The hero's journey is THE screenwriting template. With it screenwriters can build effective stories from the ground up. Consider this, ALL of the Academy Award Winner Best Films of the last thirty years have used it as a template. There are at least 188 stages to the hero's journey and more than thirty archetypes.
Two of the archetypes that most frequently appear in the hero's journey are a) the supernatural aid and b) the shape shifter.
The Supernatural Aid:
The supernatural aid has many functions. He is often, but not always, a decrepit old man that does not appear to be powerful. In Million Dollar Baby (Academy Award Winner Best Film 2004), it is Morgan Freeman as Eddie Scrap-Iron Dupris. In Gladiator (Academy Award Winner Best Film 2000) it is Proximo - the Old Gladiator who fought in Rome until Marcus Aurelius set him free - and of course it is Ben Kenobi in Star Wars and Yoda in Empire Strikes Back. In The Big Lebowski (1998) it is Sam Elliot as The Stranger.
But the aim of the Supernatural Aid is to guide and in Raging Bull (1980), it is not an aged old man but a voluptuous and alluring young female in the shape of Vickie. Vickie’s purpose is to tempt the hero (Jake La Motta) into the adventure. Jake does not resist - unlike a hero, the anti-hero easily succumbs to temptations as opposed to avoiding them.
It is not unusual to have multiple mentors (supernatural aids), one for the push from the Ordinary World to the First Threshold and another to help through the Transition (Road of Trials). In Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), Indy has Marcus and Sallah. In Dances with Wolves (1990), John Dunbar is sent to the frontier by the General and then led through the transformation by Kicking Bird. In Gladiator (2000), Maximus’ journey is triggered by Marcus Aurelius whilst Proximo provides the gladiator training. [Often the first Mentor doubles as the Herald].
The Shape Shifter:
The Shape Shifter – the character that switches sides - also has quite a few functions. Unlike the Supernatural Aid, the Shape Shifter has no common form: Joey in Raging Bull (1980), Belloq in Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), Mirage in The Incredibles (2004).
One function if the Shape Shifter is to compete with and obstruct the hero's conquest of his Romantic Challenge – which usually results in a Shape Shifter / Romantic Challenge sequence. In The Matrix (1999), Cypher tells Trinity that he loved her and in Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), Belloq buys Marion a dress, opens a bottle of wine and tempts her.
The detailed, complete deconstruction and the Complete 188 stage Hero’s Journey and FREE 17 stage sample and other story structure templates can be found at
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Kal Bishop, MBA
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Kal Bishop is a management consultant based in London, UK. His specialities include Knowledge Management and Creativity and Innovation Management. He has consulted in the visual media and software industries and for clients such as Toshiba and Transport for London. He has led Improv, creativity and innovation workshops, exhibited artwork in San Francisco, Los Angeles and London and written a number of screenplays. He is a passionate traveller. He can be reached at
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