Stephen King is a known master of the macabre. He’s perhaps the most celebrated living author in his genre, and he’s been involved in the process of transforming many of his classic novels into films and TV shows. Stephen King has been writing for several decades, and his countless horror books have become a part of pop culture history, as have his monsters.
In his novels, Stephen King has dreamed up some of the most unique, disturbing, and utterly terrifying creatures, and they’re like no others that exist in horror lore. While some are unknowable evils that display no human traits, others are much more sympathetic and express a genuine pathos which, in a way, makes them all the more terrifying. MBTI® types often reveal relatable qualities that fans may not have noticed before.
Updated on May 16th, 2022 by Tanner Fox: When it comes to modern-day horror fiction, Stephen King is… well, the king. Cultivating important horror mythos that has persisted in pop culture for more than four decades, tales like Salem’s Lot and The Shining are about as influential to the genre as influential can be.
Most of his novels are made memorable thanks to relatable characters and strangely familiar antagonists. While nobody wants to claim that they have anything in common with the likes of Carrie White or Annie Wilkes, King constructed these characters to come across as genuine people.
ESTP: Pennywise (It)
Stephen King is known to borrow from H. P. Lovecraft’s works from time to time, and, while the influence may not be obvious, Pennywise from It shares quite a bit in common with the cosmic terrors of Lovecraft’s fiction. With Andy Muschietti’s remakes of Stephen King’s classic novel, Pennywise the Dancing Clown has become more famous than ever.
The character is written by King and also portrayed by Bill Skarsgard, as being a “larger-than-life” type of entity. This fits into the ESTP personality alignment since ESTPs are known for having a zest for life. They’re also known for an abundance of energy and a robust comedic side, something Pennywise certainly has.
ISTJ: Church (Pet Sematary)
When the Creed family cat is run over by a truck, Louis Creed brings him to the titular Pet Sematary, an ancient burial ground with the unnatural power to revive the beings buried in its soil. Unfortunately, when he returns, Church is a fiendish monster, serving as a terrible omen of the horrors that would soon befall the family.
At its core, Pet Sematary is a tale about those who cannot accept death and the grief that can bring. Chruch, a dark, judging figure lurking in the shadows, is a sinister representation of the ISTJ personality type.
ENTJ: Annie Wilkes (Misery)
Misery was released in 1990, and, even today, Kathy Bates still frequently receives praise for her portrayal of Annie Wilkes. Bates won the Academy Award for Best Actress that year, a very well-deserved achievement. These days, the character of Annie Wilkes is considered to be a horror icon.
Annie Wilkes was an unapologetically cruel and brutal character. She wasn’t afraid to be evil and assertive, and she was a driven organizer. These traits perfectly fit her for the ENTJ personality type.
ISFP: Cujo (Cujo)
Cujo is, at first glance, one of Stephen King’s more grounded tales. It’s more a story of perseverance in the face of tragedy than it is an exploration of the supernatural, though it is suggested that the titular saint bernard is plagued by more than a case of rabies.
ISFPs are known for their stalwart loyalty, and, before his transformation, Cujo was certainly loyal to his family. Unfortunately, that trait was abused when he became a thrall to something else.
ESFP: Randall Flagg (The Stand)
Randall was a recurring antagonist who made appearances throughout several of Stephen King’s books. He is a sorcerer whose many magical abilities included mind control and necromancy. Randall Flagg was consistently portrayed or described as being bold and unapologetically evil.
Along with Pennywise, Randall Flagg is often regarded by many fans as Stephen King’s most cunning antagonist. His despicable persona makes him an ideal ESFP.
INTP: Kurt Barlow (Salem’s Lot)
Salem’s Lot is widely regarded as one of Stephen King’s scariest novels—even though none of the big-screen adaptations have truly done it justice. The character of Kurt Barlow was the main antagonist of the story and was described as an absolutely guileful vampire.
Kurt Barlow is one of Stephen King’s villains that really have no redeeming qualities; there’s no real motivation for his unyielding cruelty, it’s just who he is. Barlow is not sympathetic, but his quiet, sly demeanor means he fits the INTP alignment.
