I've been reading up on the enneagram again (wonderful hyperfixation hours), and I really have no qualms in believing that Luo Binghe, especially Luo Bingge, is a Type 2.
The two Binghe's have about the same childhood, with the sharpest divergence being as they enter their teen years. However, in spite of this difference, they still manifest a narrative of being unworthy of love or unwanted unconditionally. They need to see this narrative challenged, and do not mind creating the circumstances that will assuage their felt worthlessness (living up to the expectations of his master —> Bingmei/repaying a worldly debt and defying heavenly order —> Bingge).
For both, there is a "giving to get" motive behind all of their actions. "I have given you all of my attention, affections, sexual advances—please reciprocate."
But it's almost not good enough to reciprocate—equality is secondary in the mind of someone who has rationalized their suffering to mean they are entitled to more, and because people need them, not the other way around, there is a beautiful power dynamic. They cannot be unworthy if they are at the top of a food chain that will collapse, even starve, without them. It's other people who now have to serve them.
Luo Bingmei has the opportunity to grow into a healthier self with the love he has from SY!Shen Qingqiu. He is self-possessed, warm, genteel, and very, very, very generous in his regards... specifically only to Shen Qingqiu. I didn't say he was the healthiest to do ever do it, just that he was healthier than the average Bingge. In fact, there's a reason why SVSSS!Binghe is a meimei—his virtues are very feminine-coded. Keeping a house, being the supportive/cooperative partner, being self-aware of beauty, etc. These are things both Binghe's value, but Bingmei definitely values within himself. For Bingge, these got twisted somewhere along the way, and instead he manifests them in the people around him, mainly his large harem.
Ahem, back to Bingmei.
We see evidence of Luo Bingmei's superego in adolescence, with how self-sacrificial he was in regards to serving his cruel master, the OG!Shen Qingqiu. Self-sacrifice in a morally neutral way—this is not me saying Luo Bingmei was evil as a child, but simply he found a survival strategy that hinged on giving up as much of himself as possible to gain love and acceptance. It makes a nasty return when he makes an early exit from the Abyss, where there is a debt to rectify, love to reconcile, and someone to impress—SY!Shen Qingqiu reinvigorated the same perception of unworthiness, and all evidence of it should be buried and repressed. Hence All Of That: maxing out his natural stats with Xin Mo, gaining control of vital territories of the Demon Realm, extending his exile from Qingjing Peak secretly, guesting in Huan Hua Palace, hiding his demonic origin, and when all else failed, force proximity to an aloof/avoidant master by helping imprisoning him. All of these are efforts by the superego, his defense mechanism, that his natural self is unseemly and corrupt, so he must prove beyond reason that he can be the same Bingmei his shizun treasured.
In their marriage later on, we can assume Bingmei is less beholden to it as Shen Qingqiu loves him regardless of everything—that Binghe was never unworthy. Shen Qingqiu following Bingmei in the end is the reaffirmation of Binghe's hope, and more importantly, the first major step in their healing as a couple. Luo Binghe's dramatic arc was him returning to self-possession through the one person he truly treasures beyond measure, beyond debt: Shen Qingqiu.
Whereas, Luo Bingge is possessed by his superego, and has been for what may be centuries by this point.
Twos, when in an unhealthy space, "disintergrate" into Eights. Disentergrate is an interesting word—but it captures the phenomena closely. The grand scuplture of sand was lifelike and beautiful, and it had to be made or he wouldn't have survived! But one stray wind and it's gone. Who is Luo Binghe without the Heavenly Blood, the Mark of Sin, the 600 wives, the Emperor title? Bingge is trapped in the cycle of worthlessness, because he invested so much in the superego, without it, he's lost.
So lost, in fact, he's perfectly willing to fuck the weird soft version of his bastard shizun. No, he doesn't have unresolved issues, he's too superior to have them. If anything, with how much of a crybaby this world's copy is, Luo Bingge should just take this new master for himself. Afterall, Shen Qingqiu owes him. And Luo Bingge isn't ungenerous—he's going to share his sacred body with the guy!
