A couple of months ago, I wrote the article “Myers-Briggs and Typing Fictional Characters” and had so much fun putting it together that I decided to try again.
As a quick reminder, remember that it’s not just E vs. I, S vs. N, T vs. F, or P vs. J when personality typing; cognitive functions are also extremely important. The Myers Briggs Foundation describes the 16 different types.
For the official professional test, go to www.mbtionline.com.
I thought selecting the fictional characters from the cult hit TV Show Chuck would be fun. If you haven’t seen it, here’s the official description of the series:
“When Chuck Bartowski opens an e-mail subliminally encoded with government secrets, he unwittingly downloads an entire server of sensitive data into his brain. Now, the fate of the world lies in the unlikely hands of a guy who works at a Buy More Electronics store.”
The show is satirical, funny, action-oriented, and, yes, even romantic, with the will-they-won’t-they relationship between Chuck and his handler Sarah. And with Adam Baldwin (Firefly) as his other handler, you can’t go wrong with this series.
If you are familiar with the series, however, you know that this show has one of the most unique cast of characters of any show out there. From the idealistic Chuck, whose “feelings” interfere with spy missions, to the mysterious Sarah with a secretive past to the group of underachieving losers working at Buy More, there is never a dull character.
Some of these characters were easier to type than others. Chuck, for instance, was quite obvious with his clear preference for Feeling and his optimistic viewpoint. Conversely, Lester and Jeff’s extremely unhealthy characters were harder to type because of their complete inability to act normal.
So, without further ado, here are the Myers Briggs Personality types of the characters from Chuck (at least as I interpreted them).
Chuck Bartowski: INFP – The Idealist
Chuck is one of the most obvious male INFPs I’ve ever seen with introverted feeling as his clear dominant function. Mix that with his extroverted intuition and optimistic view of the world, you’ve got a great example of this type.
Sarah Walker: ISFJ – The Nurturer (sometimes nicknamed as the Defender)
Because Sarah is a secretive character and guards her emotions and true self she’s harder to type; But as the series progressed she revealed more and more of herself. And the more the “real” Sarah showed up, the more obvious that her dominant function Si (Introverted Sensing) became.
She may appear cold on the surface and perhaps even T like, but in reality the fact that she always considers Chuck’s feelings reveals her own preference for “F.” Her T was an act. She’s loyal, protective and always there to defend Chuck.
John Casey: ISTJ – The Duty Fulfiller
He is almost an exaggerated version of this type; the dedicated soldier who will do whatever it takes to defend his country. He’s gruff, introverted, NEVER wants to share his emotions, but he’s also very loyal to his team. On top of that, Casey has a unique sarcastic sense of humor befitting the type.
Because his dominant function is also Si (like Sarah’s) it makes them dynamic partners in the field. With her auxiliary Fe (extraverted feeling) which helps her deal with people and social situations mixed with Casey’s auxiliary use of Te (extraverted thinking – which helps him with spy tactics), they can’t go wrong.
Morgan Grimes: ISFP – The Artist
With Introverted Feeling also being his dominant function like Chuck, they make the perfect best friends (or not, if you agree with Chuck’s sister Ellie). Morgan is an example of an unhealthy version of this type. He has artistic aspirations such as becoming a Benihana chef, but often finds it difficult to be motivated. But he is often a good friend. He’s loyal, caring and very feeling for those he’s close to. That said, he’s also very sensitive to criticism and often blames others for his problems when he enters into his self-absorbed ruts.
Ellie Bartowski: ESFJ – The Caregiver
Ellie is the embodiment of this type. As Chuck’s big sister, she is motherly, caring, affectionate and loves to uphold family traditions. But don’t mess with her; she’s got a little bit of a temper (as seen with her interactions with Devon, Chuck and Morgan). Her dominant function Fe (extraverted feeling) mixed with her auxiliary Si give her a warm personality, albeit a little high strung.
