Seven Deadly Sins: Ban (ESFP)

We noticed that popular opinion has typed Ban as an ESTP, or Ti auxiliary. We actually see a strong case for Fi/Te. As per usual, please approach with an open mind.

Se:

“Way back in those days, I was in the market for some pain. I wanted to wallow in suffering because I thought that might have made me feel I was alive.”

“Oh man! This is such a rush!”

“Time to drink like there’s no tomorrow!”

Ban is a seeker of physical sensations. This is evident right from the beginning of the series, when it’s shown that he gets himself locked up purely to experience pain so he could feel alive. Of course, he’s also at the center of all the partying and the drinking, just like Meliodas. He enjoys being in the middle of the action, and experiencing a rush. He gets very excited when Meliodas blasts him out of his cell, and Ban instantly joins up with him. Ban’s physicality is also demonstrated perfectly in every instance where he meets up with Meliodas after being separated for any length of time. They instantly launch into fighting, arm wrestling, pounding each other through walls, slapping palms, and etc.

Ban is adaptable. For instance, he uses the flying blades from Jericho’s attack to get a quick shave in. He also quickly gives up on the idea of drinking from the Fountain of Youth, after a brief attempt by Elaine to convince him to back off. The speed at which he throws away the entire purpose of his journey into the Fairy Forest shocks her.

Lastly, Ban is not prone to clinging to regret, demonstrating that he’s not prone to focusing on the past. Granted, he spends a good deal of time trying to revive Elaine once he learns that is possible, but that’s a bit different. Otherwise, there is one instance where Ban expresses regret to Meliodas over attacking him. He states, “I don’t regret much but I regret that.”

Fi:

“Then as someone who was willing to kill his only friend in a foolish effort to bring one woman back to life, how am I fit to be king?”

“That tip just paid for your meal and then some. Seriously, well done. Thanks a lot.”

“I wanna save my buddy with my own hands. Cause if I can’t pull that off, how could I ever hope to protect the woman I care about?”

From an emotional standpoint, Ban is very private. However, he is willing to open up about personal matters to Meliodas, whom he is close to. He expresses his frustrations around Elaine and what is going to happen to her, claiming that Meliodas can’t possibly understand what it’s like to let the woman he loves die twice. (In contrast, Meliodas, as someone who is likely NOT an Fi user, never says a word to the contrary and never does his own version of emotional venting to anyone.) At one point earlier in the show, Ban tries to kill Meliodas, in order to fulfil a deal to bring Elaine back to life. He experiences great regret over this decision, and attempts to discuss it and apologize to Meliodas later. (Once again, Meliodas shrugs this entire interaction off.) He later judges himself and his worth based on this mistake, stating that he is not fit to be king of the Fairy Forest.

Ban expresses Fi values and judgements occasionally, usually suddenly and somewhat surprisingly. It’s not as obvious as some Fi users, but he is only an auxiliary Fi. When Gowther claims that the death of Hawk had zero effect on the battle, Ban is the first one to take offense at this statement. He yells at Gowther to take it back. He also makes a slightly more lighthearted comment to Meliodas at one point about Meliodas’ perverted actions, stating that he doesn’t get his thrills that way.

Ban is confident in himself and his actions, demonstrating healthier Fi. He doesn’t feel the need to counter King’s accusations of having killed Elaine, even though he is, indeed, innocent. He also kills a man who has been taken over by a demon, explaining that “All I did was bring the curtain down on the crappy life of some guy who turned into a monster. Trust me. I did him a favor.”

Te:

“Ban completely took over her bed. He said he laid claim to her room and that now it’s his.”

“I’ll take what’s mine. I can promise you that. You remember, don’t you? You belong to me. Starting now, let’s travel together forever.”

Ban’s Te is fairly well developed, which is more than likely why he is mistaken for an ESTP. The first indication of Ban’s Te is his tendency to claim ownership and exert control on his environment. For instance, he lays claim to Elizabeth’s room once he joins back up with the Seven Deadly Sins, and kicks her out of it. Another good example happens right after Elaine is brought back to life. He informs her that she belongs to him. See the second quote at the top of this section. A third more amusing or anecdotal example can be seen when he’s force feeding Hawk liquor at a party, which would be the result of Se working in combination with Te.

Of course, Ban is also relatively blunt and straightforward. He tends to come off cold, at times, rather than emotionless, which is another indication of Te. He is also decisive. Once he makes up his mind, he moves forward quickly without paying attention to the opinions of anyone around him. This would also be the result of his Se-Te combination.

Ni:

Ban doesn’t tend to think very far ahead, which suggests a low introverted perceiving function. However, a very clear indication of his inferior Ni is demonstrated during the episode where his backstory with Elaine is revealed. When he explains to her his reason for seeking out the Fountain of Youth, he says that he figured if he lived a lousy life long enough, maybe something good would finally come along. This shows the inferior Ni mentality to just float along in life, not making a distinct effort to look forward and plan for the future, in order to change one’s situation. He is essentially trying to give himself an endless amount of time to wander aimlessly until he accidentally stumbles into a life worth living.

Another example of his Ni can be seen in regards to Meliodas, when Ban says “I wanna save my buddy with my own hands. Cause if I can’t pull that off, how could I ever hope to protect the woman I care about?” This actually demonstrates a combination of Fi-Ni. He places an Fi standard upon himself, to judge his own worth, claiming that failure would result in an inability to protect the woman that he loves. The suggested pattern here or end result is a low Ni perception.