The prevalance of wife-saving tropes and mascuilline ideals aren't displaced for Bingge, especially in fandom. But in the lens of the Enneagram, it makes sense that someone who seduces by... being emotionally available?... can get 600 wives. We know he isn't emotionally available, but sharing his coveted cooking, rescuing his wives (even the most annoying, useless, or problematic), sharing his time, sharing his body (I'm looking at you, Qin Wanyue)—all of these functionally look heroic, when he certaintly is not.
The disintergration into aggression, possessiveness, pride. And it's activated by rejection.
Bingge cannot fathom rejection, because he optimized his life around no longer being rejected. He is the most powerful person in his world. He escaped that worthless little boy who didn't know how to win yet. He's not him anymore... right?
If he is, he just needs to do what he always done: be available.
For SVSSS, I'm glad Binghe has escaped that narrative! Once again, I don't think he's a healthy two, but he's certainly not unhealthy anymore, haha! The whole blowing up the planet thing was averted, at least.
I think I should reread SVSSS and brush up on the enneagram some more. This definutely feels more like extrapolation than serious narrative analysis, but it got stuck in my head and I needed it out. Thanks for reading!
Type 7 (Enthusiast) leaning into an 8 wing in academics/career (The Realist) and a 6 wing with MC (The Entertainer)
The busy, fun-loving type: Spontaneous, versatile, acquisitive, and scattered
Fear: Of being deprived and trapped in pain
Desire: To be happy, satisfied, and find fulfillment
"I am good/okay if I get what I need"
Despite his devotion to MC, Caleb is also flighty, often leaving her for long stretches of time in order to build a life he thinks can meet both their needs.
He makes promises almost flippantly, always sincere but not entirely thinking through the consequences of lying to keep the peace in the moment.
His almost eerie ability to put negative things out of his mind to focus on having fun and entertaining MC is deeply characteristic of 7s.
Unless otherwise stated, all quotes and page numbers below are from Wisdom of the Enneagram by Don Richard Riso and Russ Hudson
Just keep swimming
Sevens are always in motion. Many of Caleb's seemingly contradictory qualities end up making sense and coming into focus when seen through the lens of a type Seven.
For example, his fun-loving and whimsical nature when he's with MC is typical of a Seven with a Six wing. Charismatic, positive, encouraging, supportive--these are all genuine qualities of this type.
Sevens are dynamic, adaptable, energetic--but also have a tendency to run from their problems and refuse to confront deeper-seated issues, which may cause lasting damage to their relationships.
Academic ease, relational difficulty
Caleb's seemingly effortless and nonchalant excellence at Aerospace Academy and at the DAA is typical of Sevens:
Because they are able to pick up many different skills with relative ease, it becomes more difficult for them to decide what to do with themselves. As a result, they do not always use their ability as they would if they had to struggle to gain them. When Sevens are more balanced, however, their versatility, curiosity, and ability to learn can lead them to extraordinary achievement.
(pg 236)
However, this contrasts with relationship difficulties:
[...] they are out of touch with their inner guidance [...] They do not feel that they know how to make choices that will benefit themselves and others. [...] they try to keep their minds busy all of the time. As long as they can keep their minds occupied, especially with projects and positive ideas for the future, they can, to some extent, keep anxiety and negative feelings out of their conscious awareness. [...] Sevens are compelled to stay on the go, moving from one experience to the next, searching for more stimulation.
(pg263)
We see this in how Caleb tends to have his "head in the clouds". He's constantly dreaming up futures for him and MC, talking about finding a paradise just for them, a place that can be safe from the world. By constantly looking upwards and forwards--towards the sky, then the Deepspace Tunnel--he can keep his anxieties out of conscious awareness.
Ironically, it is his fear of losing MC that causes him to leave her so often--he's so busy keeping himself moving that he sometimes fails to appreciate the opportunities available in the moment.
What's the goal?
"On a very deep level, Sevens do not feel that they can find what they really want in life." (pg 263) This can lead to a "trial and error" approach. There's a sense of "maybe this next thing will work, maybe this will satisfy me".
We see this in Caleb's drive and work ethic at the Academy, DAA, and the Fleet--despite his seeming nonchalance, he's eagerly trying out the next thing, and the next thing. He loves the feeling of flying, but that's still not enough to satisfy him. He seeks more and more dangerous scenarios, seemingly heedless of the danger, and it's not until the nearly-failed mission depicted in Pathless Realms that Caleb finally confronts that his constant searching for satisfaction might take away the thing he cares about the most--his relationship with MC.