Devon ‘Captain Awesome’ Woodcomb: ESFP – The Performer
He’s a Doctor and an adventurer which at first glance make him seem more like an ESTP. But with a closer examination, he’s actually much more feeling than thinking; almost naïve in his reactions. Just look at the example of when he gave the irresponsible Morgan $2000 to get an apartment (who then spent it on a car).
Like a typical ESFP he loves to give advice especially to Chuck and Morgan who he thinks need to man up and grow up. Se (extraverted sensing) is the dominant function of the ESFP and clearly dominant in Devon or “Captain Awesome” as a character. He’s always doing. Not only that, physical appearance is very important to him and you can always find him running, doing pull ups or working up a sweat on the treadmill.
Lester Patel: ENFJ – The Giver
He is perhaps the most unhealthy example of this type EVER. Nonetheless, it seems to be the type that fits him best; almost like a satirical version of the type.
Despite his weird personality and underachieving status as a human being, he’s actually quite popular amongst most of the other workers at the Buy More. Like a geek dictator, he manipulates (a common trait in this type) the other workers to follow his every move; he even makes elaborate plans. He basically uses his charisma to get what he wants.
Jeff Barnes: ISTP – The Mechanic
A wizard at video games with expert hand eye coordination he understands how things work. But he’s also eccentric, strange and an extremely unhealthy version of this type. He says inappropriate things not realizing what is socially acceptable. He is very messed up mentally as a human being and extremely uncomplicated in his desires. (EDIT – I now believe him to be an INTP!)
Big Mike: ESTJ – The Guardian
He is without a doubt the guardian of Buy More Electronics. As lazy as he is, he loves to control others and tell them what to do. But when push comes to shove, no one is more loyal to the Buy More than him as seen when he came rushing back to the store from his Thanksgiving fishing expedition when the Buy More was “robbed,” tackling said robber to the ground.
Well that about sums up the typing of the main characters from Chuck.
Agree? Disagree? How would you type the characters of Chuck?
I attempt to type fictional characters using the Myers-Briggs Assessment. I base my choices on research and educated guessing (being the amateur I am). It’s all good fun, and I love a good discussion, so if you agree or disagree with my choices, let me know!
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MORE ROMANCE:
I love this. I love that you did Chuck. I was feeling a little blue, after discovering that I didn’t really relate to any INFP fictional characters the way my friends seemed to relate to their MBTI counterparts… And then I discovered this. And everything just clicked. I might be a woman, but Chuck and I have quite a few similarities, and this just makes sense.
And better yet, my significant other is an ISTJ, and we always joke around about how much like Casey he is.
You did a fantastic job with these!
Thank you! It was really, really fun to do. If it makes you feel better, I’m an INFP too and there are a lot of INFP characters I don’t quite relate to either. I think it may be because there are different types of INFPs out there that step out of that stereotyped zone! Anyway, I’m glad you enjoyed it. And thank you. 🙂
This is an interesting page. You did a great job. Although, I want to ask about Sarah. Did you consider any other types for her? I feel that she can be a mix and perhaps doesn’t have the optimism and outward warmth of an ISFJ. What are your thoughts?
This is so interesting! I agree with all of your points! I can’t help but laugh about Jeff and Lester…They really are so screwed up, scary people! But my, how they made me laugh. And I really think these characters are so, so unique. What other show can you find a leading, male character who is a genuine and undeniable INFP? Not to mention, what other show would you find a character like this that was half as lovable as Chuck? It’s incredible what they were able to do with his character. Same with Sarah and Casey, who gained so much depth throughout the series? Gosh. all of this is making me feel nostalgic. Guess I’ll have to go watch the show again! Thanks for this awesome post!
Thank you Anna! I appreciate your comment and thoughts. 🙂 Jeff and Lester were completely screwed up for sure! And yeah, it’s rare to see a male INFP on a show. The only other one I can think of off the top of my head is Fitz in Agents of Shield. But yeah, I completely agree. These were all great characters!