Star Wars: The harvest is all Uncle Owen cares about. He needs Luke’s help for just another year. Last year he said the same thing, of course.
The Matrix: Neo doesn’t have a surrogate family, just a boss who orders him to arrive at work on time.
Harry Potter: The Dursleys are the epitome of suburban mediocrity. They deny the magic world, repress that nature in Harry, and they call Harry’s parents “freaks”—or worse.
Sideways: Jack is an actor, but Mike Erganian, his future father-in-law, wants him to work in the real-estate business.
Dodgeball: The role of the Surrogate Parent in this case is performed by Gordon’s mail-order wife—she is the surrogate parent to Gordon children. She hates and humiliates Gordon.
Related:
008 – It’s a Hard-Knock Life
021 – Stuck in the Ordinary World
032 – Resistance to the Separation
008 – It’s a Hard-Knock Life
The Hero follows a mundane but strenuous routine.
Description:
Willing heroes (like Luke Skywalker) live well under their capacities; unwilling heroes (like Neo or Harry) are pretty much treated like slaves.
Soon, the Hero will be called to something bigger than this. Despite the terrible ordeals in store, the Adventure World will ultimately be a path to freedom.
Examples:
Star Wars: Luke receives orders from both his uncle and aunt (“Clean the droids,” “Look for one that speaks Bocce,” etc.)
The Matrix:“You are a slave, Neo,” Morpheus will tell him. Neo lives in a prison he cannot see, smell, or touch: A simulation of what he believes is the real world.
Harry Potter:“Just cook the breakfast, and try not to burn anything,” Aunt Petunia tells Harry. He is treated almost like a slave.
Sideways: Miles is told to move the car from the entrance of his condo so the painters can work.
Dodgeball: Jason is bullied, Gordon is abused by his wife, Steve is crazy, and Owen can’t find a girlfriend. They will all find redemption in the Adventure World.
Related:
007 – The Surrogate Parents
020 – The Hero’s Day Job
021 – Stuck in the Ordinary World
032 – Resistance to the Separation
009 – Mutual Creation
Hero and Villain are two sides of the same coin,
both opposing and complementary.
Description:
The Hero and the Villain share a common origin. They became what they are because of their actions and, even more importantly, their interactions. In particular, they cannot eliminate the other without destroying themselves (literally or otherwise).
This stage is tricky to place in a story; in long movies s
agas it is usually left for the second part.
Examples:
Star Wars: Anakin and Padmé had Luke; but as far as Anakin (Vader) knows, his son and Padmé died in childbirth—which is why Anakin turned to the Dark Side.
The Matrix: Humans created the Machines, and the Machines created Neo, a human, to solve the inherent imbalance in The Matrix. Both sides are mutually dependent.
Harry Potter: Harry’s resilience against Voldemort was created by the Dark Lord’s killing curse that bounced on Lily Potter. If Voldemort kills Harry, he kills himself, and vice versa.
Bonus Example:
Batman (1989): This movie offers a classic example. The Joker’s persona emerges when Jack Napier falls in a tank full of chemicals during a fight against Batman. Conversely, Batman’s persona emerges from Bruce Wayne’s trauma: His parents where killed years before, in a dark alley, by... Jack Napier.
Related:
025 – The Hero’s Ghost
048 – Historic Battle
010 – The Sign of the One
The Hero is recognized by a symbol he carries.
Description:
The Sign of the One is the way the Mentor recognizes the Hero.
It can be a tattoo, like inThe Fifth Element,The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, orPopeye(1980). It can be a real scar, like in Harry Potter, or a metaphorical one, like in Dexter. Sometimes it can be an extraordinary ability, like Frodo’s resilience to the power of the Ring.
In this stage the sign is only seen by the Hero (in a mirror, for example), or it’s noticed by someone else but in a private situation. The sign usually remains concealed for other people.
Examples:
Star Wars: Luke’s mark is his name: Skywalker. Obi-Wan knows it too well, because he was there when Luke was born.
The Matrix:Neo’s mark is invisible: His digital code. Morpheus justknows Neo is The One.
Harry Potter: Harry is famous for his scar, which is usually covered by the hair falling on his forehead. He shows the scar to Ron when they are alone in the train compartment.
Sideways: No signs of the One, here. These are totally normal people.
Dodgeball: The Average Joe’s team is formed by the most average guys ever. No signs of the One here, either.
Related:
049 – The Prophecy Is Shared
050 – The Prophecy Is Incomplete
011 – The Hero’s Immaturity
The Hero has a lot of room for improvement.
Description:
The Hero hasn’t yet integrated the special power. It is either repressed, ignored, or resented.
We get to see a display of that power, but it’s associated to some shortcoming, which is in turn a consequence of the Hero’s Weakness.
Examples:
Star Wars: Luke bravely scouts and fights the Sand People; he gets his butt handed to him, though.
The Matrix:Neo is recognized by the Oracle as cuter than she thought but “not as bright, though.”
Harry Potter: Harry speaks with snakes, but he doesn’t even realize he is speaking in Parseltongue. He doesn’t even recognize his own magic powers.
Sideways:Miles is good with words, but he uses them to lie, make excuses, and avoid conflict (see stage015 – Cheating to Get By).
Dodgeball: Peter is so lazy that he hasn’t collected any gym membership fees in thirteen months. He is the natural leader of his group, but he’s also totally disinterested in the role—or any role, for that matter.
