Typing Fictional Characters: Gravity Falls

Gravity Falls is a popular Disney animated television show and the internet has taken quite a liking to it. I am huge fan of this show. I participate in discussion fan boards and in theory videos. I am even going to be cosplaying as one of the characters at an upcoming convention. This is a show I have wanted to write about for a very, very long time. I am such a nerd!

Gravity Falls is about fraternal twins Dipper and Mabel Pines who are forced to spend their summer at their great uncle Stan’s tourist trap, the Mystery Shack in Gravity Falls, Oregon. Things are not always as they seem in Gravity Falls. One day, Dipper finds an unusual journal hidden in the woods that detail the mysteries and secrets the town holds. As the series goes on, the twins soon find themselves facing off against magic, strange and sometimes scary creatures and a plethora of other mysteries waiting to be solved. The show itself is chalk full of mysteries and puzzles for the fans to solve along with many conspiracies that are, in many cases, inspired by conspiracies from our world.

A great premise like this would not mean very much however, if the show did not have memorable and entertaining characters. When typing these characters I am going to be using the Myers Briggs personality types and as usual, if you would like to read the official description of the 16 different types you can do so from the Myers Briggs Foundation.

There are many characters in this show, both reoccurring and regular, but I will be focusing on the regular characters as we spend the most time with them and they are the ones the audience gets to know best (well, at least in most cases).

(To take the official professional test yourself, go to www.mbtionline.com.)

Dipper Pines: INTP – The Architect

Dipper is a self-conscious, rational, intelligent kid. He wants to understand the universal law behind everything he sees and all its complexity, especially when it comes to Gravity Falls. He spends much of his time exploring concepts, making connections, and seeking to understand the strange town of Gravity Falls. To Dipper, life is a constant investigation into the mysteries and wonders of the universe. Being an INTP, Dipper cannot sit still and is always looking for the next riddle to solve. His meticulous attention to detail is rather useful when he analyzes a new mystery. He is often restless in everyday life because he is always ready to solve more puzzles. Dipper has a complicated and active mind and he will usually go to great mental lengths when trying to devise solutions to problems, one could even argue he over analyzes. For instance, in “Double Dipper,” he writes an extensive list on what to do to be able to dance with Wendy. He instructs his clones to help him and gives them all jobs, also successfully showing his ability to lead in order to execute a plan. Like any kid, he can sometimes be selfish and he is not above using Gravity Falls’ mysterious elements to pursue his own interests, but he always does the right thing in the end. In many episodes such as “Dipper vs. Manliness” and “The Time Traveler’s Pig” Dipper is shown to have a strong moral compass and has made many sacrifices for others because he felt it was the right thing to do.

Mabel Pines: ESFP – The Performer

Mabel is an optimistic, zany, silly and energetic girl who skips through life with a braces-filled smile and extremely colorful sweaters. She is fun-loving and spontaneous, often doing things because she thinks it will be fun or humorous whether it is wearing nachos for earrings or bedazzling her face. Her sense of humor is playful and open and she is very good with making people smile. Like most ESFPs, Mabel enjoys being in the middle of the action and being the center of attention. In social situations like at parties, she is skilled at drawing out other people and helping them have a good time, especially when it comes to her more introverted brother. Mabel is acutely aware of the facts and details in her environment, especially if they involve other people. She is quite observant of others and their needs, and always responsive in offering her assistance in tangible ways. This is evident in the episodes “Dipper vs. Manliness” when she helps her great uncle Stan improve himself to impress a woman and “The Love God” when she helps someone work through a heartbreak by setting them up with a new person. Mabel may be silly but she can always be counted on to bring fun and absurdity to the show.

