Visual Storytelling: The Shadow and the Shapeshifter

The Shadow and the Shapeshifter

In the tortuous and pivotal path the Hero must walk to find its balanced, final self, the most crucial encounter it is forced to have is the one with the personification of its hidden side, known as the Shadow.

Based on Jung’s theories, the Shadow is the facet of the psyche that is forced by either personal or societal impositions to inhabit mankind's darkest psychological side. It is comprised of the aspects that every individual has been pressured to subdue, neglect or forget, the deeply feared, suppressed urges deemed to be too destabilizing for the unevolved self.

(Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi, 2017)

Jung also believed that the distinction between good and evil is not determined by a definite, stark line, but rather that the very essence of this dichotomy is subjective, constantly shifting and entangled in a complex and hardly definable web. Light and dark are two sides of the same coin, and, as they are in a constant copresence in everyone’s inner psyche, the potentially destructive and negative power of the Shadow is merely dependent on not being acknowledged, confronted and brought to light.

Recognizing, facing and finally accepting the Shadow as paradoxical energy is the essential step to eventually reach the level of self-knowledge required to find an equilibrium between both sides, completing the path to soul's full balance.

Because of this quintessential role in the growth process towards self-realization, the Shadow archetype has a crucial role in the Hero’s journey. The confrontation between the Hero and the Shadow usually takes place in the middle of the Second Act and it constitutes the apogee of the tale and the definitive cornerstone moment the Hero and its allies have been gathering for.

(Stranger Things, 2016 - ongoing)

In stories, the face of the Shadow is most commonly projected onto characters called villains or enemies, whose purpose is frequently that of destroying the Hero and everything the Hero wishes to protect and fight for. In fairytales they are usually monsters, demons, creatures who lack humanity, impossible to sympathize with. Their dramatic function is merely that of challenging the Hero by cornering them in a life-threatening situation and urging them to disclose their inner utmost potential. These figures, who embody in the most forthright way the crux of humanity’s terror, are sometimes mere manifestations of the natural or supernatural world and do not seem to possess a particularly convoluted emotional sphere. They create chaos and disseminate fear because it is in their essence, since they are meant to portray an array of the most prominent manifestations of evil. This is the case presented, for instance, in the first three seasons of the show Stranger Things, as the Mindflayer and its subordinate creatures do not appear to have a distinct, definite characterization other than the strife and destruction they bring to the town of Hawkins.

Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi, 2017

However, in modern storytelling, the Shadow is more often than not embodied by characters incredibly similar to the Hero itself. The Shadow is controlled by its desires, fears, painful memories or experiences, guided by the drastic consequences of harbouring its negative feelings. Its choices impede its own process of growth and its extreme, wretched humanity functions as a mirror for the Hero and the audience. In these instances the Shadow has walked a similar path to the Hero until it made the crucial and terrible decision to give in to its inner demons, actively suffocating its potential to achieve equilibrium. It thinks of itself as the Hero of its own story, as the audience’s Hero portrays its Shadow, representing all the qualities and characteristics it self-imposed to forcibly bury.

Wandavision, 2021

The intrinsically dualistic nature of the relationship between the Hero and the Shadow is poignantly epitomized in the third three-chapters instalment of the Star Wars saga, comprised of The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker. The protagonist and de facto Hero of the story, Rey, an orphan who soon takes on a crucial role in the organization known as the Resistance, is an evident mirror to Kylo Ren, born Ben Solo, the once trained-to-be Jedi turned into the dark side, an active member of the peace-threatening First Order galactic empire. Despite their immediate axiomatic antagonism, the two characters present striking similarities. Indeed, not only do they both possess the gift to control the Force, but they are also trained by the same Mentor, Luke Skywalker, and, most importantly, they both struggle with a constant feeling of deeply-seated loneliness and dread of their own possible ineptitude. Their initial animosity, due to the Force connecting them and causing them to truly see each other, is contrasted by their mutual understanding, in a continuous seesawing sway between emotion-filled dialogues and violent fights. Their reciprocal recognition of their true core constantly brings them to struggle with their different intentions, because they essentially represent the other side of each other. Their conventional and apparent roles as emblems of light and dark are in such a precarious balance that both of them become convinced that the other will eventually turn to their side, as their constant changing scales are so unstable that the futures they have both seen are equally probable. The power residing in this emblematic duality reaches its acme when, at the very end of the saga, it is their union that leads to the conclusion of the tale. Once they choose to finally join their forces and act as a balanced dyad, they are able to reach their full potential and deal with the ultimate challenge in a successful way, saving the entire galaxy.

Wandavision, 2021

The challenging energy of the Shadow archetype, however, can also be a mask worn at different times by any of the characters, including Heroes themselves. When the protagonist is paralyzed by fear or guilt, acts in a self-destructive manner, voices a death wish, abuses or misuses its power and abilities, or becomes self-serving rather than self-sacrificing, it means that the Shadow has overtaken it.

Due to this intrinsical connection to the Hero’s own inner psyche, the Shadow is therefore sometimes not portrayed by a defined character, but rather by the protagonist’s own crippling hidden demons.

