Marion Norindale Books

Spoiler warning! I discuss several movies in-depth here, so if there’s any you haven’t seen that you don’t want spoiled, then I’d advise you to skip the corresponding sections. The movies will be stated before I begin discussing them.

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We’ve all heard of the classic hero’s journey. It’s extremely prevalent in western fiction—the tale of the reluctant hero who faces down their inner demons and overcomes the villain in a valiant burst of willpower.

But there’s another form the story can take—a sort of inverse of the original, if you will.

The typical hero’s journey usually goes something like this:

1) The MC experiences a call to action

2) The MC refuses the call

3) The MC reluctantly accepts the call

4) The MC is put through test(s)

5) The MC faces their darkest hour, or the “dark night of the soul,” where they finally come to terms with what they need to change about themselves in order to achieve their victory

6) The MC reveals their transformation

7) The MC achieves their victory

8) The MC returns to the place where they began the story (whether literally or metaphorically), now fundamentally changed

Aside from the story’s specific themes, the overarching point of the main character’s arc is the idea that they must evolve—that they must become a better person in order to beat their personal and external demons. Responsibility, sacrifice for the greater good, and devoting oneself to a higher, often institutionalized moral cause are all commonplace.

The inverse hero’s journey is more of the opposite, in that the MC doesn’t need to fix a fatal flaw within themselves, but embrace that they were good enough all along.

The beats usually look like this:

1) The MC desires to join the action

2) External forces encourage the MC to refuse the call

3) A reason appears for the external forces to reluctantly allow the MC to accept the call

4) The MC is put through test(s)

5) The MC faces their darkest hour, or the “dark night of the soul,” where they finally acknowledge they could achieve their goals all along, and they just needed to believe in themselves in order to do so

6) The MC asserts their identity and/or goals

7) The MC achieves their victory

The hero’s journey is all about admitting to a personal fault and accepting external and internal pressure in order to change for the greater good; while the inverse hero’s journey is about resisting external and internal voices of doubt in order to embrace one’s identity.

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Let’s break down some examples to get a better look at this phenomenon.

Moana

Moana’s struggle, like most, is twofold: at once, she desires to explore the ocean while the notion is strictly forbidden; and her island is beginning to be affected by a growing plague of darkness that will render life impossible if nobody does anything about it.

Moana faces several voices of doubt. One is her own, as she struggles to figure out how to be a good daughter for her family and a chief to her people. The second is her father’s, as he wants to prepare her to become the next chief, and is afraid of her suffering the same fate as his friend who died attempting to adventure with him. The third is Maui’s, as the demigod doesn’t initially believe Moana has what it takes to fulfill the mission.

Moana’s journey follows the beats of the inverse hero’s journey like this:

1) Moana wants to explore the ocean

2) Her father won’t let her leave the island

3) The darkness has spread to Motunui, and someone must attempt to return the heart of Te Fiti in order to save it

4) Moana meets Maui, fights the Kakamora, learns to wayfind, and helps Maui steal his hook back from Tamatoa

5) Maui’s hook is damaged in the two’s initial fight with Te Kā. He abandons the mission. Moana despairs she wasn’t good enough after all; but after receiving encouragement from her grandmother, she realizes she was meant to be on the ocean after all and can restore the heart of Te Fiti by herself

6) Moana sings a reprise declaring who she is

7) Moana restores the heart of Te Fiti

Robots

Rodney’s internal conflict centers around his struggle to achieve his dream of becoming an inventor. He hasn’t had much luck in his little hometown. He wants to try his hand elsewhere, but he’s young and inexperienced, and his parents are concerned about him leaving.

Externally, he encounters a conspiracy in Robot City to forcibly “outmode” bots and strip them down to remake them into new parts.

