There are few series quite like The Great, which takes an irreverent look at the life and reign of Catherine the Great, one of the most famous rulers in Russian history. Though Catherine is the heart and soul of the series, it is also true that there are many other fascinating characters that populate the Russian court, many of whom are simply doing their best to survive in a royal atmosphere dominated by the capricious whims of Peter.
What’s more, looking at them through the lens of the system provided by Meyers-Briggs® reveals new depths and complexity to their personalities. Fans will be interested to learn just how well the cast of characters in The Great fit into these personality types.
Catherine - ESTJ
Catherine is undoubtedly one of Elle Fanning’s best roles, and she brings a powerful charm and charisma to her performance as Catherine the Great. Though she is young, Catherine has a vision for how she wants the Russian court to work, and she is relentless in trying to see it through.
As a result, she is very much an ESTJ, an extroverted personality type that has a drive so strong it is the envy of others. Once she decides that Russia would do better under the idea of the Enlightenment, she sets out a plan to see it done.
Peter - ESFP
Peter is the opposite of Catherine in almost every way. While she is methodical and organized, he is impulsive and prone to snap judgments. As a result, he shows all of the signs of being an ESTP, a personality type characterized by loving material comforts and privileging personal relationships.
Though he is capable of great cruelty, particularly when he feels threatened, it’s also true that Peter does truly love those that are fortunate enough to exist inside of his charmed circle. Small wonder he is one of Nicholas Hoult's best roles.
Archie - ISTJ
Inflexible and at times intolerant, Archie is still one of the series’ most intelligent characters. As a leader of the church in Russia, it makes sense that he would be associated with the ISTJ, which is one of the personality types that puts the most value in traditions and in established ways of doing things.
Archie's rigidity and refusal to change exemplify this. From the beginning of the series, he shows that he is inflexibly opposed to Catherine and to her efforts to revolutionize the ways that things are done in Russia.
Marial - ISFJ
When the series begins, Marial has been sentenced by Peter to live as a servant, even though she is a member of the nobility. She also shows that she is one of the few people in the court that likes Catherine for herself rather than for her position.
She shows all of the classical signs of the ISFJ personality type, particularly through her loyalty to Catherine. At the same time, she also shows the ISFJ's desire to create a harmonious environment. For her, this means returning to the position that she lost, no matter the cost.
Count Orlo - INTJ
Count Orlo is a very methodical thinker and, like Marial, he is one of Catherine’s few allies at Peter’s court as well as being one of the best characters in The Great. He shows many of the traits that are associated with the INTJ, particularly since he is the organizational genius that she needs in order to see her plans to take over Russia and revolutionize it put into actual action.
Like others of this type, Orlo has an almost uncanny knack for seeing the big picture and being able to notice how the various pieces of a puzzle fit together.
Aunt Elizabeth - ISTP
Aunt Elizabeth is, in some ways, one of the most likable characters on the show, since she is also one of those who allies herself with Catherine (at least to a degree). She is a bit of a strange character personality-wise, but she does seem genuinely kind and nice.
What’s more, she demonstrates the ISTP’s willingness to take actions that they think are necessary, which in her case means murdering a child in cold blood so as to protect the stability of the monarchy itself. As well as being a complex character, she also boasts some of the best quotes in The Great.
General Velementov - ISFP
Of all of Catherine’s allies, General Velementov is perhaps the most unreliable. Though he is a capable general, he tends to allow himself to get lost in his love of alcohol and the pleasures of the present moment.
At the same time, he is devotedly loyal to Catherine, in keeping with his personality as an ISFP. However, that personality type’s aversion to any sort of disagreement or conflict means that he isn’t always as assertive as he should be.
Grigor - INFP
Grigor is one of the series most sympathetic characters, in part because he feels his loyalty torn between his wife (whom he loves) and Peter (who is having an affair with his wife).
Like other INFPs, he really does everything in his power to make sure that the world around him meets his own standards, even though it is often impossible to thread the needle between his competing loyalties. For the most part, he is quite flexible, but the threat to his marriage can at times overwhelm him.
Georgina - ESTP
Unlike her husband, who is constantly emotionally tormented, Georgina is far more pragmatic when it comes to life at the Russian court. She recognizes that Peter is essential to their power and position, and so she willingly goes along with their relationship (though she clearly still loves her husband).
She thus displays all of the flexibility and tolerance that is usually associated with the ESTP personality type, which ensures that she is uniquely positioned to succeed in a court as unstable and potentially deadly as Peter’s. And, what's more, she also gets to wear some of the best costumes of The Great's main characters.
Leo - ENFJ
Though Catherine grows to love Peter in her own way, it’s Leo who really holds the key to her heart. Unlike Peter, he has all of the traits of the ENFJ, particularly that personality type’s ability and willingness to see and respond to the needs, both emotional and physical, of others. This is part of what makes him one of The Great's most likable characters.
Of all of the people that Catherine comes to know after she moves to Russia, it’s Leo that she loves the most, and he clearly feels the same for her. They inspire one another and, ultimately, they also bring out the best in each of their personalities.