ISTP: Jack Torrance (The Shining)
If you ask any hardcore fan of The Shining—either the original King novel or the Stanley Kubrick adaptation—they’d tell you that Jack Torrance is not, in fact, the true villain of the story. In both the novel and the 1980 film adaptation, the Overlook Hotel is portrayed as being the evilest antagonist. Jack Torrance is simply a vessel.
But, even before Jack became possessed by the darkness of the hotel, he wasn’t exactly a good guy. He is one of Stephen King’s most complex main characters in that he pretty much acts as the story’s antagonist and protagonist at the same time. Jack’s quietly analytical and practical nature makes him an ideal ISTP.
INTJ: Blaine The Mono (Dark Tower 3)
Blaine The Mono was an ancient entity that took on the form of a sentient monorail and existed that way for centuries. Blaine is one of Stephen King’s most unique and interesting monsters, and his story—as are so many others in The Dark Tower series—is so oddly tragic that his antagonist status is fully understandable.
Blaine also had multiple personalities, in a way. The rogue side of him was dubbed “Little Blaine,” and the rest of him was known as “Big Blaine.” A personality fitting for this vision-oriented and determined character would only be INTJ.
INFJ: Lester Lowe (The Silver Bullet)
Cycle Of The Werewolf is one of Stephen King’s lesser-known novellas. It was published in 1983 and received mixed reviews. Its film adaptation came in 1985 and was renamed The Silver Bullet. In both the film and the novella, Lester Lowe is the main antagonist.
Lester, in human form, was the reverend of his town and a well-respected member of society. But, by night, Lester prowled around, claiming victims left and right. Lester hid the fact that he was a werewolf, and his secret identity was a major part of the plot. An ideal personality alignment for this cunning villain is INFJ.
ESTJ: Tak (Desperation)
Desperation was a relatively overlooked 1996 King novel that saw a group of unfortunate individuals struggle to escape the titular down after they’re taken in by a maniacal sheriff. It’s eventually revealed that the sheriff has been possessed by Tak, a supernatural entity living in a nearby mine.
Tak has the ability to control wildlife and possess the bodies of his victims, though doing so causes them to deteriorate rapidly. Tak is diminutive and controlling, thereby showcasing the very worst traits of the ESTJ personality type.
ENTP: Christine (Christine)
Christine was Stephen King’s sixteenth novel and was published in 1983. The story is a very famous one, though it never quite attained the same sort of fame as It, The Shining, or Pet Sematary. Christine is about the titular car, a 1958 Plymouth Fury, that became possessed by a malicious spirit.
Christine isn’t just a car; it’s the spirit that possesses “her” that is the true antagonist of both the novel and John Carpenter’s film adaptation. The demon’s goal is to protect Christine at all costs, and its enthusiastic approach to punishing anyone who wrongs the car makes it an ENTP.
ISTJ: Space Cowboy (Gerald’s Game)
In a bid to spice up their romantic lives, Jessie Berlingame’s husband handcuffs her to a bed, but, when he dies of a sudden heart attack, she’s left with no escape. She eventually becomes semi-delusional, and, when a tall, shadowy figure appears in the room, she fights to make sense of and hopefully escape from the situation.
She eventually does, and the ethereal “Sapce Cowboy” is revealed to be the necrophile Raymond Andrew Joubert. A true ISTJ, Joubert thrives in the shadows, casting a quiet judgment on his victims and haunting all those who watched Netflix’s recent Gerald’s Game adaptation.
INFP: Carrie (Carrie)
Carrie is famous for being Stephen King’s first published novel. The book was released in 1974, and a film adaptation starring Sissy Spacek as the lead hit theatres in 1976. The eponymous Carrie is one of Stephen King’s most well-known villains and is regarded as a horror icon today.
Carrie is a very sympathetic antagonist simply because she does not start out that way. She was a sheltered teen girl who discovered her telekinetic powers and ultimately snapped. Carrie wreaked havoc by the end of the story, but, throughout, her quiet nature proved that she was a true INFP.
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