ENXP vs ESXP: The Anime Protagonist

There is widespread confusion in the typology community about how to differentiate Ne and Se. We, at PracticalTyping, have already written an article on how to differentiate the ENXPs from the ESXPs, and another article on differentiating the INXPs from the ISXPs. In both of those, and as a general rule on this blog, we try to focus specifically on real life scenarios and differences. (Although, observations from our fictional character analyses occasionally blend in.) However, today, I’m going to take the opposite approach, which of course, doesn’t mean that this article can’t at all apply to real life… I’m sure you’ll understand as you continue on down the page.

An Overview of the Anime Protagonist

If you’re both an anime fan and a typology enthusiast, you’re probably well aware that the classic shonen protagonist is caught in a seemingly eternal debate between ENFP and ESFP. I’m going to cater this article to that specific dilemma, and highlight what we, at PracticalTyping, look for when differentiating the two. I’ve noticed that most people basically choose one extreme or another: either they’re all ENFPs or they’re all ESFPs. We’re a little less… extreme.

So, what is the classic shonen protagonist? Well, he’s typically idealistic, noble, compassionate, charismatic, courageous, impulsive… I could go on, but I’ll stop there. Generally speaking, this character is highly idealized and romanticized, which can present a problem when analyzing. In a way, the character archetype can be seen as representing the best of both worlds, in regards to intuition versus sensing. However, while most major shonen protagonists are based on the same original character (Goku), they do display some distinct variations, due to author influence. I’m going to hone in on these distinctions, and tie each back to individual cognitive functions.

General Issues With Fiction

I’ve written a couple of articles on this subject so I’m going to keep this brief and link to them at the end of this section. Basically, fictional characters represent a challenge due to inconsistencies since ultimately the characters are not real life people. They were created by someone else’s mind, and thus are subject to what we call “personality bleed” from the creator(s) own personal cognitive function stack. This adds an extra layer of complication when attempting to analyze the characters. Some people are prone to getting lost in the weeds because they hone in on small details that seem to indicate one thing that actually runs contradictory to the bigger picture. Look for and pay attention to common threads among the characters and story over all, and weigh those carefully. Do they fit with the rest of the character or do they seem inconsistent?

If you’re interested in exploring the subject further, check out: Personality Bleed: Typing Fictional Characters, and Why Are Character Types Controversial?

Why the Ne vs. Se Dilemma?

Now, let’s start to focus on the Ne vs Se problem specifically. Huge arguments break out within the typology community about whether certain characters are ENXPs or ESXPs. Once upon a time, all of the major shonen protagonists were believed to be ENFPs. In recent years, a strong movement has surfaced, labelling them all ESFPs. Why does this issue exist?

This issue at its core is due to misinformation, which has been largely engendered by either stereotypes or bias. For instance, Se users have begun to get all the “doing” or “action” attributed to them, while Ne users are what? Sitting around, contemplating ideas, and failing to ever act on any of them? In my personal opinion, that image of Ne represents an imbalanced or unhealthy user. Might they struggle with narrowing down ideas? Sure. However, Ne is still ultimately an extraverted function. It will and should act within the external world, rather than exist solely in the user’s mind. On the flip side of this argument, the ENFP’s (since they have Ne and the NF temperament) are associated more with grand ideals, vision and depth of character. That world changing, idealistic anime protagonist can’t be an ESFP right? There’s bias on both sides going on here.

If I haven’t said this already, in this article I intend to share the indicators that Ryan and I look for when attempting to pin down the personality types of these anime protagonists. I’m sure many (if not all) aspects of this article can be applied to characters within other fictional media as well. Before I launch into that though, I want to give one word of warning. Be careful about using the Kiersey temperaments (NF, NT, SJ, SP) as evidence for a character’s type. It’s a separate system that has been built on top of the 16 personality types. It is based on the dichotomies, not on the cognitive functions. As a result, I’ve noticed that it can lead to inaccurate, over-generalizations, implying nonsense like only NTs can be strategic and only NFs can be idealistic. I personally avoid the Kiersey temperaments theory entirely.

ENXP vs ESXP: The Similarities

Ne and Se are both extraverted perceiving functions, also called Pe functions. A Pe dominant will typically display impulsive behavior, regardless of Ne or Se. They can be equally adventurous, energetic, and people oriented. Both can also be scattered and distractible.

ENXP vs ESXP: Things To Look For

I’m going to list certain traits with explanations of how we use each one to interpret personality type. I’m also going to use the major anime characters that we’ve typed as examples whenever possible. (Hindsight examples are not my thing, so if I list characters in certain sections that also belong in others… sorry, lol. You’re welcome to suggest additions in the comments.)

