The Hero’s Journey: A Guide to Transformative Storytelling

Chances are, if you’re interested in writing for movies or TV shows, you’ve probably already heard about the Hero’s Journey from a friend or mentor. It’s a common template of stories that usually follow these stages: hero ventures on a quest, hero encounters challenges, and then the hero goes home victorious and changed.

Need more explanation and examples?

Don’t worry. This article will explore the Hero’s Journey according to Joseph Campbell and Christopher Vogler. I’ll also give examples from popular movies and books to make the concepts easier to grasp.

What Is the Hero’s Journey by Joseph Campbell?

Others know the Hero’s Journey by its other name, monomyth. For decades, it remains to be the most popular type of narrative structure because people from almost all walks of life can connect with it, regardless of background, culture, and time period.

It tells the story of an archetypal hero leaving their ordinary world (like a stay-at-home mother of two who feels unfulfilled and wonders what she’s missing). Then, the hero begins their journey full of problems and difficulties and comes back stronger and wiser after going through a series of life-changing adventures.

Depending on the version you use (Joseph Campbell’s or Christopher Vogler’s), it consists of 12 or 17 stages that map the hero’s transformative adventure. But in its basic form, it has three main parts:

• Departure: In this phase, the hero leaves their everyday life and goes on a new journey. It’s usually divided into five distinct stages: The Ordinary World, The Call to Adventure, Refusal of the Call to Adventure, Meeting the Mentor, and Crossing the Threshold.
• Initiation: This is where “the meat” of the story happens. It’s during this time that the hero encounters challenges, allies, and enemies. The hero experiences growth and acquires new skills as they overcome the dangers of their adventure.
• Return: During this stage, the hero achieves their ultimate goal (also called the ultimate boon). The hero returns to their ordinary world, usually sharing with their community the reward that they brought back from their adventure.

You often see this classic story structure in fantasy and sci-fi books, movies, and TV shows. However, you can also use it to write a great story in different genres, including mystery, coming-of-age, thriller, romance, and even historical fiction.

Joseph Campbell’s Personal History and the Hero’s Journey

Joseph Campbell was born in White Plains, New York in 1904. Even as a child, he was already fascinated with mythology. He often visited the American Museum of Natural History and read books about American Indian cultures.

He got both his Bachelor of Arts in English literature and Master of Arts in Medieval Literature from Columbia University. After he got these degrees, he had an opportunity to study in Europe in the late 1920s.

It was during this time that he was deeply impacted by the writings of Thomas Mann and James Joyce (most famous for his novel Ulysses, 1922). Many years later, Campbell worked with Henry Morton Robinson to create a guide (A Skeleton Key to Finnegans Wake, 1944) to James Joyce’s complicated novel.

These experiences made author Joseph Campbell think that epics and myths have a common psychological foundation. Campbell reflects they’re a way for people from different cultures to make sense of society, spiritual beliefs, and the world in general.

Campbell introduced the concept of the monomyth—or, as most people call it, the Hero’s Journey—in his famous work, The Hero with a Thousand Faces (1949). In his book, he described the core requirements, phases, and outcomes of the archetypal hero’s journey.

He didn’t actually mention the phrase “The Hero’s Journey” in his book. Instead, he used terms like “hero quest.” Later, he began using the term we use today, which is “The Hero’s Journey.”

This is how Campbell described the Hero’s Journey in his book:

“A hero ventures forth from the world of common day into a region of supernatural wonder: fabulous forces are there encountered and a decisive victory is won: the hero comes back from this mysterious adventure with the power to bestow boons on his fellow man.”

In 1934, Campbell started teaching comparative mythology at the Sarah Lawrence College. He used the monomyth concept as the organizing principle for his course.

After retiring from Sarah Lawrence College, Joseph Campbell died on October 30, 1987 because of esophageal cancer. In 1988, journalist Bill Moyers introduced Campbell’s views to millions of people through The Power of Myth, a six-part television series.

