Though often overlooked, Kristen Stewart is one of the best indie actresses of the past decade. Though many people have opinions of her more well-known roles, Kristen has a varied career and has put everything she has into each and every role she plays. She tends to prefer roles that deal with female characters who are a bit unconventional and has often mentioned that it drives her insane when directors attempt to create "phony-girl-power" projects by simply placing a female name on a male character and basing the characters worth entirely upon their physical strength and masculine qualities.
Each and every character that Kristen has played during her career has been different from the last. The unique nature of these roles make the idea of typing them based on the classic MBTI® personality categories a rather fascinating project and study in human nature and motivations. Today, we will be breaking down some of Stewart's most popular roles and attempting to sort them into one of the sixteen MBTI® types.
Joan Jett (The Runaways)- ENFP
ENFP types are bold, creative, and hate being expected to look or act a certain way. They are true rebels and place individuality and creativity above all else.
This character is known for her out-of-the-box and unconventional actions, style, lifestyle, and behaviour. She fights against those who attempt to tell her what she should do and who she should be and spends the entire film proving everyone wrong.
Mallory (Welcome To The Riley's)- ESTP
The people who fall under the ESTP type are known for their need for freedom and to express whatever emotion they are feeling at the time. They do not care for abstract theories and prefer to act now/deal with the consequences later.
This character left home in order to pursue her own goals and has been struggling ever since. But she is committed to her plan, despite the danger that it gets her into along the way.
Em Lewin (Adventureland)- ISFP
The fascinating thing about the ISFP's of the world is that they are rather social, despite being introverts. They enjoy spontaneity and tend to follow their impulses, rather than a set plan, and are focused entirely upon the present. Even if that does not work out for them in the long run.
The character which Stewart plays in this film is truly impulsive and this trait ends up getting her in trouble several times throughout the film. She lashes out, pursues romantic relationships, and rejects people who mean the most to her based entirely upon what action feels right to her in the moment with little consideration as to what will be right for her tomorrow.
Bella Swan (Twilight Saga)- INFP
INFP's are the type of people who spend their days split between dreaming up their perfect world and then trying to make it so. They are the idealists of the world and do not understand why it cannot be the place that they fantasize it as.
Bella is the biggest idealist that Stewart has ever played. No matter what ill-fate she is presented with, she holds onto the hope that, at the very least, the people she loves will be able to walk away without harm and that everything will work out in the end. Bella imagines a future for herself that she holds onto and strives for, no matter how many people tell her to aspire to something else, and that idealistic determination is the definition of the INFP type.
Snow White (Snow White And The Huntsman)- ISFJ
ISFJ types are world focused and seek to spend their lives protecting and caring for the people around them. They believe in the good in the world and that one should do everything in their power to protect it from those who seek to harm it.
Though this character has suffered greatly in the earlier years of her life, she does not hold that against the world nor the people in it and only seeks to destroy those who have harmed her in order to prevent them from being able to continue to hurt others. She even tries to solve conflicts in non-confrontational ways before trying more permanent methods of problem solving. After escaping the prison which confined her for most of her life, she seeks to return in order to protect those around her, even though doing so will put her in great danger.
Melinda Sordino (Speak)- INTJ
Those who belong to the INTJ type are the more stereotypical introverts of the world. They tend to be exhausted by prolonged periods of social interaction and will go the extra mile to avoid having to socialize or work in group settings. They simply value their alone time more than other people tend to.
It is important to note that we only meet this character post-trauma, so it is difficult to say whether or not this personality was there all along or a result of the things that happened to her. However, the ways that those around her react to her behaviour seems to imply that she was not always like this. In the film, this character is very introverted and refrains from socializing with the rest of the world as best as she can.
Lydia Howland (Still Alice)- INFJ
Those who fall under the INFJ types are considered some of the more rationally eccentric people in the world. Though that sounds like an oxy-moron, what we mean is that the people of this type are able to use their unique way of seeing the world to come to logical and rational conclusions that more traditionally-minded people may not have seen at first glance.
Though Kristen's character was not often featured in this film, we do get to see enough of her to be able to piece together a general idea of the type of person that she is. The way that she completely changes the way in which she interacts with her mother in order to properly account for her declining mental state shows her ability to think outside of the box and see things in a unique way. She is flexible and able to adapt to a new way of communication.
Maddy (Catch That Kid)- INTP
INTP types are known for their intelligence, ability to see and easily navigate patterns, and their ability to pick up on tiny details that other people may have missed in their day to day lives.
To those who know this film, it would come as no surprise to hear that we have placed this character under the INTP type. This film is centred around a young girl who, after noticing security flaws in the bank at which her mother works, decides to rob it in order to save her father. She plans a masterful heist and executes it in a way that would make any INTP type weep. Her attention to detail in the heist covers all possible bases and she very nearly gets away with the plot in the end due to her careful planning and near-flawless execution.
Phoebe Larson (American Ultra)- ENFJ
Those who identify with the ENFJ are known for being idealistic, ethical, and truly intuitive people. They understand what they need to do to do the right thing and they know who to make that end goal appeal to everyone around them.
In this film, Kristen Stewart's character is in charge of ensuring the safety and longevity of her assigned sleeper agent. However, she takes issue with the program altogether and, when the feds arrive and try to deactivate him permanently (through rather lethal means) she refuses to let them get away with their plot. These people have lived lives and they have the right to live them, and she is willing to lay everything down in order to do what is right and protect her charge.
Valentine (Clouds of Sils Maria)- ESTJ
People who fall into the ESTJ typing category are known for their organized and honest approach to life. They are always there for the people who need them and are open with both their guidance and counsel. They are very blunt in their honesty, and can be a tad harsh at time, but they are dedicated to steering those in their charge in the right direction (even if they resist the help.)
Kristen's character in this film works as an assistant for a fallen actress and tries to help her navigate her life and remind her of her passions. Her character puts up with a lot but is able to keep things relatively focused due to her determined and even stubborn nature. Her boss has the tendency to give her a bit of flack when things get rough, but she knows what she has to do and how she can help and doesn't let anything else truly get in her way.