Some HeroesWantRedheads. Some heroes ''are'' redheads.

Considering that of all hair color, red is the least common color, it isn't surprising that it is shown when writers want someone to stand out, at least in shows that [[YouGottaHaveBlueHair don't give random extras]] [[HairColors blue and green hair]].

One distinction between red-haired heroes and villainous redheads is that where heroes tend to have bright-colored hair (almost reddish-blond), villains have darker-colored, almost brownish hair.

Frequently, they'll have a [[FieryRedhead fiery]] personality to go with their hair.

Male redheads are rarely the hero on film or television. It isn't racism though. Similarly, no film will ever be made on any of the historical persecutions of redheads.

Contrast EvilRedhead, RedheadedStepchild.
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!!Examples

[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder: Anime and Manga ]]

* The Japanese definitely like using redheads and the color red in general. Take the ''MobileSuitGundam'' series, for example: Amuro Ray is a redhead, while Char pilots red mecha (that are [[MemeticBadass three times faster]]).
* In [[OnePiece One Piece]] Although a pirate, Red Haired Shanks is Luffy's childhood hero.
* [[RurouniKenshin Kenshin Himura]].
* Ichigo from ''{{Bleach}}'', though it's actually ''orange''. Arguably Orihime as well, considering Ichigo himself once stated her hair to be brown at the beginning, while official colour images have her hair pretty much the same colour as his.
* Asuka from ''NeonGenesisEvangelion'' (anime only; in the manga, she has strawberry blond hair).
* Possibly Tres Iqus from ''TrinityBlood''. His hair is actually towards the brown end of the red head spectrum, but most fans consider him to be a redhead and refer to him as such. He's also not the main character, although he is very awesome.
* Subverted with Hanamichi Sakuragi from ''SlamDunk'', who ''dyes'' his hair red.
* Gene Starwind from ''OutlawStar''.
* Yoko of ''TheTwelveKingdoms''.
* Hikaru Shidou in ''MagicKnightRayearth''.
* Mai Tokiha from ''{{Mai-HiME}}'' has orange reddish hair. Her mischievous opposite, Nao Yuuki, has bright crimson hair.
* [[GenderBender Half of the time]], the hero is a redhead in ''[[RanmaOneHalf Ranma 1/2]]''. And [[HeroesWantRedheads everybody wants her]], unless they want ''[[GenderBender him]]''.
* ''TheSlayers'' neatly reverses this by having the protagonist Lina be a spunky redhead and her love interest be the [[IdiotHero dumb as a post]] and blonde to boot Gourry.
* While Kinomoto Sakura (''CardcaptorSakura'') is mostly considered a brunette in the anime, she is more of a redhead in the few colour pictures of her in the manga. Same goes for her princess alter ego in ''TsubasaReservoirChronicle'', but ''she'' goes under HeroesWantRedheads.
* Momomiya Ichigo of ''TokyoMewMew'' twists this: her human form has red hair, but post-TransformationSequence, when she's actually doing heroic things instead of [[IJustWantToBeNormal complaining]], her hair is ''pink''.
* Motomiya Daisuke from ''DigimonAdventure02''.
* Ruki from ''DigimonTamers''.
* Himeno Awayuki from ''{{Pretear}}'', nicknamed "Tulip Head" by Hayate (though he stops calling her this after a while).
* Ahiru from ''PrincessTutu''--which, incidentally, has the same director as ''{{Pretear}}''.
* Negi Springfield and his [[BattleCouple partner]] [[FieryRedHead Asuna]] from ''MahouSenseiNegima''. His father Nagi was one too.
* Subverted in ''SlamDunk'', where Sakuragi's physical trademark is his red hair... which he ''dyes'' red to look tougher and cooler.
* HotBlooded Kallen Kouzuki, Lelouch Lamperouge's Lancer and bodyguard from ''CodeGeass''.
* Lavi and General Cross (although Allen might choke on 'hero" for that one) from ''DGrayMan''.
* Tooya from ''{{Ayashi no Ceres}}'', whom this troper calls "[[FushigiYuugi Tamahome]] with hair dye and contact lenses".
* Guy Shishioh from GaoGaiGar has reddish-orange hair, its his cousin Renais Kerdif-Shishioh in FINAL who takes this trope all the way.
** Hell even Genesic has ORANGE HAIR!
*** [[spoiler: Its really a set of power batteries]]
** Cyborg Guy's hair isn't natural. In flashbacks to before the accident, and after he becomes an Evoluder, his hair is a pretty normal brown. Mikoto, on the other hand...
* In MagicalGirlLyricalNanoha, Nanoha, Vita, and Teana all have red hair.
* ''{{Saiyuki}}'' has both a hero with bright red hair, Sha Gojyo, and a villain with dark red hair, Kougaiji. This is pointed out when Gojyo's older brother, Dokugakuji, admits that one of the reasons he started working for Kougaiji was because he reminded him of Gojyo.
* Daisuke from DNAngel, though he lacks the stereotypical temperment (he's very calm most of the time) and one doubts whether it's natural (he's Japanese after all).
** ThisTroper actually has a friend who, after reading the black and white mangas, bought the first DVDs of DNAngel, to which he immediately thouhgt, "He has red hair?" Apparently one of the first things on the commentary was also, "He has red hair?"
* In the SailorMoon manga, Sailor Mars has red hair in many colored images. Sailors ChibiChibi, Kakyuu, and Vesta have red hair as well. Sailors Moon, ChibiMoon, Ceres, Lethe and Mnemosyne all have pink hair at some point and all are eventually good guys.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Comic Books ]]

