The Shadow Masterminds

INTJ’s Heroines

Ellen Ripley, Aliens

Clarice Starling, Silence of the Lambs

Claire Underwood, House of Cards

Athena (Greek mythology)

Elizabeth Harmon, The Queen’s Gambit

Carol Peletier, The Walking Dead

Seven of Nine, Star Trek: Voyager

Alex Vause, Orange is the New Black

Wednesday Addams, The Adams Family

INTJ Heroes

Bruce Wayne “Batman,” The Dark Knight Trilogy

Dr. Stephen Strange “Doctor Strange,” Doctor Strange

Gandalf, Lord of the Rings

Spock, Star Trek

Don Draper, Mad Men

Elrond, Lord of the Rings

Captain Jean-Luc Picard, Star Trek: The Next Generation

 Morpheus (Greek mythology)

Jaqen H’Gar, Game of Thrones

Oscar Martinez, The Office

The Wolf, Pulp Fiction

INTJ Male Villains

Palpatine (The Emperor), Star Wars Saga

Thanos, The Avengers

Hannibal Lecture, Silence of the Lambs

Walter White, Breaking Bad

Agent Smith, The Matrix Trilogy

Saruman, Lord of the Rings

The Night King, Game of Thrones

Magneto, The X-Men Saga

Yon-Rogg, Captain Marvel

Michael Corelone, The Godfather Trilogy

Grand Moff Tarkin, Star Wars Saga

Salieri, Amadeus

Severus Snape, The Harry Potter Saga

Jafar, Aladdin

Scar, The Lion King

Grand Admiral Thrawn, Star Wars: Rebels

INTJ Female Villains

The Queen Alien, Aliens

O’ren Ishii, Kill Bill

Fennec Shand, The Mandalorian

Jadis the White Witch, Chronicles of Narnia

The Wicked Witch of the West, The Wizard of Oz

Medusa (Greek mythology)

INTJ – The Shadow Mastermind

In fiction, what do INTJ characters all have in common?

Calculation. Strategy. Resolve.

Whoa–you are a force to be reckoned with, my friend. You keep to yourself and prefer to operate out of your lair or headquarters, surrounded by select people who acknowledge your authority. Sooner or later, the group follows your lead even when you’re not the leader. And if you’re not officially in charge, it’s only because you strategically prefer to stay off the radar. With calm precision and foresight, you achieve big-time results. Others may not even realize that you’re calling the shots. Because of your quiet side, you have the amazing ability to hide in plain sight. Some heroic people make a lot of noise and get all the attention, but you avoid the spotlight and influence the influencers. You know how the system works and perceive all the big picture issues that leave regular people in awe.

Sometimes it may seem as though you’re indecisive or inactive, but it’s only because you have multiple plans going at once, with valid contingency options in the back of your mind. You rarely feel the need to share your plans with anyone. Secondly, you are unorthodox. Some heroes and heroines go by the book, but your capacity for imagination adds a chilling element of surprise to your no-nonsense approach. You prefer to say little and possess the discipline to follow through on your rather complex plans. This makes you a powerful and formidable hero or villain. Your enemies never know what you’re up to and stay off-balance as a result. You’re a person of few words and smile only when you have to. You’re the type that may be found pacing alone in your lair as you ponder solutions to a, particularly difficult problem. You’re probably a night owl or an early bird because you need that special time to think.

Shadow Masterminds understand human nature from a psychological standpoint. They perceive patterns in people and behavior and know how to manipulate people as a byproduct, either for good or evil. This helps them battle their enemies through sheer intellectual force and intuitive agility. Even the good guys have a bit of a dark side because they’re honest enough to know it’s there. Big plans and creative originality are dangerous, especially when the hero or villain prefers to remain elusive. There are very few women of this personality in pop culture. But that is likely to change. Remember, you are a Shadow Mastermind…we just may not have known you were there all along, quietly shaping events with invisible hands.

When Shadow Masterminds Become Villains

One major fact about the Shadow Mastermind is that this personality type includes a veritable All-Star list of villains in fiction. I have singled out this specific personality type as having the largest, most robust group of villains out of all the personality type. The Shadow Mastermind is the only profile that has a longer list of villains than heroines and heroes.

As far as fiction is concerned, the Shadow Mastermind has a blend of traits that make for great villains. Perhaps the preference for a low profile, or the creative mind paired with a willingness to champion unpopular opinions, or maybe the knack for patience over impulse. There is a subversiveness and boldness to the INTJ villain class. The one trait that seems to define the Shadow Mastermind is a frank distrust of the world’s blind faith in the “good.” The INTJ villain’s mission seems to be to prove that “good” is an arrogant illusion. Shadow Masterminds can make a case against anyone, even the most cherished or long-standing beliefs. Remember, Emperor Palpatine gave us a compelling case that the Jedi weren’t so virtuous. Thanos makes the case that the life itself is bad for the universe. Saruman decides that civilization is an arrogant endeavor. And Salieri even makes the case that excellence and talent is something to be loathed and expunged. Therefore, these villains justify and engage in some of the cruelest most villainous behavior ever seen in fiction–just to strip the good guys of their so-called status. Their unapologetic commitment to this end makes the Shadow Mastermind a chillingly successful villain. Thankfully, we’re only talking about fiction here.

Frequency

According to the “MBTI Manual” published by CPP, The Shadow Mastermind accounts for only 2.5% of the world population, making it the third rarest of all personality types. 3.3% of men and a scant 0.9% of women (2nd rarest) are INTJs.