We also see this in Caleb "trying on" the "boyfriend" role when he asked MC to pretend to be his girlfriend when he was in college. He's been yearning for her, of course, but I think it's fair to see this as something that's initially playful and from a place of curiosity on his part, which he then later realizes leads to deeper feelings. He wants to try out different dynamics between them and see what "sticks".
But this constant shifting can make it harder to enjoy the moment:
[...] as Sevens speed up their pursuit of whatever seems to offer freedom and satisfaction, they tend to make worse choices, and they are less able to be satisfied because everything is experienced indirectly, through the dense filter of their fast-paced mental activity. The result is that Sevens end up anxious, frustrated, and enraged, with fewer resources available to them physically, emotionally, or financially.
(pg264)
Genuine optimism
Unlike characters such as Professor Lucius, whose affection should be considered with great suspicion, Caleb's optimism and cheerfulness are not fake. They can be jarring compared to the problems he's ignoring, but they're not feelings he "puts on" just to manipulate MC.
[...] Sevens are extremely optimistic people--exuberant and upbeat. They [...] desire to fully participate in their lives each day. They are naturally cheerful and good-humored, not taking themselves too seriously, or anything else for that matter. When they are balanced within themselves, their joy and enthusiasm for life naturally affect everyone around them. They remind us of the pure pleasure of existence--the greatest gift of all.
(pg 264)
The childhood pattern
Sevens generally feel cut off from parental/maternal nurturance at a young age, and so come to the conclusion that they need to "nurture" themselves. ("I am not going to sit around feeling sorry for myself waiting for somebody to take care of me. I'll take care of myself!" pg265)
Caleb, being not only an orphan but a test subject (who almost certainly remembers that he was experimented on, since there's no signs of him having memory problems before the Toring chip) quite literally did not get any of the nurturance he needed as a young child. He's ten or eleven by the time Josephine rescues him and MC. MC, being a few years younger, and also losing her memories, has more of an opportunity to bond to Josephine on a deeper level and feel some of that nurturance while she's still in a critical period for it.
The entertainer
Notably, Caleb also takes on the role of taking care of MC as well. This is expressed in looking after her happiness (as is very clear in Decoherence) and so Caleb takes on the role of "entertainer", which is also the name of the Seven with a Six wing subtype. Caleb is always finding or buying toys for MC, taking her places, cheering her up, etc. He often does so without wanting or expecting recognition, as her happiness is enough for him.
A lot of Caleb's easygoing charm, especially with his classmates and colleagues before the explosion, is well described by the Six wing.
Notably:
Looking for strong experiences, they are often either in a relationship or looking for one. They do not like to be alone but have high requirements of intimates. They often have conflicts between a desire to move on to greener pastures and a fear of losing connection.
Caleb's yearning for MC provides this kind of strong experience, though he fears his own neediness and intensity when they're together, which leads him to pull back from her at times. His "greener pastures" aren't another relationship, but rather, this imagined future where they can be safe and alone together. Yet, he also fears losing connection with MC where she's at now.
Caleb at work
When it comes to planning his life and engaging with the Farspace Fleet, Caleb leans more into his Eight wing, exhibiting more traits of the 7w8, The Realist. He's strategic, organized, practical, tough-minded. He still retains the charm of the Six Wing, cultivating a calm politeness with his direct reports, but when necessary, he is not afraid to act decisively and violently.
These traits are not entirely due to the Toring chip, and are to some extent part of Caleb's innate personality. In fact, we see in Serpent's Cast (World Underneath) that Caleb's able to "flip a switch" even before the Toring Chip, becoming cold and decisive in order to protect himself and MC.
So his fears that MC will reject the "new Caleb" are not just from the Toring chip--they are also from him becoming less able to hide his own "darker" traits from himself and from her.
The Sexual Seven
Wisdom of the Enneagram presents three different "instinctual variants" (sexual, self-preservation, social) which add further nuance to how Sevens show up in the world.
