Thanks for that.

Thanks for that. And I can see that point. Ultimately, what we experience in the lives of characters on screen transcends categories like Protagonist, Nemesis, Mentor, and so forth. Characters, like 'actual' people, are multifaceted individuals. That said, there is value in using tools like archetypes, both in terms of analysis and - more important from a writing standpoint - in the story-crafting process.

Which is to say, Waymond can exist as a Second Protagonist ... a Mentor ... a Trickster ... an Attractor, either intermittently or even simultaneously.

The value in thinking of him as a second Protagonist is that it respects how critical the character's role is. Plus, it merges the dual, yet aligned energies Waymond exudes, both in this world and parallel universes: In the latter, he's trying to save the world; in the former, he's trying to save the marriage.

Thanks for that, Blake. You've given more to think about in reflecting about this very special story.