Understanding the 17 Steps of the Hero’s Journey

In the groundbreaking book Campbell published, he described a story structure with 17 stages. These stages were divided and grouped into three acts: Departure, Initiation, and Return. Let’s go through each stage in detail, starting with the first act—Departure.

Stage 1: Departure

The Call to Adventure

Joseph Campbell writes in his book The Hero with a Thousand Faces:

“[The Call to Adventure] signifies that destiny has summoned the hero and transferred his spiritual center of gravity from within the pale of his society to a zone unknown.”

During this part of the story, the hero receives a call to leave behind their ordinary world and go on a heroic journey. This call usually takes on many forms, such as:

• Direct invitation: Gandalf asks Frodo Baggins to bring the One Ring to Mordor to destroy it.
• Feelings of discontent or yearning: In Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick (or The Whale), the call for Captain Ahab comes from his consuming desire to kill the great white whale Moby Dick, which took his leg.
• Sudden crisis or direct threat: Katniss Everdeen was faced with a major problem when her younger sister (Prim) was chosen as a tribute for the Hunger Games.
• Sudden discovery or realization: In Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Harry received an invitation to attend Hogwarts School after discovering he’s a wizard.

Refusal of the Call

The Refusal of the Call is the stage where the hero is hesitant to leave their ordinary world at first. They might resist the invitation to go on a heroic journey because of doubt, fear, obligations at home, or a preference for what’s familiar.

Jonah is a great example of The Refusal of the Call in the Bible. When God called him to preach to the people of Nineveh, his first impulse was to refuse. He immediately fled to Tarshish, but was swallowed by a great fish before reaching his destination.

Supernatural Aid

The purpose of the Supernatural Aid stage is to give the hero the tools they need to go on their adventure. These tools could be in the form of a mentor figure, magical object, inner guidance (e.g., dreams and intuition), or assistance from supernatural beings.

Albus Dumbledore was a father figure to Harry Potter and provided him with crucial guidance and wisdom. In George Lucas’ Star Wars, Luke Skywalker had a mentor in Obi-Wan Kenobi. Moana received guidance and assistance on her quest from the demigod Maui and the ocean itself.

Crossing the Threshold

The Crossing the Threshold is the “no turning back” stage of the Hero’s Journey. The hero enters an unknown special world, with a full commitment to the adventure. This could be a physical crossing (like entering a new kingdom) or a psychological one.

You’ll clearly see this in the movie The Wizard of Oz, which stars Judy Garland (Dorothy). After a tornado rips through Kansas, Dorothy and her dog, Toto, find themselves in the magical land of Oz. When she steps out of her tornado-ravaged home and sets off on the Yellow Brick Road, it shows her departure from her ordinary, familiar world to enter a dangerous, magical one.

Belly of the Whale

In “The Hero’s Journey,” the “belly of the whale” symbolizes the hero’s decision to go into the unknown. This often means the hero faces their insecurities, deepest fears, and potential dangers. This experience leads to the death of the old self, including beliefs and habits, and the hero’s complete transformation.

Joseph Campbell drew inspiration from the Bible story of Jonah, who was swallowed by a great fish (widely believed to be a whale). But there are also other cultures that use the “belly of the whale” concept. A good example is the South African folktale “Unanana and the Elephant.”

In the story, a Zulu mother willingly goes into the stomach of a magical elephant after it swallows her children. The magical elephant’s stomach represents the mother’s descent into a dark and unknown world, where she has to deal with dangerous situations and her deepest fears to save her children.

Stage 2: Initiation

Road of Trials

The Road of Trials is part of the story where the hero completes quests (like killing a dragon or finishing seemingly impossible tasks), overcomes flaws (emotional, mental, or physical), and/or fights physical battles. The challenges are meant to push the hero past their limits, so they can grow as a person by gaining valuable knowledge or skills.

Mulan has two “Road of Trials”: military training and fighting the ruthless Hun army. Percy Jackson went on a quest to look for the person who stole Zeus’ lightning bolt. During his stay at Hogwarts, Harry Potter faced countless trials, including persistent bullying from Draco Malfoy and his followers and battling evil magical creatures.

