Line #77 Main/TheHero


1	!This trope is [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=16826006570.56171500 under discussion]] in the Administrivia/TropeRepairShop.
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18	[[quoteright:349:[[Film/ANewHope https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/luke_skywalker_poster.png]]]]
19	[[caption-width-right:349:He's Luke Skywalker. He's here to rescue you.]]
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21	->''"He will face the fiercest foe\
22	when another needs his aid,\
23	He will dare to defy Death\
24	even though he is afraid,\
25	He works not just for glory\
26	and he does it not for gain,\
27	But because he knows that others\
28	will be spared a greater pain."''
29	-->-- ''VideoGame/QuestForGloryII: Trial By Fire''
30
31	The Hero is a character who overcomes adversity and challenges by performing great acts that demonstrate their strength (physical or mental), ingenuity, and valor. In modern works, heroes are also often the [[BigGood primary source of goodness]] in the story or will fight on its behalf against a BigBad. In contrast, heroes of classical works frequently engaged in heroics to protect their honor, pride, and vanity, as past societies put much stock into such values. In this classical conception, being The Hero was more about accomplishing some great feat against a worthy opponent, rather than upholding and protecting some noble intention.
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33	While The Hero is often TheProtagonist and TheLeader, these tropes are not the same. TheProtagonist is the principal character of the story who drives the plot forward. The Hero tends to be TheProtagonist (see HeroProtagonist) just because baked into the hero's definition is a forward-moving, basic narrative structure (hero faces some challenge and has to figure out a way to overcome it). TheLeader, on the other hand, is simply a character who sits at the head of some group or organization. Often times The Hero will be TheLeader because idealized versions of The Hero and TheLeader share many of the same traits (strong, resilient, righteous, noble, proactive, morally upstanding, well-liked, charismatic, confident, brave, etc.), making The Hero a logical choice in the narrative to also be TheLeader. That said, not all heroes are TheLeader and not every example of TheLeader is also The Hero.
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35	See the list below for variations on this archetype and place all examples under one of these subtropes. For other tropes about or related to The Hero, see HeroTropes.
36
37	!!No examples, please. [[Administrivia/DefinitionOnlyPages This only defines the term.]]
38	-----
39	!!Prominent Variations of The Hero:
40	[[index]]
41	* NinetiesAntiHero: A violent, ruthless AntiHero with a gritty design and an aggressive and/or rough personality.
42	* AccidentalHero: Someone who made no plan to do anything noble, but unintentionally did something heroic.
43	* ActionHero: An archetypal [[TheProtagonist protagonist]] of [[ActionGenre action-genre]] fiction featuring the hero of an action film or other entertainment which portrays action and adventure.
44	* AllLovingHero: A heroic character whose love and compassion are unlimited.
45	* AmnesiacHero: A hero who suffers from IdentityAmnesia.
46	* AntiHero: A morally questionable hero, as opposed to a noble IdealHero.
47	* ArcHero: The same old Hero, with a new partner or AntiHero foil in each major arc.
48	* BarbarianHero: Archetypal badass, heroic barbarian.
49	* BrokenHero: A hero who's kind and cheerful despite their DarkAndTroubledPast.
50	* ByronicHero: A troubled, brooding, sometimes selfish outcast who strives for an unattainable (or what they perceive as an unattainable) goal, which often causes drama.
51	* CelibateHero: Heroes who understand but prefer not to engage in romance and/or sex.
52	* ChasteHero: A hero that is [[ObliviousToLove clueless]] about [[LoveIsInTheAir love]] or {{lust}}.
53	* ClassicalAntiHero: A mostly noble hero who suffers from flaws and hindrances that must be overcome.
54	* ComedicHero: A hero prone to humorously foolish behavior.
55	* ComicallyInvincibleHero: An InvincibleHero that's PlayedForLaughs.
56	* DesignatedHero: The story wants you to see this character as a noble hero, despite their villainous or morally ambiguous actions.
57	* EternalHero: A hero who always returns to fight evil in some form.
58	* EvilHero: A villainous character who has a traditionally heroic job or the title of "hero".
59	* FakeUltimateHero: A "hero" whose heroics are actually all a farce and built on lies.
60	* FallenHero: An AntiHero or {{villain}} who was previously an IdealHero.
61	** [[FallenHero/ASongOfIceAndFire A Song Of Ice And Fire]] now has its own list.
62	* FolkHero: A hero who became the subject of popular myths and legends, [[ShroudedInMyth though certain aspects of their reputation may have been greatly exaggerated]].
63	* FromZeroToHero: A hero that came from very humble and often unremarkable origins.
64	* GuileHero: A smart hero who uses wit, words, skill, and charm to gain victory over the [[{{Villains}} evil-doers]].
65	* HauntedHeroine: A heroine who's haunted by eerie events around her and ghosts of the past.
66	* HenshinHero: A superhero who has distinct normal and powered "forms" and needs to actively switch between the two.
