The Addams Family has always brought a degree of charm to the dark and macabre, and the Netflix series Wednesday takes that a step further by introducing a series of outcast characters whose personalities vary greatly. The series follows Wednesday Addams as she attends Nevermore Academy, a school for outcasts and monsters that is haunted by a murderous creature. There, she meets her bubbly roommate Enid, her key love interests Xavier and Tyler, and several other members of the supernatural community.
Wednesday subverts the typical Addams Family plots by placing the title character in a world of outcasts, rather than comparing her to “normal” people as other narratives have. Also, in this adaptation of the comic strip, Wednesday is the only member of the Addams family among the main ensemble of the show. She and Wednesday‘s other primary characters can be defined by their Myers-Briggs Personality Type®, which helps to understand even the most eccentric among them using logical personality traits and motivations.
Donovan Galpin — ESTJ
Sheriff Donovan Galpin may waffle between being an introvert and an extrovert, but his MBTI® is clear when it comes to the latter three parts: sensing, thinking, and judging. Galpin is suspicious of the outcasts at Nevermore Academy, but his investment in logic gradually overpowers his hostility. Though he has a strong prejudice against the Addams Family, he is willing to admit he is wrong and open up to Wednesday when given enough evidence.
Sheriff Galpin has a hostile side, which is especially apparent when it comes to Gomez, but his character is able to grow as Wednesday goes on. While he begins the series as an isolationist, unwilling to listen to others, he ends it with a willingness to work with others that suggests he has always been an ESTJ. Though his trauma and difficulty communicating with his son hold him back, Sheriff Galpin is ultimately the kind of leader who recognizes that there are benefits to working with those with different perspectives and skills, even using the information gained through Wednesday Addam’s psychic powers.
Eugene Ottinger — INFP
Although Eugene is often alone at Nevermore due to his fixation on his bees, he is one of the kindest characters that Wednesday encounters during her time at the school. She frequently defends him, so when she needs help, he is there. This is typical of INFPs, who are incredibly dangerous when their friends are threatened.
When Wednesday neglects him, Eugene remains focused on his task, which is perfectly in line with the curiosity that tends to be a key trait of INFPs. Though he largely remains in his own world with his bees, he is willing to push his comfort zone to prove his worth to Wednesday. Eugene is loyal to his friends and his values, which makes his return to save Wednesday one of the most triumphant moments in the series. After all, Eugene and Wednesday’s friendship is more like family.
Dr. Valerie Kinbott — ISFJ
Many of the students at Nevermore need a skilled therapist, and Valerie Kinbott is able to give them useful advice until her cleverness puts her in danger. As an ISFJ, she is able to learn about what matters most to her patients, which allows her to then help them make better connections later. While little is known about her personal life and background, her demeanor with even the most difficult patients shows that Kinbott is devoted to doing her job, even when it is considerably harder than expected.
Despite her devotion to the feelings and needs of others, Dr. Kinbott expects that her patients show her a certain level of respect, which causes friction between her and Wednesday. This is especially true when the full Addams family comes to town and causes chaos. From her perspective, it is impossible for her to do her job when her patients are so resistant to being helped. Like many ISFJs, Valerie Kinbott is mostly concerned with finding contentment for herself and others, and she only gives up on someone when they make it clear that they are interested in disrupting the safety and peace of those around them.
Marilyn Thornhill / Laurel Gates — ESTJ
Marilyn Thornhill is a complicated figure, dedicating herself to her plans while simultaneously managing to nurture and guide Wednesday. While she is undercover, she manages to provide support for the students under her care and earn a reputation for being clever and responsible. However, her competence in maintaining that facade while planning the school’s downfall shows the dark side of the ESTJ Type. As Wednesday explains in the movie The Addams Family, “homicidal maniac[s]… look just like everyone else.”
ESTJs are good with planning and detail work, putting facts and logic before other people and their feelings. When this is taken to the extreme, as it is for Thornhill, it can mean the willingness to hurt others to accomplish a given task. This works extremely well as she controls Tyler, but she struggles with what to do after Joseph Crackstone lets her down, as the intended outcome of her plans is never fulfilled.
Bianca Barclay — ENFJ
Bianca was the Queen of Nevermore until Wednesday arrived, and she earned that position because of her strong personality. Bianca is constantly evaluating the world around her to see how she is being perceived, which is a common action from an extroverted-judging personality type. While she seems like the epitome of the mean girl when Wednesday first arrives, it becomes clear that Bianca is not the villain of Wednesday.
