Hero Tropes

♫ He's gotta be strong, and he's gotta be fast
And he's gotta be fresh from the fight! ♪
L - R, top to bottom: Wonder Woman, Mario, Goku, and Korra.

"You see that you and I are of a different stripe, don't you? We don't have to dream that we're important. We are."

— Mr. House, Fallout: New Vegas

The good guy, seeks to defeat the villain, save the princess, find the treasure, etc. Generally the central figure in Action Series and Adventure Series. Always wins in the end. This index covers all tropes about and related to them.

You might be looking for the 2006 TV show Heroes, the 1998 Robert Cormier novel Heroes, or the 1977 David Bowie album "Heroes".

Contrast this index with its antithesis, Villains. There's also a Wiki on this trope.

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Tropes:

Indexes

• Anti-Hero: A morally questionable hero who lacks conventional heroic qualities.
• Being the Hero Sucks
• Benevolent Monsters: Scary-looking creatures who would much rather befriend humans instead of harming them.
• The Chosen One: According to fate and prophecy, this hero is destined to save the world.
• Cops and Detectives: Characters who protect and serve their country and value the people's lives.
• Good Guys Garb
• Good Is Dumb
• Goodness Tropes
• The Hero
• Hero Ball
• Heroic Spirit: Heroes can do anything they're capable of if they have enough spirit.
• Hunter of Monsters: Someone who fights and slays dangerous supernatural creatures to protect other people.
• Index to the Rescue: Characters who come to rescue others from certain dangers and save many lives.
• Index with a Heart of Gold: Characters who act or seem harsh on the outside, but are actually kinder people on the inside.
• Mentor Index: Characters who are the masters and advisors to the hero(es).
• Pleasant Animals Index: Animals that we humans believe are adorable and/or awesome will often play a protagonistic role.
• A Polite Index: All types of characters who tend towards acting nice and respectful towards others (but are not necessarily always good people, as bad guys can be friendly too).
• Positive Stereotype Tropes: Stereotypes and races are portrayed as heroes, or at least depicted in a positive light.
• Sidekick: The ever-reliable number two guy to every hero.
• Superhero Tropes

