Spin Off I Guess: How to Write a Spin-Off for your Mentor
Christopher Vogler’s character archetypes have dominated Hollywood for decades. And rightly so. But in this the year of our lord 2025, it’s time those archetypes evolved into something that can sustain modern storytelling demands.
To those that haven’t read Vogler’s The Writer’s Journey, you’re insane. It’s an easy-to-read compendium of research, guidelines, and learning for writers at any stage of their journey. It’s on every University reading list and is cited by pretty much all leading scholars at some point.
One of his most famous chapters is on character archetypes and their function within the hero’s journey.
In a world of closed-circuit storytelling, those functions and archetypes were absolute. Now, as audiences crave further exploration of their favourite side characters, storytellers need to be careful that the stories they tell don’t undermine their core function. Take the Star Wars prequels, for example. The corruption of Anakin Skywalker is (for better or worse) designed to change how audiences experience Darth Vader in the original trilogy. Combined with the Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated series (where Anakin again assumes the role of protagonist), Darth Vader goes from mysterious masked-villain to an epically tragic fallen-hero, yet his function remains the same. He is the adversary of Luke Skywalker and the Rebellion.
To explore how each function could be expanded in external stories is a feat too large for one article. So, instead, this is the first in a potentially never-ending series that will highlight a specific archetype and explore ways writers can meaningfully expand their stories without simply cashing in on what’s hot.
Today, we’re looking at the “Mentor.”
WHAT IS A MENTOR
According to Vogler in The Writer’s Journey, a Mentor “represents the Self”, the Self being the force that “acts as a conscience to guide us on the road of life.” The Mentor is, in most cases, the character that reminds the audience what it is the whole story is about. If a story is Thesis / Antithesis / Synthesis, where the antagonist represents antithesis and the hero strives for synthesis, the Mentor represents the thesis.
Throughout cinema, TV, books, theatre, and cave scratchings, there have been a million Mentor’s, each distinct and iconic in their own way. Phil in Hercules is not the same as Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars, but their functions are the same. As Vogler says,
“Mentors provide heroes with motivation, inspiration, guidance, training, and gifts for the journey.”
With so many varieties, there’s no ‘one size fits all’ spin-off blueprint that will turn your Mentor into a Protagonist.
WHY MAKE A SPIN-OFF AT ALL?
It’s a valid question. There are thousands of forums, Reddit chains, comment sections, and the like crying out for stories to be left alone, that constantly expanding and spinning off is diluting the core beauty of the stories they love.
To some degree, they’re probably right.
There seems to be a real lacking in Hollywood at the moment of story-led expansion. Most transmedia experiences are blindly commissioned by executives and (tragically) lapped up by swathes of moviegoers. The actual narrative craft is lacking, and it’s leading to some enormous creative blunders. For example, I firmly believe that Toy Story 4 has no right to call itself that. By simply changing the name to Woody: A Toy Story, it’s transformed from a disappointing core addition to a stunning epilogue that focuses on one of our favourite characters.
Taking this craft perspective, making spin-offs can actually help streamline core narratives. How many times have you watched a film or a TV series and rolled your eyes at how much screentime the villain’s backstory is getting? Or the routine cutaways from the exciting drama to focus on what an ancillary character is doing? A lot of the time, writers are hemmed in by trying to cram everything into one story, which just makes it harder to write, direct, produce, edit, and watch. By cutting all those storylines out of the central edit, it gives audiences a reason to need the spin-off without detracting from the core story.
Remember, good storytelling isn’t telling the audience everything. Good storytelling is when audiences know nothing, but they’re confident the storyteller knows everything.
Whether it’s true or not (I suspect not), there’s an accepted perception that, currently, the opposite is true. Audiences are gatekeeping “everything” and are accusing moviemakers and TV makers of knowing “nothing”. That needs to change, and the change isn’t coming from the top down.
Instead, it’s the role of storytellers of all persuasions to ensure this new frontier of storytelling is overseen responsibly and with the care to craft that made us pick up a pen in the first place.
Okay, with that rant out of the way, let’s look at some of the different ways you can turn your Mentor into a Protagonist without going creatively bankrupt!
THE FORMER HERO
Definition
Probably the easiest form of Mentor to spin-off is the ‘former hero’. They’re a character that has already been down the path your protagonist is currently on. Their journey likely concluded in one of two ways:
Reached a different synthesis to your protagonist
Reached the same synthesis that your protagonist is resisting
Vogler describes this kind of Mentor:
They “stand for the hero’s highest aspirations. They are what the hero may become if she persists on the Road of Heroes. Mentors are often former heroes who have survived life’s early trials and are now passing on the gift of their knowledge and wisdom.”
Seeing how the Mentor acquired the knowledge or gifts they bestow to the protagonist is a potentially rich device that can elevate the world and characters of your source text.
