Myers-Briggs® at the Movies – Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

I’ve been counting down the months till Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them would come to theaters, and finally I got the chance to see it yesterday! I would have probably watched it two or three times in a row, but alas, I am a mother, and I needed to get home to my babies and be a responsible muggle human being. I’ve been thinking about the characters for a while now, and I thought it would be fun to type them, at least as much as I can from the information I have. Some of the characters I’m going to have to type somewhat hesitantly, as they weren’t given a lot of screen time and we have no literature to peruse for more details. Let’s get straight to the lead character… WARNING: This post contains spoilers! All pictures are the property of Warner Brothers. 

Newton Scamander – INFP

Newton Scamander cares immensely for creatures that he feels are on the brink of extinction or that have been misunderstood. He also forms a close friendship with a muggle, which would have been looked down upon in the wizarding world of New York at the time. INFPs have dominant Introverted Feeling (Fi), which gives them a tendency to champion the underdogs and look out for people (or creatures) they see as vulnerable or down-on-their-luck. He doesn’t seem to care what the social norms are or what people “expect” of him, but deep inside he holds within him an intense set of emotions and inner values that he will not stray from. He is private and quiet, but he has a difficult time restraining his emotions when there is any risk to the creatures (and people) he wants to protect. Because his Feeling function is introverted, he’s wary to share what he truly feels with others, even the woman he eventually falls in love with.

We see Newton’s use of Extraverted Intuition in the way he sees possibilities and potential in situations and reacts accordingly. He has an adventurous streak, traveling all over the world to discover and learn all there is to know about creatures and how they can be protected and appreciated. Yet he has a certain offbeat, lovable, quirkiness that is common with Ne-users. He’s quick to come up with imaginative solutions to problems as they present themselves. He shows interest in creatures and their abilities that other members of the wizarding world have cast aside or shown no interest in. He thrives on being a pioneer in discovering more and more about creatures that, up unto that point, very little had been revealed.

We see Newton’s inferior Extraverted Thinking in the way he keeps his facts straight and can maintain a sense of logic and rationality when dealing with other people. Unlike a Te-dominant person, Newton seems to make decisions at the spur-of-the-moment rather than planning everything out meticulously. His creatures are constantly escaping and then his methods of capturing them back aren’t always very successful  or well thought-out. However, he does know how to come up with a plan at the last minute if it’s absolutely essential.

Porpentina Goldstein – ISTJ

Tina is reserved in her communications with others; she trusts what she knows and understands, and relies on details and facts she’s come to trust through experience. This is characteristic of Introverted Sensing (Si) dominant people. She respects the rules, which is why she (somewhat reluctantly) feels she must arrest Newt Scamander, even if she has a certain amount of sympathy for his plight. She’s good at navigating the outer world, and she has a strong sense of responsibility, which is characteristic of ISTJs. She is practical and grounded in her outlook on life, as SJ types tend to be.

We see Tina’s auxiliary Extraverted Thinking (Te) in the way she makes decisions. She tries to remain as logical as possible, trusting the facts and taking charge when she feels it’s for the greater good.  We also see Tina’s tertiary Introverted Feeling (Fi) in the way she grows and develops feelings for Newton Scamander but is very private about these feelings, in fact, most of her feelings are kept tightly under wraps during the entire movie. We also see her Feeling side in the way she fights to protect Credence, even if it means risking her own life.

We see Tina’s inferior Extraverted Intuition in the way she worries about what may happen with the release of the creatures in New York. She’s intrigued by Newt’s ideas and his creatures, but she prefers to deal with what she knows and trusts through experience (thanks to her dominant Sensing). However, eventually Tina is able to accept and broaden her views.

Queenie Goldstein – ENFJ

Queenie is full of heart and empathy for nearly everyone she meets. She wants to make everyone feel comfortable and at ease and understood, a strong characteristic of dominant Extraverted Feelers. Her combination of Extraverted Feeling (Fe) and Introverted Intuition (Ni) means that she can pick up on and read other people’s emotions and moods and tailor the atmosphere accordingly. We can see this in her interaction with people throughout the movie, how she puts them at ease and can use her words, body language, and facial expressions to get out of precarious situations or to help those she feels are anxious or in trouble. She doesn’t like disharmony, and tries to make Jacob Kowalski feel comfortable, even when she’s read his mind and probably some of his more private and embarrassing thoughts. Her first instinct is to make him feel calm, to shield him from embarrassment. I can’t find the exact quote anywhere, because the movie has just come out, but she says something like “Oh, it’s okay, honey. Most men think those things about me at first.”