67	* HeroAntagonist: A good guy opposing the main character(s).
68	* HeroicBastard: A hero born out of wedlock.
69	* HeroicComedicSociopath: The SociopathicHero is PlayedForLaughs.
70	* HeroicHost: A hero whose great strength comes from something inhabiting their body.
71	* HeroicSeductress: A highly attractive but virtuous woman who uses her looks to advance her heroic goals.
72	* HeroOfAnotherStory: Non-major character(s) who have their own adventures [[NoodleIncident you usually just don't get to see them]].
73	* HeroProtagonist: A hero that's also TheProtagonist of the story.
74	* HeroWithBadPublicity: A hero that the general public hates.
75	* HiddenAgendaHero: A hero that's definitely on the side of good, though their motivations are a mystery.
76	* HollywoodActionHero: The hero of a SummerBlockbuster ActionAdventure Movie.
77	* HomegrownHero: A hero that comes from the same country or place as the TargetAudience.
78	* HomelessHero: Heroes that live in squalor.
79	* HorrifyingHero: A hero whose looks and abilities are on the horrific or monstrous side.
80	* HumbleHero: A hero who does not brag and remains modest of their accomplishments.
81	* IdealHero: An honorable and morally good hero who fights for noble causes.
82	* IdiotHero: A hero who acts like [[TheDitz an idiot]] all the time.
83	* KidHero: The hero is below the setting's age of majority, which can contribute its own set of pros and cons to their heroics.
84	* KleptomaniacHero: A hero that goes around taking everything they consider valuable, from other people or from places, without issue.
85	* MagneticHero: A hero with remarkable personal magnetism gains friends and allies with astonishing ease.
86	* NatureHero: Heroes with an affinity to nature and the wilderness or derive their powers from such.
87	* NerdActionHero: An ActionHero that possesses several traits of the typically non-heroic StereotypicalNerd.
88	* NonActionProtagonist: A protagonist who shows no combat ability, but overcomes obstacles through non-action means.
89	* NominalHero: Someone who advances a heroic cause with neutral at best motives. Often verging on Villain Protagonist.
90	* OmniscientHero: TheOmniscient is a main character.
91	* PartTimeHero: A hero who tries to live a normal life between heroics.
92	* PragmaticHero: A hero who does not always adhere to idealized heroic traits if it gets in the way of protecting the greater good.
93	* ProdigalHero: A character who lives in the lap of luxury, but then runs away from home, lives in exile for a period, and returns home to save the day.
94	* PropagandaHero: A hero who is made into [[TheFace the symbol]] of a cause.
95	* PunchClockHero: Characters who are not morally good most of the time and consider heroism just a job.
96	* ScienceHero: A hero who uses technology/(super-)science.
97	* ScrapHeapHero: A washed-up hero who decides to get back in the game of heroics.
98	* SecularHero: A hero who explicitly lacks religious beliefs.
99	* ShowyInvincibleHero: An InvincibleHero whose main draw comes from the flashy and creative ways they defeat their enemies.
100	* SmallStepsHero: A Hero who does immediate good and worries about evil later.
101	* SociallyAwkwardHero: A hero who is more afraid of social situations than of actual dangers to life and limb.
102	* SociopathicHero: A hero who is TheSociopath, who still fights for a heroic cause, with their cruelty being played seriously.
103	* StockLightNovelHero: Specific recurring heroic lead of {{Light Novel}}s who bundles [[TheStoic stoicism]], [[DeadpanSnarker snarkiness]], being a GeniusBruiser, [[NewPowersAsThePlotDemands accumulation of power]], and [[ChickMagnet admirers]]. Often an UnfazedEveryman. Also usually TrappedInAnotherWorld.
104	* StockShonenHero: The archetypal hard-working, [[NiceGuy big-hearted]], HotBlooded, [[BookDumb mostly unintelligent]], and friendship-oriented hero of {{Shounen}} works who's proud of his strength.
105	* StockShoujoHeroine: Archetypal take on the heroine: a [[AudienceSurrogate relatably]] awkward young girl who comes to embody ThePowerOfFriendship and ThePowerOfLove.
106	* {{Superhero}}: A hero with superhuman abilities who (most of the time) wears a colorful costume and acts in the public interest.
107	* TerrorHero: A hero who targets the fears of villains.
108	* TragicHero: A hero whose FatalFlaw ends up being their undoing.
109	* UnderhandedHero: A hero skilled in deception, trickery, thievery, and manipulation and uses those for the greater good.
110	* UnscrupulousHero: An exceedingly ruthless, very flawed yet otherwise well-intentioned, AntiHero.
111	* UnlikelyHero: A character who doesn't fit the heroic ideal and often doesn't even seek to be a hero, but nonetheless ends up engaging in heroism.
112	* WarHero: A character who served/serves in the military and has been decorated for heroism on the battlefield.
113	* ZombieApocalypseHero: An ActionHero specific to ZombieApocalypse stories.
114	[[/index]]

Context Main / TheHero