#-C

• 100% Heroism Rating: A fame-earning game mechanic that makes the Non Player Characters in a game respect you.
• '90s Anti-Hero: A violent, ruthless Anti-Hero with a gritty design and an aggressive and/or rough personality.
• Accidental Hero: A character who does a heroic deed completely by accident.
• The Ace: A character who is good at everything.
• Action Dad
• Action Duo: Capable hero meets ordinary person.
• Action Genre Hero Guy
• Action Girl: A female combatant who rescues innocents, and faces dangerous foes and deadly obstacles, eventually succeeding.
• Action Mom
• Action Hero: The protagonist of any action/adventure story must be good at beating the crap out of their enemies.
• Action Pet
• Action Survivor: They're not a skilled fighter, but prove to be quite capable of handling a dangerous situation anyways.
• Actual Pacifist: Someone who refuses to physically harm other people no matter what.
• Adaptational Heroism: The villain character from the original work is a hero in the adaptation.
• Adaptational Nice Guy: A character is made nicer in the adaptation than they were in the original work. Often done with heroic characters whose rudeness might prevent them from being sympathetic.
• Adventurer Archaeologist
• Adopt the Dog: Neutral character does something nice and becomes a good guy.
• The All-American Boy: The stereotypical innocent, jolly boy archetype that was abundant in 20^th century American media.
• All-American Face: A good guy in wrestling matches who loves America.
• All-Loving Hero: A good guy who's kind to everybody. Often willing to give even nasty villains another chance.
• The Alliance: Union of good nations against a common enemy.
• Always Lawful Good: An entire race of completely benign beings.
• Amateur Sleuth: A character that solves mysteries, despite solving mysteries not being what they're usually expected to do.
• America Saves the Day: When the world is in trouble, it's America that rolls up its sleeves and saves the day.
• Amicable Ants: Ants are depicted as heroic or friendly bugs.
• Amnesiac Hero: The protagonist has little or no memory of who they are, and how they got themselves in their current situation.
• Animal Lover: Someone who loves, or at the very least likes, most if not all animals.
• Anti-Anti-Christ: The Antichrist is expected to help the forces of evil with conquering/destroying the world. Fortunately, this Antichrist wants to save the world instead.
• Anti-Hero Substitute: A heroic character is replaced by a darker replacement who adopts the hero's mantle.
• Anti-Hero Team: The team that consists of anti-heroes.
• The Anti-Nihilist: A character who knows how terrible the world is, but instead of succumbing to despair, decides to create meaning, values and purpose in life out of it.
• Arc Hero: A prominent co-hero for an episode or series installment, then dropped afterwards.
• The Armies of Heaven: Angels depicted as a military force.
• Artifact of Hope: A powerful, benevolent artifact with only good, or at least holy, applications.
• Ascended Demon: Demonic beings redeem themselves to become divine guardians.
• The Atoner: The hero really wants to redeem themselves for bad deeds or horrible mistakes they've made in the past.
• Badass Bookworm: An intelligent hero.
• Badass Pacifist: While they would never beat the crap out of their enemies, they're brave enough to stand up for their beliefs anyways.
• Badass Unintentional: The hero is completely oblivious of their great power.
• Bad Powers, Good People: A hero has superpowers that are usually associated with villains.
• Bald Mystic: Bold characters who use their wisdom and enlightenment to provide guidance and advice in a Mentor Archetype fashion.
• Bald of Authority: A bald character is typically The Leader.
• Barbarian Hero: A "savage" warrior who's rather brave and noble.
• Batman Cold Open: A scene showing the hero's typical adventures before the actual plot begins.
• Beauty Equals Goodness: Most heroes tend to be very physically attractive.
• Benevolent A.I.: When Artificial Intelligence and/or robots care for the well-being of their creators and other living individuals rather than turn against them.
• Benevolent Abomination: An Eldritch Abomination with good, or at least non-malevolent, intentions towards humanity.
• Benevolent Boss: A boss who cares a lot about their employees and their well-being.
• Benevolent Conspiracy: The Conspiracy as a force for good.
• Benevolent Dictator: An all-powerful dictator is a benevolent ruler who works for the well-being of his subjects, and most of them like him.
• Benevolent Genie: A genie that gives their masters their wish, with the best possible interpretation for them.
• Benevolent Mage Ruler: Spellcasters ruling others with wisdom and fairness.
