pop culture consciousness. With a large cast of characters that largely mange to remain lovable even through all of their bickering and zany antics, fans always want to imagine their own similarities to the characters.
Whether you think you’re more of a Dwight or maybe a Jim, you’re certain to share traits with one character in particular, even if the way they act on them isn’t in the same way you would. Here are 12 of the characters from the hit show, assigned to each of the signs of the Chinese Zodiac.
Dragon: Michael
Michael definitely shows the typical Dragon traits. No one can say he isn’t adventurous- he likely hasn’t met something he wouldn’t try if it benefitted one of he schemes. He pours heart and ion into anything he does, and his seemingly endless energy never flags. He has the stubbornness in plenty, too- good luck trying to talk him out of his worse impulses.
Snake: Phyllis
Phyllis is one of the steadier and more dependable of the Dunder Mifflin family, with a down-to-earth sensibility that many of her coworkers lack. She’s usually one of the last people to get fed up with everyone else’s antics, showing more than her share of the sign’s patience. That patience can easily loop around into the stubbornness Snakes show without much warning.
Horse: Ryan
There’s no doubt that Ryan, for all his other shortcomings as a decent human being, is one of the most versatile of the company, since he sees to be able to do whatever’s needed. He’s also undoubtedly clever since he managed to make his way from being a temp to hired at corporate in just a few seasons. His downfall is his superficial outlook on everything- he doesn’t care if it won’t look good for him personally.
Goat: Kevin
Kevin is a fairly emotional guy. He’s not afraid to show his feelings, whether it’s a fondness he has for someone or calling them out when he feels like it. He’s one of the least tit-for-tat of the crew, frequently willing to help out just because he thinks it’s the right thing to do. It may not look like Kevin has the sign’s brilliance- until you find out how Keleven helped pad his bank .
Monkey: Jim
No matter what Dwight thinks, Jim is the clear leader at Dunder Mifflin even when he tries to avoid it. He certainly shows the Lion’s energy with the amount and elaborateness of the pranks he plays on Dwight. His kind and helpful nature is put on display whenever he feels that something is adversely affecting his office mates, and always tries to put it right.
His biggest problems are ego and a self-centered nature- he’s so convinced he’s always right it’s hard for him to see when he’s not.
Rooster: Angela
Angela is so averse to indulging in anything she might consider a fantasy she avoids a real relationship with Dwight for years, because he doesn’t fit her idea of what her life should be. She wants everything to be perfect, and she’ll go to almost any length to make that happen- if it’s to her detriment. Her fussiness serves well to make her one of the best workers at the office- even if that isn’t saying a lot.
Dog: Oscar
With everything he has to put up with from well-meaning but awkward at best coworkers, Oscar exhibits the patience of the sign. Through it all, he manages to be mostly charming and tactful where lesser people might have snapped long before. He does tend to fall for superficial motives, though- see his relationship with the senator and his attempts to hide it.
Pig: Stanley
Like many of the sign, once Stanley is set on a path, he sticks to it. His ambition may not be as naked as that of many Pigs, but it’s there hiding just under the surface and comes out whenever he sees his position wavering. He also has the trademark secretiveness- he doesn’t like anyone at the office knowing what’s going on with his life any more than they absolutely have to.
Rat: Dwight
Like many Rats, Dwight can’t keep the sign’s straightforwardness under control- if he sees something, he has to comment on it for good or ill. It doesn’t help that he has a very strong sense of what he feels is right and wrong, and it irks him if it’s violated. It ties into his main fault- there’s nothing that can shake his confidence in his own abilities.
Ox: Darryl
A clear sign of this being his sign is his ambition- he manages to move up the chain from warehouse assistant to assistant regional manager before leaving to work at Athlead. He’s also one of the few people at Dunder Mifflin with a firm sense of discipline from the time we meet him.
If he has a major negative, it’s that he can take the sign’s cautiousness too far and it holds him back from time to time.