* ''RedSonja''.
* Brenda Starr, from the film and comic book of the same name.
* Jean Grey, Rachel Summers, Wolfsbane, Banshee and Siryn of the ''{{Comicbook/X-Men}}''.
* [[{{Flash}} Wally West]] (the third Flash). When he was running around with an open-topped cowl as Kid Flash, he dyed his hair brown (at super-speed), because, for once, red hair was acknowledged as being UnusualAndDistinctive.
** The Tornado Twins, children of the second Flash.
*** Apparently DC's colorists have taken to turning Bart Allen's hair color into a reddish-brown color as of recent; it's a flat-out flame-red in his most recent appearances, where initially it was a chocolate-brown shade. Getting lighter with age, maybe?
* [[{{Watchmen}} Rorschach]], although he's more of an AntiHero.
** Interestingly, Rorschach sports the classic 'ginger' look of pale skin, carrot-red hair, and freckles; usually not considered very attractive traits in Europe and North America.
*** For Jackie Earle Haley, this European makes an exception.
*** That was done on purpose, of course. He's supposed to be stereotypically ugly. As for the movie...
* Obelix from ''{{Asterix}}''.
* Spirou from ''SpirouAndFantasio''.
* Matt Murdock, aka {{Daredevil}}.
** Former Daredevil villain Typhoid Mary also has red hair. As per the trope, she's drawn with significantly brighter hair after making a HeelFaceTurn.
* Barbara Gordon a.k.a. Batgirl a.k.a. Oracle
** Kate Kane, the new Batwoman. For tactical reasons she wears a flowing red wig over much shorter--but still red--hair.
* Black Widow, Caitlin Fairchild, Dawn, Hawkwoman/Hawkgirl, Hellcat, Julie Power/Lightspeed, Maxima, Madame Medusa, Mystique (in her blue-skinned form), the second Spider Woman, Tigra, Mera, Speedy, Looker, et cetera and so on.
* Lightning Lad/Live Wire and Lightning Lass/Spark/Light Lass, twins from TheLegionOfSuperHeroes.
* Mariah from ''TheWarlord''.
*{{Tintin}}.
* David Solomon from ''SODA''.
* If that Gen13 one-off counts, [[TheAuthority Midnighter]] - though you wouldn't know it, as (on the rare occasions he's seen without his mask), every artist gives him a different colour. WordOfGod says he just likes to dye it.
* Vic Sage, the first Question, when he's out of costume.
* Jason Blood, human anchor for {{Etrigan}} the Demon, red with a white streak.
* Cyclone, one of the newest members of the JusticeSocietyOfAmerica, and granddaughter of the GoldenAge Red Tornado.
* Though counter intelligence specialist [[HeroesWantRedheads Scarlett]] is the most well-known, [[GIJoe G.I. Joe]] has never been short on redheads. Examples include [[FrickinLaserBeams Flash]], [[AcePilot Ace]], [[TheCavalry Wild Bill]], [[RedShirt Thunder]], [[MilitaryMashupMachine Deep-Six]], [[WrenchWench Cover Girl]], [[CoolGun Dusty]], [[PyroManiac Blow Torch]], [[ItsRainingMen Ripcord]], [[OfficerOhara Barbecue]], [[CoolCar Crankcase]], [[BoisterousBruiser Taurus]], [[BaseOnWheels Steam-Roller]], [[DeepSouth Cross-Country]], [[TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture Knockdown]], [[CrazySurvivalist Outback]], [[KillItWithFire Charbroil]], [[BifurcatedWeapon Long Range]] (the original) and [[HuskyRusskie Big Bear]]. Amusingly, this list includes two out of three G.I. Joe flame weapons specialists and the G.I. Joe ''firefighter''. Odds are good that late-run flamethrower Ice Cream Soldier is also redheaded beneath his masked helmet.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Fan Fic ]]

