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An analysis of giantess character archetypes in interactives. (Last Updated 10/28/24) |
I'm not really sure why I wanted to create this little analytical article, but here we are! In this article-esque thing, I'm going to break down what I've noticed to be some of the key archetypes commonly encountered in the plethora of giantess interactives on this website. This isn't meant to be comprehensive, but just a fun examination of some of the most common character tropes and ideas. A character can be more than one archetype too. For each archetype I'll describe the archetype itself, and then provide some examples of different giantesses that reflect that archetype, drawing from the stories that I have the most experience with (like the Shrunken Universe, One Foot Tall Fiancé, and the Squishy Universe). Each example will also include a link to a chapter from that interactive highlighting how that giantess fulfills that archetype. GTS - Giantess MC - Main Character Forgetful Girlfriend Description: The most common variation of the girlfriend character in a GTS interactive. Instead of being perfect and effortlessly loving, this type of girlfriend tends to have some major flaws, particularly with regards to her memory. Whether it's forgetting about her tiny beloved at an important moment, constantly misplacing their pint-sized love, or being generally fairly oblivious and inattentive to their miniscule special someone, this type of giantess is as much a headache for our protagonist as other more overtly evil giantesses. She always means well, but our tiny MCs often just wish she'd stop being so dang forgetful all the time! Examples: Marisol Fuertes from Shrunken Son (https://www.writing.com/main/interactive-story/item_id/2299624-A-Shrunken-Son/ci...) Mary Evans from Squishy Teen (https://www.writing.com/main/interactive-story/item_id/1975029-A-Squishy-Teen/ci...) Emma from Tiny Bride (https://www.writing.com/main/interactive-story/item_id/1773112-Tiny-Bride/cid/31...) Careless Mother Description: Another classic archetype as old as the GTS interactive genre itself. Why have a nice and supportive mother when you could have a destructively careless and inattentive one instead? Turning the idea of a mother being a source of kindness and support on its head, this type of mother is instead a frequent source of chaos and crushing for our tiny MCs to endure. Whether it's because she's physically incapable of making it through the day without squishing her tiny progeny, laughs off the incidents of her small spawn, or dangerously jumps to conclusions over her child's wants and desires that leads to even more issues, these mamas bring crazy scenarios down upon our tiny MCs! Examples: Lauren Jacobs from Shrunken Son (https://www.writing.com/main/interactive-story/item_id/2299624-A-Shrunken-Son/ci...) Shannon Reynolds from Tiny Tutor (https://www.writing.com/main/interactive-story/item_id/2205024-Tiny-Tutor-Re-Upl...) Deborah Little from Shrunken Intern (https://www.writing.com/main/interactive-story/item_id/2241680-A-Shrunken-Intern...) Familial Adversary Description: It's one thing to have an evil giantess in an interactive story, but it's another thing entirely to make that evil giantess live under the same roof as our tiny MCs! That's where the Familial Adversary archetype comes in, bringing in giantess characters who have it out for our tiny MCs for one reason or another, and have the added benefit of being family to allow them to be that much harder to escape from! Some of these characters are just downright sadists, and some of them act out of buried feelings of resentment and anger, but the outcome is always the same. Our tiny MC suffers, and these girls get away with it by playing innocent around other family members all while their miniaturized siblings endure hell! Examples: Jenna Jacobs from Shrunken Son (https://www.writing.com/main/interactive-story/item_id/2299624-A-Shrunken-Son/ci...) Katherine Little from Shrunken Intern (https://www.writing.com/main/interactive-story/item_id/2241680-A-Shrunken-Intern...) Patty Harper from Squishy Girl (https://www.writing.com/main/interactive-story/item_id/2038474-A-Squishy-Girl/ci...) Strict Authority Figure Description: A relatively newer archetype, this one has to deal with characters who just, for one reason or another, refuse to give any sort of