Related:
005 – The Hero’s Talent
012 – The Hero’s Ignorance
026 – The Hero’s Weakness
012 – The Hero’s Ignorance
Destiny awaits, but the Hero has no idea where to start.
Description:
The Hero is trapped in a grim routine (solitude, job dissatisfaction, hardships) in a world that’s totally unsympathetic to that situation. No authorities, elders, or anyone else can solve the problem, because the problem is systemic.
This is not a “fish out of water” feeling, because the Hero has already adapted to the Ordinary World; what the Hero feels is a lack of purpose.
Examples:
Star Wars: Luke’s days are wasted as a farmer. He wants to contact the Rebellion, but he doesn’t know how. His Uncle pressures him to keep up with his routine.
The Matrix: Neo’s days are wasted away as a corporate employee. He knows that something is wrong with the world, but he doesn’t know what it is. His boss pressures him to keep up with his routine.
Harry Potter: Harry’s life is wasting away in Little Whinging. Poor Harry—he knows nothing about anything.
Dodgeball: Peter’s life is an ode to laziness. Why have any dreams if you can fail to achieve them?
Related:
005 – The Hero’s Talent
011 – The Hero’s Immaturity
026 – The Hero’s Weakness
013 – The Mentor Awaits
When the student is ready, the teacher will
show up—but not just yet.
Description:
The Mentor watches both the problem with the world (the Villain) and its solution (the Hero), but always from a distance.
Sometimes the one watching is the Herald—a character that will guide the Hero to the meeting with the Mentor.
The meeting between the Mentor and the Hero will only happen when the Hero is mature enough for the call and when the Villain is looking elsewhere.
Examples:
Star Wars: It’s no coincidence that Ben Kenobi lives around the corner from Luke. The old Jedi master hid the boy from Vader and stayed not far away from the farm, waiting for the right moment.
The Matrix: Neo spends his nights looking for Morpheus, but Morpheus spent his entire life looking for The One. Trinity, a Goddess acting as Herald for now, watches him, waiting for the right moment to make contact.
Harry Potter:Dumbledore will send Harry the invitation to attend Hogwarts as soon as Harry is eleven. Until then, the boy must remain anonymous (stage004 – The Hero’s Anonymity).
Sideways:“I was beginning to think it was never going to happen,” Miles says about the wine trip he and Jack are about to start.
Dodgeball: Patches O’Houlihan observes events from a corner of a restaurant. He has to wait until White Goodman has left.
Related:
046 – The Mentor
047 – Quick Introductions
014 – The World in Decline
“Alternative Facts”
Description:
Winter arrives, poverty ensues, and disease spreads. The powers in place impose a fake, superficial order, but the world is not a nice place anymore.
The masses buy the Villain’s lies. Or they don’t, but only a few dare to oppose him.
Examples:
Star Wars: The Empire extends its grip to more and more systems across the galaxy with its terror tactics—all in the name of keeping the peace and fighting the separatists.
The Matrix: The world itself is a lie, a computer simulation designed to keep humanity under control.
Harry Potter: A nightmare is taking shape in the magic world, but the Ministry of Magic insists on denying Voldemort’s return.
Sideways: “It’s like a total nightmare,” Miles says. “There’s been all this work going on at my building, and I had a bunch of stuff to deal with this morning.” It seems that at least the world around him is in decline.
Dodgeball: The Globo Gym TV advertisement is a parade of superficiality and vanity.
Related:
019 – Selfishness Is on the Rise
035 – The Villain’s Dominion
087 – World under Surveillance
015 – Cheating to Get By
The immature Hero deals with the Ordinary World the easy way.
Description:
Tricks and cheats help the Hero deal with some day-to-day problems. But such strategy will only take you so far.
Exampl
es:
Star Wars: Luke lies to his aunt and leaves saying he had things to do; actually, he went after R2D2, who escaped in search for Obi-Wan.
The Matrix: Neo makes money on the side by trafficking illegal digital experiences. “You are my savior, man, my own personal Jesus Christ,” says one of his customers.
Harry Potter: Harry’s magical powers manifest when he is angry or scared. Magic is not allowed in the muggle world, but he doesn’t know that.
Sideways: Miles tells Jack that he’s already on his way, but he hasn’t even flossed, yet.
Dodgeball: Peter always takes the easiest path—if at all.
Bonus Example:
Star Trek(2009): This movie offers a classic example of this stage: The infamous Kobayashi Maru test. Cadet James T. Kirk passes by altering the test’s no-win-scenario settings. Doing so, he fails to comprehend the lesson that self-sacrifice is expected from Federation captains. That scene foreshadows stage181 – Atonement; his father died as a captain and a Hero, and Jim Kirk will face the same situation.
Related:
014 – The World in Decline
019 – Selfishness Is on the Rise
022 – The Hero’s Goal
016 – The Mentor’s Knowledge
The Mentor sees a problem with the world,
a problem that everyone else ignores.
Description:
The Mentor’s knowledge compensates for the Hero’s Ignorance. But the Mentor hasn’t even been formally introduced, yet. So this stage is usually shown metaphorically, for example by separating the Mentor from the decadence of the Ordinary World.
Examples:
Star Wars: Obi-Wan lives as a hermit—i.e., separated from everything else. He knows about Luke and Leia and how they can defeat the Empire.
The Matrix: Morpheus knows the truth about the world. He lives in the real world, not connected to the Matrix.
Harry Potter: Dumbledore knows that Voldemort is back and that Harry is the only hope against the rise of evil. The old wizard spends most of his time alone in his office.