Meeting with the Goddess

The “goddess” in The Meeting with the Goddess isn’t necessarily a human being. In some stories, it can refer to a mentor figure, powerful idea, romantic partner, ally, or someone who’s a great source of acceptance, compassion, creativity, and nurturing.

In The Fellowship of the Ring, Frodo meeting Arwen for the first time could be The Meeting with the Goddess moment of the movie. Moana didn’t meet a literal goddess, but her powerful connection with the ocean—which provides her with constant guidance—can be interpreted as meeting the goddess.

Woman as Temptress

Similar to the previous Hero’s Journey stage, the Woman as Temptress doesn’t necessarily refer to a female character in physical form. The temptress can take the form of anything that tests the willpower of the hero and divert their attention from their heroic path. This could be fame, love, physical pleasures, wealth, and other desires.

In some books, movies, fairy tales, and world mythology, the temptress isn’t always evil. This character is there to genuinely challenge the hero’s moral compass, ability to overcome distractions, and commitment to their quest.

In the Greek mythology The Odyssey, Odysseus encountered two temptresses: Calypso and Circe. Calypso, a nymph living on the island of Ogygia, tempted Odysseus with immortality and a comfortable life on her island to stop him from going back to Ithaca. Circe, a minor goddess, used her magic to keep Odysseus and his crew captive to delay their journey home.

Atonement with the Father

In the Atonement with the Father stage of the Hero’s Journey, the hero faces a father figure. This figure can be a powerful god, a literal father, or unresolved internal conflicts (childhood issues, greed, and fears).

This powerful and often feared figure is responsible for preventing the hero from becoming successful. By confronting it, they’re able to better understand themselves and the world they live in and accept their flaws and limitations.

We see this concept in Norse mythology. Thor often clashes with his father, Odin, because of differing views. His path requires him to respect his father’s authority and wisdom.

Another example is Horus (a falcon-headed man) in Egyptian mythology. He had to avenge the death of his father, Osiris, who was murdered by Seth (the god of chaos). By winning against Seth and taking his rightful place as a pharaoh, he was able to make things right with his father’s legacy.

Apotheosis

Apotheosis is the Greek word for “to make a god” or “elevation to the status of a god.” When it comes to the Hero’s Journey structure, it refers to the stage where the hero undergoes a symbolic transformation to reach a divine state or a higher level of consciousness. They often come out as better people, with renewed clarity on the steps to take to emerge victorious.

In The Matrix movie, the apotheosis was the moment Neo realized he’s the chosen one. He gained a deeper understanding of his important role in the war between human beings and machines.

Ultimate Boon

The Ultimate Boon isn’t necessarily the final battle in the story. It refers to the prize won by the hero after overcoming trials and misfortunes. The boon or prize comes in many forms:

• Gaining knowledge or wisdom.
• Bringing people back together.
• Restoring balance back to a kingdom.
• Securing a cure to a deadly disease.
• Solving a serious problem.
• Unlocking secrets of the universe.

Whatever this boon is, the hero isn’t supposed to keep it for themselves. It’s meant for them to share with others, so they can also benefit from it. For instance, Prometheus stole fire from Hephaestus’ workshop to help humanity.

Stage 3: Return

Refusal of the Return

After completing their quest, the hero is having second thoughts about going back to their familiar, ordinary world. For instance, in C.S. Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia, the Pevensie children (Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy) were at first hesitant to return to their ordinary world after settling into their new lives as rulers of Narnia.

Some of the possible reasons the hero wants to stay in the special world:

• They find it difficult to let go of the things they found in the special world, such as experiences and relationships.
• They might worry that they won’t be able to fit in back home.
• They find their old world boring and pointless.
• They might need the help of a supernatural being to go back home.

The Magic Flight

In The Magic Flight stage, the hero is still faced with dangers and trials as they try to go back home with the “boon”—even after successfully completing their quest. This danger or chase can be literal or figurative (like fighting the growing urge to keep the boon for themselves).

