AI Reveals Personality Traits From Fictional Characters
I've always found online personality quizzes—the kind that sort you into a Hogwarts or Game of Thrones house—to be amusing but not particularly deep. However, my perspective shifted after I saw a Reddit post from someone who used ChatGPT to analyze what their favorite fictional character revealed about them.
While I know these things are mostly for fun and self-reflection, I was curious to see what an AI would say about me based on my favorite characters. I chose two: Crowley from the novel Good Omens and Stephen Toast from the TV show Toast of London.
The Prompt for AI Psychoanalysis
To begin, I modified the prompt from the Reddit post. I instructed ChatGPT with the following: "You are a character psychologist. I’m going to tell you about one of my all-time favorite fictional characters. Your job is to analyze what my emotional connection to this character says about me and give me a thoughtful reflection on how this character mirrors parts of my identity. Be introspective, insightful, and kind."
An Analysis of a Sauntering Demon
I started with Crowley, who is famously described in Good Omens as a demon who didn't fall from heaven but rather “sauntered vaguely downwards.” ChatGPT began by describing the character and then suggested I am drawn to figures who defy easy categorization—morally flexible individuals who grapple with deep existential questions.
The AI's analysis went surprisingly deep. It highlighted that liking a character with a strong anti-authoritarian streak suggests I value personal judgment and autonomy over conformity. It pointed out that I likely have "a healthy skepticism of institutions and may often find yourself pushing back, gently or sharply, against systems that expect blind obedience." It also astutely added, "And yet, like Crowley, you may also find yourself forming unlikely, deeply meaningful bonds with people who ground you."
What a Bitter Actor Reveals
Next up was Stephen Toast, the wonderfully self-serious and bitter actor from Toast of London who treats every minor inconvenience as a major betrayal. According to the AI, connecting with Toast might mean that I resonate with an unyielding, and perhaps delusional, commitment to a creative identity, even when the world responds with indifference.
ChatGPT cleverly linked the character to my personality, noting, "Toast’s world is absurd and often unfair, but he meets it with theatrical defiance. If you love him, you might be someone who senses those injustices too, but handles them with biting humor, self-aware melodrama, and maybe just a whisper of righteous indignation." It concluded that a Toast fan likely shares his ability to laugh at life's absurdities, which requires "self-awareness, intelligence, and a bit of existential bravery."
Final Thoughts
The bit about self-aware absurdity and finding humor in life was flattering, and as someone who often makes jokes at inappropriate times, I felt seen.
Ultimately, neither analysis told me anything truly explosive about myself. The feedback was gentle and insightful rather than insulting. I have to give the AI credit for generating responses that were far less shallow than I expected. Like any personality test, its value is more about how you interpret the results than any objective truth they might hold. Still, as a fun party trick, it's certainly more thought-provoking than the paper fortune tellers of my youth. Now, if you'll excuse me, I think it's time for a Toast of London rewatch.
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