* Chloe in ''FanFic/PrettyCurePerfumePreppy'' has ''literal'' red hair in civillain form. Hanae is a more believable redhead (having orange hair), but gains literal red hair as well when turned into Cure Tangerine. However, both subvert this trope when it comes to personality, as Chloe is described as "sweet and well-groomed", while Hanae is just a [[ShrinkingViolet Shrinking Orange]]. The fiery one of the team happens to be purple-haired Ayameko.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Film ]]

* ''[[http://agonybooth.com/recaps/Thor_and_the_Amazon_Women_1963.aspx Thor And The Amazon Women]]''
* BG in ''The Goddess of 1967''
* In ''SantaClausIsCominToTown'', Redheaded Kris (Santa) is the hero.
* ''RedSonja''
* Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde in the film adaptation of ''TheLeagueOfExtraordinaryGentlemen''. The invisible thief Rodney Skinner, though never seen for obvious reasons, was also played by a red-haired actor, leading one to presume that the character was likewise redheaded when visible.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Literature ]]

* Pippi Longstocking.
* Several RobertAHeinlein protagonists, most notably Lazarus Long (ne Woodrow Wilson Smith) (biggest role was in ''Time Enough for Love'', he did appear in later Heinlein works) and his mother Maureen Johnson Smith (most prominent in ''To Sail Beyond the Sunset'', she plays a minor role in several earlier Heinlein novels).
** And many were redheaded ''twins''; ''The Rolling Stones'', ''Time For The Stars'', Laz and Lor from ''Time Enough For Love''. Other adventurous or heroic redheads include Podkayne of Mars, one of his more popular Juvenile characters, "Slipstick" Libby, Hazel Stone, and a long list of others.
* ''Sir Apropos of Nothing'', though he'd be more of a Red-Headed AntiHero...
* Several from the ''StarWars'' ExpandedUniverse, four from the Skywalker family/bloodline alone: Mara Jade Skywalker (Luke's wife, and the reason there's redheads in the bloodline at all) ([[GreenEyes green-eyed]]), Ben Skywalker (her son, and the kid in the article image) (this is {{lampshade}}d at [[LegacyOfTheForce one point]]) ([[BlueEyes blue-eyed]]), Kol Skywalker (her great-grandson, green-eyed, again), and Allana (Han & Leia's granddaughter) ([[GrayEyes gray-eyed]]).
** Tenel Ka, the current ruler of Hapes and a former Jedi Knight.
* Captain Carrot Ironfoundersson in ''{{Discworld}}''.
** And Mort.
* {{Anne of Green Gables}}
* Howard Roark from ''The Fountainhead''
* Alanna of Trebond, from the {{Tamora Pierce}} universe, combines red hair with purple {{technicolour eyes}}. Arguably also a case of HeroesWantRedheads: despite the fact that the text repeatedly points out that she isn't particularly good looking, she does end up with proposals from [[spoiler:the Crown Prince]] and [[spoiler:the King of the Rogue]].
