Rebel Archetypes

What is the Rebel archetype? The Rebel archetype is someone who is rebellious and inspires others to seek rebellion. They are a maverick who goes against the grain and embodies the spirit of an outsider. They rise up against convention and overthrow the status quo. They are a misfit who doesn’t fit into the conventional archetype and often inspire others to do the same. The rebel archetype is often seen in people like Martin Luther King Jr., who dedicated their lives to fighting for change. The child archetype is also a rebel, as they often challenge authority and question convention. The rebel is someone who stands up for what they believe in, even if it means going against the grain.

The rebel archetype is one who is unconventional and often seen as an outlaw. They may embody the people’s lives and fight for what is right, even if it goes against the grain. The shadow of the rebel is one who is rich and gives to the poor. They may be examples of this archetype, but the archetypal rebel is always defiant and unconscious of reform. They may wrong the collective by their corruption, but they give to those in need.

The Rebel archetype is one of the 12 original Jungian archetypes. Like many others, it was originally identified by Carl Jung.

This archetype is one that is often associated almost equally with both light and darkness. It is considered fun and energetic, but at the same time, it has a sense of negativity associated with it. Some people want to be Rebels; others think Rebels are one of the lower rungs of society.

With so many mixed feelings about the Rebel archetype, it may be difficult to identify with this categorization. However, if you find yourself leaning more and more toward the Rebel archetype, you’re not alone. This is a common archetype, and Rebels come in all sorts of shapes and sizes.

Take a look at the article below to find out some more detailed information regarding the Rebel archetype. You’ll be able to determine whether or not you think this archetype relates to your life, and you’ll also be able to use this article to analyze your favorite fictional characters or even other real people, too.

With this information, you’ll be ready to understand what makes up the Rebel archetype. Read on to find out more.

Rebel Details

Below, you’ll find helpful details regarding the Rebel archetype. If you find yourself fitting into more of these than you don’t, it may be time to consider whether or not this archetype is right for you.

Variations

• Noble Rebel: This Rebel chooses a social justice issue to care about and then fights against the problem with everything they have in themselves. Real-life examples of this Rebel may sadly end up hurt or even killed because of their commitment to their causes, beliefs, and goals.
• Anarchist Rebel: This Rebel may be aggressive, violent, or even perform criminal acts, but their results are always definitely noticed. In fiction, this type of Rebel tends to be labeled as a terrorist, whether that is rightly so or not.
• Civil Rebel: This Rebel stays quiet and operates behind the scenes, but still strives to make changes in society and—more frequently—in government. This Rebel may have a lot of skills (tech or otherwise) that make it easier for them to do what they do without being noticed. Hackers, protestors and other similar Rebels fit into this category.

Objective:

• To do things their way and to fight against conformity whenever possible. The Rebel cares about injustice and feels that injustice and conformity tend to go hand-in-hand.

Desires:

• Rebels like to make waves and be noticed, and they like to see results when they do this.
• The Rebel fights for change and, in fact, is driven by the need for change. This may refer to change in human rights, or it might be on a smaller scale. Even those who fight to change the way things are done at work can be considered a Rebel in some instances.

Goals:

• The Rebel wants to showcase their passion for their cause on a noticeable scale.
• The Rebel wants to act first and think about it later, although some of their plans may actually be better thought out than they appear on the surface.
• Rebels like making noise, whether literally or metaphorically, and want to help themselves and others.

Strengths:

• Strong Rebels care about injustice and inequality, and they fight back and speak up about it whenever they see it happening. Most have a specific cause, but others may care about many causes across the board.
• Rebels can easily think outside the box and come up with unique, varying ways to handle problems, whether on their own or part of the team.
• The Rebel is generally creative and open-minded, willing to listen to others while simultaneously expressing themselves in a wide variety of different ways.

Weaknesses:

• Rebels tend to make their own rules, and sometimes this causes a lot of dissent when they are part of a group. They may have trouble working for long periods of time with team members because of this.
• Rebels don’t easily develop bonds or trust with others, and may go through life without any very serious connections or deep, lasting friendships. Making these kinds of connections requires a lot more work from the Rebel than it does from some other archetypes.
• The Rebel is very risky and can make dangerous decisions that may harm themselves as well as those around them.

Qualities:

• The Rebel is an independent, free spirit who does things on their own time, their own way, by their own rules. They can’t be held down by anyone.
• Rebels always have at least one cause to fight for. That cause may be personal or it may be societal, but the Rebel is often driven by that cause and makes many of their decisions revolving around it.
• The Rebel is usually on the front lines of forward-thinking, fresh, modern ideas. They may not realize it, but their ideas can sometimes shape how things are done for years to come.

Conclusion

The Rebel archetype is a unique one, and it’s driven by deep thinking and a sense of righteousness (even when that sense is sometimes misguided). As you can see from the information above, the Rebel archetype may take many forms, and none of this is inherently better or worse than the next. With that said, however, there are some Rebel archetypes that may cause more harm than good in the long run because of an overabundance of the Shadow present within them.

Understanding how the Rebel archetype relates to your life can be easier when you have some examples, both from fiction and from real life, to fall back on.

Check out these examples of the Rebel archetype:

• Miley Cyrus: Fighting back against her father’s wishes and what society thought she should be, Miley Cyrus made a name for herself on her own terms.
• James Dean: James Dean rocked the Rebel look and attitude, and presented himself as a troublemaker with good intentions.
• Robin Hood of legend: Going against the status quo, Robin Hood famously stole from the rich and redistributed their wealth to those who needed it more.
• Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games: Katniss started an entire revolution on her own, landing her squarely into the Rebel category.
• John Bender from the Breakfast Club: Also a Loner archetype, Bender falls into the Rebel category because he rallies against society’s expectations.

By keeping in mind the examples from the short list above, you’ll be better able to determine which fictional characters and real people fall into this archetype. You’ll also be able to tell whether or not this archetype is the right category for you.

Do you feel like you’re a Rebel? What leads you to make that decision? Do you sometimes wish you could be a Rebel, but haven’t made the jump toward actually acting on that just yet? Ask yourself these questions as you focus on the Rebel archetype and dive deeper into your psyche.

ADDITIONAL RESEARCH:

https://knowyourarchetypes.com/rebel-archetype/
https://susannabarlow.com/on-archetypes/understanding-the-rebel-archetype/