Internal ones can be faced and dealt with to reduce their impact. Others can be brought over and transformed, as with Georgette Heyer s villain Duke of Andover in The Black Moth who becomes the hero Duke of Avon in Duke of Avon in These Old Shades. A more direct change can be found in Justine Davis's Captain Califa Claxton, Shadow and henchman Villain in the futuristic Lord of the Storm , later to become the heroine of The SkyPirate . The energy of mischief and the potential for change are the signposts for the Trickster Archetype. They may be as obvious as the clownish sidekick or as subtle as the hidden troublemaker.
Tricksters serve important purposes.
They can serve to cut egos down to size, be they the egos of your protagonists or the people they encounter. In books with a serious or action-filled tone, they can give moments of contrasting light relief. Tricksters serve as catalysts because they can't stand to see things stay as they are. As catalysts, they affect other lives but remain unchanged themselves. Their entire purpose is to promote change, and by words or action help to shine a light on situations that must be modified for balance.