MCU: Peter Quill [Star Lord] (ESFP)

I’ve been in the mood to type some of the major characters that we’re missing from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, so here’s Peter Quill, also known as Star Lord, as an ESFP. Peter Quill always seemed like a fairly obvious example of an ESFP, but in this last watch through, I also considered ENFP. Overall, ESFP seems to fit Star Lord best, hence the analysis below. Hopefully it makes sense.

Se:

“See, not winging it is not really what we do.”

“We’ll figure that part out later.”

Peter Quill is an outlaw, who initially only seems to be concerned with having a good time and making a profit. He latches onto nearly any opportunity that comes his way, regardless of the potential consequences. That ultimately means that he betrays the Ravagers, and makes a lot of enemies. He tries to make the most of each moment, dancing wherever he goes, cracking jokes, and just generally having a good time.

Peter flies by the seat of his pants, so to speak. He excels at improvisation, and never seems concerned when they lack a well-thought-out plan. (At one point, he tries to claim that he has a plan, but then is forced to admit that it’s only 12% of a plan.) Peter prefers to focus on what he can do at the moment, dealing with things step-by-step. For instance, when trying to get the infinity stone back from Ronan, Peter suggests getting aid from Yondu, and promising him the stone in return. Rocket Racoon logically points out that Yondu would get the stone and then just sell it to someone else, effectively just postponing the problem. Peter responded by saying that they’d figure that part out later.

Of course, his tendency to react immediately to every moment gets him into trouble often, and almost nearly kills him on several occasions. However, his willingness to take risks makes it easier for him to perform acts of heroism or solve immediate problems in any way necessary. For instance, he accepts the responsibility of getting the infinity stone back from Ronan, in spite of the risk, since what happens to the universe will undoubtedly affect him. However, other times he’ll risk everything merely for an inanimate object that he’s emotionally connected to, like his Walkman.

Fi:

“It’s just swords were your thing and guns were mine. But I guess we’re both doing guns now. I just didn’t know that.”

“I’ve been lost before. But then I found meaning, I found love. And yeah, it got taken from me, and…that hurts. But that…feeling is better than feeling empty.”

Peter Quill has a strong focus on his identity, wanting to portray himself in a specific way. This is hinted at from his very first scene in Guardians of the Galaxy, where he tries to promote “Star Lord” as his nickname. Peter appears to enjoy differentiating himself from others, maintaining his own “uniqueness”, in a sense, which is why he acts bothered when Gamora starts using the weapons that he typically uses: guns.

For the most part, Peter portrays himself honestly and authentically. He’s certainly not the most altruistic person, and he doesn’t bother to hide it. Of course, he’s no villain either. Throughout the movies, Peter is honest about his motivations, and straightforward in how he presents himself. It’s not hard for people to figure out who he is. He deals with his emotions in a similar fashion.

Peter tends to form deeply personal and sentimental connections to things, such as the Walkman. He’s motivated by his feelings, sometimes to the point of acting irrationally, which is why he takes such great risks to get back his various music-playing devices throughout the movies. Of course, this extends to more significant things like protecting his friends and family. Upon learning of Gamora’s death, he’s unable to control his emotional reaction, in spite of the colossal stakes, which ultimately results in Thanos escaping an otherwise well-laid trap and snapping half the universe out of existence.

Te:

“Yes, I like your plan. Except it sucks, so let me do the plan and that way, it might be really good.”

Peter can’t handle not being in charge, but he’s also not good at commanding respect and maintaining control. This plays a huge role in the interpersonal conflict within the Guardians. Peter frequently gives out orders, but in many instances, people either ignore him or argue back. Unsurprisingly, after they rescue Thor, Peter instantly feels insecure because of how much the rest of the crew seems to admire Thor. In response, he tries to bolster his image and mimic some of Thor’s mannerisms.

Peter believes that he’s good at planning, yet does very little of it, which is common for tertiary Te users. When teaming up with some of the Avengers during Infinity War, he initially tries to discourage planning at all. However, when Stark keeps insisting on his plan, Peter, in an effort to be in charge again, claims that Stark’s plan sucks, and that he’d be far better at coming up with a really good plan.

Ni:

“I don’t learn. One of my issues.”

Peter struggles to learn from his mistakes. Of course, the advantage is that he’ll keep on trying, rarely giving up, which is what prompted a very frustrated Gamora to accuse him of never learning from his mistakes. However, on the downside, he constantly rushes into things headfirst, without putting any significant thought into the consequences.

Peter tends to not concern himself with making intricate plans to ensure success. (As mentioned in the Se section, he tries to claim that he has a plan when he only has 12% of a plan.) In multiple instances, he actually shrugs off any concerns that their efforts will be successful by claiming that they’ll just die trying. In the third movie, Rocket Racoon finally points out, “What is that going to accomplish?”