Joseph Campbell's Hero's Journey

What is the Ordinary World?

• Where the hero begins their journey. The hero believes this world is normal. Some people may find the hero strange.

• A strange new world that the hero enters after their Call to Adventure. This world has new rules that the hero must learn.

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What is the Call to Adventure?

• A series of challenges that the hero must complete before they can face their Supreme Ordeal.

• A special event, discovery, or danger that kickstarts the hero's adventure.

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What is the Unknown World?

• Where the hero begins their journey. The hero believes this world is normal. Some people may find the hero strange.

• A strange new world that the hero enters after their Call to Adventure. This world has new rules that the hero must learn.

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Who is The Mentor?

• A teacher who guides the hero in the unknown world, often giving the hero special skills or knowledge to complete their quest.

• A powerful person, usually a father-figure, who the hero must face after their Supreme Ordeal.

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What is an Ally?

• A helper or teammate that joins the hero on their quest. The hero receives important support from this character.

• A caregiver, parent, or adult who cares for the hero when they are weakest.

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What is the Road of Trials?

• A special event, discovery, or danger that kickstarts the hero's adventure.

• A series of challenges that the hero must complete before they can face their Supreme Ordeal. The hero learns important skills from these challenges.

• The final, major challenge that a hero must face. The thing they have trained for.

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What is the Supreme Ordeal?

• The final, major challenge that a hero must face. The thing they have trained for.

• A series of challenges that the hero must complete before they can face their final challenge. The hero learns important skills from these challenges.

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What is the Magic Flight?

• The hero’s travels to the Unknown World. The magic flight happens before the Supreme Ordeal.

• After the Supreme Ordeal, the hero returns home. The hero usually has a reward and usually has to face some smaller challenges.

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What does it mean to Confront the Father?

• The hero must face a powerful person, usually a father-figure, after their Supreme Ordeal.

• The hero must thank the mentor who guided them through their journey.

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At the end of the journey, the hero’s world is restored. What does it mean to Restore the World?

• The hero’s success changes their life for the better. It also changes the lives of everyone around them. The hero may have been rewarded for protecting the world.

• The hero’s world is only temporarily safe. The hero learns they must go on another journey to protect the world from a new danger.

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