Also, I’m not writing this article with the desire to provoke an argument about the conclusions that we’ve come to in regards to certain characters. This article is supposed to be an explanation as to our thought process and how we relate certain attributes back to the cognitive functions. You’re welcome to disagree with us or suggest alternate interpretations, but please don’t try to start a debate over a specific character. Any such arguments belong on the individual character pages.

Speculation

It may seem odd to start the article out this way, but this is where all the major protagonists like Luffy, Naruto, and Goku fall short. They don’t display the desire to speculate about possibilities or what-if scenarios hardly at all, if ever. Sure perhaps one can get nit picky and point to a few instances, but let’s be honest here. As a whole, this trait does NOT define these characters, and is not something they do as a general rule. Sure, they might have an ideal, but that’s not the same thing. One could suggest that a character could keep these “random” and “speculative” thoughts to themselves. After all, we aren’t reading the character’s thoughts. We can only go by what they say and do. However, you have to take all of the evidence and weigh it together, not make excuses for every deviation to support your desired outcome.

These are all fictional characters and don’t necessarily represent a true to life version of either type. If you want to see a more true to life ENFP protagonist in anime, go check out Subaru from Re:Zero.

Indecision

Ne users thrive off of considering all of the possibilities. This can make Ne users more prone to being indecisive or hesitant or quick to change their mind, since they want to try out all the options. Of course, this doesn’t mean that they can’t be decisive. If possible, look for a character who is typically considering what may or may not happen. Like I mentioned earlier, don’t get nitpicky and point to a few isolated instances where they did, because everyone has to do that on occasion. Look for a character who as a rule is considering other scenarios. Bonus points if you catch them doing it for fun.

Example(s): Luffy from One Piece is one of those characters that sits closely on the fence between ESFP and ENFP. With him, we noticed that he usually only makes quick decisions when something clearly conflicts with his values (Fi/Te). Otherwise, he seems to generally let his crew make most of the decisions.

In comparison, Se users tend to be much quicker to jump to one conclusion. You may see them avoid a decision up until the last minute, and then watch them make a quick, underthought decision. Or, you may see a strategy session happen, but you’re not going to see any unnecessary or wild speculation. After they launch into action, you probably won’t see any more “what-ifs” happen along with second-guessing. They’re now focused on the plan and their singular Ni vision.

Example(s): Naruto and Goku seem to jump headlong into decisions with little thought or regard, whether before, during, or after the fact.

Speech

Ne users tend to be more roundabout in the way they say things. Some are poetic or metaphorical. They tend to give more details (Si) and generally share more information. They’re essentially trying to make you understand the bigger picture, but frequently struggle to put it in a succinct and understandable way. Ne users are prone to asking strange or random questions, because they’ll make a random leap or consider an odd scenario or possibility.

Example(s): Luffy meets a mermaid and asks if she poops. He also declares that his new shipwright must be five meters tall…

Jiraiya (Naruto) and Subaru (Re:Zero) tend to be poetic and metaphorical.

Se users are typically much more direct and simplistic in the way they speak, which can be mistaken for ignorance. They have Ni in the background, which can make them prone to concealing more information due to a struggle to put things into concrete words. They’re usually more focused on what is observable or whatever is directly relevant to the topic at hand.

Example(s): Naruto and Goku never seem to display any typical Ne speech qualities, being very straightforward and focused on their goal or what’s immediately happening around them.

Distractible Nature

Ne users are known for struggling to stay focused on one goal. They get distracted by random thoughts, ideas, and impulses. Some people limit this distraction to what goes on in their mind, but it can apply to the physical world as well. Ne users are known to jump from hobby to hobby. It’s that concept. The shonen hero that is constantly getting distracted from his goal by unrelated things could easily be a Ne dominant. Of course, I’m not saying that an Ne user can’t ever focus on their goal, but because they’re naturally geared toward exploring new things, a distractible nature will likely be a lifelong struggle for them. While Se becomes agitated and impatient by pointless distractions, Ne welcomes them and enjoys the opportunities to branch off and explore on the way.

Example(s): Luffy chases the slightest hint of a strange or odd things, invites random people onto his crew based purely off of their odd or crazy appearance, takes a detour for every new and exciting thing he comes across. If you want to imagine it, Luffy’s Ne causes him to take a zig zagged scattered path toward his goal, while Goku or Naruto take the straight direct path only getting distracted when Fi code comes into play.

