Some archetypes feel like they have been with us forever, showing up just about everywhere. Some of those include the heroic hero, the villainous villain, and the fair damsel, among others. One of these is the wise old man, which is so ubiquitous that it even exists in real life (though your mileage may vary). Even though the title has origins in Jungian psychology, the actual archetype has been around since Ancient Greek and Roman times. So what is the wise old man archetype, where can a wise old man be found, and what do they impart?
What is the Wise Old Man Definition
Defining ‘Wise Old Man’
Before digging into what the wise old man archetype is, we want to provide a definition so that it’s clear to all that are reading this. It also can provide clarity, so that there is no confusion as to what a wise old man is, whether in fiction or out.
WISE OLD MAN DEFINITION
What is a wise old man?
A wise old man is an elderly character that dispenses wisdom to other characters. This wisdom can come in the form of stories (from old legends to fairy tales to personal experiences) and general sage advice. Due to how general the character archetype is, the wise old man has appeared in many stories and media in all sorts of types.
Wise Old Man characteristics:
- Elderly character that offers wisdom from experience.
- Someone who gives advice to others, sometimes via stories and/or knowledge.
- Can include hermits, wizards, scientists, and other “elderly” type characters.
What is the wise old man archetype • Jungian psychology
In psychology, Jungian archetypes mention the senex, which is related to a Roman title that was used for elderly men with social good standing. It is seen as an inward awakening, something that would come later in life once one has “wrestled” with their inner selves for long enough.
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Wise Old Man Examples
Examples of the Wise Old Man
Since the archetype of the wise old man has been around for an extremely long time, we are not short on examples to share. The wise old man archetype is so old that there are examples in the Bible: Moses is a notable one, as is Abraham, Paul the Apostle, and of course the Three Wise Men.
What is the wise old man archetype • The Three Wise Men
In the realm of old tales, one of the most famous wise old men would be Merlin from the legend of King Arthur. He is also a classic example of a wizard, which itself is something of a wise old man type. In many ways, Merlin is the go-to idea of a wise old man in fantasy stories.
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Jumping into the future, Gandalf of The Lord of the Rings is a perfect example of the wise old man archetype. In addition to being quite wise, he assists the heroes both in life and in death, arguably being one of the most powerful wise old men in all of fiction.
What is the wise old man archetype • Gandalf
In a similar vein is Albus Dumbledore from the Harry Potter series. In addition to being a wizard, he offers the titular Potter plenty of advice throughout the series. While he is sometimes seen participating in wizarding action in his old age, he is mostly fond of providing words of wisdom. These moments of wisdom are no doubt some of the most memorable and genuine moments in the first Harry Potter film.
What is the wise old man archetype • Albus Dumbledore
No list of wise old men (in cinema, anyway) is complete without a mention of Star Wars, which has not one, not two, but three wise old men. The Jedi Obi-Wan “Ben” Kenobi is the most obvious choice, being the first one to appear in a Star Wars film. He’s got it all: gray hair and beard, is a hermit, provides a ton of advice to a young Luke Skywalker, and has a long history of being involved in the titular star wars.
What is the wise old man archetype • Obi-Wan Kenobi
In addition to Obi-Wan, we also have the ultimate old wise man(?) in the series: Yoda! He’s so wise that his funky way of speaking is quoted daily by fans all over. In addition to providing solid life advice, he can levitate heavy objects and can more than handle a fight against the Sith.
What is the wise old man archetype • Yoda
Eventually Luke himself becomes a wise old man, being both a hermit and a guy with a lot of advice to give to Rey in the sequel trilogy. How successful of a wise old man Luke is can be endlessly debated, but he no doubt shares many of the traits.
What is the wise old man archetype • Luke Skywalker
There are many examples of the wise old man, and these are but a few of them. You can look all over literature, film, television, and video games for many more examples. Just look for a character who is, well, older, imparts wisdom to the principal characters, and maybe even lives on their lonesome.
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What are Jungian Archetypes?
Since the wise old man archetype is a part of Jungian psychology, why not look at Jungian archetypes? Our article goes into these archetypes, featuring definitions and examples from cinema and even video games.
