Ranking the 16 Myers-Briggs Types By Their Main Character Energy

You know that feeling when you’re walking through an airport at 2 a.m., headphones on as the blur of strangers passes by, and for one brief second, it feels like a movie. Your movie. The one where someone drops a coffee, locks eyes with you, and you’re pretty sure it’s a meet-cute and not just a scramble to clean up.

Joking aside, what’s happening here is main character energy – cultural shorthand for owning your story and refusing to be an extra in someone else’s plot. But what most social media posts won't tell you is that your personality type dramatically influences how you interpret main character energy. Some love it as a way to stand out and live life on their own terms. Others would rather have dinner with a narcissist than imagine the whole terminal is secretly rooting for them.

Where do you land on the spectrum? Today, we’re ranking the 16 Myers-Briggs types by who was clearly born for the close‑up!

1. ESFP: The Vibe Creator

ESFPs walk into rooms and immediately sense what's missing. Dull energy? They take it personally and do something about it. They physically can’t handle awkward silence and will start beatboxing before letting a conversation die. Their main character energy – MCE – comes from knowing they can remake the entire vibe of a room through the sheer force of their enthusiasm.

These types use Extraverted Sensing as their dominant function. They’re incredibly responsive to their immediate environment and literally notice energy shifts that others miss, and they care enough to act on it. They have a knack for putting themselves at the center of the action, because the party needs them to, you know? Their warmth and charisma effortlessly draws people in.

2. ESTP: The Action Hero

When chaos unfolds, ESTPs are ready for it. While others freeze or panic, they spring into action, thinking so clearly under pressure others might wonder if they have the “flight” half of the stress response at all. Their MCE comes from being the person everyone looks to when things go wrong.

This confidence stems from the solid twin forces of Extraverted Sensing (Se) and Introverted Thinking (Ti). Se-Ti’s are wired to take in information and DO SOMETHING in a practical, physical way. They’re natural crisis leaders, and they make the arduous task of, you know, surviving a fun challenge. It’s one they happily volunteer for, just to see what happens next.

3. ENFP: The Dreamer Protagonist

What if the world isn't just what it seems, but a storyscape of endless possibilities? ENFPs see twists, turns and happy endings everywhere and can't help but share their excitement about what could be. And they don't just dream themselves, but inspire others to dream bigger and expand beyond current limitations. Who else would send a 3 a.m. text about a life-changing business idea involving alpacas?

Their dominant Extraverted Intuition has them conjuring up connections between ideas, people, situations and possibilities 24/7, and they have an emotional investment in helping others realize their potential. ENFPs have MCE because their imagination doesn’t have an off switch, and suddenly everyone else is co-starring in the wild, delightful stories they dreamed up on the spot.

4. ENFJ: The Group Director

Some people build bridges: ENFJs build entire social ecosystems where the right people meet the right people. Their MCE comes from being the social director whose gentle scheming helps everyone exchange business cards, life advice, and probably a few group hugs before dessert. Like a therapist who’s also great at throwing parties. 

They pull this off thanks to a sixth sense for what people need. They know exactly when to toss out a pep talk, a reality check, or just more snacks. If there’s an awkward silence, they already have a plan (and probably a backup plan) to get everyone talking – and honestly, it works almost every time.

5. ENTJ: The Strategy Commander

ENTJs can't pass by a broken system without drafting a blueprint for redesigning it, either mentally or on a napkin, whichever’s closest. They naturally assume leadership because, honestly, who else is going to wrestle chaos into a color-coded plan? If something’s inefficient, they’ll point it out (helpfully, of course) and then roll up their sleeves to fix it.

As for main character energy, it happens because literally no one else can create efficiency out of thin air like they do. Others get sidetracked with pointless details (like why the printer is broken or whether this plan will hurt Gary’s feelings), so obviously the ENTJ has to take over and get things moving. You’re welcome, world.

6. ESFJ: The Cheerleader

People talk about social intelligence like it’s some big magic trick, but ESFJs do it before breakfast. They have an almost supernatural ability to remember how you take your coffee, whether your new job is stressing you out, and how many times your kid has lost a tooth. Their main character energy comes from making everyone feel seen and special; if they weren’t there,  nobody would save you that last piece of cake. 

These types are Extraverted Feelers through and through. They constantly keep tabs on how everyone is feeling and step in like your mother at the first sign of distress. If there’s a drawback, it’s that this main character wants as much love returned as they give out. If you’re not playing your part in their feel-good movie, expect to be cut from the script.

7. ESTJ: The Backbone of Morals and Order 

Chaos (actual or imagined) meets its match in an ESTJ. They take it personally, like chaos kicked their dog. They look at dysfunctional situations / relationships / friend groups and immediately visualize the functioning systems they could become. ESTJs call the shots and keep things marching forward, which means their main character energy is all about making (logical, upstanding) things happen for the good of everyone involved.

ESTJs see themselves as the responsible one holding it all together – the backbone of the group like Princess Leia or Hermione Grainger.  Someone has to keep the whole crew off the rocks, and you know exactly who’s got the clipboard in hand.

8. INFJ: The Behind-the-Scenes Visionary

INFJs read group energy like it’s a sixth sense and quietly clock every crash before it happens. Sure, their “here’s what’s really going on” vibe can be unnerving, but you ignore it at your peril. The world comes to them for wisdom, not because they shout the loudest, but because their hunches somehow always land right. 