Se users can certainly be distractible, but… I’ll put it this way. The fictional character that rarely ever (if ever) gets distracted from his goal is probably not an Ne user. While Se users can and frequently do get distracted by physical things that cross their path, they tend to be better at essentially achieving a tunnel vision state, where they can ignore everything else around them and focus on one specific thing. This partially happens because they’re able to easily discard details and anything irrelevant, due to a lack of awareness of Ne possibilities and Si details.

Example(s): Naruto and Goku exist in a very single-minded state. Everything they do seems to always be directly related to their goal.

Creativity

I’m going to state upfront that both Ne and Se can be creative. However, the creativity is slightly different.

For instance, when forming fighting techniques, Se users tend to create variations on the same thing. They’re more prone to refining. They can also excel at coming up with a unique solution in the midst of battle, since in-the-moment reactions are the very essence of Se. Don’t assume that a few moments of battle ingenuity means Ne.

Example(s): Naruto and Goku both tend to take things they were directly taught and refine them further. I don’t remember them actually producing anything brand new or wildly different. Their techniques, despite being refined and added to, are always recognizable as the original technique.

Ne users, on the other hand, tend to create a wider variety of things that seem much more random and disconnected. While Se creativity in fictional scenarios tends to be fueled by a specific perceived need, Ne creativity is typically fueled by a general desire to play with possibilities and ideas.

Example(s): Franky (One Piece), while many peg him as an Se “doer”, is always producing wild inventions for fun, which are not always based on a real life need and can have little practical value. For instance, the hairstyle option in his cyborg body and the aquarium on the Thousand Sunny.

Luffy’s fighting forms and techniques also seem distinctly different from each other. If you look at his techniques later in the series, they are barely recognizable as his devil fruit power (being made of rubber) because they have morphed and changed so much as he experiments.

Fighting for the Thrill

The dominant Se heroes in anime are prone to fighting purely for the thrill of it. This is where the love for physical experiences and sensations comes into play. Adrenaline.

Example(s): Goku (and yes, we realize he has Saiyan genetics), Natsu (Fairy Tail)

While the Ne users certainly can get a thrill from fighting, they’re less prone to seeking it out specifically, since Ne isn’t going to be motivated by the same desires as Se.

Example:(s): Luffy doesn’t typically seek out a fight unless it’s value driven (Fi/Te).

Sheer Randomness

This was kind of touched on in the speech section but this spans beyond speech. With Ne characters, we look for a level of randomness that’s not characteristic for the Se users. As a whole, ESFPs specifically tend to be relatively straightforward people since Se is based on what’s immediately perceivable in the surroundings and Te is external logic.

Examples: Naruto and Goku tend to be very straightforward in their actions. Goku’s simple minded ignorance should not be confused or conflated with being random. While his questions from everyone else’s perspective have obvious answers, they still stem from his immediate surroundings and ignorance, not from random thoughts or ideas.

On the other hand, the Ne users are thriving on random possibilities and the novelty of new ideas. They make mental leaps that don’t always appear to make sense. Note: these leaps don’t have to be intelligent.

Examples: Luffy tends to find amusement in and commits actions that are completely off the wall and unexpected. For instance, when he claims the power of the afro in his fight with the Foxy Pirates captain. (Luffy and Usopp link up on random stuff a lot due to their shared high Ne.) He also asks anyone to join the crew simply on the novelty of the person alone, without feeling the need to determine skill or value. Obvious examples that come to mind are Brook and the Samurai’s legs, but I remember this happening countless other times as well.

In conclusion…

That’s all I got for the time being. Like I mentioned about Luffy earlier, he sits closely on the fence between the two. I take no issue with people who interpret him as an ESFP, since I feel like he was designed to fit that role. We lean him over more into the ENFP realm due to some evidence that is more characteristic of Ne than Se, but he’s fiction so ultimately, I don’t really care how his personality is interpreted. I can respect anyone with a good argument, regardless of whether or not I agree with it.

Here at PracticalTyping, we try to approach every character with a blank slate and not make any assumptions as to what personality type they’re going to be. I think a mistake people commonly make is attaching a certain personality type to a certain fictional role, which is not to say that a character typically in that role won’t have the expected personality. However, take a character like Gon from HunterxHunter, for instance. I expected to include him as an example in this article, for one of the EXFP types, but Ryan and I ended up typing him completely differently based on the evidence we saw. He’s holding the classic role that heroes like Naruto, Luffy, and Goku are, however, his actual cognition appears significantly different. Of course, you might disagree with our analysis of him, but that is your right.

I hope this article was somehow enlightening!