saw your 13 shark stereotypes post and that reminded me that uh. tvtropes has a trope for "animal occupation stereotypes" and i looked at the shark section and.
yeah this ain't good. but also i'm struggling to think of any fitting alternatives other than
bus/tram/train driver (remoras as passengers)
spies (electroception would be very op for detecing things like listening devices)
olympic swimmers (no swim bladder -> they have to swim forever -> olympics winning swimming muscles)
Your ideas make sense and are really fun hehe
For me, the main archetype of sharks is that of Guardian, Sentinel, or Protector. They are agents that maintain the balance of the ocean. So I never saw the point when they are used to represent “corruption” (human corruption).
For fantasy ideas, I think:
A patron deity to whom other smaller fish make offerings or prayers, who acts neutrally and can act benevolently or ferociously when necessary.
Guardians of very ancient temples or libraries, symbolizing how old sharks are.
Based on their physical strength, they could be Knights, Warriors, or Monks. They use their own teeth to make their own weapons.
Based on their seven senses, they could be Sorcerers, Wizards, or Alchemists. They use their electro-reception to their advantage for magic spells.
I once thought of an RPG character who was an oceanic white tip shark “Necromancer Druid” who summoned ghost pilot fish killed by fishermen to accompany and help him in battle. He could also summon ghosts of prehistoric fish.
For modern ideas, I think:
Related to the marine theme, they could be ship captains, sailors, fishermen, lifeguards.
Because of their strength, they could be engineers, fighters, boat builders, someone who is there to protect you.
Because of their curiosity and keen senses, they could be scientists, explorers, teachers, and biologists who teach about marine life.
Their personality is always described as “insatiably hungry and manipulative,” but for me, their main characteristics should be curiosity, caution, and sensitivity.
Personally, I feel that sharks also fit the representation of neurodivergence, especially in terms of being misunderstood and appearing “antisocial.”
I feel like it's that “distant” character who seems threatening and quiet, but if you offer security, they would open up and talk about their hyperfocus enthusiastically! I think they would be like cats, maybe? Hehe.
Because they are very sensitive, they probably suffer from sensory overload, are very anxious, hyperactive, or easily frightened. But they can also hear your gossip from afar, they will know if you talk badly about them behind their backs! hehe
Their electro-reception can evolve to feel the emotions of others, which is what I am exploring with my character Roberto, he is able to interpret the emotions of others through his Lorenzini ampullae, something I call “Electro-Empathy”.
Of the negative aspects I observe in sharks, what comes to mind that could be explored is: selfishness, excessive anger, possessiveness, territorialism, extreme shyness, heightened sensitivity, impatience, trauma caused by past violence, instability caused by internal pain (symbolic or literally a stuck hook).
But that's it, it's just my personal vision anyway. I think we need more creativity when thinking about shark characters. If you want to see the 13 common stereotypes I listed, you can see them here.
What other archetypes do you think suit sharks and break away from old stereotypes?
