The warrior archangel and protector figure commonly shown armored, defeating a dragon or Satan, carrying a sword or spear, and sometimes weighing souls.
Saint Michael the Archangel is one of the three archangels named in Catholic Scripture and tradition. His most familiar artistic type shows him as a youthful armored warrior defeating Satan or a dragon. He may also hold scales in scenes of the weighing of souls.
Etymology
Michael from Hebrew Mikha'el, traditionally understood as “Who is like God?”
Sculptor Notes
Michael's sculpture depends on opposing forces: downward thrust into the defeated figure and upward stability of the victorious angel. Armor, wings, weapon, drapery, and dragon can easily fragment the silhouette; they should be composed as one interlocking structure.
References
https://www.vatican.va/content/catechism/en/part_one/section_two/chapter_one/article_1/paragraph_5_heaven_and_earth.html; https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/437742