In all of their activities and interactions, they want to experience the intense charge of being alive. They see life through heightened imagination, idealizing themselves, their relationships, and reality. [...] [They are] magnetized by people whom they find interesting or refreshing. [...] They feel temporarily dazzled and hypnotized by the object of their curiosity [...] Sexual sevens enjoy the excitement of fantasying about future adventures and shared interests with the new person. [...] Less healthy Sexual Sevens [...] fear commitment, preferring the intense feelings of infatuation that occur in the earliest stages of a relationship. (pg269-269)
So, we see that part of why Caleb is so hesitant to express his feelings or initiate taking things to the next level with MC is that he craves the intensity of the longing and yearning. He truly fears commitment, and feels more comfortable with admiring MC from afar. Even the intensity of his shame and conflict is stimulating and grounding on some level. When he is physically away from her (such as at the Academy or on DAA/Fleet missions) he's able to indulge in the fantasies of their future and the idealized version of their relationship.
This is part of why Caleb's own thinking leans into the "forbidden love" angle. As we see in the Sexual Seven, that intensity of emotion is part of what he's seeking. There's a fear that, if he gets what he wants, it won't actually satisfy him.
To a lesser extent, Caleb also demonstrates the self-preservation instinct, being one to search out activities to do with MC and ensuring that they both always have what they need. (pg267) (Him cooking, doing the grocery shopping, etc is part of this instinct.)
Wake up call: The grass is always greener
Caleb (as with all Sevens) has a tendency to focus too much on the future, on the next thing. He's thinking about what happens when the next disaster occurs and how to accumulate the skills and resources that he'll need to ensure that both his and MC's needs are met. He's dreaming about the imagined, heightened future of them being able to live in a place that's peaceful and just for them.
Caleb's big wake-up call, which we're starting to see in his story, is for him to realize that focusing on this idealized future is cutting him off from MC in the moment. This is especially demonstrated in Hidden Waves, where his focus on forming himself into the perfect protector without needs cuts him off (at first) from MC's affection and presence. She stubbornly asserts herself into his life, and he begins to see that even when he's sick, that can be time they can cherish together, vs trying to just hurry along until he's well again.
Caleb has to figure out how to be present in the moment, and to bond with MC and open himself up while he's still stuck with the Fleet, while there are still Wanderers, while Ever is still threatening the planet, etc. If he tries to wait until this hypothetical perfect future is achieved, he'll lose her.
The Passion: Gluttony
Sevens metaphorically embody the "sin" of gluttony by "wanting to stuff the self with external gratifications in response to the experience of feeling frustrated, empty, and needy."
We see this in Caleb's dogged insistence on changing the subject, proposing a new activity, or moving on as if everything's fine when MC expresses doubts. It's hard for her genuine concerns and hesitations to fully make it into Caleb's brain, because his mind is going a mile a minute in order to try to stay ahead of the emotions he's running from.
Anxiety leads to restraint
As Sevens start to feel out of control, they begin to show traits of average Ones, especially the sense of needing to rigidly control the self. Caleb's intense moral shame around his attraction to MC is an example of this kind of self-restraint. Instead of exploring these emotions, he tries to lock them down.
This intense attempt at self-control also extends to MC, when we see him make reference to keeping her in Skyhaven and telling the world she's dead--Caleb believes that if he can simply control all the inputs, then the outputs will be what he needs them to be.
He doesn't make this suggestion out of dominance or possession per se, but rather out of a misguided effort to force everything to stay on track.
They begin to work harder, feeling that they alone can do the job properly, and attempt to impose limits on their behaviors. [...] They may get either more restless and scattered, or more self-controlled and rigid, in which case their usual vivaciousness can give way to a grim seriousness. (pg280)
This is largely why I consider the Toring chip's impact on Caleb's personality to be more or less beside the point. The grim seriousness, the rigidity, the control--these are all common reactions of Sevens to stress. The desires for control he expresses aren't really what he wants--they aren't a primary part of his personality the way they would be for, say, an Eight.
When MC confronts him and says that she doesn't want to be hidden away from the world, we see his resolve buckle quickly--he acknowledges that he doesn't know how to take care of her (said another way, he doesn't know how to make choices that will benefit himself and her, as is the key struggle of a Seven out of touch with their inner guidance) and the surge of emotion causes the Toring Chip to kick in.
