A few days ago, I re-watched the Witcher series on Netflix with a date. Although the quality of the series leaves something to be desired – to put it kindly – something caught my attention and made me think. My date said, “Oh my God, Geralt is so hot.” Geralt… really…?! Sure, Henry Cavill is one of the more attractive men on this planet, no question. But after I asked her about it, she made it clear to me that it wasn’t about the actor, but rather the role. A character who is emotionless, alone, and not very empathetic, with – not to mention – white hair and yellow eyes.
I chuckled at her that evening and thought that this woman might have a special taste in men. But then, two days later, I heard exactly the same thing from another friend completely independently…?! Two days later again… This prompted me to investigate this phenomenon more closely.
Just like Geralt, other characters from movies and TV shows who would have very unpleasant personalities in the real world are regularly rated as very attractive as well. Whether it’s Christian Grey (Fifty Shades of Grey), who displays sadistic behavior, James Bond (James Bond Series), who exhibits psychopathic traits, Joe Goldberg (You Series), who stalks and kills, Thomas Shelby (Peaky Blinders Series), who goes through many bodies to carry out his plans, or Geralt (Witcher Series) – hmm….
Of course, these are all fictional characters, and some of them even have superhuman powers. But the fascination is very real. So where does it come from? The actually interesting question is: What do these characters have in common? They are very different personalities, so it won’t be a personality trait that is perceived as interesting.
The answer here is simple: In one form or another, they are all variations of a very masculine archetype: The Hunter.
For some of these characters, it’s more obvious, like with Geralt, but Christian Grey also exhibits the characteristics that make up an archetypal hunter.
What are these characteristics?
1. Fitness
The first point is very obvious, especially since hunting itself always has a physical aspect to it. Good fitness is therefore essential; the fitter, the better. It’s no secret that people generally find fitness attractive. Fitness expresses many things: competence, discipline, self-respect, perseverance – all very admirable qualities.
2. Goal-oriented
The archetype of the hunter is goal-oriented. This is self-evident, but these goals can take very different forms. It’s not relevant whether it’s winning an MMA fight, starting your own business, or passing the next exam. Having goals and focusing on fulfilling them has an almost magnetic charm.
3. Focused
A quality that is becoming increasingly rare in our modern society. Social media has contributed to our attention span becoming shorter. The constant pressure to perform better and achieve more leads to more multitasking than ever before. A hunter does not have these attention problems. They are able to focus on the most important thing and dedicate all their attention to it. This not only helps them with their goals but is also noticeable in social interactions.
4. Independence
This is particularly evident in the characters mentioned on the list. All of them are lone wolves, so to speak. They act entirely based on their own decisions, detached from other people, groups, and institutions. This has an attractive effect on other people for various reasons. Firstly, there are many people in our Western society who would like to be more independent: from their boss, parents, friends, or even their partner. Secondly, an independent person also has an interesting aura because they are a challenge. They are also unpredictable in several ways, and often women, in particular, want to win over an independent man, someone who is wild and does not belong to anyone. This quality often leads hunters to become the alpha or sigma in the so-called masculine hierarchy (even though this concept is highly debated).
5. Highly Competent
Hunters are very disciplined, which is evident in the fact that they achieve above-average results in many areas. However, one area often stands out, be it physical, strategic, or social.
6. Light Danger
The archetype of the hunter always carries an element of danger with it. They are capable of asserting themselves and causing harm to others. Furthermore, the danger arises from the combination of the other qualities. Someone who embodies these qualities but is not friendly towards us can cause us great harm. However, such a person is highly valuable on our side.
Many of these qualities are stereotypically masculine. Assuming that these characters fascinate viewers, leading to attraction in many women and envy/idol behavior in many men, these are interesting qualities in modern society.
I believe that this is because stereotypical character traits are becoming increasingly rare in modern society. From a young age, men are taught to adopt and internalize stereotypically feminine character traits. Conversely, the number of masculine women is increasing. Women in leadership positions and with their own careers are becoming more common, and this is a good thing! However, espacially when it comes to dating it should not be forgotten that attraction always requires some form of feminine-masculine polarity. Ultimately, it is this tension that creates attraction, and the reaction to these movie characters confirms this.
Today, particularly masculine men are quickly labeled as toxic or show-offs. However, a heterosexual man who is very successful romantically is rarely a pushover. It should also be remembered that stereotypically masculine qualities, as listed in this article, are generally rated as very good qualities that have allowed our modern society to exist as it does.
However, before one tries to imitate these characters to increase overall success in life, one thing needs to be emphasized: they are all fictional characters. What looks good on screen does not necessarily work identically in the real world. Characters like Geralt would be very lonely in modern society with the attitude shown. The portrayal of the lone wolf who is absolutely independent and doesn’t need anything or anyone to be happy is so appealing because this independence is very desirable. However, we must not forget that we are social beings and, to some extent, naturally dependent on each other. Nowadays, we are overly dependent on other people (or smartphones at this point…), so such character portrayals are very attractive.
Many of the character traits mentioned here are frequently seen on screen for a reason. They fascinate us because we want to be more like them. I explained why this is the case in this article. Now it is up to you to reflect on what you have read here and consider whether you can implement some of these qualities in your life.
Hope I could help. If you enjoyed the article or if you have any questions or comments please let me know down below.
Nick
