History Main / HandsomeHeroicCaveman

* Creator/RalphBakshi directed the animated feature ''WesternAnimation/FireAndIce'', which centers on AnIcePerson Nekron expanding his frozen domain ever southward toward Firekeep. The hero is Larn, who's a blond TarzanBoy, right down to the loincloth and WalkingShirtlessScene. He's aided greatly by Darkwolf, a mysterious warrior also attired in loincloth, bare chiseled chest and wolf's hide as a headpiece. Not surprising, as their character designer is Creator/FrankFrazetta himself. While Larn fools around with the DamselInDistress, Darkwolf engages Nekron ''mano a mano''.

* Film/{{Maciste}} appears as one of these in ''Maciste contro i mostri'' ([[MarketBasedTitle best-known in the English-speaking world]] as ''Fire Monsters Against [[DolledUpInstallment the Son of Hercules]]''), a musclebound caveman with an immaculate blond pompadour and a perfectly smooth face.

* Played dead straight in ''Film/YorTheHunterFromTheFuture'', starring a clean-shaven Creator/RebBrown with a blond '80s perm.

** In the 1966 remake, the much better-remembered ''Film/OneMillionYearsBC'', Tumak is still implausibly well-groomed, but he now has a BadassBeard and a fair amount of chest hair - both of which were quite fashionably in the '60s. Tumak's love interest, Loana, is also ''easily'' the most iconic NubileSavage in fiction, being essentially just a '60s bombshell in a FurBikini.

* Takkar from ''VideoGame/FarCryPrimal'' is a handsome tall AmbiguouslyBrown caveman with BarbarianLonghair, a BadassBeard, and the BadassBaritone voice of Creator/EliasToufexis. You can only see what he looks like in the character portrait, since this game is a FirstPersonShooter, but Takkar is clearly heroic, fighting to defend his people the Wenja from the [[CannibalTribe Udam]] and [[KillItWithFire Izila]] tribes.

* ''ComicBook/TraggAndTheSkyGods'': The comic's two main characters, Tragg and Lorn, were the first modern humans on Earth, and looked drastically different from other cavemen. In a peculiar twist, it had a [[JustifiedTrope solid in-universe explanation]]: they were actually a result of AncientAliens tampering with caveman DNA. Tragg and Lorn fought a militaristic branch of the same AncientAliens who wanted to (of course!) conquer Earth.

* ''Jungle Girl'', created by Frank Cho and Doug Murray, is this trope in all but name. She's a statuesque blonde woman who lives on a mysterious jungle island inhabited by dinosaurs, other prehistoric beasts, and cavemen. So it's basically a Prehistoric setting that doesn't acknowledge that it's Prehistoric.

* ''Series/TheLostWorld2001'' features a Handsome HeroAntagonist Caveman, Achille. The son of the Plateau tribe's chief, Achille is mistrustful of the {{bold explorer}}s - except for [[GreatWhiteHunter Lord Roxton]], whose hunting skills and non-interventionist attitude he appreciates - but he's clearly a decent guy, quite handsome, and not entirely in the wrong. His entire tribe are generally pretty devoid of facial hair and body hair.

* Downplayed in ''Film/QuestForFire'', where the heroic Naoh is as [[BarbarianLonghair hairy]], unkempt, and rugged as you'd realistically expect a Neanderthal to be, but he's played by Everett [=McGill=] so he has killer cheekbones. He looks kind of like [[Music/TheAllmanBrothers Gregg Allman]].

* D'Leh from ''Film/TenThousandBC'' is a handsome young caveman from the Yagahl tribe with a neat beard and [[DreadlockWarrior dreadlocks]], played by Steven Strait, who embarks on a quest to save his people who were taken captive by foreign raiders. His name is even an anagram of the German word "Held", for "Hero". His mentor Tik-Tik is an older version, played by Creator/CliffCurtis.

* ''Film/TeenageCaveman'' stars Creator/RobertVaughn as a smooth-chested, clean-shaven cave-dweller. Justified because he's supposed to be, well, a teenager - although [[DawsonCasting Vaughn was about 26 at the time]].

* ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'': Ayla is a strong and fearless chief of a Prehistoric tribe, who joins the main heroes on their quest. She is depicted as a beautiful tall blonde woman in a fur outfit. Her blonde bishounen LoveInterest, Kino, is also an example of this trope.

That's where the Handsome Heroic Caveman comes in. With the NubileSavage trope in play, this character is always well-groomed and never slouches, and their appearance mirrors the aesthetic ideal of the time when the work is created: usually an idealized hairless body, well-done hair and a handsome/pretty face (expect men to have no facial hair or even stubble, and women to wear makeup and have their eyebrows on fleek). Sometimes there's an attempt at [[JustifiedTrope justifying]] their drastically different appearance in-universe by making the character "the first modern human". Expect {{Stripperriffic}} clothes on ''both'' female and male versions of this trope, of the FurBikini or LoinCloth variety.

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
* ''Genshi Shonen Ryu'' ("Ryu the Caveman") tells the story of a young adult that struggles to survive in a world ruled by dinosaurs (as you may expect, the series BigBad is a one-eyed Tyrannosaurus Rex) and hostile rulers.

[[folder:Live Action TV]]
* Koda on ''Series/PowerRangersDinoCharge''. His hairiness is confined solely to his long, messy head hair; otherwise he's muscular, hairless, tall, and handsome, reflecting his brave and selfless character, above that of his contemporaries (as with all Power Rangers).