Lost in the role
The social role of the Seven is the "energizer"--keeping excitement and positive emotions high. Notably, in Decoherence, Caleb is literally MC's battery. His actual, physical job is to energize her. More metaphorically, the first thing he wants to do when they escape is to show her new experiences and to introduce her to happiness.
Sevens, especially of the Entertainer sub-type, often feel as though they have to perform to be expected. They come to believe that their energy, positivity, and accomplishments are the only things others want from them, which can lead them to double-down on the very things that are preventing them from connecting with others. They expect that their pain, sadness, or confusion will cause them to be rejected and discarded, thus leaving them deprived and in pain (their deepest fear).
In Caleb's case this manifests as a need to be needed by MC. If she doesn't need him, then how can he find security in his role as her energizer, supporter and protector?
The more frantically Caleb tries to maintain his role at the Farspace Fleet (which is literally necessary for his survival) while also being the perfect protector/entertainer for MC, the more rigidly he attempts to control himself and the more that internal conflict drowns out MC's genuine attempts at connection.
Growth direction: feet on the ground
As Sevens get more in touch with their inner guidance, they naturally become more grounded and observant like healthy Fives. Their minds quiet and they allow more of the world in, and are able to better enjoy the moment. Their vibrant, energetic nature becomes more soothing and sincere, enabling a profound appreciation for the people around them and the joy of existing.
We're still early in Caleb's content, but we're starting to see him find moments like this. Hidden Waves is a great example of MC's presence helping him to calm down and spend a peaceful moment together. In Exclusive Aftertaste, Caleb is beginning to understand that it's important to "enjoy good food while it's fresh"--ie, seize the moment instead of living in the future.
In conclusion
Caleb and Zayne are foils for each other, and they both grapple with intense conflict around their relationship with MC, their fear of rejection, and their fear of their own nature.
Caleb presents as outwardly much more chaotic, presenting seemingly contradictory personality traits. These traits are two sides of the same coin, and the speed with which he flips between them is characteristic of Sevens' intensity, dynamism, and high-speed way of moving through life. While the Toring chip makes matters worse, it's not the origin of these traits as we see them in Caleb before the chip is installed.
While Caleb's efforts to control MC may originally appear to stem from a more stereotypical place of male dominance/possession, that's not the case. Their true root is his attempt to control himself to manage the stress of his life, as well as an inability to see himself as worthy of love if he is not "providing the benefits" expected of him.
The more he's able to slow down and enjoy the present moments with MC, the more he'll find that his needs actually can be met without a grandiose plan for the future.
~
If you enjoyed this, you'll probably want to check out the pillar post with the other LIs, or this essay on Caleb's state of mind.
Chloe’s character is a bit harder to deduce. We don’t really know anything about her family and home life, which makes it harder to point out where her behavior stems from. That being said, Chloe has more than enough character moments to get a sense of why she acts the way that she does.
From the very first moment we meet her, Chloe is insecure. Her superior is shown to outright bully her and the only one who offers a type of support is her best friend in a group of posers. Then Aubrey becomes a different type of bully to what Chloe clearly views as a new slate for the Barden Bellas, and we can see her retract into her own shell.
Chloe’s entire character revolves around the others. There is no Chloe Beale without the other Barden Bellas. Even in moments where she steps into the spotlight, she quickly scampers off or deflects the attention on her personal feelings. Every time Chloe agrees with Beca or wants Beca to have a solo, she immediately folds back into herself when Aubrey disagrees – and when Beca asks if singing with nodes is painful, Chloe doesn’t answer her question directly. Because it doesn’t matter what it does to her; what matters is the Barden Bellas.
This makes Chloe undeniably a type 2.
Enneagram type 2 is a heart type; their entire core revolves around and is about matters of the heart. Or, more accurately, these types live with a hole in their heart that they’re trying to fill. Type 2 deals with this through the fostering of relationships – if other people are happy, then type 2 is happy. However, when 2s feel like their care isn’t needed or no longer enough, they start to act resentful.
We can see this with Chloe in PP1: Somewhere between Beca’s outburst at the semi-finals and the Bellas’ reunion in the auditorium, she starts to realize that her help isn’t valued as much as she’d hoped and her ticking timebomb finally explodes in outrage when Aubrey tells her “that isn’t an opinion for you to have, Chloe.”
