A number of archetypes can be identified in Moonheart, including Tucker the tough cop, Blue the hard yet sensitive ex-gang member, and Sara, the ordinary person who becomes extraordinary in the eternal struggle between good and evil.

Despite de Lint's use of archetypes, his characters remain recognizably human and three-dimensional. Indeed, one of de Lint's greatest strengths as a writer is his characterization. Although there is a good deal of magic and fantasy in the novel, the characters are sufficiently realistic to allow us to identify with them.

To some extent, it is the juxtaposition of fantasy and realism in Moonheart that necessitates the presentation of characters who are both real and the kind of traditional archetypes seen in so many other stories. But the important thing in relation to Moonheart is that all of the archetypal characters mentioned in the introduction of this discussion transcend their archetypes by virtue of being well-rounded, multi-dimensional characters.