Fox William Mulder is a maverick Special Agent for the Federal Bureau of Investigation. His FBI career began in the violent crimes unit, where he was thought to be the best analyst in the section. Violent crimes suffered a great loss when Mulder left the section to join the X-Files.
Mulder was shaped into the person he is today by an unstable family life. His family environment was unsound, to say the least, and the disappearance of his sister at a young age disturbed the Young Mulder beyond repair. His parents’ marriage was loveless, often times volatile. This marriage both intrigued and disgusting Young Mulder, he was fascinated and repulsed. The turmoil of his parents’ marriage, however, left Mulder without a dependable source of encouragement or love. He learned to deal with his parents’ erratic mood swings and coped by learning to predict his parents’ behavior. Expecting the unexpected became a talent, one that would later yield him as an expert analyst for the FBI. It seems no surprise that Mulder took well to psychology, being that he had been doing it his entire life.
Mulder was probably born with, and at very least was developing into, an ‘observer’ type personality. He is a remarkably observant person, always scrutinizing both others and the environments into which he is placed. This ‘observer’ type personality was developed and heightened by the tragic loss of his sister, Samantha. Mulder’s personality was drastically altered as he became a recluse. Both his parents withdrew into their loss and grief, abandoning Mulder in the process. Mulder blamed himself for not protecting his sister and suffered severely from survivor’s guilt, adding this to his rage at his parents’ betrayal distorted him. His anger turned inward, and he has suffered from depression ever since. Rather than grieving naturally and accepting her loss, his depression yielded an obsession with finding Samantha.
Mulder’s search for Samantha runs much deeper than a simple search for a missing sister. It is an expression of yearnings: for lost ideals, for love, and for happiness. But mostly, it is a search for a new innocence. His need for transcendence and redemption fuel his search for validity. He is yearning for find of the connection to an unquestionable and wonderful truth. And that “truth” is as elusive as it is hidden.
As an exceptionally skilled investigator, Mulder finds ordinary, menial jobs a boring waste of his time and talents. He has an objective and anything that distracts or detracts him from this mission is a annoyance. His work on the X-Files is his life. He is inspired and farsighted; constantly analyzing and gleaning in every look. He is witty and determined, both of which assist in his projects as an investigator. His intuition, however, is his greatest asset. This insight, along with his intense intellectual comprehension yield amazing results. His solutions to even the most complex of problems are stunningly original and often times somewhat visionary.
Much of the time, Mulder’s personality is both passionate and composed. He has an innocent curiosity that when combined with his intellectual depth yields a character that is astoundingly fascinating. He has a vast array of knowledge, which helps him to piece together ideas that would not often be associated with each other. In terms of emotional sensitivity, Mulder is unsurpassed, with a specific talent for empathizing with other people’s pain. Despite his addictive personality, Mulder remains very independent, which renders him somewhat unconventional, nearly to the point of eccentricity.
Mulder relentlessly pursues his cases with exceptional skill. He loves solving complicated mysteries, and finding otherworldly answers to problems. He is courageous; he fearlessly charges into dangerous situations, leaving little time to think of his won well being. This means he tends to be a bit reckless, putting other people’s well being above his own. He would gladly risk his health to achieve his goals.
Mulder is physically fit, which is a very useful tool when it comes to chasing criminals. He has incredible stamina—he’s able to go for days at a time without sleeping.
Mulder’s exceptional ability as an investigator manifests itself in his interrogations. He uses his intuition and insight, in addition to his keen observations and listening skills to establish affinity and extract information. Beyond his amazing empathy and intuition, one of Mulder’s most amazing abilities is his mind, full of eclectic knowledge. He has an almost encyclopedic mind full of seeming trivial knowledge. These “trivial” facts are often time what allow him to make connections most others would overlook.
A job with the FBI seems easy to those who simply observe Mulder. He makes his job look effortless. The emotional toll his job in the X-Files takes on him is evident upon close examination. His job as an investigator requires an intense command of his emotions. Mulder nearly never loses his head, even when under the most extreme pressure. Mulder is stone-faced and has a monotone voice, which gives him an advantage in his occupation.
The emotional stress of his job in combination with his persistent depression sometimes isolates Mulder from reality. He turns reclusive, feeling estranged from both others and himself. He fears and phobias project themselves onto his surroundings, resulting in a very imprecise thinking patterns. This distortion may include elements of both phobia and suspicion. Mulder’s depression manifests itself with his consumption in profound hopelessness, doubt, and self-loathing. This makes suicide a very real possibility for Mulder.