Stanford Pines: ENTP – The Visionary

Great uncle “Grunkle” Stan is a gruff, selfish, cynical, and greedy salesman/con artist who has his tourist trap set up in a town with enough gullible customers to sell worthless knickknacks to and take on dazzling tours to witness so-called “mysteries” and “wonders.” Stan is an innovator, driven to find new solutions to intellectually perplexing problems. He is clever, witty and unconventional. He analyzes and influences people, which makes selling his merchandise exceedingly simple. Stan is actually more calculating and aware of his environment than he first appears; as he is shown multiple times outwitting his foes. Similar to other ENTPs, Stan likes to banter with others. He uses his quick wit to keep the upper hand, often poking fun at other peoples’ habits and eccentricities as he sometimes does with Dipper. Stan is confident and creative, and typically excited to discuss his many ingenious ideas, even if they are driven by his desire to make money. This is shown in the episode “Land Before Swine” when Stan thinks of a new attraction involving syrup encased dinosaurs for his Mystery Shack. He questions norms and frequently ignores them completely, preferring to try new methods than go along with the established standards. For Stan, the rules of the universe are made to be broken. In the episode “Time Traveler’s Pig,” Stan illustrates this school of thought by stating, “When there’s no cops around, anything’s legal.” He likes to find the loopholes and figure out how he can work the system to his advantage. Even though he sends the twins on unpredictable and outrageous errands, he always has their best interests at heart and loves them unconditionally.

Soos Ramirez: ISFP – The Composer

Soos is the child-like, naïve, easy-going, living-in-the-moment handyman of the Mystery Shack. He is flexible and spontaneous, and likes to go with the flow, which makes him a valuable resource for the twins when they need help during their wild adventures or a ride around town. Similarly to other ISFPs, Soos does not like to be in the spotlight, preferring instead to take a supporting role. He is also modest and underestimates himself as seen in the episode “Soos and the Real Girl” when he tries to meet and interact with women at the mall. Soos is carefully observant and, aside from the twins, is one of the only people around who sees and believes all the strange things happening in Gravity Falls. While he normally shows his inquisitive and childish nature; Soos knows when to act like an adult, such as in the episode “Legend of the Gobblewonker” when he, Mabel, and Dipper encountered the Gobblewonker, and Soos was able to carry both of them and outran it. Soos is actually quite smart, with competent knowledge of machinery and construction, and many other bits of wisdom to give to the other characters. One would never guess this based on how he acts.

Wendy Corduroy: INFP – The Healer

Wendy is a mellow, down-to-earth, fun-loving and slightly lethargic teen who is a part-time worker at the Mystery Shack. Wendy values authenticity and wants to be original in what she does. Following tradition holds little appeal for Wendy; she prefers to do her own exploration of values and ideas, and decides for herself what seems right to her. She is unconventional and feels little to no desire to conform. She is accepting and nonjudgmental in her treatment of others, believing that each person must follow their own path. She is flexible and accommodating, and can often see many points of view. She supports other people and accepts others without question, and enjoys listening to other points of view or observing alternative lifestyles.

Gideon Gleeful: ENTJ – The Commander

Gideon is a self-proclaimed television psychic whose real mission is to take down his competition, the Mystery Shack and his enemies the Pines family. He easily sees inefficiency and is quick to create new solutions. Most of the time, he is quite rational, articulate and quick-witted. Gideon is analytical and objective, and likes bringing order to the world around him. He is assertive, self-assured and enjoys taking charge, no matter where he is or the situation. Often, he uses his “cuteness” to his advantage when he wants something, and admits that most people have difficulty refusing his requests because of it. He is cunning and sly, tricking Stan in “The Deep End” into getting glued to a deckchair. He is spoiled, ungrateful, bratty, selfish, and is verbally abusive toward his mother and father. He does things such as throwing and breaking objects, yelling, and making a fuss. His own mother appears to fear him. He is extremely manipulative, lying to the residents of Gravity Falls so they will love him and do what he orders of them. Like many ENTJs, he is ambitious and interested in gaining power and influence. As such, he is completely obsessed with obtaining the power that the journals would give him, going so far as to attempt to track down Dipper and Mabel and ignoring their claims to not have the journal he needed. He may be a child, but he is not a child to be trifled with.

Do you agree with my assessment? Or do you disagree? How would you type the characters of Gravity Falls? Let me know in the comments below!

ABOUT TYPING FICTIONAL CHARACTERS (a regular column): 

Silver Petticoat writers attempt to type fictional characters using the Myers Briggs Assessment. We base our choices on research and all around educated guessing. It’s all in good fun and we love a good discussion, so if you agree or disagree with our choices let us know!

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