Archetypes In Movies – The Warrior

In Hollywood movies, the warrior boasts immense physical strength, which he uses to protect the society he lives in. Unwavering in the face of immense danger, the warrior can lay down his life for the people under his care. He knows no fear or failure. His traits include patience and persistence in the face of great adversity.

Fighting for more than just his own needs, the warrior is typically noble. The warrior not only possesses great strength, but he could also have intelligence and other types of skills. He uses this talent to help out those in need and are loyal to a cause. 

The path of the warrior

To amass his prowess, the warrior will spend a great amount of time training during his plot journey. He may not always start out as the expert. And like Obi Wan to Luke, a mentor character might be needed to complete the warrior’s character development. 

He gets better from the challenges he encounters along the way. The warrior gains the skills and confidence to resolve the greater conflict, whether it’s man vs. man or man vs. society.

To execute his warrior duties, the warrior is often placed in a position that allows him to serve others in life-saving situations. Common career options for the archetype include policing, medicine, firefighting, and military service.  

While intentions are good, the archetypal warrior can be blind to more peaceful ways of resolving conflicts. His obsession with training can also put a strain on his family life.

Nonetheless, the warrior is a symbol of selflessness and bravery although he may not always be the good guy in a story. 

These popular warrior examples from movies uncover more about the role 👉

3 warrior examples from modern cinema

The warrior king who laid down his life for Greece in 300

Set in 479 B.C, the 300 follows the Spartan kingdom in their resistance of the all-conquering Persian army. The film starts out uncovering the tough childhood of King Leonidas. 

We see the training he endures from an early age that turns him into the warrior he is today. He spends nights out in the winter cold, scavenging for food, battling bigger opponents, and even taking on demonic wolves.

Years of fighting are depicted through a montage, molding him into a formidably wise and combat-familiar king.

The Spartan king

Like all great warrior archetypes, Leonidas faces a threat that has vanquished the majority that stood up to it. We learn this when Xerxes, the antagonist, and self-proclaimed “god-king,” sends a messenger beckoning Sparta for its surrender. 

The Persian messenger brings the treasures of fallen kings to the city to illustrate Xerxes’ immense power and how he obliterates everything in his way. Nobly defiant and fearless like the warrior he is, Leonidas refuses to surrender, challenging an army that vastly outnumbers his own.

The king defies the seers’ warnings that the Spartan army not go to war during the Carneia, a special tribal festival. He fakes a leisurely trip with 300 men as his “personal guard.” King Leonidas and the 300 eventually end up fighting hordes, successfully taking down thousands before they fall. 

The king fought for his countrymen, knowing that his death would rally Sparta and all of Greece against Xerxes. By showing others that the threat wasn’t unbeatable, Leonidas inspires courage and the hope for a better tomorrow. He is a true warrior in every sense of the word. 

The alien warriors in the Predator movies 

A warrior doesn’t have to be a man, and a war isn’t always involved. The predator exhibits certain traits that paint him as an intergalactic warrior in the movies. They are brave and fearless, never backing down from a fight even when greatly outmatched. 

The alien species in the Predator is a warrior race that takes pride in honorable combat. Ignoring the fact that they use humans as bait and kill for sport, the yautja (predator) is as noble a warrior as they come.

Sure weaker species feature in their coming-of-age contests but compared to the typical deer hunter, they fight quite fairly.

The extraterrestrial soldier

The predator rarely takes on an unarmed combatant, and mostly retaliates only when it feels threatened. In which case, it doesn’t back down until the threat is eliminated. Every problem is resolved through violence or not at all, like the naïve archetypal warrior that they are. 

Their honor in combat is however unquestionable and that is what truly sets them apart and earns them the warrior tag. Like the title demands, the predator also keeps “trophies” of his opponents to commemorate his victories.

To the predator, life’s most valued aspect is battle. It is a treasured part of their heritage and every warrior upholds this long standing tradition. 

They live for it, training their whole lives to be the best warriors they can be. So honorable they are that they are even courteous in defeat, recognizing a worthy opponent. Albeit before triggering a self-destruct sequence to avoid capture. 

Diana in the Wonder Woman movies 

Princess Diana from Wonder Woman is a classic warrior archetype. Her early life is built upon the foundations of battle.

Set to inherit the kingdom and the Amazon army, Diana cuts her teeth with rigorous training which she started as soon as she was able to walk. 

We get a glimpse of that part of the warrior’s journey in 2020’s success Wonder Woman 1984. Diana takes part in the Amazons’ version of the Olympics, beating opponents twice her age in various tasks. She is unmoved by the size and experience of her opponents, diving headstrong into challenges.

The warrior queen

The warrior typically fights for a greater cause than themselves. Princess Diana trains to not only serve her people as queen but also uphold their obligation as guardians of the world.

The tribe is charged with defending the realms from the god of war, Ares, and they led their lives preparing for this moment. Diana fights to protect her friends as well as save the planet in 2017’s Wonder Woman.

Her empathy and devotion to keeping others safe see Diana battle all sorts of foes during her two-movie journey so far. She sacrifices love and more for the good of others, standing up and fighting for those who can’t do it for themselves.

Diana is fierce on the battleground and oozes unmatched inner strength too.