The characters on Firefly are easily the most compelling part of the entire series. The concept of a space western is definitely a cool one, and the story is undeniably riveting in it’s own right, but ultimately the complex and charming characters are what make the series so memorable, even more than a decade and a half after it aired and was prematurely canceled.
What made the characters of the series so memorable is that they were extremely different from one another, but each had a staggering amount of development considering how long the series actually lasted for. They’re so different in fact, that they all fall into completely different categories of the MBTI personality types. Somehow this group of drastically different people worked together and formed their own weird family, and here is the MBTI personality type that every single main character of the series falls into.
Derrial Book - INFJ
Shepherd Book is undeniably a very unique soul. He has devoted his life to religion, but it’s clear that his thoughts and beliefs about religion and everything else under the sun is definitely outside of the typical box.
He’s certainly no extrovert, but he has a kind of quiet strength that draws people in instead of allowing him to fly under the radar. Book seems like a pretty clear INFJ personality, better known as the advocate. The advocate is a person who is idealistic and very moral, and they tend to put the welfare and needs of others above their own.
Simon Tam - ISFJ
Simon Tam is a pretty brilliant man who is capable of quite a lot, but it has always been clear where his heart and values lie. Simon is extraordinary and accomplished by the time he makes it to the Serenity, but nothing in the galaxy matters more to him than his sister River.
It’s actually ironic that River being in danger forced Simon to go far beyond what any normal human would even be capable of, and he demonstrated his exceptional skills when he single-handedly managed to outplay the entire government in order to save his sister. Nothing could encapsulate Simon more perfectly than the ISFJ personality, also known as the defender.
Hoban Washburne - ENFP
Hoban Washburne isn’t really the leader of this ragtag band of outlaws, but he certainly has a lot of outgoing leadership qualities, and his opinions and thoughts hold a lot of weight with people who are typically not the type to take other people’s opinions into account.
Wash is a great pilot, but what sets him apart from the crowd is his willingness and capability to think outside of the box. Well, he’s not just thinking outside of the box, he’s going outside of the box. And that’s why he’s an ENFP, the free spirited campaigner of the MBTI personality types.
Zoe Washburne - ENFJ
Zoe Washburne is an amazing second in command on the spaceship Serenity, but she really is a natural born leader more than anything. It’s a testament to Mal’s leadership qualities that such a leader would willingly follow him, but Zoe is really everything that most people wish they could be.
And that is why Zoe is a true protagonist, better known as as the ENFJ personality type. Zoe isn’t someone who has to try to stand out in life, it’s just the person that she is. And as a result of that, she really tends to draw others towards her.
River Tam - ISTP
River Tam is such an exceptional human being that she became some kind of experiment for the Alliance, and her skill sets both before and after her imprisonment and experimentation were so extraordinary that she really couldn’t be any other MBTI type besides the virtuoso, also known as the ISTP.
ISTP personality types are endlessly curious and have enough brain power to actually back up that curiosity. They explore the world nonstop, constantly absorbing new information and asking new questions about everything. They can be incredibly grounded in reality, but they are also drawn to larger thought experiments and intellectual pursuits.
Inara Serra - ESFP
In a roundabout way, Inara Serra’s duty is to entertain her clients by almost any means necessary, so it’s only right that she falls into the ESFP MBTI type, which is typically called the entertainer.
Inara probably could have been something more than a companion if she had wanted to, and her chameleon ability to please, or manipulate, whoever she’s with is actually astounding. The entertainers of the world can’t stand to be bored, and Inara clearly cures that boredom with her endless travel and by constantly meeting new and exciting people. Unfortunately for Inara, very few people in the world are as interesting as she is.
Jayne Cobb - ESTP
Jayne Cobb is kind of a self absorbed idiot, but one thing that can be said about him is that he is at the very least quite enterprising. He is often trying to run a scam on people any time he can, and he really knows how to work with what he’s got (which sometimes isn’t much).
For this reason, Jayne seems like an ESTP. The ESTP personality type is often times called the entrepreneur, and Jayne does seem to have a bit of an entrepreneurial spirit. Granted, many of his scams and schemes are failures, but that doesn’t change the fact that Jayne seems to be driven by his constant need to come up with new ideas , even if they’re bound for failure.
Kaylee Frye - ESFJ
ESFJ’s are the natural carers of the MBTI personality types, and that fits Kaylee Frye perfectly. Their personality type does well socially, and they’re really the kind of person that absolutely everyone likes. It’s easy to see why though, because they seem to have a limitless amount empathy and compassion for others.
Kaylee’s pure and genuine heart is obvious to everyone who meets her, and she seems to be completely unaware of how utterly and irresistibly likable she is. ESTJ’s, also known as consuls, are the glue that hold their social groups together, and it has always been clear that Kaylee is the heart of the entire Serenity squad.
Mal Reynolds - ENTJ
As the captain of the ship, Mal Reynolds is the commander of Serenity and it’s entire crew. And that is true regardless of whether or not the other crew members actually listen to what Mal has to say.
But for all of his faults, he is the natural born leader of the group, and everyone follows him for a very obvious reason. He doesn’t like to show it, but he’s one of the strongest and most morally convicted people in the series. That’s why Mal is obviously a ENTJ personality type on the MBTI inventory, they’re better known as the commanders of the world.