** Also Tris from the ''CircleOfMagic'' books by the same author. She is certainly a FieryRedhead, but also a grouch who sometimes borders on JerkWithAHeartOfGold.
* [[LoisMcMasterBujold Cordelia Vorkosigan]] is a redhead. In fact, it's one of her character markers; whenever a woman with "roan-red" hair shows up, it's her. Justified, though, since no one else in the books has red hair.
* The ''entire Weasley family'' from the HarryPotter books! (See Real Life, below.)
** Dumbledore, too, before it turned white.
* Dairine Callahan from ''YoungWizards''.
* Kvothe, of TheNameOfTheWind, is known for his bright, flame-red hair. Good for attracting both women and unwanted attention.
* In Robert Graves' ''King Jesus,'' {{Jesus}} has red hair, this being one of the eight "signs of royalty."
* Cord from Douglas Hill's ''[=ColSec=] Trilogy''. He's at least ''something'' of a FieryRedhead...but, interestingly enough, his hair is specifically described as dark auburn.
* Rand Al'Thor from RobertJordan's ''TheWheelOfTime'' has reddish-blonde hair. This is because he's [[spoiler:half [[ProudWarriorRaceGuy Aiel]]]].
* Bill Denbrough and Beverly Marsh, two of the original seven Losers from StephenKing's ''{{IT}}''.
* Both major POV characters of the ''DoctrineOfLabyrinths'' series are redheads, this is actually a major plot point as in the city they grew up in, ''no one else is'', thus providing easy proof that Felix and Mildmay are brothers.
* In E.E. "Doc" Smith's ''{{Lensman}}'' series, red hair is specifically the genetic marker of ancestry from {{Atlantis}}. Many in the human Lensman breeding program are redheads including Clarissa [=MacDougal=].
* How did we get so far without mentioning Maria from ''TheLittleWhiteHorse''?
* Princess Eilonwy of the ''PrydainChronicles'' is often referred to (by the narrator) as "Eilonwy of the red-gold hair."

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Live Action TV ]]

* ''DoctorWho'': Liz, Leela, Turlough, Mel, Donna and Amy. The Doctor wishes he was (once again [[http://forbiddenplanet.co.uk/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/matt.jpg unfulfilled]]).
* ''Star Trek: Voyager'': [[TheCaptain Captain]] Janeway.
** Janeway's hair is more sort of auburn-brown than out-and-out red.
** And if flashbacks and time travel are to be believed, [[StarTrekTheNextGeneration Picard]] in his younger days.
* AgentScully from ''{{The X-Files}}''.
** Scully ''dyes'' her hair red. Her real hair colour is the mousy-brown seen in the pilot episode.
* Do [[VillainProtagonist villain protagonists]] and [[HeroicSociopath heroic sociopaths]] like {{Dexter}} count?
* Chip and Udonna from ''PowerRangersMysticForce''
* Charlie Crews on ''{{Life}}''.
** Also, Dick Winters in ''BandOfBrothers'': they're both played by redhead Damien Lewis.
* ''Elizabeth I'': Elizabeth.
* CSI: Miami's Horatio Caine.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Mythology ]]