• Benevolent Precursors: The Precursors were actually good people.
• Bespectacled Cutie: A pleasant girl who wears glasses tends to be on the heroes' side.
• Beware the Nice Ones: Heroes who can be quite dangerous and formidable when pushed too far.
• Big Damn Heroes: Good guys save the day at the right time.
• Big Ego, Hidden Depths: There's more to an arrogant character than one would realize.
• Big Fun: An overweight character is fun, lovable, and funny.
• Big Good: The most powerful and significant force of good who exists in the story.
• The Big Guy: The physically strongest member of the group.
• Big Heroic Run: In which the hero runs at full tilt to save the day or fulfill his goals, usually scored with a rousing fanfare.
• Blue Is Heroic: Many good guys like to wear blue clothes.
• Breakout Character: A minor character who is so popular that s/he becomes a major character, as well as a new hero and ally to The Hero.
• Broken Hero: A hero who remains kind and cheerful despite their Dark and Troubled Past.
• Brother–Sister Team: Siblings who work together.
• Bruiser with a Soft Center: Tough characters are capable of having soft hearts.
• Bully Hunter: A character who is quick to give bullies their comeuppance.
• By-the-Book Cop: A police officer who follows rules and regulations.
• Byronic Hero: A character who is a melancholic, brooding loner with a Dark and Troubled Past, and is flawed, yet sympathetic.
• Call to Adventure: The story's hero learns they must do something, leading them to decide whether they should embark on an adventure or not.
• The Cape: The archetypal superhero codified by Superman.
• The Captain: The person in charge of and responsible for a vessel, its crew, passengers, and everything that happens with it.
• Captain Ethnic: A superhero whose theme is their ethnicity or nationality.
  • Captain Geographic: A superhero with a name, outfit and/or characteristics based around their country of origin.
  • Captain Patriotic: A superhero serves the ideals of his nation.
• Captain Space, Defender of Earth!: A parody of space opera heroes.
• Captain Superhero: A superhero named Captain ________.
• Caring Gardener: Characters who grow and nurture plants which shows their care to living things in general.
• The Cavalry: Reinforcements for a last-second dramatic rescue of the heroes.
• Celebrating the Heroes: A local populace holds a celebration to honor heroes for their good deeds and triumphs.
• Celestial Paragons and Archangels: The highest, most powerful angelic good guys around.
• Celibate Hero: A hero who is not interested in pursuing romantic/sexual relationships for some reason or another.
• Chaotic Good: No order, all justice.
• Chaste Hero: A hero who is oblivious to the feelings of someone who is in love with them.
• Chivalrous Pervert: A character (usually male) who is rather horny but nonetheless a genuinely good-hearted person.
• The Chosen Many: The Chosen One is not the only hero destined to save the world.
• The Chosen Zero: But they're kind of a loser as well.
• Chronic Hero Syndrome: The hero can't resist helping out anyone and everyone in need who they may come across.
• Chummy Commies: Communists who are benign, friendly and/or heroic.
• Chummy Mummy: An undead mummy who's friendly.
• Classical Anti-Hero: A mostly noble hero who suffers from flaws and hindrances that must be overcome.
• Clean Up the Town: Newcomer takes position of responsibility and makes things better.
• Comedic Hero: A hero prone to humorously foolish behavior.
• Comically Invincible Hero: An Invincible Hero that's Played for Laughs.
• Commanding Coolness
• Contrasting Sequel Main Character: The protagonist of a sequel differs significantly from the protagonist of a previous installment in the series.
• Cool Old Guy
• Cool Teacher: A educator who actually seems to make learning fun, serving as an unambiguously positive influence in their students' lives.
• Cool Uncle: An uncle or aunt who is well-loved by their nieces/nephews.
• The Conscience: A character that acts as the others' moral compass.
• Courteous Canadian: Canadians stereotyped as overly affable, nonconfrontational.
• Cowardly Lion: A hero who manages to accomplish daunting tasks despite his/her own fears and doubts.
• Cowboy Cop: A rogue police officer who bucks authority and plays by his own rules, in order to solve crimes.
• The Cowl: The archetypal superhero who works in the shadows, codified by Batman.
• Create Your Own Hero: A villain's actions inadvertently lead to someone rising up to oppose them.
• Creepy Good: Heroes' looks might creep people out, but their hearts and intentions are just as noble.
• Crimefighting with Cash: Heroes use financial resources to deal with the forces of evil
• Crusading Lawyer: An attorney who genuinely tries hard to help out their client without ulterior motives.

