A story in which a flawed but sympathetic hero sheds the behaviour holding them back, and a kind universe rewards them with the life they were always meant to have.
Also known as: Kind Universe Comedy
Applies to: Comedy stories in a Kind Universe
Definition
A story type in which the Universe rewards characters who shed their Bad Habit and punishes those who don't. The Protagonist begins in a Home World governed by the King's Law — a survival philosophy that shaped their Bad Habit. Through their journey into the Strange World, they are challenged to abandon that Habit in favor of the Muse's Moral Strength. If they succeed, the Universe delivers Heaven on Earth.
The audience roots for the Protagonist (the Hero) and wants to see the Antagonist (the Villain) lose. The ending feels earned and morally satisfying.
Why This Term Matters
Kind Comedy is the most instructive story type to learn first because its moral logic is the clearest: good behavior is rewarded, bad behavior is punished. Every other story type is a variation or inversion of this template. Mastering the Kind Comedy gives you the structural foundation for all four quadrants.
In a Kind Comedy
- The Protagonist is the Hero — the audience roots for them
- The Antagonist is the Villain — the audience wants them to lose
- The Universe is Kind — moral behavior is rewarded
- The Bad Habit is what the Hero must shed
- Heaven on Earth is the reward for shedding it
- The Genie and McGuffin are fully operative
In a Kind Tragedy
See: Kind Tragedy — the moral logic inverts. The Protagonist becomes the Villain, refuses to change, and loses.
Examples from the Kind Comedy Course
Ratatouille: Remy's Bad Habit is hiding and deceiving — pretending not to be a rat who cooks, concealing Linguini's secret, performing his Ironic Talent under a lie. Heaven on Earth is cooking openly and honestly in his own restaurant, with the people who know and love him for who he is.
In Bruges: Ken's Bad Habit is blind obedience to Harry's code — following orders rather than exercising his own moral judgment. Heaven on Earth is dying with a clear conscience, having chosen to protect Ray over loyalty to the code.
Related Articles
- Why Outlining a Story Feels Impossible — introduces all four Story Types and helps you identify which type your story is
- What Should Happen in the First Act — uses a Kind Comedy (Good Will Hunting) as its case study
Learn More
The Kind Comedy structure is taught in full in the Kind Comedy Course, including the complete Circle, all eight Sequences, Transition Scenes, and beat sheet assembly using Ratatouille and In Bruges.
For a first introduction to the four story types, start with the free Fundamentals Course.