Discover which fictional character you truly are.
A universal system for generating personalized character profiles that match real people to fictional characters based on observed behavior, values, and decision-making patterns. Works on any LLM (Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini). No setup. No dependencies. Pure insight.
Character Study is a prompt-based system that:
- Observes you — analyzes your code, decisions, communication style, values
- Identifies a match — finds a fictional character from books, films, or TV that embodies who you are
- Generates a profile — creates a beautiful, self-contained HTML page with:
- A portrait of your character
- 4-5 parallel traits comparing you and the character
- 3-5 detailed narrative examples for each trait
- A verdict explaining why the match is perfect
- A runner-up character who almost won
The result? You read it and think: "Yeah, that IS me. I never thought about it that way, but wow."
Not judgment. Not analysis from the outside. Recognition.
1. Copy the PROMPT.md file
2. Paste into Claude Code, ChatGPT, or Gemini
3. Type: "Generate my character profile"
4. (Optional) Share context: CLAUDE.md, a description, code samples
5. Get beautiful HTML back
6. Save as profile.html, open in browserThat's it. No authentication. No API keys. No dependencies.
Share PROMPT.md with friends, colleagues, or team members. They follow the same 5 steps.
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ YOU PROVIDE CONTEXT (optional) │
│ • CLAUDE.md / Project files │
│ • Description of your work │
│ • Conversation history │
│ • Code samples │
└──────────────────────┬──────────────────────────────────────────┘
│
▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ LLM ANALYZES YOU (Phase 1) │
│ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ • How do you make decisions? │ │
│ │ • What systems do you build? │ │
│ │ • How do you handle failure? │ │
│ │ • Your relationship with rules │ │
│ │ • Your aesthetic (dark/light, minimal/ornate, etc.) │ │
│ │ • Your core values │ │
│ │ • Your communication style │ │
│ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │
└──────────────────────┬──────────────────────────────────────────┘
│
▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ CHARACTER MATCH (Phase 2) │
│ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ LLM identifies a fictional character who embodies │ │
│ │ your approach and values │ │
│ │ │ │
│ │ Example matches: │ │
│ │ • Systems builder → Ozymandias (Watchmen) │ │
│ │ • Ruthless founder → Tywin Lannister (GoT) │ │
│ │ • Precise engineer → Sherlock Holmes (Arthur Conan) │ │
│ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │
└──────────────────────┬──────────────────────────────────────────┘
│
▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ PROFILE GENERATION (Phase 3) │
│ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ • Fetch character image │ │
│ │ • Write 4-5 parallel traits with examples │ │
│ │ • Generate HTML with inferred color palette │ │
│ │ • Embed all assets (images, fonts from CDN) │ │
│ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │
└──────────────────────┬──────────────────────────────────────────┘
│
▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ OUTPUT │
│ • Self-contained HTML file │
│ • Beautiful, dark-themed profile │
│ • Works offline │
│ • Share with anyone │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Observation-based | LLM analyzes you from context, not through questions |
| Fictional characters | Only book, film, TV characters (people you'd recognize) |
| Narrative examples | 3-5 detailed stories per trait, not bullet points |
| Positive reframing | Complex/dark characters framed as powerful & compelling |
| No interviews | No "tell me about yourself" — LLM infers from what you share |
| Beautiful HTML | Dark theme, custom colors inferred from your aesthetic |
| Self-contained | All images embedded as base64, fonts from Google CDN |
| Zero dependencies | No Python, Node, pip, npm, Docker, APIs |
| Works everywhere | Claude Code, ChatGPT, Gemini, any LLM interface |
| Offline | Once generated, works completely offline |
| Distributable | Share .html file with anyone |
Match: Systems builder who operates in solitude, builds permanent infrastructure, willing to make ruthless decisions without sentiment.
Traits:
- DOCTRINE — You don't patch broken systems; you replace them entirely
- SOLITUDE — The scale of your vision requires you to carry the weight alone
- PERMANENCE — You build systems that work when you're not there
- CLARITY — You see what needs to happen and you make the call, no sentiment
Verdict: You are a builder of the first order—someone who doesn't accept the world as given. You reshape it. You build infrastructure that persists, doctrine that outlives you, systems that enforce discipline without requiring your presence.
The LLM reads what you share and looks for:
Decision-making style → Methodical? Intuitive? Collaborative?
What you build → Systems? Products? Infrastructure?
Handling failure → Fix? Cut? Learn? Prevent?
Relationship with rules → Follow? Rewrite? Ignore?
Aesthetic taste → Dark/light, minimal/ornate, modern/classic?
Core values → Speed? Quality? Autonomy? Impact?
Communication style → Terse? Elaborate? Technical? Poetic?
The LLM identifies a fictional character whose behavior mirrors yours.
↓ Behavioral alignment
↓ Value alignment
↓ Decision-making philosophy alignment
↓ Risk/reward tolerance alignment
→ CHARACTER MATCH
For each trait, the LLM writes 3-5 detailed examples:
EXAMPLE STRUCTURE:
Character Example:
Situation → Choice → Why (reasoning/values) → Impact → Connection to trait
User Example:
Problem → Approach → Why (philosophy) → Outcome → Connection to trait
Each example is a short story, not a bullet point. Goal: "Yeah, I do that. That IS me."
The more context you give, the better the match. But even minimal context works:
"I'm a software engineer. I value consistency and systems."
"I'm a founder. I built a Kubernetes cluster from scratch.
I created documentation that enforces discipline.
I'll retire people for strategic malpractice without hesitation."
[Share your CLAUDE.md, recent commits, description of systems you've built,
how you handle conflict, your aesthetic preferences, your core values]
The LLM infers everything else from what you share.