It extends somewhat through PP2, when Beca tells her to be more than the Bellas, and Chloe takes it like everything she’s done for the group was a moral failing on her part.
Arguably, the second movie is less subtle about her being a type 2 than the first one is. She directly admits that the Barden Bellas are all she has and we can see the truth of her words through every panicked action she takes. 2s have no self-esteem whatsoever, and they cope by surrounding themselves with people who need them. What’s a senior to a whole group of freshmen? What’s a super senior to an entire gang of seniors?
Despite Chloe’s very clear type 2-ness, she has two other distinct types to round out her entire character. In Pitch Perfect 1 she mostly acts like the passive vice-captain to Aubrey’s aggressive captain. Everything is fine until it (finally) isn’t. This bleeds into the second movie, where Chloe refuses to acknowledge her need to grow up – very much acting passively in her own life. ‘If the Barden Bellas can be redeemed, then I’ll still be fine and everything is fine’. This is type 9 coded, especially paired up with her learning to acknowledge she can be more than just a Barden Bella (giving her a sense of direction in discovering her own identity).
Finally, Chloe has type 7 tendencies. The escapist, the dreamer. Real life is scary as fuck, so she actively chooses not to graduate three years in a row; her living fantasy of being a Bella forever is comfortable, routine. This, too, is her lesson in Pitch Perfect 2, where she needs to take responsibility for her own actions.
Core Desire: to be competent, capable, and knowledgable.
Core Fear: to be useless, incapable, ignorant or otherwise helpless.
Type Fives overcompensate for their fears by persuing knowledge and developing their skills in their chosen area as a way to feel worthy. Wing Fours tend to be more expressive and emotional, leaning on their wing's passion and creativeness. In New Wartwood (s02ep26), for example, Marcy seeks Wartwood's validation the only way she knows how: by learning everything she can about the town and improving it in every way she can.
In The First Temple (s02ep25), we see a manifestation of Marcy's core fear. She prouded herself in being smart and knowledgable, so when she's faced with the reality that she doesn't know everything, she shuts down. She had to learn to differenciate being helpless and letting go, an important part of a Five's arrow.
Marcy desintegrates onto Seven, which is the reason she's commonly mistaken for one. There, she becomes scattered, hyperactive and distracted, taking on too many things at once yet convincing herself she can handle it. She represses negative emotions like an unhealthy Seven, too. However, she integrates onto Eight: here, she becomes self-confident, decisive, assertive and confident in her own abilities and worth.
-> SUBTYPE: sx/so
Her primary instinctual drive is the sexual, or intimate, one, which focuses on intense experiences and bonds and forming intimate connections. Intimate Fives may appear analytical and confident on the outside, but internally, they worry that they lack the social skills to form said connections. Marcy even expresses this insecurity out loud in Scavenger Hunt (s02ep12): “Yeah, sure, I'm good at solving puzzles and calculating the check, but you're amazing at making connections. And me? I have trouble looking people in the eye sometimes.”
This subtype longs for relationships that can result in unconditional love, so they can trust this person—in Marcy's case, people—with their secrets and be trusted in return. She is more intense, passionate, talkative and open-hearted than other Fives. She wants to feel accepted and will isolate and talk herself down if she feels misunderstood, like we see in the flashback with her parents.
Her secondary instinctual drive is the social one, which is image-focused and wants to belong in their community. Social Fives want to masteir their field in order to be the person people go to with questions, which is their way to feel accepted. They're more sociable than other Fives and seek to be indispensible in their group.
-> TRITYPE: 529
Marcy's mind fix is 5. It handles fear by isolating and keeping their feelings to themselves. This doesn't always mean physical isolation, as we've estabilished that Marcy is especially afraid of being lonely, but she does hide in her inner world and distances herself from reality through her imagination, even before Amphibia.
Her heart fix is 2. It handles shame by trying to become indispensible in people's lives. Type Twos, sometimes called the Givers or the Helpers, fear being unlovable. Because of this, they try to help others however they can, even at the cost of themselves, a trait that carries onto Marcy's Two fix.