These types are Ni-Fe doms (Introverted Intuition + Extraverted Feeling), so their whole brain and heart are working all at once. They trust their intuition, and appreciate their empathy as a gift. This creates a modest but steady influence, like MCE in stealth mode – always present, always shaping the story, but rarely stepping into the spotlight themselves.

9. INTJ: The Tactician

INTJs take silent notes every time the world doesn’t make sense, and they always have a secret masterplan tucked away, just in case they need to fix it. They give off a sense of being “the one in control of the story,” which is more author energy than main character energy, like they’re the puppet master pulling everyone’s strings. 

All of this happens because INTJs experience what could be called predictive confidence, i.e., a deep-seated assurance born from their dominant Ni-Te (Introverted Intuition + Extraverted Thinking). Ni acts like an internal radar, constantly scanning for patterns, connections and underlying meanings in the world around them, while Te kicks in to validate these hunches through data crunching and logic. This combo creates a quiet, unshakeable poise. They don't second-guess themselves because they’ve done the maths and have backup plans for the backup plans – they know the plot twists before they unfold.

10. INTP: The Knowledge Seeker

Question everything. That's the INTP motto, and it looks like an antenna for nonsense and an awful lot of “why” questions when things aren’t adding up. They’ll poke holes in groupthink and happily explain why the textbook is wrong, even if it means going off on a detour about quantum physics. Their main character energy comes from refusing to blindly accept what everyone else agrees on – if someone says “everyone knows that”, INTP replies, “actually, let me tell you why everyone is wrong.”

These types lead with Introverted Thinking plus Extraverted Intuition, which basically means their mind is made for puzzles and paradoxes. They follow their curiosity wherever it leads, even if that takes them off the page and into someone else’s storyline entirely.

11. ENTP: The Provocateur

Of course ENTPs want their opinions to be right and heard and followed – but they’re far more invested in exposing the flaws in everyone else’s argument. They’re antagonists as much as protagonists, and they absolutely will stir up ideas just to ruffle feathers.

These types are natural disruptors. They create turbulence for the sake of it, or maybe because they want to strengthen your ideas by testing them, you’re never quite sure with an ENTP. They can argue that water isn't wet and have you questioning your own sanity for even trying to stick to the facts. They don’t care about stealing the show so there’s not much MCE going on … but they always make sure everyone leaves a little less certain than when they arrived.

12. ISFP: The Individualist

ISFPs wander through life with zero interest in playing to the crowd. They have complete confidence in their personal values and move through the world by their own rules, trusting what feels right in the moment. Their main character energy is subtle – they stay true to themselves and inspire others through being living examples of what it means to honor personal truth. 

This is down to their dominant Introverted Feeling, which creates a strong internal value system about what feels authentic versus fake. Combined with Extraverted Sensing, the ISFP tunes in to beauty and meaning in the present moment, shaping a life that looks and feels exactly right to them, no audience required.

13. INFP: The Idealistic Hero

INFPs wear their convictions on their sleeve and they don’t care if nobody’s looking. When they see injustice or spot a cause everyone else has shrugged off, they step up as champions without a second thought. Their MCE isn’t loud, but it’s powerful – one passionate speech will have you ready to go to battle for endangered beetles.

Moral urgency is second nature to INFPs. They rely on Introverted Feeling for their deep, unshakable values, and Extraverted Intuition gives them a radar for all the possibilities other people miss. If there’s a hill worth dying on, you can bet they’ve already set up camp with a stack of books and a carefully thought-out manifesto. They won’t drop their cause just because it’s impractical or unpopular, and they don’t need a spotlight to know their work matters.

14. ISFJ: The People's Protector

ISFJs don’t have main character energy, they have supporting cast energy. They go through life like a protective shield against other people’s problems, creating the stable conditions that allow others to take risks and have adventures. They’re basically Samwise, getting sucked into other people’s stories out of loyalty and keeping the group fed while someone else gets all the glory.

Their caring vigilance holds the whole cast together, sometimes literally with Tupperware and a steady supply of band aids. But it can come at a cost. Our Protectors are so focused on fixing everyone else’s disasters that they forget to step out of the background, unless someone texts the emergency group chat just to thank them for once.

15. ISTJ: The Systems Guardian

ISTJs treat order and routine like sacred duties. If there’s a binder for it, they’ve read it twice and flagged the important bits. Their main character energy, what little of it there is, comes from being the one person everyone trusts to keep the whole show on the road when things start to wobble. Creativity might not be their style, but their steady presence means the dreamers get to dream (and no one accidentally burns the place down).

Their Introverted Sensing means they remember what actually works, so they’ll stick to the process and resist fixing what isn’t broken. Extraverted Thinking keeps them efficient and practical. It’s not showy, it’s not sexy and it definitely doesn’t have an ego, but the ISTJ’s recipe for MCE makes sure the lights stay on.

16. ISTP: The Independent Operator

ISTPs rank last because they don't give one hoot about what you think or what some foolish “life story” demands. They’re just here to fix what’s broken and then disappear before the credits. 

Drama – even the type that happens only in your head – just isn’t their style. If there’s a problem, they fix it. If they collide with someone in an airport at 2 a.m., they mop up the coffee spill, throw them $10 for their trouble, and vanish down the nearest corridor before anybody thinks to ask their name. There’s freedom in not needing the spotlight, and nobody lives that truth better than an ISTP.