Author: KA Byrnes

T2’S JOHN CONNOR, SIX

A child, even a teenaged one, can be difficult to pinpoint on the Enneagram scale, partly because they are physically undeveloped. What does this character tell us?

He’s a rebel. He doesn’t function well in foster care.

Regardless of that, he cares deeply about people in his life, including the foster parents. He wants no harm to come to them.

He wants no harm to come to anyone. He stops the Terminator from killing random strangers. John’s ethic of life is very strong, even though he can’t fully explain why.

He rescues his mom, even though logic says this is a dangerous choice.

This deeply ingrained sense of right and wrong, and the determination to follow it no matter what, says Six. If you think of John Connor, leader of humanity’s survival, in the future, Six-ness suits him. The level of belief, conviction, and authority a Six carries are what people will need when life hangs by a thread.

Also, the Six paranoia is probably what will lead him to keep dogs as cyborg sniffers.

T2’S SARAH CONNOR, FIVE

She’s the same number as she was in the first Terminator, but Sarah Connor now exhibits different traits of the Enneagram Five.

The workout. You might think she’s a Body Type because of her exercise regimen in the psych hospital, but she’s not. Fives appreciate the order and control of a physical program. Dance, martial arts, cross country running — these are all activities a Five loves without ever necessarily excelling at them. Sarah has that same physical dedication. It keeps her sane. But she’s not a great athlete.

The lack of sentimentality. Her beloved son rescues her and she’s angry. He can’t put himself in danger, not even for her. He thinks she’s hugging him but she’s only checking his body for wounds. Fives are in a constant battle of hating public displays of affection while wanting to connect and be close with others. It comes off as coldness and austerity.

Her ruthlessness. In order for a Five to be as badass as Sarah Connor parts of her personality must shut down. Fives can slide to Eight in strength, but they can’t live in the superhero realm comfortably the way a true Eight could. Sarah almost kills Miles Dyson because she’s closed off feelings that would’ve crushed her Mother of the Future Hero plan. She can be vulnerable or she can be iron; she just can’t be both simultaneously.

T1’S SARAH CONNOR, FIVE

Five Women are physically average in every way. Medium height, medium weight, medium pretty. With nothing to distinguish them they fade into the background.

For Sarah Connor, that’s the point.

You make Sarah an Enneagram Five because you want the audience and the characters to see no reason this person should be targeted for termination. It’s brilliant. Why her?

A Five is also someone who would believe a wildly improbable tale. A cyborg from the future? Pff. Because of their observational skills, Fives would put the clues together and accept the preposterous, and even change their life to suit the new reality.

In real life Five Women are often the teachers and church volunteers and PTA mothers. They quietly run society. When Sarah accepts the mantle of Mother of the Future Hero, she’s only fulfilling this Five-ish role.

KATNISS EVERDEEN, EIGHT

The entire world pisses her off. Katniss Everdeen is an Enneagram Eight.

She has no patience for her mother’s weakness. She has no patience for the rules of the Hunger Games. She has no patience for Peeta, at least in the beginning. She’s going to win and she’s not always going to be likable along the way. Abrasive is kinda an Eight wheelhouse.

However, with Rue, or her sister? All the tenderness comes out. Eights rarely dip into their softer side, but when they do they are the most caring of any number. Katniss weaving the flowers in Rue’s hair is a powerful moment for the character and the plot because Eights don’t do vulnerability very often.

Don’t forget, also, her archery. Only a Body Type would be that proficient at a physical skill.

Eight Women are one step away from punching someone at any minute. Mostly, they don’t. Unleash an Eight into a dystopian hellscape and you have a very satisfying heroine.

SHERLOCK HOLMES, SEVEN

I haven’t read much of the original stories. My knowledge of Sherlock comes from movies and TV. Doesn’t he seem like an Enneagram Seven, though?

He really must be a Head Type. I just can’t see any way that the world’s most famous case-solver isn’t.

That means Holmes is a Five, Six, or Seven.

A Five is deeply observational. That’s very Holmesian. And a Six is so focused on right and wrong. That’s also very Holmesian. If we look only at Sherlock’s detective work, we may never identify his Enneagram number.

However, what about the cocaine and morphine? A Six would worry too much about side effects, and a Five wouldn’t be interested in clouding the brain to that degree. A Seven, though? For a Man Seven, this is his wheelhouse. Multi-tasking, dabbling in the arcane, fiddling and dosing, Seven Men want it all, and they’re one of the only numbers who can survive and almost thrive through the process.

If Holmes is a Seven, then the best actor to portray him is Robert Downey, Jr. He’s medium height, power in the legs, and convincingly plays that joie de vivre. Whatever his real life number, he’s well-suited to play a Seven. 

EMMA WOODHOUSE, THREE

Emma is successful at everything she tries. Three! (It’s really easy to hate Threes, they’re so competent.) She’s helpful and kind-hearted, very social as Threes are, but she has little patience for idiocy. Threes don’t mind sharing their time and wisdom with us lesser mortals, but only up to a point. Then they become busy running the world and improving the trajectory of humanity, and they must move on.

Threes are likable. Check. They also hate — haaaaate — being incompetent or making mistakes. They will burn you down. This is the only time you stop and think, wait: Threes are kind of a jerk. Emma will blame others for her failure if she can. She’s completely wrong about Harriet but it takes her most of the plot to admit it. And when Mr. Knightley calls her out for being so mean to Miss Bates, Emma is devastated. We all would be; her actions were cruel and Mr. Knightley is in the right. Cheerful Emma is wiped out by this upbraiding.

Here’s what interests me the most, though: Three Women are not lithe, yet every actress cast so far to play Emma is. Paltrow, Taylor-Joy, Beckinsale — these actresses are a very similar physical type, slender-framed and winsome. Three Women have a lower center of gravity and are built more solidly. They carry the weight of the world because of their competence; of course they have a body structure that matches. I probably won’t be satisfied with any version of Emma until she is cast with an actress who looks Three-ish.