Her body fix is 9. It handles anger by repressing it. Type Nines, and therefore Nine fixes, want to be at peace with everyone around them, which is why they typically deny their anger and any conflict that may be going on. This can be seen in Marcy when she denies the tension between Anne and Sasha. She wants things to be normal and harmonious, even if that means going back to the toxic dynamic they had before.
who rules the world mbti (plus some enneagram) analysis
through episode 18, tried to minimize spoilers
in love with this drama, couldn’t nOt do an analysis that absolutely nobody asked for
bai fengxi / feng lanxi | intj 5w6
walking ni poster boy
cLassic intj x exfp match
exfp: runs around lighting things on fire
intj: carrying around a fire extinguisher grumbling about cleaning up their mess while having stars in their eyes
very obvious te as opposed to fe
sets up systems to function well without regard to specifics, you can see this when he sends fountain abode to gather information
yes, it’s the way it’s framed but also he just wants results, doesn’t pay that much attention to the process
fundamentally, his opposition to a relationship with hei is the fact that he can’t be distracted, only later is it shown that he doesn’t believe that he should “trap” her in a world of politics
but even then, the motivation comes from him not wanting to be responsible for her displeasure instead of just wanting her to be happy
hei fengxi / feng xiyun | esfp 7w8
esfps come claim your girl!!
love an esfp that is healthy and doesn’t add to the giant pile of esfp hate
eXfp pretty self explanatory
ni inferior is actually what convinced me
scene in (episode 6/7?) when dealing with the ma family and figuring out who was being targeted
ik it’s for the cinematic parallel but they figure out the exact same thing through correct ni usage
she also just doesn’t display inferior si
also doesn’t really think like an ne dom would
when traversing with han pu she doesn’t think in advance about how her nomadic/chaotic lifestyle would impact the life of a small child which does point to lack of ni and fe
she’s too straightforward with her ideas and actions, points towards se
stereotype warning ⚠️ but the food eating? her constantly saying that (insert body part) should be used in a this way at any given time, very se oriented
spoiler: but in episode 13 (?) when she notices the faded seal on the exam questions, something bai fengxi didn’t notice is a very se thing to do
feng qiwu (leader of feng clan) | intj 3w4
100% a te user, not a perceiver (as in the cognitive functions of a enfp or esfp don’t make sense in any context here)
that alone puts her into xxtj territory
i’m thinking INTJ just from the way that she spoke about fengxi before she knew he practiced martial arts, and how surprised she was when finding out, going as far to ask one of her advisors, what if someone had managed to fool me and everyone for over a decade
she’s steadfast in her beliefs that come from an inner system (ni/fi) and having te aux
an entj (imo) has much less access to fi with te suppressing most of the time. and i think an entj’s problem with langxi would come more from his (perceived) lack of ability as a prince as opposed to his mellowness and analytical thinking
i would guess that if you were to give her a tritype it would be 361 or 368
i would lean towards 361 just because she doesn’t hold the same level of aggression/needing control as someone with an 8 fix would have and she has the sort of calm morality that come with having a 1 fix (ime)
her innate dislike of weakness and “calmness?” that fengxi exhibits as the 2nd prince, going as far to say “the worst kind of man”she’s pretty steadfast in her beliefs
6 over 5 because i don’t see the thirst for knowledge for the sake of knowledge in her
she’s more than willing to subordinate herself to fengxi when he proves to be a capable leader
this has now turned into an enneagram analysis, whoops
final decision: intj
feng chang (first prince) | estp 6w7
decently high fe usage actually
we’re gonna ignore the occasional violence cause ~plot~
actually that’s just the enneagram 6 reaction oops
i’m writing this at 3:03 am okay this is mEssy
was debating estp/entp but really, in a similar way to hei fengxi, speaks in too straightforward a manner.
you could make an argument for esfp, but his actions continually show an emphasis on the wellbeing of others rather than himself.