His journey follows the beats like this:

1) Rodney wants to be an inventor

2) It’s hard for him to get a head start, as he grew up in a small town without much money

3) He causes an accident at the restaurant where he and his father work and gets fired. He takes this as a sign to finally leave for Robot City. His father confides in him that he once had a dream he didn’t follow, and he encourages Rodney to pursue his

4) Rodney discovers that his childhood idol Bigweld is absent from the company he always wanted to work for, and it’s been taken over by Ratchet, who only cares about profit. Robots around the city are desperate for parts and repairs, since they can’t afford the services offered by Bigweld Industries

5) Rodney eventually finds Bigweld, but after being driven out of his own company, the man has given up on fighting back. He chastises Rodney for ever thinking he could change things by himself

6) Rodney almost goes home, but then he realizes someone has to help the people of Robot City, and he rallies his friends to join the fight

7) Rodney and his friends defeat Ratchet and Madame Gasket, and take back control of Bigweld Industries

Transformers One

Orion Pax’s internal and external struggles are tightly linked. He wants to have more choices in life, but believes he’s a “cogless” bot whose only option is to mine for Energon. When he uncovers a possible map to the missing Matrix of Leadership, which could help restore the flow of the planet’s dormant Energon, he faces a choice to continue with his drudging life, or take a risk and possibly change his future.

His journey follows the beats like this:

1) Orion wants more options than just to mine for Energon

2) Orion’s supervisors keep a close eye on the miners, and swiftly dole out punishments for breaking protocol. His best friend D-16 also encourages Orion to keep his head down so they don’t get into trouble

3) Orion and D-16 come across a potential map to the Matrix of Leadership, and decide it’s worth the risk to pursue the lead

4) Along with their new friend B-127 and reluctant companion Elita, Orion and D-16 journey to Cybertron’s surface, locate the fallen Primes who sent the message containing the map, and discover the truth behind Cybertron’s current leadership. They’re then apprehended by the High Guard, who may make tenuous allies for their upcoming fight

5) The High Guard’s hideout is attacked, and B and D-16 are captured. Orion despairs he was wrong to undertake this journey in the first place, but Elita reminds him how courageous and inspiring he is to others. Orion rallies the remaining High Guard and his fellow miners to fight against Sentinel

6) After being gravely injured by D-16 (now Megatron), Orion is granted the Matrix of Leadership and a new title, Optimus Prime

7) Optimus defeats Megatron. Now that a just leader has been restored to Cybertron, the Energon begins to flow freely again, and the cogless bots are given back their cogs

The Spongebob Squarepants Movie

I had to include this one, because I love how it fits the mold so perfectly.

Spongebob’s internal conflict is his desire to become the manager of the second Krusty Krab. His external conflict is the need to exonerate Mr. Krabs for the crime of stealing Neptune’s crown before he’s roasted alive.

The story follows the beats like this:

1) Spongebob wants to be named the manager of the new Krusty Krab

2) Mr. Krabs appoints Squidward to the position instead, citing how much more responsible he is than Spongebob

3) Mr. Krabs is framed for stealing Neptune’s crown, and Spongebob sees the opportunity to save his boss and prove he’s responsible

4) Spongebob and Patrick contend with highjackers, monsters, and Plankton’s hired muscle on their way to Shell City to retrieve Neptune’s crown

5) Spongebob and Patrick are captured by the diver who owns the Shell City gift shop. They come to terms with their almost-victory before they dry out

6) After the two are resuscitated and have made their way back to Bikini Bottom, Spongebob acknowledges he may not be the “mature, responsible adult” everyone wanted him to be, but that he and Patrick regardless managed to fulfill the mission

7) Spongebob uses the power of heavy metal and Goofy Goobers to defeat Plankton’s army & free Bikini Bottom from his reign

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These are just a few of the many examples that fit this mold. Honorable mentions include Encanto and The LEGO Movie, which I almost discussed here, but decided not to in order not to drag this article on too long.

At risk of sounding like a homework assignment, try applying these beats to the stories you encounter on your own!