Who doesn’t love an outlaw?
Outlaws are brave. They stand up for their beliefs and challenge social norms. They act in ways many of us wish we could, if only we had the courage.
Let’s examine this beloved archetype in more depth.
What is the Outlaw Archetype?
An outlaw character may live outside of society, or they may live within society but act outside of social norms.
A heroic outlaw is motivated by good intentions to stand up against immoral or cruel social norms.
A villainous outlaw will act for selfish motivations against rules that exist for promoting the general good.
Outlaws can also exist in in-between places. For example, an outlaw may act initially out of self-interest but eventually adopt responsibility for protecting others. Or they may never become truly heroic but nevertheless inspire others to seek worthwhile lives outside of oppressive social structures.
Outlaws can be rebels, reactionaries, revolutionaries, radicals, reformers, activists, criminals, mavericks, or any other valid twist on the archetype you can create!
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The Outlaw Characteristics
As a character archetype, rather than a stock character or stereotype, storytellers have great freedom as to how they envisage and develop their outlaw character.
Nevertheless, it can help to be aware of the most common archetypal traits as you develop your own outlaw character.
- Proactivity: Unless an outlaw is born into a family of outlaws, a conscious decision is usually required to step outside of society. It takes an inherently proactive mind-set to step away from convention, choose one’s own goals, and forge one’s own path. This inherent goal-driven proactivity is one reason outlaws make such engaging story protagonists.
- Bravery: Striking out on one’s own is an inherently difficult task. Most humans crave social acceptance. Choosing to discard convention and the herd mentality in order to protect one’s individuality and belief system requires courage, grit, and determination.
- Single-mindedness: This can be the flip-side of bravery and proactivity. Whilst many readers admire characters willing to make difficult decisions to protect their own beliefs and individuality, there’s a potential dark side to this too. When an outlaw prioritises their own individuality over and above the welfare of others, or remains unable to take alternative perspectives into account, this can present a dangerous weakness to what was otherwise a character strength.
- A lone wolf nature: Though by no means an essential outlaw characteristic (for who was Robin Hood without his band of Merry Men?) it’s nevertheless common for Outlaws to also embody the Lone Wolf stock character type. Outlaws may be so accustomed to living outside society that they chose to eschew the company of others altogether.
- An inspiringly rebellious nature, driven by idealism: Although not all outlaws are motivated by idealism, if an outlaw is to be truly heroic, their rebellious nature must be inspired by a desire to improve the welfare of others, to make their society a better place, and to inspire others to take a stand against oppression.
- A candid/ outspoken nature: An outlaw is rarely afraid to speak truth to power. It’s another reason why we love them so much.
The Outlaw Archetype Examples in Literature
Jamie Fraser in Outlander, by Diana Gabaldon
Jamie Fraser, the love interest of our protagonist Claire, is a character driven to the outskirts of society by his willingness to protect the women in his life from an unscrupulous and rapacious English Captain.
Jamie is brave, idealistic, inspiring, rebellious and candid. He’s not just an outlaw, but the story’s romantic hero too.
Jamie doesn’t meet the stock character type of the lone wolf. Jamie is a family-oriented man. He’s devoted to his Highland clan. He’s no initial wish to live outside of his society, to be a rebel.
Yet Jamie isn’t one to stand by and watch injustices take place. And so, when the English soldiers ruling Highland society in 1743 abuse their power, Jamie is willing to rebel against the oppressors to protect his people, even if this leads to his unwelcome exile.
Lindsay Ford in Shantaram, by Gregory David Roberts
Lin, our protagonist of Shantaram, begins the story as a convicted criminal, who successfully breaks out of Australian jail and flees to Bombay, where he hides from the authorities.
Lin isn’t motivated by idealistic rebellion, in the way so many heroic outlaws are. He’s a criminal; his goal is to flee justice. He’s forced to remain on the outskirts of society for a just cause. Lin’s an anti-hero. He’s motivated by personal gain, not social revolution. Nevertheless, his goal of freedom is a fairly standard goal for many outlaws.
However, as Lin immerses himself into the Bombay underworld, surrounding himself with other outcasts and criminals, he develops his own sense of morality. His actions are often driven by a desire to form human connection with others. He develops into a criminal capable of self-reflection, care for others, and personal growth.
Lin is proactive, brave, and outspoken. Although there’s an element of the lone wolf stock character type to him, as the story develops we see Lin grow into an outlaw who seeks belonging in the society of other outlaws. His integration into the Bombay underworld allows him to grow as a character, developing his own individual ethical code.
