12 Amazing Fictional ISTPs

Fictional ISTPs are some of the most intriguing and mysterious characters in film or literature. You may see glimpses of yourself in these cool, analytical types. Today we’re going to explore twelve of the most powerful ISTPs in cinema. I hope you enjoy this!

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12 Fictional ISTP Characters

#1 – Ilya Kuryakin from “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.”

Napoleon Solo: “Ilya, are you free?”
Ilya Kuryakin: “No man is free who works for a living. But I’m available.”

Practical and intense, Ilya Kuryakin is the perfect counterpart to his more extroverted, womanizing partner, Napoleon Solo. Kuryakin thinks quickly, analyzes complex situations deeply, and keeps himself emotionally detached during intense situations – avoiding many of the romantic disputes that his partner gets himself into.  As a PhD-holding secret agent, he uses his skills in analysis and combat to work with a wide range of weapons and explosives.

#2 – Natasha Romanov (Black Widow)

“I get emails from a raccoon. Nothing sounds crazy anymore.” – Natasha Romanov

Reserved, detached, and quick on her feet, Black Widow is something of a stereotypical ISTP. She makes decisions based on what’s logical rather than following her feelings (except in cases of life or death for the people she loves). As an ex Russian spy and current member of the Avengers, Romanov uses her tactical abilities to defeat some of the most daunting opponents. In typical ISTP fashion, Romanov stays focused on the task at hand and knows how to detach herself from chaos in order to think clearly.

#3 – Dr. Alan Grant from “Jurassic Park”

“Reverse Darwinism: Survival of the most idiotic.” – Dr. Alan Grant

Dr. Alan Grant is a paleontologist who was one of the first people invited to tour Jurassic Park. His cool, analytical demeanor and sly, sarcastic sense of humor will be relatable to any ISTP. Like all ISTPs, Grant wants to understand how things work by taking them apart and observing them closely. The chance to see dinosaurs in real life is both exhilarating and terrifying for him because unlike many of his counterparts, he can guess how dangerous this experiment is.

#4 – Django Freeman from “Django Unchained”

Dr. King Schultz: “How do you like the bounty hunting business?”
Django: “Kill white people and get paid for it? What’s not to like?”

Cool, quiet, and tactically efficient, Django Freeman doesn’t care about being well-liked as much as he cares about achieving his goal: freeing his wife Broomhilda. Thanks to his auxiliary Extraverted Sensing side, Django can understand how to use weaponry quickly and respond rapidly without getting panicky or nervous. Because of his introverted thinking side, he’s able to analyze and troubleshoot crisis situations from many different leverage points.

#5 – Patrick Verona in “10 Things I Hate About You”

Cool-headed and practical, Patrick Verona uses his charm and sense of adventure to woo Kat Stratford. Situations that might bother other types seem like no big deal to Patrick. For example, when Kat gets drunk and vomits everywhere, he doesn’t run away or act startled. He simply takes care of the problem and gets her home. When people are spreading rumors about him at school, he doesn’t even bother trying to refute them because he knows they’re not true. He follows his own sense of logic and enjoys the freedom that comes with being a loner.

#6 – Harry Callahan, i.e. “Dirty Harry”

“You’ve go to ask yourself a question: ‘do I feel lucky?’ Well, do ya, punk?” – Harry Callahan

Harry Callahan, nicknamed “Dirty Harry,” is an inspector who doesn’t like playing by the rules. In typical ISTP fashion, Callahan cuts past bureaucracy and professional boundaries to do what needs to be done in violent situations. His unconventional methods are frowned upon by superiors, but he doesn’t care. He follows his own code and within that code people guilty of violent crimes deserve to be violently obliterated. Callahan’s marksmanship abilities and combat skills make use of his Extraverted Sensing side, and we continually see his use of Thinking over Feeling when it comes to troubleshooting crisis situations.

#7 – Ennis Del Mar in “Brokeback Mountain”

Alma Jr.: “Daddy, you need more furniture.”
Ennis Del Mar: “Yeah, well…if you got nothing, you don’t need nothing.”

