Penny Hofstadter: ESFP
The Entertainer
If Sheldon Cooper is a textbook ISTJ, then Penny has ESFP written all over her. The Entertainer is an obvious choice for the aspiring actress when the show begins, but as fans get to know her better, they see how well this analysis fits her. ESFPs are defined by their extroverted nature, but there’s more to it than that. Penny is a very social person (and has certainly had a lot of relationships throughout the show’s run), but The Entertainer is also marked by their desire to encourage and support others.
In her eventual marriage to the insecure Leonard, as well as Penny’s friendship with the group at large, fans see her in this role a lot. Penny is often the person helping the others understand social dynamics. She helps Amy understand her feelings for Sheldon. Penny also is more than willing to learn about the activities the group likes to better understand them and allow herself to have a good time with them, even when she can’t be at the center of attention.
Leonard Hofstadter: ISFJ
The Defender
When it comes to this system, there’s always some debate as to where specific people fit, but sometimes, it looks a little more natural. Leonard is an excellent example of the Defender MBTI® in The Big Bang Theory. While ISFJs can be every bit as talented and accomplished as everybody else, they can struggle with their self-confidence in expressing that. They’re dedicated to their work, their relationships, and other aspects of their lives, but often tend to downplay their successes and accomplishments.
ISFJs are a humble group and need to defend themselves from those who would steal their credit and their thunder. Leonard’s love for nerd culture, Penny, and his job are reflected here. He is very good at what he doesn’t, but his own accomplishments tend to get put on the back burner for Sheldon. Likewise, he always sees Penny’s other partners as somehow better than him at the start of the series. It takes Leonard a while to become more confident.
Howard Wolowitz: ESTP
The Entrepreneur
There’s little doubt that Howard Wolowitz is the most social of the core male foursome. To hear him tell it, he’s spent most of his life in bars, amazing and delighting women with all kinds of brilliant stories. Very little of this is probably true, but he has been out there telling it, and that’s what matters here, making him an ESTP.
While he’s certainly happy to stay in and play video games with the others on Halo Night™, he’s also usually the first to suggest more social activities (especially early in the show’s run). As with Amy, he balances his academic interests with an openness to new possibilities and opportunities. He’s the first in the group to become a father, he was an astronaut (however much of a toll that took on him), and it’s his personality type that helped him to achieve these things.
Zack Johnson: ENFP
The Campaigner
Zack Johnson is one of the Big Bang Theory characters who didn’t have much screen time and is a little difficult to place. Because he makes comparatively few appearances on the show, it’s hard to have a deep understanding of him. It seems that he’d fit quite well in the ESFP (Entertainer) category with his old love interest Penny, but perhaps he’s more suited as an ENFP. He is, after all, enthusiastic and sociable and something of an optimist, all traits that fall under the Campaigner umbrella.
The difference between the Entertainer and the Campaigner personality types is their way of taking in information (S for Sensing and N for Intuition). Zack Johnson’s main shtick lies in his social leanings (contrasted with the group at large), underpinned by his lovable naivety and good nature. All this makes the Campaigner a good pick for him.
Rajesh Koothrappali: INFP
The Mediator
Much like his close friend (not as close as the rest of the gang, perhaps, but definitely on the B List) Stuart Bloom, Rajesh could be considered an INFP. Of the characters on the show, there are a lot of parallels in the way they interact with others in social situations.
There are a lot of crucial similarities between the two characters. They’ve both been beset by romantic misfortunes and other disasters, but they find the positives where they can and press on. They both also seek harmony and a place where they belong, which has led them to become totally overbearing at times (just ask the Wolowitz family). Nevertheless, their hearts are in the right place and their intentions are good, even if they don’t always have the confidence to act on them. Of The Big Bang Theory MBTI® classifications, Raj best fits INFP.