Tessa Qualye in The Constant Gardner, by John LeCarre
Tessa Qualye is arguably the typical heroic outlaw.
She’s motivated by rebellious idealism to stand up against greedy corporations exploiting African villagers’ health. She’s brave, outspoken, and single-minded in her pursuit of justice for others. She’s adaptable and resourceful. When it aligns with her goal to work with others, she will. When she can achieve a task better by herself, she strikes out on her own. She meets so many of the typical heroic outlaw characteristics.
The twist, in LeCarre’s narrative, is that we start the story with Tessa dead. Our protagonist is actually her conventional husband Justin. He’s as far from the archetype of the outlaw as it’s possible to be, utterly enmeshed in the British Foreign Service. Nevertheless, he slowly finds himself forced to take on Tessa’s role as the story develops and he begins to understand the importance of her cause.
Outlaw Archetype Examples in Movies
Robin Hood
Let’s start with the ultimate outlaw character (at least within English storytelling). When you think of an outlaw character, Robin’s probably one of the first that comes to mind.
Within multiple movies, Robin remains the archetypal heroic Outlaw: brave, idealistic, inspiring, outspoken and proactive. He steals from the rich to give to the poor. He opposes social rules because those rules are oppressive and cruel. He’s in conflict with society because he cares about the general good, and not because he’s fighting for his own individual interests.
If we take Disney’s 1973 animal-animated version of the story, Robin is an adventurous swashbuckler, a leader rather than a lone wolf. He’s perhaps rather too reckless and desirous of showing off his abilities, but nevertheless, his deepest motivation is always to help and protect the weakest members of society.
Captain Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
Jack’s an example of the maverick outlaw type. He lives outside of social rules. He’s willing to take into account the guidance (not rules!) of the Pirate’s Code, but only when it serves him.
We love Jack because he’s so much fun, because he dares to live the life others only wish they could, and because he’s a great way of twisting situations so that by serving his own needs, he somehow often ends up serving the needs of the story’s more typical heroes, Will Turner and Elizabeth Swan. Even if they’re never fully able to trust that Jack will take their side in the end.
Jack’s a lone wolf who ends the story with his own pirate crew. He’s brave, proactive, outspoken, and rebellious. He presents himself as utterly lacking in morals, though his actions suggest he may possess a deeper sense of morality. This flexibility in his ethical code allows him to be more adaptable than many outlaw characters.
Thelma and Louise
Thelma and Louise don’t start their story as outlaws. They’re motivated both by vengeance and by their desire to ensure a rapist can’t hurt other women. They believe that legal channels won’t see justice served, so they take matters into their own hands.
As Thelma and Louise fight back against the oppressions of a patriarchal society and flee the Law, they form a meaningful friendship, discover their true selves, and take control over their own bodies. It’s hard not to take their side in this story. That’s because many viewers understand that the Law, which correctly penalises killing another, is nevertheless often implemented in unfair, oppressive ways. We sympathise with our protagonists for taking justice into their own hands, even if we don’t agree with their actions.
As Thelma and Louise become outlaws and journey together, they grow into brave, proactive, and candid women. It’s them against the world. And although their ending can’t be traditionally happy, there remains a sense of achievement as they take their lives into their own hands, deciding to do with their bodies what they will, rather than face society’s retribution.
Tips for Writing Outlaw Characters
The outlaw is an archetype, not a stock character. Therefore, when writing outlaws, no hard rules exist.
Since an outlaw represents the character versus society conflict type, consider which specific themes this conflict type explores in your story. Examples include justice, corruption, power, identity, survival, and freedom.
Next, consider your outlaw’s purpose in the story. Is he/she/they the story’s protagonist, hero,villain, sidekick, or another role? Depending on their role, you may or may not give your outlaw a character arc.
If your outlaw has a character arc, consider: how will your story’s conflict, and its corresponding themes, lead to your outlaw’s growth?
If your outlaw doesn’t have a character arc, consider: how will your outlaw’s actions impact your story’s themes and your protagonist’s growth.
We love outlaws, because they find things about the world to fight for, and to love. They inspire us to accept our own individuality and grow within it, to question society’s ills, and to develop our own code of ethics and morality.
Even if we don’t always agree with them, outlaws make us question ourselves, our goals, our world, and our place within it.