Enneagram 5 Fictional Characters: Unraveling the Investigator

Although Enneagram Fives, the Investigators, are often reserved and solitary, they have a rich inner world and many interests. They are insightful, creative, and intense, which is why writing and portraying Enneagram 5 fictional characters seems so fun.

How are their traits presented in fiction? Are Fives protagonists, antagonists, or supporting characters? This guide will help you learn more about this, so let’s dive right in!

Enneagram Type 5 Overview

Enneagram Fives, or the Investigators, may seem enigmatic to others because they’re an inexhaustible source of information and trivia. Due to their high logical and linguistic intelligence and innate curiosity, Fives shine both in traditional educational settings and at thinking outside the box.

Whether they are solving a puzzle or engaging in complex theoretical concepts, Investigators enjoy challenging their minds. However, they may struggle with everyday things, such as social cues and norms. This tendency often makes them the subject of hilarious memes, like the ones explored in our Enneagram 5 Memes article.

Some of Fives’ key traits include the following:

• Creativity. Some may say creativity is finding a link between two things. If that’s true, Investigators are the embodiment of this concept, as they easily connect data into valuable insights.
• Powerful imagination. Although problem-solvers, Fives are highly imaginative. They sometimes tend to disconnect from reality, often coming up with different, unique ideas.
• Objectivity. Investigators’ logical minds allow them to put emotions aside and base decisions on solid data.
• Obsession over details. Detail-oriented Fives are highly analytical, but they sometimes ponder over trivialities.

Enneagram 5 Fictional Movie Characters

Fives are often present in movies for their unique and distinguishable traits, and their characters are always complex and intriguing. While mostly portrayed as quirky for comedic effect, some have crossed the fine line between genius and insanity.

Let’s see who the most popular ones are.

#1. John Nash (A Beautiful Mind)

Credit: Eli Reed—Dreamworks/Universal Pictures

This character, beautifully portrayed by Russell Crowe, was based on a real person. Nash is an obvious Investigator, isolating himself from his peers and even thinking they’re beneath him. He works long hours and obsesses over creating a name for himself in the mathematical world.

Besides that, being a 5w4 (a Five with a Four wing) makes him an elitist, so he often looks down on his colleagues and feels superior.

Nash’s delusions contribute to his obsession, allowing him to create scenarios with himself in leading roles. However, they also make him self-conscious, threatening to trap him in his fantasy world.

#2. Hannibal Lecter (The Silence of the Lambs)

Credit: Rex Features

Here’s an example of an Investigator gone rogue. Dr. Lecter has an extraordinary mind, but he uses it for evil. He’s highly manipulative and unsettlingly introspective, which allows him to turn the tables in his favor more than once.

Much like John Nash, Dr. Lecter is the 5w4 type. Snobbish and superior to others, he despises all things familiar and thrives on his uniqueness, which he’s perfectly aware of. In fact, not only is he aware of it, but he’s also very accepting and proud of it.

#3. Donnie Darko (Donnie Darko)

Credit: Pandora Cinema and New Market Films

Donnie is a highly inventive teenager, but he’s one of the unhealthy Fives, as he focuses his curiosity on dark topics, ultimately becoming obsessed with the idea of an apocalypse.

Unhealthy Fives are also prone to detaching themselves from the real world. Isolating themselves, they swing dangerously close to the edge of sanity. Donnie does that throughout the movie, and we can follow his gradual descent into the rabbit hole.

Enneagram 5 Fictional Book Characters

Much like cinema, literature is brimming with Enneagram Fives. The selection of options is even more expansive—epic fiction, science fiction, and detective fiction, among others. You can see where this is going—to Fantasy Land!

#1. Sherlock Holmes (Sherlock Holmes)

Credit: Keiteu Ko

Welcome to the bright side! After Donnie Darko, we have Sherlock Holmes. Not only is he the Investigator personality type, but he’s also literally an investigator.

Sherlock is equally curious and inventive as Donnie, but he uses his power for deconstruction rather than destruction. He’s attentive to detail, thirsty for knowledge, and incredibly insightful. While an ordinary detective uses ordinary methods, Sherlock Holmes uses his creativity.

After all, Dr. Sheldon Cooper, another Investigator we’re covering down the line, would say that there are lots of books called Sherlock Holmes, and there are no books called Officer Hernandez. If you are curious about how other TV characters fit into the Enneagram framework, check out our article on Friends Enneagram Types.

#2. Professor Severus Snape (the Harry Potter series)

Credit: Steven Tye

Professor Snape may be hard to place because of the many twists and turns he’s taken throughout the series. However, he mainly demonstrates the Enneagram 5 traits.

He’s another of the Investigators who has dabbled in his dark side. Professor Snape is also solitary and comes across as cold and calculating. However, as his facade chips away, we learn how complex Enneagram Type 5 people can be, especially when they have magic powers.

#3. Mike Hanlon (IT)

Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures

Mike Hanlon was the last to join the Losers Gang, but he was also the last to leave—or would have been had he ever left. As all his friends grow up and abandon their little town to live their lives, Mike stays behind in Derry. That shows how determined a Five can be when solving mysteries.

Mike has never left the case of Pennywise alone—he’s been on it ever since he and his friends defeated the monster as children. He also exhibits significant loyalty to his friends and the oath they all took together. When the time comes for them to face Pennywise again, Mike brings them all together and shares his incredible insights on the case of the dancing clown.

