The Hero: Henry Hill - Henry Hill is the protagonist of the film, although what his story is about does not necessarily make him worthy to be called a 'hero', the film is narrated by him and is a true story based on his life.
The Sidekick: Tommy DeVito - Tommy was with Henry when they were young and were being taught about the life of crime by Jimmy Conway and stayed beside him ever since.
The Maiden: Karen Hill - Karen was the girl in the film that caught Henry's eye and although he found another woman later on in the film we was interested in, he still ended up back with Karen by the end of the film. Everything that Henry went through she went through.
The Wise Old man: Paul Cicero - Although many would label Jimmy Conway the wise old man because he was the person that Henry initially looked up to and eventually ended up taking under his wing, I think Paul Cicero is better suited because he is the wiser and older version of Jimmy and is who Henry took direct orders from at a time where Jimmy seemed to be depicted as more of an equal to Henry rather than a mentor.
The Mother: Tommy's Mother - Throughout the duration of the film Tommy's mum is the only person that conveys the qualities of a realistic mother of a mafia member.
The Child: Spider - Spider is depicted to the audience as the young and innocent boy who works in the bar and is used by the director to portray extent of Tommy's recklessness when he kills him just because he finally stood up to Tommy's abuse. Alternatively, Tommy can be seen as the child as he is the small and uncontrollable one out of the trio who is always getting them into something.
The Shadow: The Gambino Family - There are many interpretations on who could be the shadow as Henry, Tommy and Jimmy, the main protagonists could be seen as the shadow themselves. However in regards to who is the shadow to the trio I would think it to be the Gambino Family who were the Highest mafia bosses and were who eventually had Tommy killed as revenge for Billy Batts, a made man and presumed member of the family.
The Shapeshifter: Jimmy Conway - Jimmy Conway is the shapeshifter because towards the end of the film when Henry was labelled a 'snitch', Jimmy became a more darker character in the perspective of the audience as he seemed he would 'get rid of' Henry just as Henry witnessed him do to countless others.
The Trickster: Tommy DeVito - Tommy is also seen as the trickster because he is getting himself Jimmy and Henry into trouble with his antics and short temper and it was this quality that resulted in his death just over mid-way of the film.
