Vladimir Propp analyzed over 100 Russian folk tales and identified 31 recurring plot elements, which he called "functions", that comprised the basic narrative structure of folk tales. He also found that despite a variety of characters, there were only 8 fundamental character types that appeared in the stories - The Villain, The Helper, The Princess/Prize, Her Father, The Donor, The Hero, The False Hero, and The Dispatcher. Each character type plays a distinct role that advances the plot.