leeway to our tiny MCs in overcoming the many trials and tribulations of life. They have nothing against tinies, but they don't believe in free handouts either, and expect just as much (if not more) strength and independence from our tiny MCs as they do from regular-sized individuals! Maybe it's because they are strict towards everyone, maybe it's some slightly-twisted idea that they are helping tinies by being mercilessly strict, or maybe it's a combination of both. Regardless, our tiny MCs never have it easy around these women! Examples: Rio Fuertes from Shrunken Son (https://www.writing.com/main/interactive-story/item_id/2299624-A-Shrunken-Son/ci...) Viola Walker from Shrunken Son (https://www.writing.com/main/interactive-story/item_id/2299624-A-Shrunken-Son/ci...) Helen Woods from Shrunken Roommate (https://www.writing.com/main/interactive-story/item_id/2240540-A-Shrunken-Roomma...) Absentminded Aunt-Type Description: I'm not sure what it is about aunts in GTS interactive stories, but they always seem to draw the short end of the IQ and common sense stick! This is an archetype that is similar to one that comes later on this list, but what sets this one apart is the familial connection. Because of those family ties, these dangerously absentminded ladies are even harder to escape from than your everyday ditz, and sometimes are even worse in their behavior due to misunderstandings and well-intentioned-but-misguided failures to see that their behavior is not the fun and loving expression they think it is! While these ladies might not always literally be aunties, these towering behemoths of carelessness more than make their impact in GTS interactives. Examples: Aunt Mia from Tiny Tutor (https://www.writing.com/main/interactive-story/item_id/2205024-Tiny-Tutor-Re-Upl...) Barbara Biggs from Shrunken Intern (https://www.writing.com/main/interactive-story/item_id/2241680-A-Shrunken-Intern...) Tina Harper from Squishy Teen (https://www.writing.com/main/interactive-story/item_id/1975029-A-Squishy-Teen/ci...) Cruel Instigator Description: This is a subset of a general evil archetype, and this one in particular refers to the girls that seem to get off on watching other giantesses do their dirty work for them (usually with their fellow same-sized peers oblivious as to how they're being manipulated). These girls get their enjoyment from not only putting tiny MCs in their place, but by getting friends, family, and strangers to do the deed. They live and die for instigating chaos and suffering for our tiny MCs, and will never pass up a good opportunity to make our protagonists' lives hell. And because they remain detached from the torment, they often get away with their cruel acts. Examples: Elise Courthouse from Squishy Teen (https://www.writing.com/main/interactive-story/item_id/1975029-A-Squishy-Teen/ci...) Rebecca Lewis from Shrunken Intern (https://www.writing.com/main/interactive-story/item_id/2241680-A-Shrunken-Intern...) Hanna Chambers from Shrunken Son (https://www.writing.com/main/interactive-story/item_id/2299624-A-Shrunken-Son/ci...) Sadistic Huntress Description: This is another subset of the general evil archetype, and is the reverse of the previous archetype. This subset of sadistic giantess prefers to do the dirty work themselves, getting off to personally tormenting and terrorizing our tiny MCs. While they may still occasionally rope friends into the crushing mix, they overall prefer to be the arbitrators of punishment themselves, finding endless love and joy in meting our cruelty to our shrunken protagonists. The chance for them to suffer consequences is higher because of their direct involvement, but conversely the chance for our tiny heroes to escape is drastically reduced due to their constant intimate supervision of pain. Examples: Ivy Green from Shrunken Father (https://www.writing.com/main/interactive-story/item_id/2302405-A-Shrunken-Father...) Nina from Shrunken Son (https://www.writing.com/main/interactive-story/item_id/2299624-A-Shrunken-Son/ci...) Kara Campbell from Squishy Girl (https://www.writing.com/main/interactive-story/item_id/2038474-A-Squishy-Girl/ci...) Exercise Junkie Description: If you've ever exercised in the past, you might know two things. Namely, you might know how addicting and refreshing it can be to exercise, and you might also know how easy it is to get into the rhythm and zone out while working