Every generated profile includes:
HEADER
├── Character name (large, bold)
├── Source (book/film/show)
└── Subtitle
CHARACTER IMAGE
└── Embedded as base64
HERO SECTION
├── Kicker (small label)
├── Headline
└── Deck (2-3 sentences about you)
PULL QUOTE
└── A meaningful quote capturing your philosophy
PARALLEL TRAITS (4-5 traits)
├── Character side
│ ├── Description
│ └── 3-5 narrative examples
└── Your side
├── Description
└── 3-5 narrative examples
VERDICT
└── 2-3 sentence verdict explaining why the match is perfect
RUNNER-UP CHARACTER
├── Image
├── Name
└── Why they almost won
FOOTER
└── Publication date
| Character | Source | Typical Match |
|---|---|---|
| Ozymandias | Watchmen (1986) | Systems builder, solitary, no sentiment |
| Tywin Lannister | A Song of Ice & Fire | Strategic ruthlessness, legacy-focused |
| Sherlock Holmes | Arthur Conan Doyle | Precision engineer, pattern recognition |
| Rust Cohle | True Detective | Obsessive investigator, institutional skeptic |
| Walter White | Breaking Bad | Transformation arc, methodical planner |
| Severus Snape | Harry Potter | Complex morality, long-term strategy |
| The Architect | The Matrix | Systems creator, logic over sentiment |
| Hannibal Lecter | Thomas Harris | Brilliant strategist, aesthete with darkness |
Most personality systems (Myers-Briggs, Enneagram, etc.) categorize you into a type.
Character Study does something different: it recognizes you.
You read your profile and think:
- "Yeah, I do that"
- "I hadn't thought about it that way, but wow, that's exactly who I am"
- "I've never heard of this character, but I relate to them completely"
You feel understood, not analyzed.
If you match a complex or dark character, that's not a flaw—that's clarity.
The profile reframes ruthlessness as decisiveness, isolation as vision, and ruthless accountability as standards.
The goal is recognition and power, not shame.
Real people are complicated and change. Fictional characters are pure archetypes—they embody specific philosophies and approaches with clarity.
That clarity is what makes the match memorable.
1. Copy PROMPT.md
2. Paste into Claude Code / ChatGPT / Gemini
3. "Generate my character profile"
4. Get HTML
5. Open in browser
6. Share if you want
1. Share PROMPT.md with team
2. Everyone generates their profile
3. Display on team wiki or Slack
4. Use as conversation starter about how people work
1. Candidate uses system to generate profile
2. Review reveals their self-awareness and values
3. Profile becomes part of interview discussion
1. Generate your profile
2. Share in bio, LinkedIn, personal site
3. Shows who you are beyond resume
- Any LLM (Claude Code, ChatGPT, Gemini, etc.)
- Ability to copy-paste text
- A browser to view HTML
- That's it.
- Single HTML file (~15-30 KB)
- Self-contained — no external dependencies
- Images embedded as base64 data URLs
- Fonts from Google CDN (only external resource)
- All CSS inline — no external stylesheets
- Works offline once downloaded
- Chrome ✅
- Safari ✅
- Firefox ✅
- Edge ✅
- Any modern browser ✅
character-study/
├── README.md # This file
├── PROMPT.md # Master prompt (copy-paste this)
├── CLAUDE.md # Project values and development rules
│
├── examples/ # Sample generated profiles
│ ├── peter-simmons.html # Systems builder → Ozymandias
│ ├── example-2.html # (Coming soon)
│ └── example-3.html # (Coming soon)
│
├── assets/ # Reference images (for docs)
│ └── flow-diagram.svg # How the system works
│
├── docs/ # Extended documentation
│ ├── CHARACTER-DATABASE.md # Character matching guide
│ ├── DESIGN.md # Design decisions
│ └── FAQ.md # Frequently asked questions
│
├── LICENSE # MIT
└── .gitignore # Standard
The PROMPT.md includes instructions for LLMs on how to fetch and embed images as base64:
import urllib.request
import base64
url = "https://example.com/image.jpg"
image_data = urllib.request.urlopen(url).read()
b64_data = base64.b64encode(image_data).decode('utf-8')
html = f'<img src="data:image/jpeg;base64,{b64_data}">'LLMs like Claude and ChatGPT can execute this Python code to fetch and embed real images, so your profile contains actual photographs, not drawings.
| System | Interview-Based | Observational | Fiction-Focused | Narrative Examples |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Myers-Briggs | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Enneagram | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| CliftonStrengths | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Character Study | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Character Study stands alone because it:
- Observes rather than asks
- Uses fiction (pure archetypes) rather than real people
- Tells stories (examples as narratives, not bullet points)
- Builds recognition, not categories
- Generate 5-10 example profiles showcasing different character types
- Build character database (which characters, why they match, common profiles)
- Create optional CSS variants (light theme, minimal, ornate)
- Web version (paste context, generate profile in browser)
- Character matcher (search for characters, see who you might match)
- Team profiles (see all team members' characters, understand dynamics)
- API endpoint (for integration into other platforms)
MIT License — use this however you want.
This is a prompt-based system, so contributions could include:
- New example profiles (showcase different character types)
- Character database entries (document why certain characters match certain people)
- CSS variants (alternative themes for generated profiles)
- Design improvements (better HTML structure, accessibility)
- Documentation (guides, FAQs, design decisions)
See FAQ.md for common questions and answers.
Concept: Matching real people to fictional characters to reveal truth about who they are.
Implementation: Prompt-based system that works on any LLM without dependencies.
Inspiration: The power of fictional characters to embody specific philosophies with clarity.
Made with clarity and no sentiment.