The article deals with the problem of studying the image of the heroes of epic folk songs in Serbian folklore studies. The author highlights the principles of classification and typology of the characters of the following Serbian folklorists and literary scholars: P. Bakotić, M. Braun, B. Suvajdzić, S. Samardzija, S. Petrović, D. Petković. Each of the researchers identifies different criteria according to which the characters are typified. Such criteria include: the participation of a character in an action, their functions, the type of actor and the characteristics of the action, the quantitative characteristics of the action, the number of participants, a certain type of verse, gender and age, the nature of the hero.