Bianca is fierce when it comes to competition, but once she drops her obsession with beating Wednesday, she is able to use that determination as a leader. She is the one who tends to make the final decisions with regard to the Nightshades, and it is her decision to go back for Wednesday that helps save the day. ENFJs are excellent people to have around when an extra push is needed for success, and that is consistently what Bianca manages to do.
Larissa Weems — ENTJ
Principal Weems is dedicated to protecting Nevermore Academy, a mission that aligns well with her status as an ENTJ. The well-being of the school always comes first in her mind, which leads her to make harsh choices, like covering up Rowan’s death. As a Thinker, Weems lives according to logical standards, which often makes her seem cold and uncaring. However, that doesn’t keep fans from theorizing that Weems might somehow return.
ENTJs are excellent leaders, both because they are qualified for their jobs and because they are capable problem solvers. However, they can become prideful over time, unwilling to accept that anybody else could know better than them. This is particularly obvious in Principal Weems’ relationship with Wednesday, as they fight because both are so stubborn. At the end of the day, however, her intentions are always good, despite the unsavory means she uses.
Xavier Thorpe — ENFP
Although Xavier is an artist, which would make him an outcast in other teen dramas, he is very popular at Nevermore Academy and tries to support the people around him whenever he can. Though he flirts with the introversion/extroversion line, he seems to be an extrovert by default, as his father’s fame puts him into the spotlight. Xavier’s own psychic abilities often show him facts from the world around him, but he seeks out the deeper meaning behind them.
ENFPs tend to need external affirmation, which can be seen in his frustration with Wednesday for repeatedly suspecting him of being the Hyde despite him helping her whenever he can. Xavier is a member of the Nightshade Society, and while he has a dark side, he does his best to keep it under control. Xavier is doing his own investigations during the run of Wednesday, and his outgoing side helps him to see an angle of the world that Wednesday can never see with her self-imposed isolation.
Tyler Galpin — INTJ
Trying to fully understand Tyler as a character means acknowledging both who he truly is and who he pretends to be. Fans might hope for Tyler to get a redemption arc, but his actions thus far show off a significant dark side. While Tyler is originally seen as a normie, he actually has a lot in common with Wednesday, from his complicated relationship with his family to his social outcast status. He tends toward introversion, and he is eager to learn more about the people around him.
However, these personality traits come out at their worst when he embraces his Hyde nature, as he uses his evaluation of others and judgment to torment those he has come to know. This is particularly true with Wednesday, as Tyler works to make her fall for him just to watch the pain she feels when she learns the truth. There are plenty of clues that Tyler is the Hyde, but he manipulates Wednesday into overlooking them. INTJs are often very disciplined — seeing patterns, developing plans, and enjoying seeing the pieces fall into place — and these skills are used to deadly effect when Tyler’s true nature is revealed.
Enid Sinclair — ESFP
Enid is the perfect case of an ESFP, with her bubbly personality setting her up as a wonderful contrast to Wednesday’s withdrawn nature. Enid enjoys the world and the people in it, presented through her eagerness to participate in social events like the Rave’N Dance and the Poe Cup. In each case, she looks for ways to connect with those around her, even when they aren’t as open to her.
As much as Enid contrasts with Wednesday, she is likewise an outcast at Nevermore, thanks to her atypical experience as a werewolf. This background makes her sensitive to the world around her, readily accepting new perspectives and acknowledging personal circumstances. While Enid is eager to be Wednesday’s friend, she doesn’t tolerate being used, which leads to her standing up to Wednesday in the later episodes of season 1, a skill that more ESFPs need to learn.
Wednesday Addams — INFJ
Despite being the main character, Wednesday tends to keep her thoughts to herself, which is part of what necessitates her being a narrator for the series. Because of this, it should come as no surprise that the first component of her MBTI® Type is her introversion. This quality regularly makes it difficult for her to connect with others, though she does become more attached to people as they grow on her.
Those who fit the INFJ personality type have a tendency to look into the desires and motivations of those around them, which fits perfectly with Wednesday’s writer side and her investigations throughout the show. While she would like to believe that she exclusively uses logic to guide herself, Jenna Ortega’s take on Wednesday relies a lot on the character’s intuition and feelings toward others, which occasionally steers her wrong while trying to identify the Hyde. Once she makes a decision, she sticks with it until forced to change. By seeing how her MBTI® compares with the other characters on Wednesday, viewers can better understand their complicated relationship dynamics.