out. Well, these women take both of those traits to the absolute extreme. Exercise practically defines them, and their beautifully toned bodies would be prime material for our tiny MCs to appreciate if said tiny MCs weren't spending ungodly amounts of time smeared to those same bodies and drowned in sweat. Not only do these ladies work out a lot, but they really get into a 'Exercise Mode' while doing so, tuning out everything around them...including little tinies caught up in their midst! Examples: Morgan Sinclair from Shrunken Roommate (https://www.writing.com/main/interactive-story/item_id/2240540-A-Shrunken-Roomma...) Maddie Smalls from One Foot Tall Fiancé (https://www.writing.com/main/interactive-story/item_id/2200726-One-Foot-Tall-Fia...) Riley Jacobs from Shrunken Father (https://www.writing.com/main/interactive-story/item_id/2302405-A-Shrunken-Father...) Ditzy Airhead Description: Another extremely classic trope, and it isn't hard to see why. What's better than a gorgeous and curvaceous giantess? A gorgeous and curvaceous giantess who constantly trips and squishes our main protagonist, over and over forgets that our tiny MC is glued to her body, and blissfully stumbles through life making one mess for our shrunken protagonist after another! The Ditzy Airhead giantess is often one of the most dangerous due to her unpredictable clumsiness, intense forgetfulness, and tendency to make things worse a hundred times over before remotely helping in any given situation. Sprinkle in a few twists (like a ditz who crushes on our hero, or an airhead with misguided views towards tinies) and you've got a recipe for fun. Examples: Ashley Parker from Shrunken Son (https://www.writing.com/main/interactive-story/item_id/2299624-A-Shrunken-Son/ci...) Ana from Squishy Girl (https://www.writing.com/main/interactive-story/item_id/2038474-A-Squishy-Girl/ci...) Sophie Smalls from One Foot Tall Fiancé (https://www.writing.com/main/interactive-story/item_id/2200726-One-Foot-Tall-Fia...) Romantic Rival Description: A rarer, but extremely compelling archetype that really shines in fleshed-out stories and longer storylines. This giantess can really be a mix of any other archetype, but what primarily sets them apart is that they have a crush on our tiny MC's girlfriend. And given their extreme size advantage and (often) a latent dislike of tinies, you've got someone who will fiercely want to win the heart of their crush and crush their rival into the dust while doing so. Sometimes they are subtle, sometimes they are not, but they are always determined. For the sake of this archetype, it might not always strictly be sexual love either that drives the inherent crush/jealousy. For example, I included the character Ashlie from Tiny Bride as an example, because she views the tiny MC from that story as direct competition for her sister's time and attention, and is driven by petty jealousy to do heinous things to win back her sister's familial love. So this archetype comes in many forms. Examples: Selena Morrow from Shrunken Son (https://www.writing.com/main/interactive-story/item_id/2299624-A-Shrunken-Son/ci...) Isabella from Squishy Teen (https://www.writing.com/main/interactive-story/item_id/1975029-A-Squishy-Teen/ci...) Ashlie from Tiny Bride (https://www.writing.com/main/interactive-story/item_id/1773112-Tiny-Bride/cid/19...) Genuine Sweetheart Description: Another fairly rare archetype, given that things going horribly wrong for our tiny MC is basically the bread-and-butter of the GTS interactive genre. These giantesses buck the traditional trend by actively loving, caring, and supporting our tiny MCs and all other tinies. They are kind, gentle, warmhearted, and genuinely amazing people that you'd love to be around even if you aren't tiny. That doesn't mean that these characters are faultless, of course. In the below examples, Lihua can get distracted while dancing which can get tinies crushed, Stacy is painfully shy and trips up (sometimes literally) around cute girls, and Sarah can be pretty gullible and easily manipulated. Still, these ladies are beacons of hope in the often anti-tiny societies most GTS stories are set in. Examples: Lihua Leng from Shrunken Son (https://www.writing.com/main/interactive-story/item_id/2299624-A-Shrunken-Son/ci...) Stacy Reynolds from Tiny Tutor (https://www.writing.com/main/interactive-story/item_id/2205024-Tiny-Tutor-Re-Upl...) Sarah