* [[{{Seanette}} This editor]] has heard it claimed that the Apostle Peter was a redhead.
**Even if not, Odysseus of The Odyssey was.
***Odysseus? Really? None of the versions of the story I read ever mentioned that.
***Menelaus of the same definitely was; "red-haired king" was among his epithets.
****In the Middle East and Ancient Greece, respectively? Oh well, I guess if you can have Scylla and the Miracle of Loaves and Fishes...
*****Actually, the complexion of many peoples in ancient times has changed in the intervening years between them and today, due to migrations and colonizations in the intervening years. IIRC, King David is also decribed in the Bible as red-haired.
* [[NorseMythology Thor]], before MarvelComics turned him blond. So this is OlderThanDirt.
* In some versions of ''TheIliad'', Achilles has red hair to denote his fiery temper and Badassery (and matches his common epithet as "blazing Achilles"). Menelaus and Agamemnon may have had red hair as well.
** Neoptolemus definitely was a redhead, even if his father Achilles wasn't. His nickname was Pyrrhus, which is Greek for "Fiery hair."

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Video Games ]]

* Crono from ''ChronoTrigger''.
* Adell from ''{{Disgaea}} 2''.
* Roy and his father Eliwood of ''FireEmblem 6 and 7'', respectively, which is a notable exception for the series, given that nearly every other main protagonist in the series traditionally had blue hair.
**To make up for it, Eliwood's best friend Hector from [=FE7=] ''did'' have blue hair. And the same goes to his daughter and Roy's potential girlfriend, the mage Lilina.
* Nariko from ''Heavenly Sword''.
* Joanna from ''PerfectDark''.
* Adol Christin from ''{{Ys}}'', also called "Adol the Red". They don't mean blood.
** ''PopfulMail'', from ''Ys'' developer Nihon Falcom, has the red-haired Mail, a female BountyHunter with [[http://www.the-magicbox.com/forums/showpost.php?p=383170&postcount=1198 "a nice chest"]] who [[PantyShot doesn't wear pants for whatever reason]].
* [[FanNickname Silly Axel Almer]] in ''SuperRobotWars Advance''. If he's not silly, he's no hero [[spoiler:(either a villain or... a neutral force)]].
** Other straightforward examples from ''SuperRobotWars'' include Fiona Gureden (Reversal) and Rand Travis (Z)
* Joe from ''ViewtifulJoe''.
* Shirou Emiya of ''FateStayNight''. [[spoiler:His FutureBadass is a [[DarkSkinnedBlond Dark Skinned]] WhiteHairedPrettyBoy [[EvenTheGuysWantHim whom *every* 4channer (guys included) lust after]].]]
* Knuckles the Echidna from ''SonicTheHedgehog'' is a red-furred hero.
* Though he gradually turned into more of a wheat blond, Link was depicted as having either brown or reddish-brown hair in the official artwork for the first three games in ''TheLegendOfZelda'' series, and was an outright redhead in the Valiant comic book series. (Interestingly, so was Zelda, whose sprite for the first two games was likewise red-haired.)
** Also, [[ExpositionFairy Midna]] from ''Twilight Princess'' [[DarkIsNotEvil when she starts getting more friendly towards Link.]]
*** And Shad of the Resistance Group, from the same game.
* Sarah Kerrigan from ''StarCraft'', until she gets infested.
**During the early stages of development for [[VaporWare Starcraft:Ghost]], nova was shown as having light Reddish hair. Later in the development cycle this got turned blond, a decisions that this troper feels was the real reason behind all the games misfortunes.
* Possibly because of this trope, Ritz from ''FinalFantasyTacticsAdvance'' dyes her hair red (it's white normally), and in the dream-Ivalice, it *is* red. However, she stops dyeing it after the events of the game, accepting her appearance.
* If the player chooses the standard look for a female Shepard in ''MassEffect'', she turns out to be a redhead.
* Agent J from ''EliteBeatAgents''.
* Battler from ''UminekoNoNakuKoroNi''.
* Kasumi from ''DeadOrAlive''.
* Simon Belmont, arguably TheMario of the ''{{Castlevania}}'' series, constantly switched from brown to blond and back again between his countless incarnations. Possibly in frustration, Ayami Kojima went completely off-model and drew him with ''bright'' red hair, and his official depiction has been redheaded ever since.
* Spike, Jimmy and Yumi from ''ApeEscape''. Kei averts this with his [[YouGottaHaveBlueHair blue hair]].
* [[IdiotHero Heart Aino]] of ''ArcanaHeart''.
* Kou from ''AzureDreams''. Bit of a troublemaker.
* Regina from the first two ''DinoCrisis'' games.
* The protagonists of [[strike:the first three]] [[{{Discontinuity}} all three]] ''{{Lufia}}'' games.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Webcomics ]]