despite the fact that he and fengxi should be enemies and everyone is going around trying to pry them apart, even when put in a super sticky situation that ends up hurting fengxi, his actions come from a place of wanting to protect him rather than his own desires
he seeks external validation from his mother despite her mistreatment of him for 15 years
doesn’t really have his own motivations tbh
loyal to fengxi for the most part, gets stuck in court politics he doesn’t want to be in
feng ju (third prince) | enfj 3w2
sorry to my enfjs
in your (?) defense he’s super unhealthy and the entire story arc is literally designed to make him look bad? if that’s any consolation
extremely people and achievements based
idk how to explain this one lol
he’s just an enfj
the dominant fe, the (rather poor usage of) ni
yep, that’s all i’ve got lol
yu wuyan (one of the four gentlemen) | infj 4w5
hello ni post boy no. 2
plop him next to fengxi and you’ve got two pretty faced ni users meddling with things in the background
it’s fantastic
disintegrates to 1, imposes his own moral code and desires onto the entirety of the continent
king of reminds me of loki tbh
very easily reads motivations of others, not te oriented like fengxi
spoiler! ⚠️ just a really unhealthy / villainous infj
bonus:
second lady baili: entj 3w4 - this one’s pretty self explanatory..
emperor: esfj (?) - dominant fe, cares deeply about others and his entire schtick is protecting the people of his nation through balancing the court
As the main character, Beca is one of the easiest characters in the franchise to put under a microscope. We see the first movie mostly through her lens, we learn a bit about the way she grew up, and most of her actions impact the plot of at least PP1.
That being said, we already learn all we need to know about her character from her introductory scene. Arriving at Barden by cab (despite her father working there as a professor), refusing the driver’s help, and dangling the whistle given to her for emergencies between her lips, like she’s challenging the helpless girl in front of her to yank it out of her mouth. It’s a metaphor, you see? This scene is the perfect character introduction: Beca Mitchell is a lone wolf who does not give a fuck about other people’s opinions.
Beca Mitchell is undeniably a type 8.
Type 8 in the enneagram is a gut type; they lead by instinct, not logic. They typically don’t show emotions because that would be weakness, and weaknesses can be exploited. Because of this, 8s will often act like they don’t care. They’re loners who only fight for themselves (or a group who matches their cause).
In PP1, Beca often clashes with her superiors and peers when they act like they know what’s best for her (or the group). She deliberately goes out of her way to make fun of Jesse’s interests and doesn’t spare Aubrey’s opinions when it comes to the Bellas setlist. Beca’s instinct tells her that she has what it takes to uplift the Barden Bellas. Her instinct also tells her to keep her distance from Jesse, because love won’t get her where she needs to be – it’s proven to her over and over again it’ll only get her in trouble; from wanting to be better in her newfound family and clashing with Aubrey to Jesse calling her dad when she’s arrested.
It isn’t until the very end of the movie when she accepts that she has to adapt, that sometimes her instincts are wrong. Ironically, she acknowledges this through a talk with her father, who presumably was the culprit of how the anger first started. It isn’t until then that Beca finally lets down her guard and talks about her actual feelings, which is typical for an 8 to show growth.
While her growth through PP1 and PP2 are very heavily type 8-coded, she also displays some type 4 tendencies.
4s are a heart type, whose primary concern is (you guessed it) matters of the heart. 4s wear theirs on their sleeve. Or, more specifically, they wear their pain on their sleeves. Beca is no stranger to cynical jokes. When Jesse approaches her she talks about her parents’ divorce and a visit to the obgyn. When told she’s not special for her mixes, she sulks in a voicemail. When it’s her time to shine, she makes fun of herself. In PP2 she’s better at handling this side of her, but in PP1 she knows she’s a bit of a brat and makes zero effort to fix it until it’s almost too late.
The difference for her to be a type 8 instead of a 4 is that she isn’t technically as tragic as 4s think they are. She does take matters into her hands when the moment calls for it. A type 4 would just sit and watch the tragedy unfold in front of them, whereas Beca uses her art to try and make something of herself; not to wallow in self-pity. 4s also actively choose pain because that’s what they’re destined to feel. Arguably, this still applies to Beca if you read her as a comphet lesbian, but overall this isn’t something that drives her character as opposed to her type 8 code.
Gif 1: Vera Stark (actress: Zaria Simone) looking at something to the center left, then glancing down. On the right side of the gif is a large number five and the words "Vera Stark The Investigator." At the bottom of the gif is written "*aka the loner, the observer, the scientist."