Queenie is skilled in the art of legilimency, which means that she can understand what other people are thinking and feeling instantly. So whether she’d be an intuitive without this gift is hard to tell. At this point there’s not a plethora of information to draw from for this character so I can only go by what I’ve seen in the movie.

We see Queenie’s tertiary Extraverted Sensing (Se) in the way she adores cooking, baking, dressing up and other sensory experiences. She thinks quickly on her feet when she senses that her sister and Newt are in danger, and can react quickly to come to their aid. Se-users are excellent at responding in a crisis, and can come up with quick solutions, as Queenie does when she gains an insight that her loved ones are in danger.

Jacob Kowalski – ESFJ

Jacob Kowalski, like Queenie, has an innate desire to make people feel at ease and comfortable. He’s instantly friendly, introducing himself to Newton right away when they sit next to each other at the bank. He is polite, good-natured, and engaging, even when he may not feel physically comfortable. He also thinks of manners and politeness, worrying about escaping from Tina and Queenie after they’ve fed him dinner and given him hot chocolate. He’s very concerned with how other people feel.

We see Jacob’s Introverted Sensing (Si) in the way he has practiced and perfected his baking skills over years and years of use, but still relies on his Gradma’s recipe. He doesn’t trust that machines could ever possibly make pastries as good as he can make by hand. He longs to hold onto his memories, his experiences, even as they are occurring. The idea of being “obliterated” or having his memories lost is horrifying to him. He loves to create sensory indulgences in the form of his baked goods, but his creations are largely influenced by his past memories.

We see Jacob’s use of inferior Introverted Thinking (Ti) in the way he accepts what’s happening around him without overthinking or trying to plan a way out of it. He’s willing, even anxious, to learn more about the magical world and creatures around him, but he doesn’t have to control it or try to make sense of it all right away. He’s more concerned with offering support, helping, and encouraging others than providing logical escape routes or plans.

Credence Barebone – INFJ

Okay, there is very little information on Credence Barebone out there, and we really don’t see a lot of him in the movie, so this is a very skeptical typing of him. The reason I would consider him an INFJ is because he’s able to keep his true self hidden in an effort to attain his one goal, getting into Wizarding School and finding an escape from his current life. He’s willing to put up with pain and endless emotional abuse just so that he can find belonging in the Wizarding world. This single-mindedness and ability to “play a part” to survive is very common of stressed INFJs, especially those that are living in abusive circumstances.

Credence has an emotional sensitivity that is always being stifled, on the brink of coming through. He is constantly suppressing his own feelings, stifling them to his own detriment. Yet he is very aware of the moods, anger, bitterness, and fear of others. Because INFJs are Extraverted Feelers, they are somewhat unaware of how they actually feel, and can bury their own negative feelings and suppress them until they reach a breaking point. While they are excellent at picking up on other people’s moods and emotions, their own feelings can often be dark and confusing to them.

Credence Barebone is an Obscurial, which means that he has developed a dark, parasitical magical force, known as an Obscurus, as a result of his magic being suppressed through psychological means due to fear of being persecuted. According to harrypotter.wikia.com, “When an Obscurial reaches their emotional and mental breaking point, they may lose control releasing their Obscurus as an invisible, or nearly invisible, destructive wind, or they may even physically transform into an Obscurus.” INFJs, when experiencing extreme stress, will fall “into the grip” of Extraverted Sensing (Se). When this happens, they can “flip a switch” and become extremely self-destructive, impulsive, and out of control. They can act without thinking, and live entirely in the present moment without thought for the future or past.

DISCLAIMER: I’ve offended one particular INFJ with this typing, but I want to make it clear that this is an example of an unhealthy/stressed INFJ, not a regular, balanced INFJ. Also, this is a character with very little information available, so my typing is definitely sketchy at this point and I’m relying on very limited information. This post is mainly for my own enjoyment, and not meant to be taken too seriously. I retain my right to change my type assessments as more information comes out or more movies are released! What Do You Think? Do you agree with my assessments? Disagree? Let me know in the comments!