D-F

• Damsel in Distress: A female character is kidnapped or otherwise in danger and in need of rescue.
  • Damsel out of Distress: A Damsel in Distress who puts up a decent or successful escape from her captors, before the hero arrives.
• Dark Is Not Evil: Being associated with darkness doesn't make the character less of a hero.
  • The Sacred Darkness: Dark is not only not evil; it's benevolent and holy in and of itself.
• Dark Magical Girl: A Magical Girl with a Dark and Troubled Past, who starts out as an Evil Counterpart to The Hero, but usually switches sides after being taught The Power of Love, Friendship, and Acceptance after a big showdown.
• Dark Shepherd: Character who uses threats of punishment to discourage evil.
• Defends Against Their Own Kind
• Delightful Dragon: Benevolent dragons who prove that dragons and other reptilians are capable of as much good as any other species.
• Designated Hero: The character is supposed to be a hero, but their actions say otherwise.
• Destroy the Villain's Weapon: A plot in which the hero or heroes destroy a villain's weapon.
• Destructive Saviour: Heroes that cause a lot of collateral damage as a side effect of their heroism.
• Determinator: Absolutely nothing can make the hero give up.
• Determined Doctor: A health practitioner who believes medical care must be given no matter who's receiving it, where they are, or what the problem is.
• Deuteragonist
• Did We Just Have Tea with Cthulhu?: A character has a cordial encounter with an Eldritch Abomination, who may be genuinely benevolent.
• Diligent Hero, Slothful Villain: In this dynamic, the hero is defined by his strong work ethic.
• Distressed Dude
• Doomed Moral Victor: The Hero Dies after making his Last Stand.
• Dork Knight: A hero who is brave and righteous in spite of their awkwardness.
• The Drifter: Character who walks the Earth, helps in a place for a time and always leaves in the end.
• Earthy Barefoot Character: A character who is close to nature is regularly seen barefoot.
• Embodiment of Virtue
• Empathic Weapon: The weapon acknowledges the hero's desires and good qualities, and is willing to help him out.
• English Rose: A beautiful young English lady who is virtuous and possesses a certain type of modest, natural beauty.
• Eternal Hero: The hero has existed for eons and will likely continue existing for eons.
• Ethical Slut: This character is a moral and benevolent person, at least when it comes to matters of romance and sexuality.
• Even the Loving Hero Has Hated Ones: An All-Loving Hero has at least one exception to their rule of loving others.
• Evil Redeemed in a Can: A villain or evil entity who was sealed away does a Heel–Face Turn during its imprisonment.
• The Everyman: The protagonist is a (mostly) average, normal, ordinary guy just trying to deal with everyday life. Though sometimes they get forced into dealing with extraordinary problems...
• Ex-Big Bad: A Big Bad who has undergone a Heel–Face Turn, joins the heroes, or even become The Atoner.
• Exalted Torturer: A character who uses torture is presented as the good guy.
• Excited Kids' Show Host: A kids' show host who does his best to be as honest and good-natured as the character he plays on television, unlike their counterpart.
• Experienced Protagonist: A veteran hero who clearly isn't a rookie or newbie.
• Face: A good guy in wrestling terms.
• Face of a Thug: A person who is good or neutral in spite of having a menacing appearance.
• Failure Hero
• Failure Knight
• Fairy Godmother: A character who magically helps the protagonist find their Happily Ever After.
• Fake Defector: A character who fakes a Face–Heel Turn to get closer to the villain.
• Fallen Princess: A privileged and/or wealthy girl loses her status, but usually becomes a better person through her hardship.
• Family Man: A man who's loyal to his own family, the one he made (with a partner/spouse and children) as well the one he's part of (with parents and siblings).
• Farm Boy: When the hero is just a simple peasant from the countryside.
• A Father to His Men: A leader in the military is seen as a fatherly figure by his soldiers.
• Faux Action Girl
• The Fettered: The hero's strength is their moral limitations.
• Final Girl: The smart, virginal and responsible girl in the group of teenagers from a Slasher Movie is the one who confronts the killer and survives.
• First-Person Smartass
• Five-Man Band: Most hero teams tend to fit into this classic mold.
• Five-Token Band: Every member of the heroic group is a minority not represented by the rest of the team.
• Folk Hero: A hero who became the subject of popular myths and legends, though certain aspects of their reputation may have been greatly exaggerated.
• For Great Justice: The good guys' motive is "justice", "goodness", etc.
• Friend in the Press: A Journalist who holds an amicable relationship with the detective, and who can provide them with assistance.
• Friend on the Force: A police officer who is quite amicable with the Private Detective or Amateur Sleuth, and who can provide them with assistance.
• Friend to All Children: A hero who cares deeply for and protects kids.
• Friend to All Living Things: A hero who protects and cares deeply for animals.
• Friendly Ghost: A friendly ghost.
• Friendly Neighborhood Spider: Spiders portrayed as friendly, well-disposed and heroic.
• Friendly Neighborhood Vampire: A benevolent vampire.
• Friendly Skeleton: An undead skeleton that is nice.
• The Friendly Texan: Texans are depicted as friendly, affable and benevolent.
• Friendly Zombie: A zombie who is nice.
• From Hero to Mentor: A character who, after being the hero, becomes the mentor for an intended subsequent hero.
• From Shame, Heroism: A character is ashamed of something they've done, and turns to heroism as a result
• From Zero to Hero: A character starts as a nobody, and rises up in the world through their heroic deeds.
• Fun Personified: A character taking a role as a mood-maker who shields others from feelings of despair or doom and generally prevents the plot from getting overly grim.

