Unstructured Archetypes: The Thug

He is the bankrobber. He is the minion. He is the kidnapper. He is the extortionist

The Thug is a man.

Although the Thug shares much of the demeanor of the Brute, he is fundamentally human.

The Thug has a soul, albeit a small one. This means that the Thug can be redeemed, but it is unlikely.

The Thug is not a threat to the Hero. Quite the contrary.

His purpose is demonstrate the prowess of the Hero. He is a paper tiger and a punching bag.

He is nameless. He may be called Bruno, or Boris, or what have you, but these are only labels. In truth, he is a slate.

He is stupid, but he is aware of his stupidity.

He admires the intelligence of the Boss. He despises the intelligence of everyone else.

The Thug wants sex but cannot easily find it. Woman are repelled by him. His only option is force or prostitution. He is a lousy lover.

His moral universe is divided between the weak and the strong. He bullies the weak and cowers before the strong.

He has no history. He was not born, nor does he have a family. When he is killed, he will be unmourned.

He is vicious but not Evil. He lacks the intelligence to be Evil. He is, however, drawn to Evil as a moth to a flame.

He is a willing thrall. A slave. He freely subordinates his will to that of the Boss.

He has a dim but determined sense of loyalty. It is a loyalty predicated on fear and worship.

The Thug has no taste. He wears cheap suits, he smokes cheap cigars and he drinks cheap beer. To the extent that he has any relationship with women, they too are cheap.

If he wasn’t a bully, he would be pitied. On a deep level, he knows this. That is why he bullies.

The Thug has no God except for the Boss. The Boss is a wrathful God.