Little from Shrunken Intern (https://www.writing.com/main/interactive-story/item_id/2241680-A-Shrunken-Intern...) Embodiment of Apathy Description: Another fairly new archetype, but an endlessly entertaining one regardless. This archetype encompasses the giantesses who just...do not...care. Some could call it lazy, some could call it being indifferent, but it's definitely the embodiment of apathy. Did they step on a tiny? Whoops, the tiny should've moved. Did they sit on a tiny? Oh well, hope the tiny is strong enough to escape. These girls aren't outright mean or cruel, they just feel like it isn't their problem to go out of their way to accommodate tinies, even if they themselves caused the issue! It's impossible to reason with these girls, and while they might be good people buried deep down, it's certainly hard for our tiny MCs to appreciate that while buried under their massive bodies! Examples: Quinn Wallace from Shrunken Roommate (https://www.writing.com/main/interactive-story/item_id/2240540-A-Shrunken-Roomma...) Kenzie Malachi from Shrunken Father (https://www.writing.com/main/interactive-story/item_id/2302405-A-Shrunken-Father...) Chloe Kim from Shrunken Intern (https://www.writing.com/main/interactive-story/item_id/2241680-A-Shrunken-Intern...) Overbearingly Awful Woman Description: This giantess shares a lot of traits with the other more evil-aligned types of giantesses, but what specifically sets her apart is how her foulness is just in a league of its own. Perhaps due to extreme sadism, or more commonly due to just being an uncouth and vulgar woman, this giantess delights in being an asshole to our tiny MC, and perhaps even to non-tiny characters. An extremely unpleasant person you'd really never want to be around...which of course spells disaster for our tiny MCs who have to face down this type of merciless character! Examples: Big Ange from Shrunken Son (https://www.writing.com/main/interactive-story/item_id/2299624-A-Shrunken-Son/ci...) Aunt Tara from One Foot Tall Fiancé (https://www.writing.com/main/interactive-story/item_id/2200726-One-Foot-Tall-Fia...) Misguided Innocence Description: Straddling the line between Ditzy Airhead and Genuine Sweetheart, these are the giantesses who could easily go either way (or to even worse extremes) with just the right or wrong push. These are, usually, quiet and shy but happy girls who tend to go with the flow, becoming influenced by whatever company they find themselves in. With the right guidance, they could really be great, but too often they are taken advantage of by anti-tiny characters who fall under the evil archetypes, and are led towards darker paths instead. But, because they never lose their innocence, it lends an almost unsettling cheerfulness to their future bad acts. These girls can vary depending upon the storyline and who they spend time with. Examples: Cherry Coppersmith from Shrunken Son (https://www.writing.com/main/interactive-story/item_id/2299624-A-Shrunken-Son/ci...) Orla McCarthy from Shrunken Father (https://www.writing.com/main/interactive-story/item_id/2302405-A-Shrunken-Father...) Courtney Evans from Shrunken Intern (https://www.writing.com/main/interactive-story/item_id/2241680-A-Shrunken-Intern...) Playful Prankster Description: This type of giantess often shares some traits with other archetypes, like the Ditzy Airhead and sometimes even the Genuine Sweetheart. What sets them apart is their love of pranks. Usually, these pranks are lighter in nature, and these giantesses aren't actually evil or malicious. However, given the inherent nature of our tiny MCs having to endure these pranks, things can often get out of hand and leave our tiny protagonists suffering a fair bit. No harm was meant at the end of the day, but these girls really need to rein in the pranks sometimes for the sake of peace! Of course, for us readers and writers, where's the fun in that? Examples: Fariha Bhavsar from Shrunken Father (https://www.writing.com/main/interactive-story/item_id/2302405-A-Shrunken-Father...) Avery Sinclair from Shrunken Roommate (https://www.writing.com/main/interactive-story/item_id/2240540-A-Shrunken-Roomma...) The Tiny Disposer Description: This is a unique subset of evil giantesses who specifically want to dispose of our tiny protagonists. Unlike the Sadistic Huntress who wants to satisfy her own pleasure, or the Cruel Instigator who wants to set