To keep the repugnant horrors he witnesses in the field from hitting too close to home and sending him deeper into his depression, Mulder uses his quick wit and humour. His humour takes the edge off almost everything.
Mulder knows that even a “solved” X-File is still indefinite at best. This ambiguity requires Mulder to be very tolerant of unanswered questions, which, for a person who is as curious as he, can be a very difficult task. His cases also require him to be receptive to being second guessed. A credit to his ability to hide his true feelings, Mulder is hypersensitive to criticism, especially when regarding the worth of his work and ideas. The validly of his assumptions on the field, in his mind, directly relate to his self-esteem, which can be easily bruised, despite what he says. Mulder does, however, appreciate that combining contradictory views is how a case will get solved. In this way, Scully is a phenomenal asset.
Scully is an exception to the rule for Mulder. In general, he cares very little for sharing discourse with closed-minded individuals. She sometimes is subjected to his frustrations with her though he generally is very accepting. His major qualm with someone who is closed-minded is the need for explanation. As a man of action, Mulder would rather keep going than slow down for clarification.
Mulder’s apprehension over being controlled or losing loved ones allows him to labour diligently to understand his environment without developing any emotional ties. This awareness of his surroundings allows him to foresee any possible threats against which he would be able to protect. He is a private man who likes to keep all of his secrets to himself. To be taken into Mulder’s confidence is the ultimate expression of love and trust for him. Mulder’s biggest fear is abandonment, which keeps him from falling in love or even entering relationships. Mulder, for the most part, lives a secluded life. He prefers a “womb with a view” and is most comfortable in his apartment, office, or in the company of a confidant. For his confidants, Mulder normally gravitates towards mystifying, intellectual, assertive, and autonomous people.
Dirty mischief is Mulder’s game. Though Mulder’s singular devotion to his cases demand all of his energy, he still loves kinky escapades. Because of this, he channels his strong sexual impulses through cerebral stimulus (read: porn), and whatever drive is left is expended in harmless voyeurism. Mulder is rarely, if he is ever, the initiate of intimacy. He is slightly masochistic which grants him an unfortunate attraction for destructive and emotionally unavailable lovers. Those who wish to gain Mulder’s heart should be understanding and mysterious, without forgetting to cater to Mulder’s delicate ego He will respond surprisingly quickly to a good stroke.
Mulder’s main weakness is his preoccupation with what is wrong with the world. Instead of seeing what is wonderful about it, Mulder sees what is missing in life. He is also somewhat too trusting, which can also be a downfall. His tendency to get bored quickly with humdrum tasks leaves him contemptuous of mundane tasks and those who assigns them to him. Mulder’s regret and guilt leave him emotionally vulnerable, which in turn injures his already low self-esteem. His deficit of self-esteem leads him into intense self-criticism, which often contributes to his sinking depression.
Mulder has an intense attraction to the human experience. Birth and death intrigue him; tragedy and crisis captivate him. He is interested in the dark side of the human spirit, which leaves him open to attacks on his taste. He is often considered to have bad taste because of his aesthetic appreciation for the unexpected, odd, or overlooked parts of beauty. His eye perceives strange things as beautiful. Anything spooky, creepy, or paranormal fascinate Mulder.
Though Mulder is a somewhat somber figure, he enjoys having a clear purpose in life. His quest gives him purpose, and his purpose leads him to victories, albeit small victories and quiet joys. He obtains pleasure from the simple things, lending a sympathetic ear, helping other and enlightening them, and righting injustices. These are Mulder’s greatest rewards for his work. That, and the occasional heated argument with Scully.
Mulder is not materialistic in the least. His money is not spent on creature comforts. It is by choice that he lives his life simply with few possessions. When it comes to his cause, he spends his resources without hesitation, often to the point of deprivation. He doesn’t care about the debt incurred, whether it is on him or his employer. He has little regard for petty rules, which leaves him in an awkward position with authority. He generally highly distrusts those in power, but has an enormous amount of respect for higher ideals and the law.
Though generally Mulder is not an angry person, his anger is expressed in his biting sarcasm. Mulder is not at all a violent person, were he ever to commit a violent murder with intent, it would be his suicide.
Religiously, Mulder is an agnostic. He does not deny the possibility that God exists. There is no way for him to prove that God exists or does not exist, nor to disprove it. Secretly, Mulder fears that God has orphaned humanity. Mulder sees organized religion as undeserving of his attention and as corrupt.
Mulder is in love with melancholy. To Mulder, sadness is a most beautiful thing. He enjoys entertaining thought, especially morbid thought. He takes pleasure in the dark side of human nature.
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