Reserved, mysterious, and complicated, Ennis Del Mar is a good example of an ISTP who is struggling to understand his own values and romantic needs. Rough-mannered and quiet on the outside, Ennis consistently chooses what he feels is the most practical and logical path for his life instead of following his heart. Underneath his tough shell, Ennis does have a vulnerable, emotional side – but he’s unwilling to let anyone see that except in his most trying moments.

#8 – John Wick

“When Helen died, I lost everything. Until that dog arrived on my doorstep…A final gift from my wife…In that moment, I received some semblance of hope..an opportunity to grieve unalone…And your son…took that from me. Stole that from me. Killed that from me! People keep asking if I’m back and I haven’t really had an answer. But now, yeah, I’m thinkin’ I’m back.” – John Wick

Stoic, mysterious, and tactically ingenious, John Wick captures many of the most notable ISTP qualities. He’s deeply private, not letting anyone in on the thoughts and strategies running through his mind until the peak of the film. Rather than complaining or looking for outward support, Wick has one goal: destroy the people who killed the dog his late wife left him. Wick is unstoppable in combat and quietly sneaks up on even the most well-trained assassins and bodyguards. As Zombies Ruins Everything states, “The Se of Wick is clear as it takes up most of the movie. No, really, this doesn’t need explaining. The total kill count by Wick in the movie is an estimated 80, give or take of course. Efficiently, Wick dispatches most of them with bullets to the chest and head.”

#9 – Mrs. Jane Smith from “Mr. and Mrs. Smith”

“Happy endings are just stories that haven’t finished yet.” – Jane Smith

Jane Smith is rational, observant, and practical. She keeps her feelings close to the chest and often disregards them completely as she focuses on structuring the world around her to stay on task. Like most ISTPs, she handles chaos adeptly, focusing on her task instead of getting sidetracked by details or feelings that might get in her way. She showcases the ISTP’s unique ability to adapt to sudden changes and improvise on the fly.

#10 – The Driver in “Drive”

“How about this: You shut your mouth or I’ll kick your teeth down your throat and shut it for you.” – The Driver

Quiet, mysterious, and action-driven, The Driver is one of those stereotypical strong, silent ISTPs. He loves an adrenaline rush and enjoys tinkering with vehicles and improving his abilities as a stunt driver. When danger threatens, The Driver keeps a straight face and logically analyzes the leverage points of any side he chooses to take. He studies his environment carefully, predicts his enemies’ moves, and calculates his drives with the kind of precision that ISTPs are famous for. While he may seem mysterious and unreadable, he maintains total control of the situations he encounters.

#11 – Saitama from “One Punch Man”

“If you really want to become strong, stop caring about what others think about you. Living your life has nothing to do with what others think.” – Saitama

Saitama hungers for a challenge and grows frustrated with a life that seems bereft of action and intimidation. While his opponents rant and rave about their power and skill, he anticlimactically punches them one time, thereby sending them to their doom. In typical ISTP style, Saitama hates long-winded, rambly types. He likes people who keep their words limited to 20 or less (maybe he would have liked Twitter?). His reasonable, tactically proficient, independent nature will be relatable to any ISTP.

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#12 – Jason Bourne from “The Bourne Identity”

“I can tell you the license plate numbers of all six cars outside. I can tell you that our waitress is left-handed and the guy sitting up at the counter weighs two hundred fifteen pounds and knows how to handle himself. I know the best place to look for a gun is the cab or the gray truck outside, and at this altitude, I can run flat out for a half mile before my hands start shaking. Now why would I know that? How can I know that and not know who I am?” – Jason Bourne

ISTPs have a unique ability to capture the world around them exactly as it is and remember things exactly as they are in very specific detail. This ability is emulated perfectly in Jason Bourne, who also has the ISTP’s ability to adapt to sudden changes, respond quickly to sudden crises’, and stay cool and level-headed when things are chaotic and dangerous. Bourne’s innate ability to stay focused on the present, be tactically proficient, and immediately notice threats in his surroundings are signs of his advanced use of Introverted Thinking and Extraverted Sensation. ISTPs will relate to his hunger for truth, his boldness in action, and his calm, cool demeanor.

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