The hero won’t go through everything alone, though. Allies, magical creatures, or other supernatural forces might help the hero escape and return to their ordinary world.

In the movie Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indiana Jones was able to find the Ark of the Covenant. Nazi forces, which was led by Toht and Belloq, pursued him to get it. They eventually succeeded, but Jones was able to recover the Ark and give it back to the U.S. government. The movie’s ending is a great example of the magic flight.

Rescue from Without

Returning to the ordinary world can be dangerous. In the Rescue from Without stage, the hero is faced with this problem, which often requires help from external sources to escape the special world. This could be in the form of a physical rescue, emotional support, weapon supply, or crucial information.

Athena played an important role in Odysseus’ safe return to Ithaca. She gave him magical assistance, advice, and guidance to help him survive Poseidon’s fury and guide him to safety. In Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, Chewbacca and Han Solo helped the struggling Luke Skywalker destroy the Death Star by attacking Darth Vader and his TIE (Twin Ion Engine) fighters.

Crossing the Return Threshold

The Crossing the Return Threshold is the stage where the hero returns to their ordinary world, where they can use the knowledge, skills, and insights to improve their lives and those of others in their community. However, it can be difficult for the hero to adjust to their old life again because their experiences in the special world changed them so much.

Here’s a good example of the “Crossing the Return Threshold” in Greek mythology:

Pelias wanted to get rid of Jason, so he sent him on a seemingly impossible mission to retrieve the Golden Fleece from the ancient region of Colchis. With the help of the sorceress Medea, Jason and the Argonauts successfully brought back the Golden Fleece. However, after retrieving the magical ram’s fleece, Jason became lonely and eventually met a tragic end.

Master of Two Worlds

The Master of Two Worlds stage of Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey is all about the hero being able to successfully balance their everyday life and transformed self. This is also the time where they apply the wisdom they gained from their quest to their ordinary world.

For instance, Percy Jackson was able to easily navigate two worlds: the world of the Greek gods and the mortals. He’s able to use his knowledge and abilities to help both gods and humans.

Freedom to Live

In the final stage of Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey, the hero can finally live fully in the present. They’re free from limitations and unwanted emotions, such as anxiety and fear, allowing them to achieve a state of balance and peace.

The “Freedom to Live” is different from the “Master of Two Worlds.” The former is more focused on the internal state of the hero after their quest. Meanwhile, the latter is the external manifestation of that internal freedom in the previous stage.

Christopher Vogler’s “Hero’s Journey”

While helpful, not all writers find it easy to learn and remember Joseph Campbell’s 17-step Hero’s Journey structure. Christopher Vogler, a successful screenwriter and Hollywood consultant, later simplified and shortened Campbell’s work to 12 steps in his screenwriting guide, The Writer’s Journey: Mythic Structure For Writers.

Campbell’s work explores the patterns in mythic traditions. His fascination with their psychological and spiritual themes is clearly reflected in the philosophical nature of the characters and events in his Hero’s Journey structure.

Vogler, an experienced screenwriter and author, is well aware that movies are visual. That’s why his Hero’s Journey shows screenwriters how they can use the start of the story to visually show the audience what the hero’s life is like in the ordinary world, as well as what’s at stake once they accept the call to adventure.

Here’s an overview of Vogler’s Hero’s Journey arc:

The Ordinary World

Here, the writer establishes the hero’s background and everyday life, including any existing conflicts, before their quest starts. From the start, Vogler’s “The Ordinary World” aims to make the hero relatable to the audience, while also exposing their flaws and unfulfilled desires.

The Call to Adventure

Like in Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey, the hero is presented with a challenge, opportunity, or problem. This turns the hero’s ordinary world upside down and prompts the hero to go on a journey to restore balance.

Refusal of the Call

In this stage, the hero is reluctant to accept, or outright rejects, the initial call to adventure. The refusal could be due to fear of the unknown, self-doubt, or persuasion from others.

How does it differ from Campbell’s?

If you use Campbell’s story structure, you’ll most likely ask this question: “Why does this character refuse to take on this mission?”

