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Netflix's Myths & Monsters: Joseph Campbell & The Hero's Journey ("Heroes & Villains," S1E1)

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Netflix's Myths & Monsters: Joseph Campbell & The Hero's Journey ("Heroes & Villains," S1E1)

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Netflix's Myths & Monsters: Joseph Campbell & The Hero's Journey ("Heroes & Villains," S1E1)

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Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey: A Better Screenplay in 17 Steps

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Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey: A Better Screenplay in 17 Steps

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The monomyth featuring three of your favorite franchises!

The Hero's Journey Begins

1. Call to Action

Adventure is calling. Will your hero pick up?

The initial step in the first act of the Hero's Journey - known as the departure - is the "call to action." The Hero is beckoned to go on a journey. Think Frodo Baggins meeting Gandalf. Or the Owl inviting Harry Potter to Hogwarts.

If having a tall wizard extend a hand may be a little too on the nose for you, don't worry. This comes in all forms. InCitizen Kane, the mystery surrounding Charles Foster Kane's final words is the call to action for the reporter, Jerry Thompson, to get to work.

The Hero Receives Assistance

3. Supernatural Aid

Once the Hero has committed themselves to embarking on whatever that quest may be (keep in mind, a Hero's Journey can apply to a modern, emotional story, as well), they receive "supernatural aid."

Individuals give the Hero information or tools at the start of their journey to help their chances of completing the task. Rome wasn't built in a day, and it definitely wasn't built alone. Every hero has a set of allies helping them get the job done. From Luke, Han, and Chewie to Harry, Ron, and Hermoine, these teams are iconic and nearly inseparable.

The tools provided come in handy as the Hero begins...

The Hero is Challenged

5. Belly of the Whale

Next thing you know, we're in "the belly of the whale." The first point of real danger in the Hero's Journey. Taken from the Biblical story of Jonah entering a literal whale's belly, it's here that the dangers we've been warned about are manifested into tangible characters. Like hungry Orcs with swords.

This is Jonah moments before actually being in the belly of the whale.

Now our Hero must make a decision to continue and, in turn, undergo a personal metamorphosis in the process.

They will not be the same individual at the end of this tale as they were in the beginning. This must be made clear while in the belly of the whale, as we enter Initiation, or act two. Which is the longest slice of the Hero's Journey pie.

This part is filled with the most failure and risk, and ends with the climax. But first, it starts with...

The Great Advisor

7. Meeting the Goddess

At this point in the monomyth, our Hero needs a break to adjust perspective and digest the ways they've changed. It's here that they meet with an advisor, or a trusted individual, who will help them gain a better insight into the next steps of the journey. Frodo met with Galadriel, an elf who enlightened him with visions of potential futures.

This is Frodo meeting with the goddess

Luke met Leia, and the two formed of a bond of kinship, motivating them to commit more to their cause. This individual doesn't have to be a woman, but whoever it is our hero will gain something from the wisdom they impart.

But no good deed goes unpunished, and as we reward our Heroes in storytelling, we must also tempt them to failure.

A Moment of Catharsis

9. Atonement With the Father

Once they've thrown away their temptations, the Hero enters the "atonement with the father." This is always an emotional part of the Hero's Journey. It's a point in the monomyth where our protagonist must confront an aspect of their character from act one that has been slowing them down.

Something that could be fatal to their journey in the coming climactic stages. While this is actuated as a confrontation with a male entity, it doesn't have to be.

The point here is that the Hero finds within themselves a change from who they were into someone more capable. Harry has to reconcile with the loss of his father figure, Dumbledore. Now take on Voldemort alone, using the lessons he's learned on the way. Just like Luke...and every other hero ever. This is the emotional climax of the story.

"Tell your sister... you were riiiiiiiiiight..."

THe Hero Victorious

11. The Ultimate Boon

This monomyth step is the physical climax of the story. This is often considered the MacGuffin of a film - the physical object that drives our Hero's motivation. But it's a MacGuffin, to use Hitchcock's famous term, because ultimately... it doesn't matter.