up creatively cruel scenarios, the Tiny Disposer primarily wants the tiny MC to be disposed of. They may indeed derive sadistic pleasure from the tormenting of tinies, but their main goal is to rid the world of our tiny MCs for one reason or another. That makes these women particularly dangerous, as they have no reason to keep the tiny MC around for pleasure when their main goal is, effectively, killing them off. Examples: Bea Parker from Shrunken Son (https://www.writing.com/main/interactive-story/item_id/2299624-A-Shrunken-Son/ci...) Becky Wallace from Shrunken Roommate (https://www.writing.com/main/interactive-story/item_id/2240540-A-Shrunken-Roomma...) Gwen Lewis from Shrunken Intern (https://www.writing.com/main/interactive-story/item_id/2241680-A-Shrunken-Intern...) Ceaseless Flirter Description: This type of giantess is someone who lives and breathes flirting, sparing no opportunity to relentlessly pursue their affections for tinies, often our tiny MCs. What makes them stand out, though, is that this archetype is often used in a setting wherein our tiny MC is already in a relationship, and for one reason or another (jealousy, or perhaps a misunderstanding on whether or not the protagonist is even in a relationship) these girls just cannon get it through their heads that they need to rein in their ceaseless flirtations because the object of their affections is already spoken for! This archetype can cross over with ones like Ditzy Airhead or Playful Prankster, just as long as their primary trait is loving to flirt with our tiny MCs and never giving them a chance to rest from their unwanted outpourings of love. Examples: Dodger and Sydney from Shrunken Son (https://www.writing.com/main/interactive-story/item_id/2299624-A-Shrunken-Son/ci...) Hope Cooper from Shrunken Father (https://www.writing.com/main/interactive-story/item_id/2302405-A-Shrunken-Father...) Midori from My Shrunken Life (https://www.writing.com/main/interactive-story/item_id/2246771-My-Shrunken-Life-...) Dangerous Suitor Description: The dark mirror of the Ceaseless Flirter, this is a giantess who has a crush on our tiny MC, and relentlessly pursues them with lustful flirtations. However, unlike the generally more lighthearted and kind Ceaseless Flirter, this giantess evokes aspects of the more evil-aligned archetypes. This giantess is generally darker, more violent, more cruel, and much more twisted in her pursuit of the tiny MC. Whereas the Ceaseless Flirter doesn't legitimately mean any harm at the end of the day, the Dangerous Suitor is absolutely willing to harm the tiny MC and even other giantesses if it gets her closer to her goal of permanently possessing the tiny MC. These women are a whole different breed of crazy and dangerous, often presenting some of the biggest obstacles for our tiny MCs to have to overcome. Examples: Rika Inoue from Shrunken Son (https://www.writing.com/main/interactive-story/item_id/2299624-A-Shrunken-Son/ci...) Tara Jones from Shrunken Intern (https://www.writing.com/main/interactive-story/item_id/2241680-A-Shrunken-Intern...) Lisa from My Shrunken Life (https://www.writing.com/main/interactive-story/item_id/2246771-My-Shrunken-Life-...) Unwilling Abuser Description: This giantess archetype centers around the girls who would never want to willingly hurt a tiny, MC or not...and yet, usually because of the influence of someone of a more evil disposition, they are forced to. Whether it's a cruel mother, a sadistic boss, or a manipulative sister, these giantesses are forced to endure their nice and gentle hearts breaking as they are coerced into bringing suffering upon innocent tinies, our MCs included. There's a palpable sense of dramatic irony in these characters with regards to how they'd never want to hurt even a fly, and yet they are now forced to inflict cruel torments that, from an outsider's perspective, make them appear no different from our more classic archetypes of sadistic giantesses. Thankfully, these girls are a safe haven when encountered by themselves. Examples: Persephone Graham from Shrunken Father (https://www.writing.com/main/interactive-story/item_id/2302405-A-Shrunken-Father...) Violet Nakamura from Shrunken Son (https://www.writing.com/main/interactive-story/item_id/2299624-A-Shrunken-Son/ci...) Sherri Evermore from Tiny Tutor (https://www.writing.com/main/interactive-story/item_id/2205024-Tiny-Tutor-Re-Upl...) |