Of course, many Mentors are found in a state of self-loathing, their own Hero’s Journey having ended in failure, or “still on a Hero’s Journey of their own.” How did they fail? What did they lose? These core questions are perfect sparks for drama that centres on the Mentor, so much so that including them in your source text is a disservice to both them and your actual Protagonist.
How to Adapt
If the Mentor of your source text is a teacher, then the obvious way to spin-off is to tell the story of their education. There are multiple methods to do this. One option is to stick with the original medium. If your source text was a feature film or franchise, then make the spin-off a direct prequel. X-Men: First Class tells the story of how Mutant leader, headmaster, and activist Charles Xavier first tried and failed to fight for Mutant rights against the backdrop of the Cold War. It maintained the movie format of the original franchise, included other characters previously seen in the franchise, and even included a cameo from Hugh Jackman, to tie it together.
Another method is to explore new mediums. This would be the recommendation of daddy of Transmedia, Henry Jenkins, who believes that while expansions to a central narrative should be crucial, they should also be an active pursuit by audiences. By doing a direct prequel in the same medium, you’re essentially spoon-feeding your audience new material.
Allow your character to inform the best medium for them. Mentors that are former Heroes have likely been on similar journeys, so it may be best to stick with mediums adjacent to your source text. If your source text is a franchise of novels, it may be unwise to make a AAA videogame about your mentor (no, The Witcher doesn’t count, and if it did would very much be the exception that proved the rule).
If they’re particularly eloquent, then perhaps their story should be told prosaically, or even through poetry. If they’re a former hero in the classical spy / superhero sense, why not give them a AAA video game?
Take ‘M’ from James Bond, for example. They spend their life cleaning up Bond’s messes across the globe while also juggling the whole 00 division, MI6’s place on the world stage, and internal politics. A High End TV political drama following their rise to power could be compelling. Throw in a rival with links to Spectre, and it’s tied right back to the core Bond mythology without changing a single frame of the core movie or detracting from its importance.
MEDIUM CHOICES
If your source text is a movie:
Movie
High End TV Series (HETV)
Short Film
If your source text is a TV Series:
Graphic Novel / Comic Book
TV Feature
Mini-Series
Web Series
Short Film
If your source text is a novel / series of novels:
Novella
Poetry
Animated Short
THE GIFT GIVER
Definition
This one is hardly rocket science. We’ve all seen movies, watched TV, and read books where the Mentor bestows an item or macguffin to the Hero that will be the catalyst for the journey to come. Just think of Obi-Wan giving Luke the lightsabre that belonged to his father. The object may be the source of a great power, like the super-serum in Captain America: The First Avenger, or it could be the source of the Hero’s ‘ghost’, like the One Ring in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.
There is some overlap, as Vogler states, “the gift or help of the donor should be earned, by learning, sacrifice, or commitment.” But here we will be focusing on those Mentors that, at some point, hand over the item of power.
Narratively speaking, though, the Mentor must have at some point experienced their own sacrifice or commitment that got them the gift in the first place. Ample space for further storytelling.
How to Adapt
The thing to remember while adapting this kind of Mentor is that you are telling the story of the Mentor, not the gift they give to the Hero.
An item is not a protagonist in the conventional sense.
So, in this regard, not all Mentors are created equal.
Nobody needs to know how Dr Erskine created the super-serum that turned Steve Rogers into Captain America. People could benefit, however, from seeing how the promise of power is universally corrupting through the lens of Smeagol’s acquisition of the One Ring.
Because you’re very often dealing with an object or item in this kind of spin-off, it affords a certain level of freedom when choosing a medium to tell the story. As long as audiences see the gift in some capacity, they’ll forgive almost any other creative choice you make. But again, remember, you’re telling the story of the Mentor. You’re just using the ‘gift’ as a method to thematically tie the story into the wider narrative (I’m looking at you, Tesseract cameo in Captain Marvel).
MEDIUM CHOICES
If your source text is a movie:
Novel
TV Series
Animation
If your source text is a TV Series:
Graphic Novel
Radio Drama
Novel
If your source text is a novel / series of novels:
Animated Short
Web Series
TV feature
THE LOVER
Definition
“In the realm of love, the Mentor’s function may be to initiate us into the mysteries of love or sex.” This kind of Mentor is usually found in romantic comedies or stories where affairs of the heart are at the centre of the drama. As Vogler says, they’re predominantly there to initiate the Hero on their love / sexual journey.
Initiate suggests that the Hero is going to hook-up with the Mentor to get the story going, and though that is possible, it’s usually the case that it’s an initiation through encouragement. Think Stanley Tucci in The Devil Wears Prada, or basically any sassy gay friend in any rom-com. In the source text, they’re mostly your excuse to write sassy dialogue and slap your Hero about a bit, forcing them (lovingly) to engage with the story. While some of these Mentors do get ‘happily ever afters’, mostly they lie forgotten on the edit floor, criminally underserved.