In Pulp Fiction, we never find out what's in the briefcase, but it's the briefcase that led them on the wild journey. When we find out what "Rosebud" actually means, it simply forms a lynchpin to help us understand who Charles Foster Kane was. The mission is accomplished and the world can rest easy knowing that it is safe from evil.

The Hero Transported

13. Magic Flight

This is the point in the Hero's Journey where they must get out alive, often requiring the help of individuals they met along the way. Dorothy still has to get back to Kansas, the solution to which may seem like a leap of faith.

The eagles rescue from without with a magic flight to Frodo and friends

The Hero's Rescue

14. Rescue from Without

Bringing us to the "rescuers from without" point in the monomyth. Just because Frodo destroyed the one ring to rule them all doesn't mean he gets a free ride back to the Shire. Remember those giant eagles we met a while back in act two? Well their back just in time!

A Triumphant Return

16. Master of Two Worlds

The hero survived an adventure in the chaos realm, and now survives in the normal order realm. This makes him or her the master of two worlds. Not many people come back and live to tell the tale.

Frodo and Gandalf wandering off into the sunset post accomplishing their mission

Plus which, throughout the story, they've become someone much more capable and resilient than they were in act one. They've learned lessons, and brought what they learned home with them.

Whatever issues they may have had before embarking on this chaotic tale (often the ones preventing from taking the call to action) now pale in comparison with what they've been through.

It's easier to deal with your annoying cousin, Dudley, after you've defeated Voldemort. This, in turn, leads to...

The New Status Quo

17. Freedom to Live

In many ways the Hero's Journey is about death and rebirth. The story may manifest as the death of an aspect of character, and the birth of some new way of life. But the metaphor behind any story is one about mortality.

Change is constant. Hero's living through the Hero's Journey are models for us. Models that we can travers the constant change of existence, face our mortality, and continue. In a religious sense, and religions are all part of the monomyth, this is about the eternal spirit.

Look no farther than the prayer of St. Francis to understand this final step in the Hero's quest. "It is in dying that we are born to eternal life."

The Hero's Journey Concludes

Cinematic Heroes

Hero's Journey Examples

The monomyth is practically ubiquitous in Hollywood. As you've read earlier, Harry Potter, , Lord of the Rings, andCitizen Kane all follow the Hero's Journey. But, because this concept was built upon the foundations of major mythologies, it's truly a "tale as old as time."

Because Campbell discovered the Hero's Journey. He didn't make it up. Neither did those older myths. He realized as an anthropologist, that every culture all around the globe had the same story beats in all their myths.

Sure, some myths, and some movies, use 10 of the 17, or even just 5. But throughout human history, around the world, these story beats keep showing up. In cultures that had nothing to do with one another.

The Hero's Journey is a concept innate to being human.

And if remembering these 17 steps may seem a little daunting, fear not. Make sure to check out Dan Harmon's abridged 8-step variation of the Hero's Journey monomyth. Same structure, just made more digestible.

up next

Dan Harmon's Story Circle

Practically speaking, the Hero's Journey is an excellent tool for structuring an outline in a clear and familiar way. It has the power to make your script much more powerful and emotionally resonant.

It's circular, allowing for repeat adventures (which works well if you're learning how to write a TV pilot) and each aspect drives the hero to the next. From the Goddess, the Hero finds temptation. From reconciling with the father, the Hero is now prepared for the final boon.

Story Circle * 8 Proven Steps to Better Stories

Using a Hero's Journey worksheet can help you write a treatment or create a well-structured outline, which is a valuable tool for creating a strong first draft.

By putting in the 17 steps of the Hero's Journey before building the outline, you can ensure that the writing process will flow smoothly and efficiently. Let us know in the comments how the monomyth has helped you craft a story that escalates with every beat to an exciting climax.

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How to Use the Hero's Journey to Craft the Perfect Screenplay

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The monomyth featuring three of your favorite franchises! Adventure is calling. Will your hero pick up? The initial step in the first act of the Hero's Journey - known as the departure - is the "call to action." The Hero is beckoned to go on a journey. Think Frodo Baggins meeting Gandalf.

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Storyclock Research Log Better than the cherry on a whip cream sundae. Read more Storyclock Research Log Read more Storyclock Research Log Being a romantic takes a hell of a lot of hope. Read more

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