* Guy from ''WesternAnimation/TheCroods'' looks like a modern teenage boy in a caveman outfit, in contrast to the titular family who are cartoonish cavemen. Justified in that he's supposed to be a more "evolved" human than the Croods.
* Creator/RalphBakshi directed the animated feature ''WesternAnimation/FireAndIce'', which centers on AnIcePerson Nekron expanding his frozen domain ever southward toward Firekeep. The hero is Larn, who's a blond TarzanBoy, right down to the loincloth and WalkingShirtlessScene. He's aided greatly by Darkwolf, a mysterious warrior also attired in loincloth, bare chiseled chest and wolf's hide as a headpiece. Not surprising, as their character designer is Creator/FrankFrazetta himself. While Larn fools around with the DamselInDistress, Darkwolf engages Nekron ''mano a mano''.

* Creator/RalphBakshi directed the animated feature ''WesternAnimation/FireAndIce'', which centers on AnIcePerson Nekron expanding his frozen domain ever southward toward Firekeep. The hero is Larn, who's a blond TarzanBoy, right down to the loincloth and WalkingShirtlessScene. He's aided greatly by Blackwolf, a mysterious warrior also attired in loincloth, bare chiseled chest and wolf's hide (with horns!) as a headpiece. Not surprising, as their character designer is Creator/FrankFrazetta himself. While Larn fools around with the DamselInDistress, Blackwolf engages Nekron ''mano a mano''.

* Tragg from ''ComicBook/TraggAndTheSkyGods'' is the first modern human male: the result of the manipulation of his mother's DNA by aliens. He is tall, handsome and clean limbed, unlike his more stooped and hirsute kinfolk, and definitely heroic, as he opposes an alien invasion that seeks to enslave humanity.

* Koda on ''Series/PowerRangersDinoCharge''. His hairness is confined solely to his long, messy head hair; otherwise he's muscular, hairless, tall, and handsome, reflecting his brave and selfless character, above that of his contemporaries (as with all Power Rangers).

* ''WesternAnimation/MightyMightor'': The eponymous character was a prehistoric superhero with an idealized ComicBook/{{Captain Marvel}}-ish physique. He is the OlderAlterEgo for teenage caveman Tor (no relation to the comic book character Tor), who, along with his his girlfriend Sheera, also fit this trope.

* Koda on ''Series/PowerRangersDinoCharge''. His hairness is confined solely to his long, messy head hair; otherwise he's muscular, hairless, tall, and handsome, reflecting his brave and selfless character.

* ''Anime/GenshiShonenRyu'' ("Ryu the Caveman") tells the story of a young adult that struggles to survive in a world ruled by dinosaurs (as you may expect, the series BigBad is a one-eyed Tyrannosaurus Rex) and hostile rulers.

* ''ComicBook/{{Tor}}'', created by Creator/JoeKubert and Norman Mauer, is probably one of the first examples of this trope. He was a [[Franchise/ConanTheBarbarian Conan-esque]] caveman who fought apes and dinosaurs.
* ''ComicBook/{{Anthro}}'':

** ''ComicBook/{{Kong the Untamed}}'' is a direct descendant of Anthro. He is quite similar to his ancestor, both in adventures and looks, only he has blonde hair.

* ''Jungle Girl'', created by Creator/FrankCho and Doug Murray, is this trope in all but name. She's a statuesque blonde woman who lives on a mysterious jungle island inhabited by dinosaurs, other prehistoric beasts, and cavemen. So it's basically a Prehistoric setting that doesn't acknowledge that it's Prehistoric.
* Creator/MarvelComics' ''ComicBook/KaZar'', while being a TarzanBoy type of character, bears a slight resemblance to this trope, owing to the Prehistoric feel of the LostWorld called Savage Land where he lives.

* ''WesternAnimation/MightyMightor'': The eponymous character was a prehistoric superhero with an idealized ComicBook/{{Captain Marvel}}-ish physique. His teenage caveman AlterEgo Tor (no relation to the comic book character Tor), and his girlfriend Sheera, also fit this trope.

The Handsome Heroic Caveman usually lives in OneMillionBC or a LostWorld, and fights with enemy cavemen (who are always depicted as ugly and shaggy, or even as [[FrazettaMan Frazetta Men]]), giant apes and [[ArtisticLicensePaleontology dinosaurs]]. A lot of times, the Handsome Heroic Caveman's love interest also gets the same treatment, as well.

* Creator/MarvelComics' ''[[ComicBook/KaZar Ka-Zar]]'', while being a TarzanBoy type of character, bears a slight resemblance to this trope, owing to the Prehistoric feel of the LostWorld called Savage Land where he lives.

* ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'': Ayla is a strong and fearless chief of a Prehistoric tribe, who joins the main heroes on their quest. She is depicted as a beautiful tall blonde woman in a fur outfit. Her blonde bishounen {{love interest}}, Kino, is also an example of this trope.

This type of character was quite popular in comic books and cartoons especially. Unlike TarzanBoy[=/=]JunglePrincess, the female version of this trope, while quite popular, never superseded the male version in popularity as well it's a rare example, being this an AlwaysMale trope.

This type of character was especially quite popular in comic books and cartoons. Unlike TarzanBoy[=/=]JunglePrincess, the female version of this trope, while quite popular, never superceded the male version in popularity as well it's a rare example, being this a AlwaysMale trope.

* ''ComicBook/{{Anthro}}''

* ''ComicBook/{{Kamandi}}'', created by Creator/JackKirby, is a twist on this trope. Instead of being "the first human" at the beginning of history, he is ''the last human'' (speicifcally, "The Last Boy on Earth") [[AfterTheEnd after history's end]]. Likewise, his appearance and constant fights with beastmen and monsters are very reminiscent of this trope, making this comic an unusual amalgamation of post-apocalyptic and prehistoric adventure genres.