Vladimir Propp

Vladimir Propp identified 8 key character roles in these stories:

1. The Hero - Someone who saves the day. 
2. The Villain - The person who struggles against the hero.
3. The Donor - The provider
4. The Helper - The assistant to the hero.
5. The Father - The person who acts like a father to everyone and gives advice. 
6. The Dispatcher - The person who sends the hero off on his mission. 
7. The Princess - The hero usually marries the princess at the end of his journey. 
8. The False Hero - The person takes credit for the hero's actions or tries to marry the princess.

Propp argued that characters could fulfil more than one of these roles and that there can be more than one of each character type.