The INTJ in Star Wars

The Meyers-Briggs personality sorter test is one of the most popular personality tests out there, such that it is even trusted in the educational and corporate world. Given that, it should come as no surprise that people have enjoyed illustrating the sixteen personality types in 'prayers', in soundbytes, and even in depictions of popular culture, which brings me to today's complaint. I am one of the rarest Meyers-Briggs types in existence, the female INTJ, and somehow I find that people never look past the word "mastermind" when trying to figure out which Star Trek, Star Wars, Harry Potter, Twilight, or other such character fits the INTJ archetype. Somehow, for some reason, we are relentlessly typecast as the villain, even when the villain very clearly shows anti-INTJ traits!

Most Star Wars diagrams, for instance, claim that Emperor Palpatine is the INTJ in the series. There are several things severely wrong with this supposition. The INTJ does not seek power, and will only take it reluctantly if nobody else steps up to lead. Palpatine, on the other hand, actively disrupted existing systems in order to grab power. The INTJ, once in power, views his situation objectively and seeks efficiency, dwelling not on blame and punishment for mistakes, but merely on correcting the mistake and moving on. The INTJ is always making contingency plans, and is quick to change plans once he sees a problem with the status quo. Palpatine appears to lead by intimidation. The lead for the second Death Star's construction, if Palpatine had been an INTJ, would be glad to, as Vader put it, "explain it to the Emperor when he arrives" that they simply need more men to stay on schedule. The INTJ would evaluate the request, see if it seemed reasonable, and render an objective decision. Palpatine tended to slowly set up complicated plans, but he did not divert readily from them, even when they were beginning to go wrong. Finally, his very status as a Sith Lord casts the "T" and the "N" of his code into doubt, as the Dark Side of the Force is quicker and more easily accessed through anger, aggression, fear, and a desire for power.

Now, I am a properly-functioning INTJ. If the "bad guy" tended to be the INTJ, I would accept it, even though I do not like to think of myself as a "bad guy". In this case, though, as in most cases (Draco Malfoy is also often listed as an 'INTJ' even though he craves the approval of classmates who can barely speak and boasts about any rise in status that he might have been accorded), the shoe simply does not fit!

So who is the INTJ in Star Wars? The answer is not immediately obvious, until you look past the surface of each of these well-developed characters. The INTJ in Star Wars is Lando Calrissian.

Lando shows all of the traits of an INTJ through the two movies in which he participates. He cooperates reluctantly with Vader when it seems to be the best way to safeguard his people, but when he has had enough of cooperation, he clearly has already put a contingency plan into place. That plan is quickly and easily altered to meet the changing situation. Later, when he joins the Rebellion, he seems embarrassed about having been given the title of "General". He is not seeking power, but when it is thrust upon him, he takes his responsibility seriously. When he finds himself leading the Fleet into a trap, he figures it out first, and within a few minutes he has adjusted his strategy accordingly.

The INTJ action that impressed me the most, however, as an INTJ, was during his escape from Cloud City. He pulled out a microphone into the PA system, told his people that the Empire had taken direct control of the station, and urged them to leave before more Imperial troops arrive. This was not, in fact, a benevolent gesture, nor was it an evil action. He knew that the stormtroopers were uninterested in shooting civilians and would probably get into deep trouble if they did so. The Empire, reeling from the loss of the first Death Star, did not need news of an Imperial massacre to further encourage their enemies and risk increasing the forces of the Rebellion. So what did he do, when he sent that message? He filled the corridors with panicking families, making the stormtroopers work harder to find and safely target him and his companions, and giving himself the cover he needed to slip out a little more quietly. That level of quick-thinking and manipulation, able to dispassionately judge the level of danger and continuously change his plan in order to fit reality, is what makes an INTJ.

I have not yet found the INTJ in Star Wars or in Harry Potter. I can tell you for sure that neither Draco Malfoy nor Spock fit the bill.