Since Vogler is more focused on the dramatic impact, you’d be thinking, “How can I make this refusal more interesting?” and “What would happen if the character outright rejects the call to adventure?”

Meeting with the Mentor

The mentor’s role is to provide tools, training, emotional support, or guidance to prepare the hero for the journey ahead. Sometimes, the mentor isn’t a person. It can be a map, magical item, piece of crucial information, or a series of events.

Crossing the Threshold

This stage marks the hero’s full commitment to leave the ordinary world and journey to the special world. This shift is triggered by both external factors (such as the kidnapping of a loved one) and internal factors (such as a desire to seek justice). Once the hero commits to the adventure, they remain in the special world until the task is completed and they return home.

Tests, Allies, and Enemies

This stage subjects the hero to trials that would challenge their emotional, mental, and physical strength—or worse, get them killed. By going through these experiences, the hero learns the dangers, customs, and rules of the special world. All of these will help the hero grow and prepare for what lies ahead.

Approach to the Inmost Cave

You’ve reached the most difficult part of the hero’s or heroine’s journey. At this stage, the hero faces the dilemma of confronting their internal and external fears and insecurities. To overcome this and prepare for the upcoming central challenge, the hero may gather necessary allies and tools.

The Ordeal

The Ordeal is the time when the hero’s character or skills are put to the ultimate test. The hero must face their primary enemy or the obstacle that has shaped the narrative’s course.

During this stage, the hero might come very close to death. This might be a physical death, but sometimes, it can be a figurative death (such as letting go of a faulty belief and overcoming a major flaw).

The Reward

Also known as the “Seizing the Sword,” this stage of Vogler’s Hero’s Journey offers a moment of rest for the hero after undergoing a stressful ordeal. The hero is also rewarded for their efforts, preparing them for the trials that await them on the journey home.

The reward could take these forms:

• New or improved skills (e.g., getting a new power).
• Gaining knowledge or wisdom.
• A tangible item (e.g., weapons and blueprints of the Death Star).

The Road Back

Depending on the story structure, Vogler’s “The Road Back” is the counterpart of Campbell’s “The Magic Flight” and the “Rescue from Without.” This marks the part of the story where the hero begins their journey back to their old life.

However, this isn’t a simple or safe return to their home. The hero is usually confronted with new challenges and dangers.

Resurrection

In the Resurrection stage (the climax of the story), the hero will face their most dangerous final battle. By winning this battle, the hero emerges transformed on a higher level before going back to their ordinary life. It’s also through the hero’s action that the conflict at the beginning of the story is ultimately resolved.

Return with the Elixir

It’s not enough that the hero just comes home from their quest. The hero often brings back the elixir or a treasure that has the power to benefit their community. This could be freedom, healing, knowledge, love, wisdom, or a solution to a problem. In some stories, the hero’s community declares him or her as a leader, giving way to a new (and better) chapter of their life.

Why Should Writers Use the Hero’s Journey Structure?

Screenwriters, authors, and other writers have successfully used the concept of the “Hero’s Journey” for many years. If you’re an aspiring novelist or screenwriter, here are a few good reasons why you’ll benefit from using it.

1. Connects With All Audiences: It’s important for any writer to connect with their audience to make their story meaningful and impactful. The Hero’s Journey makes it easier to do this by using common character types and patterns seen in myths and stories across cultures. This ensures that everyone, regardless of race and background, easily understands the story’s message.

2. Good Story Rhythm: It provides writers with clear and easy-to-follow steps, so it’s easier to create better story flow and pacing from start to finish. As a result, the story doesn’t feel awkward, keeps the audience engaged, and allows them to easily follow along.

3. Builds Strong Characters: The different stages in the Hero’s Journey force the main character to confront both internal and external challenges, which leads to their complete transformation. The quest gives the audience a good picture of their flaws and strengths. All of these allow the audience to relate to the characters and create a lasting impact.

Using the Hero’s Journey to structure your novels or screenplays is a matter of personal preference. But overall, it’s a proven and effective way to create a strong and relatable story.