*Antimony Carver in ''GunnerkriggCourt''.
* [[OrderOfTheStick Haley Starshine]].
* Rikk Oberf in ''{{Fans}}''.
* Anne Onymous in ''TheWotch''.
* Ash in ''{{Misfile}}''.
* Agatha Heterodyne from ''GirlGenius'' has strawberry-blonde hair.
* Zoe of VenusEnvy.
* Princess Voluptua of ''TheInexplicableAdventuresOfBob.''
* Nanase from El Goonish Shive.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Web Original ]]

* Ryana 'Ri' Taylor of ''Last Secret'' and other Kostemetsiverse arcs. Hasn't been updated in a while. Apparently Taylor also subverts all the other tropes about redheads, being an intelligence operative with no public [[FieryRedhead personality]] and no [[HeroesWantRedheads romantic]] involvement.
** Above troper would also like to note that the Kostemetsiverse is pretty much absent from anything except the source material, which is very widely scattered indeed. The only Kostemetsiverse stuff of which this troper knows is being written over at NationStates.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Western Animation ]]

* ''KimPossible''.
* ''KappaMikey''.
* Blossom in ''The PowerpuffGirls''.
* Elena Potato in ''MonsterAllergy''.
* Will Vandom from ''{{WITCH}}''.
** And because DuelingShows need quite a few similarities, Bloom from ''WinxClub''.
* Hawkgirl, Flash, Elongated Man, Orion and Question (though it's black when he's in costume) from ''JusticeLeagueUnlimited''.
* Starfire from ''TeenTitans''.
* Fry from ''{{Futurama}}''.
* Jane from ''JaneAndTheDragon''.
* ''AtomicBetty''.
* Theresa and Atlanta from ''ClassOfTheTitans''.
* [[DextersLab Dexter]]. And his mother.
* [[BenTen Gwen]] [[Ben10AlienForce Tennyson.]]
* Prince Nestor from ''[[WorldOfQuest World of Quest]]''.
* Niko from ''AdventuresOfTheGalaxyRangers''.
* Thaddeus "Rusty" Venture as a boy. Now he has only the red beard, and [[DesignatedHero not much heroism]]. Hank and Dean are blond and brown, respectively.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Real Life ]]


'''Conquerors'''

* Everybody loved Cyrus the Great. Can ''you'' dig it?
* Tamerlane was less adored...
* The Plantagenet and Tudor Dynasties put many redheads on the throne of England, including Richard the Lionheart and Elizabeth I.
* Boudicca.
* The Prophet Mohammed. Side note, his wife Aisha was blonde.
* Napoleon Bonaparte.
* Isabella I.
* Winston Churchill.
* Oliver Cromwell.
* Ulysses S Grant.
* Vladimir Lenin.
* Ramesses II, aka Ramesses the Great - a red-headed Egyptian Pharoah, believe it or not.

'''Writers'''
* William Blake.
* Lord Byron.
* Emily Dickinson.
* James Joyce.
* D.H. Lawrence.
* George Bernard Shaw.
* Mark Twain.
* J.K. Rowling.

'''Miscellaneous'''
* Christopher Columbus.
* Galileo.
* George Washington.
**Although when he wanted to impress people Washington would put white powder on his hair. Typical practice in the 18th century involved securing the powder flakes by first applying a liberal coating of oil to one's hair. Yuck!
* Thomas Jefferson.
* Malcolm X.
* Florence Nightingale.
* Jesse James.
* Erik the Red

[[/folder]]

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<<|HairTropes|>>
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