In the Marvel series Wandavision, the main character, Wanda Maximoff, is eventually faced with what is first presented as the main villain of the tale, a witch named Agatha Harkness. Agatha's unmasking as the evil-doer, however, is merely another illusion in the story. She is not truly the Shadow, but only the catalyst for Wanda to face her real, ultimate enemy: reality. Wanda’s true Shadow and the origin of most of the strife and chaos pervading the town of Westview is, in fact, nothing but Wanda herself. Her fear to face her tragic past and what she perceives as an unbearable present led her to misuse her immense powers in a semi-conscious way and create a fake reality, causing suffering to numerous people and effectively becoming the villain of her own tale. Despite a final battle between her and Agatha, the real choice Wanda needs to reluctantly make in order to continue her journey is to come to terms with her loneliness, sacrificing her most treasured desires and effectively putting an end to her reign of terror.

Sherlock, 2010 - 2017

Another essential character in the Hero’s journey that is defined by its affiliation to the dark side of the psyche is the archetype known as the Shapeshifter. This figure does not present itself as a definite persona, but is rather characterized by the specific tendency to constantly change role in a story, switching between an archetypical mask to another.

The basic Jungian notion of the Shapeshifter figure lies in the concept that within the self there is a specific secluded element called anima for men and animus for women. The anima is comprised of characteristics conventionally assigned with femininity, such as emotivity, intuition and sensitivity while the animus presents traits typically associated with masculinity, like impetuous force and steadiness. Jung theorized that, due to societal impositions, men are forced to suppress their anima and women their animus, effectively subduing a crucial part of their complete self. The Shapeshifter archetype is, traditionally, the character that appears in the Hero’s life to exemplify the projection of this specifically hidden side, subverting the conventional convictions the Hero might have about itself and disclosing this latent covert facet of its soul.

Game of Thrones, 2011 - 2019

Nonetheless, this extreme dichotomy between femininity and masculinity does not necessarily define the Shapeshifter as a figure lying in a gender-specific connotation, but rather as a character that constantly defies the Hero, hiding its true nature and often its intentions. Like any shapeshifter creature in myths and legends, this character constantly and unexpectedly alters its appearance and its undefined agenda makes it a force that always pushes the Hero towards a better understanding of its own self. On a dramatic level, the Shapeshifter’s ambiguity is a tool to implement doubt and suspense into a story and to keep the Hero on a constant state of alert. However, its unpredictability renders it a useful narrative device as its adaptable nature can be used to bring the plot forward or solve seemingly insurmountable troubles. A case example of the latter is exemplified in the show Game of Thrones, with the character of Melisandre of Asshai. Melisandre, a priestess devoted to the God of Light, uses her magical abilities as a service to aid different characters, constantly shifting conventional sides, and effectively bringing both death and rebirth in the tale.

Other instances of notable Shapeshifter figures in visual culture are Irene Adler in the show Sherlock or Yennefer of Vengerberg in the show The Witcher.

Hannibal, 2013 - 2015

Although any character can temporarily adopt the role of the Shapeshifter, as long as it pushes the Hero's boundaries and its knowledge of its own self, this archetype has frequently been presented as an enigmatic love interest whose dubious intentions are a perpetual source of apprehension and confusion for the protagonist.

In the show Hannibal, the main character, FBI profiler Will Graham, initially meets Hannibal Lecter as his psychologist and Ally figure. Hannibal is, however, a Shapeshifter to both Will and the audience, as his true intentions and emotions towards Will are constantly enclosed in a questionable and enigmatic conundrum of apparently contrasting actions. Hannibal’s opaque role in the tale is to push Will out of the tight and rigid mould he has forced himself into and aid him to reach a definite, liberating and all-encompassing acceptance of his true nature.

The Witcher, 2019

In essence, both the Shadow and the Shapeshifter archetypes represent the prosopopeia of that which “[…] operates within the individual as a repository for unexpressed feelings and desires. It is a force that accumulates when you fail to honour your gifts, follow the call of your muses, or live up to your principles and ideals. It has great but subtle power, operating on deep levels to communicate with you, perhaps sabotaging your efforts, upsetting your balance until you realize the message these events bring — that you must express your creativity, your true nature, or die.” (Vogler, XXIII)

Bibliographical sources:

Avens, R. (1977). The Image of the Devil in C. G. Jung's Psychology. Journal of Religion and Health, 16(3), 196 – 222. https://bit.ly/38OkHfZ

Bistolfi, G., Daniele, S., Personeni, L. & Santarcangeli, P. (Ed. & Trans.) (1975). Il contrasto tra Freud e Jung. Turin: Editore Boringhieri S.p.a.

Campbell, J. (1949) The Hero with a Thousand Faces (Kindle Version). Retrieved from Amazon.it Jung, C. G. (1977). Gli Archetipi dell'Inconscio Collettivo (E. Schanzer & A. Vitolo, Trans.). Turin: Editore Boringhieri S.p.a. McKee, R. (2014). Story. Substance, structure, style, and the principles of screenwriting. York: Methuen. Vogler, C. (2007). The Writer's journey: mythical structure for writers (Third Edition). Los Angeles: Michael Wiese Productions.

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