Friends: “Friends is an American Sitcom that aired from 1994 to 2004, starring six friends living in Manhattan.”

In the hit TV show friends, there are six main characters- Ross, Chandler, Phoebe, Rachel, Monica and Joey. What makes the show so successful is having these six characters each have a uniquely distinctive personality that shines through creating problems that are often comical which keeps the audience entertained. After doing a fair amount of research after being unsure of a few character types, I eventually came to the conclusion as to what each of the characters MBTI types are.

Firstly, Monica shall be evaluated. Monica is the perfect example of an ESTJ. As you watch the show, you will start to see many repeated scenarios in which Monica’s Te and Si make her become the leader of the group, trying to keep the order amongst the friends. This is also evident when Monica will try to be controlling of what happens in her apartment and also when we see other characters being dependent on her. All in all, Monica is a dead-set example of an ESTJ.

Secondly, Phoebe shall be evaluated. Phoebe is the most abstract example of a character on a show, and she is a very clear example of an ENFP. Extroverted intuitives with introverted feeling are often described as spontaneous and seemingly simplistic, but as you get to know them you will discover they have a very clear set of morals and a life direction that is not evident on a surface level. This defines Phoebe perfectly, who although appears without much of a life direction, has many creative ideas that come from her internal ethical beliefs.

Joey is an excellent example of an ESFP. He tends to be the relaxed type, an aspiring actor, a typical ESFP. Although he is sometimes shallow at first gauge, he is friendly towards most people, just as this peacemaking type is supposed to be. He is also a feeling type, as although he may not always think before he makes a decision (typical problem with an EXXP), he will always try to keep harmony and apologize to people that he has caused harm to.

Next, Ross shall be evaluated. Ross is a perfect example of an INTJ, as most of his conversations, although comical to listen to from an audience’s perspective, are generally serious and to the point. His introversion is evident in the first few series when he awkwardly cannot think of what to say on his desperate quest to winning over Rachel. He has a deep mind and thinks logically, making him an excellent example of an INTJ.

Second to last, Chandler is an example of an ENTP. He portrays extroverted intuition to the extreme, and it is evident he and Phoebe are the most perceiving types on the show. He will often come up with some unusual idea or theory that seemingly comes from some external environment, meaning he is using his extroverted intuition. He is also a thinker, as on a few episodes where he reveals his inner thoughts we can see that he mostly lives in the present as a perceiver, but thinks logically inside his head whilst doing so. This makes him a clear example of an ENTP.

Finally, after doing much research, Rachel has been the hardest to type. A wide range of opinions have been formed, however ESFP, ENFJ and ESFJ were the most common. I would have to say Rachel has her fair share of drama, and I believe her extroverted feeling becomes evident in these situations, making her an extroverted feeling type. I also believe she cares about current societal trends, making her a sensor type compared with her more abstract friends. Although she comes across as an ESFP on the first season, it is evident that this is just because she had not needed to take responsibility seriously until then; this wasn’t by choice, it was by upbringing, as she just moved into the city and started to develop independence. This means Rachel is an ESFJ.

In conclusion, I discovered many patterns about the characters of the show. The two who created the humor on the show were the two strongest perceivers, Phoebe and Chandler. As well as this, it was evident that those two (along with Ross) created most of the interesting problems that occurred, and they are the three intuitives. It was also evident that Ross and Monica who were the two strongest judgers created much of the drama that occurred. Rachel and Joey, who were somewhat in between, played a different role depending on who they were interacting with. All in all, many things can be said about this show, and it is clear that this is one of the best shows when it comes to interesting personality types.

Which MBTI type do you think? Leave your opinion in the comments section below!!