Enneagram 5 Fictional TV Show Characters

Like the movies, TV offers many possibilities for creating Enneagram 5 characters. It even offers more of them than the cinema, as TV shows can go on for many seasons. Thus, the creators can get even more creative and imaginative in developing their Investigator characters.

#1. Dr. Sheldon Cooper (The Big Bang Theory)

Credit: Chuck Lorre Productions, Warner Bros. Television

The beloved theoretical physicist with two doctorates and an eidetic memory is an Investigator in all his glory. He enjoys learning, constantly expanding his fields of knowledge, and outperforming his peers, friends, colleagues, and even superiors.

Nevertheless, Sheldon doesn’t stay within his comfort zone when it comes to knowledge, although he’s perfectly happy in his social comfort zone. For example, he didn’t know about Radiohead, as it’s common for Fives not to know everyday things. However, he wants to learn and expand not only his field of knowledge but also his knowledge base.

#2. Mr. Spock (Star Trek)

Credit: Paramount Global

Speaking of Sheldon Cooper, let’s introduce one of his heroes, Mr. Spock. He’s not an ordinary human—quite literally, as he’s a Vulkan-Human hybrid. Simply put, he’s brilliant, insightful, and curious, and his logic and analytical skills have earned him the title of know-it-all of the ship.

Spock is also highly reflective, often struggling to reconcile his human emotions and Vulcan upbringing. As he values his autonomy and independence, Spock prefers to be by himself rather than others, which comes naturally to Fives. While their social circles may be small, their inner worlds are enormous and ever-expanding.

#3. Data (Star Trek)

Credit: Paramount Global

Another of Sheldon Cooper’s heroes is also from the Star Trek series. Data, the android character, is similar to Spock in terms of intelligence, analytical skills, and logical mind. He lacks human emotions but is curious about them. Like a true Investigator, he seeks to intellectually understand social interactions and feelings.

Data is also reclusive, often withdrawing into his world of logic. However, his time is always well spent as he continues to engage in theoretical concepts and collect information about the world.

#4. Dr. House (House)

Credit: Heel and Toe Films, Shore Z Productions, Bad Hat Harry Productions, and Universal Television

Another one with a PhD on our list is Dr. Gregory House. He has vast knowledge, but he only uses it as a base to come up with creative solutions to complex problems. Dr. House has demonstrated his curiosity and inventiveness enough times to fit into the Enneagram Type 5 category.

He’s also cynical and prefers to be left alone to having others around. Although he respects his colleagues and values his patients’ lives and health, he often comes across as rude and cold. However, unlike Sheldon, he’s aware of that fact but doesn’t care about others’ opinions unless he asks for them.

Other Enneagram Type 5 Fictional Characters

After watching movies, books, and TV shows, let’s dive deeper and explore even more fictional characters with the Enneagram 5 personality type. They’re everywhere—in cartoons, comic books, and fairy tales, among other nooks and crannies of our imagination.

#1. Velma Dinkley (Scooby Doo)

Credit: Warner Bros.

Velma is the brains of the gang, coming up with inventive solutions to problems. She’s curious and creative, and her out-of-the-box mindset often gets the whole group out of trouble.

She is also incredibly patient, carefully observing the data before proceeding, and she doesn’t make rash decisions but instead relies on logic to resolve a situation.

As the 5w6 personality type, Velma is an excellent problem solver. She’s practical and reliable while also being incredibly bright and thoughtful. Thanks to those traits, she’s always happy to help, which is why her friends appreciate her.

#2. Kevin (Sin City)

Credit: Miramax Films

Creating Kevin's unsettling character must have been challenging, but Frank Miller has done it amazingly. Kevin is yet another one on the list who has crossed the line to the dark side. After all, that’s how it is with Fives—there’s no in-between. They’re either extraordinarily helpful or extraordinarily destructive.

Kevin’s unusual cravings, to say the least, have made him incredibly skilled at problem-solving (or damage control). He never speaks, but we quickly learn he’s selective about whom he talks to rather than mute. That’s another Type 5 trait—not everyone deserves their time, as many are beneath them.

What Fictional Character Are You Similar To? Check With Our Enneagram Test!

Whatever your Enneagram personality type, there are many book, movie, TV show, or even cartoon characters you may relate to.

Take the free Enneagram test and see which of your traits align with those of your favorite characters. You’ll get to know yourself on a whole other level, but that’s not the best part; you can also use this knowledge to improve the quality of your life, advance in your career, and discover the strengths you didn’t even know you had!

Key Takeaways

The Enneagram Type 5 fictional characters are genuinely fascinating. With a wide range of professions, hobbies, and fixations, they vary from lovable geniuses to dangerous criminals.

Although they are all different, they share some key traits: they are knowledgeable, curious, reflective, and inventive individuals with broad knowledge bases. However, some of them use the powers of their mind in a good way, while others use them for evil purposes.

One thing is for sure—despite all the similarities among the characters on the list, it’s the nuances that determine whether they’re protagonists or antagonists.

Curious to explore characters of other Enneagram types? Check out these articles:

• Type 1 Fictional Characters
• Type 2 Fictional Characters
• Type 3 Fictional Characters
• Type 4 Fictional Characters
• Type 6 Fictional Characters
• Type 7 Fictional Characters
• Type 8 Fictional Characters
• Type 9 Fictional Characters