How to Adapt
Due to the nature of the source text, it’s unlikely you’ll be able to take a ‘Lover’ Mentor into dramatically different mediums. That doesn’t mean there’s no story to tell, though. All your characters are rich source material for further exploration, but audiences won’t be so forgiving if you make a feature film about the sassy gay friend of their favourite book (it’s criminal, I know). While transmedia is in its infancy, the hierarchy of medium remains strong as ever.
The important thing to explore here is the message of love that the Mentor bestows on the source text. You’re spinning-off from a source text, and to justify its existence the spin-off must deal with the same themes. So, sticking with the sassy gay friend, telling the story of how they suffered through conversion therapy as a teenager might be so distant from the source text it may as well be its own thing.
DARK MENTOR
Definition
This is an exciting one, maybe the most exciting type of Mentor. Usually, Mentors are a “positive figure who aids or trains the hero.” But not always. “In thrillers, the mask of a Mentor is sometimes a decoy used to lure the hero into danger.” Think Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs. He’s captivating because he’s so clearly the Mentor of the story, but he’s also just awful.
Dark Mentors can sometimes be conflated with Antagonists, but they are different. Antagonists exist to actively conflict against the protagonists, and can sometimes present as Mentors, but a Mentor bears the protagonist no ill-will. Hannibal Lecter does horrid things, but he would never harm Clarice. It would be rude.
Slow Horses character Jackson Lamb is another prime example of a Dark Mentor. Vogler states that:
“Like heroes, Mentors may be willing or unwilling. Sometimes they teach in spite of themselves. In other cases they teach by their bad example.”
Lamb is a character that actively loathes the staff that work under him. Getting them to quit would bring him absolute joy, and he tries to make himself as disgusting and patronising as possible to achieve that. But it’s those very tactics that give his team the skills they need to achieve victory. Predominantly, the ethos that no ‘joe’ is left behind.
Dark Mentors are potentially the richest source of story because they’re innately conflicted, and conflict is drama. Why are they such raging dicks / sociopaths? Are they like this all the time? What are they like when they get home? Remember, the Mentor represents the ‘thesis’ of the source text. Dark Mentors can loathe their own belief system, so finding out how and why that is could elevate the source text exponentially.
How to Adapt
Dark Mentors are a strange beast where medium suggestions probably wouldn’t be helpful. The moral complexity of the characters should be used to inform your decision, though.
Get weird with it. The darker the Mentor, the weirder the medium choice. Just don’t go smearing blood on walls.
The point is Transmedia storytelling invites experimentation. Use your Dark Mentor to fully explore creative options when telling their story. If they’re an unreliable narrator, then write a bunch of diary entries, scrunch them up and put them in a suitcase. If they’re akin to Jackson Lamb, a product of a bygone age, then look at popular media during the time they’re ‘from’ to inform your decision.
Before you worry, this won’t alienate your audience. If anything, it should excite both you and them. It’ll certainly go down better than shoehorning your audience’s favourite character into a medium where they don’t fit.
Story Frames For Your Mentor
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How did the Former Hero achieve / fail their Hero’s Journey?
How did the Former Hero learn / acquire the lesson they bestow in the source text?
How did the Gift Giver create / acquire the gift they give in the source text?
The Lover Mentor is often the representative and advocate of pure love / lust. How did that come to be?
If the Dark Mentor is reluctant to help the Hero, why? What led them down this dark path to hate their own potential?
If the Dark Mentor’s willingness to help the Hero is viewed with suspicion, why is that? What betrayals did they commit to inspire such distrust?
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If the Former Hero is still on their Hero’s Journey, flip the roles of Hero and Mentor. How does the Hero help the Mentor complete their own Hero’s Journey?
The Lover Mentor often appears with no quarrel whenever the protagonist summons them, but what are they sacrificing to be there for the protagonist?
If the Lover Mentor does take on a ‘hook-up’ role and then disappears from the source text, where do they go? Flip the Mentor / Protagonist dynamic and follow what the Mentor learns from their brief encounter with the protagonist.
Dark Mentors tend to occupy little ‘screen-time’. What is it in their core that is inspiring them to co-operate when they are featured?
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If the Former Hero has thematically completed their Hero’s Journey in the source text, send them back to where they were before the source text to conclude their plot.
How does the Gift Giver experience life now they no longer own the source of power?
To achieve their ultimate end, the protagonist betrayed the Lover Mentor’s absolute belief in true love but still won the day. How does the Lover Mentor cope with that?
If the Dark Mentor has been lightened by the events of the source text, how do they take this back to their own life?
If the Dark Mentor escapes the source text, where do they go? Are they pursued?
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If the Former Hero’s is on their own Hero’s Journey, and they’re introduced in the text during their ‘lowest point’, chart the story backwards so half their story takes place before the source text, with the climax occurring during the source text.
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