G-J

• Genius Bruiser: The hero has both brains and brawn.
• Gentle Giant: A big, tall guy who's pretty nice.
• Gentleman and a Scholar: A hero who manages to be both highly intelligent and a well adjusted, socially engaging and charming person.
• Girl Friday: The dutiful woman who is working behind the scenes, sometimes providing critical information, oftentimes taking a role as a helping hand or heart.
• God Before Dogma: A religious hero opposes the religious beliefs of a villain of the same religion.
• God of Good: A benevolent deity who treats mortals well.
• Good All Along: Someone assumed to be a bad guy was really a good guy this whole time.
• Gold and White Are Divine: Gold and White are considered divine colors and usually used by the heroes.
• Good Bad Girl: A good-hearted woman who unapologetically enjoys promiscuous sex
• Good Cannot Comprehend Evil: The hero cannot understand why the villain is evil.
• The Good Chancellor: A character who serves their kingdom or nation with utmost earnestness.
• Good-Guy Bar: A place for heroes to hang out after saving the day, just right across the street from the Bad Guy Bar.
• The Good Guys Always Win: As a near-universal rule of fiction, the heroes must always defeat the villains and save the day in the end (with some rare exceptions).
• Good Is Not Dumb: A character who is good gets underestimated because of it.
• Good is Not Nice: A hero who acts like a jerk most of the time.
• Good Is Not Soft: A hero who has no qualms about severely punishing villains.
• The Good King: A monarch who honestly wants what's best for his people.
• Good Parents: Parents who do a pretty good job of protecting and raising their children.
• Good Samaritan: A person does a good deed simply for others' well-being.
• Good Shepherd: A religious leader who is also a good person.
• Good Stepmother: A stepmother who is genuinely loving and supportive of her stepchildren.
• Good Versus Good: Where two heroes are in conflict against each other.
• Good Wears White: Heroic characters dress in white clothing to symbolize their goodness.
• Great White Hunter: Heroic or semi-heroic big game poacher.
• Greater-Scope Paragon: A heroic being who is indirectly responsible for the heroes existing or being involved in their mission, but is not directly involved with the story.
• Guardian of the Multiverse: The being who makes sure that The Multiverse is neither conquered nor destroyed.
• Guile Hero: A hero who relies on saving the day with his wits and quick thinking.
• The Gunslinger
• Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold: A good guy/girl with blonde hair.
• Hammy Villain, Serious Hero: A hero's seriousness is contrasted with their villain's hamminess.
• Handsome Heroic Caveman: A caveman is both physically and morally appealing, in contrast to the brutish Neanderthals or the Frazetta Man.
• The Hashshashin: The order of assassins from the Medieval Middle East.
• Haunted Heroine: A heroine haunted equally by her own past and the uncanny events around her.
• Headbutting Heroes: Good guys who despise each other.
• The Heart: The barometer of a group's emotional well-being and its peacekeeper/caretaker/benevolence bringer.
• Heartwarming Orphan: An orphan child who normally ends up being adopted and is a good character who makes the audience emotional.
• Heel–Face Turn: The villain becomes a hero.
  • Heel–Face Brainwashing: Heroes use brainwashing in order to reform a bad guy.
  • Heel–Face Return: The villain gets Put on a Bus and returns as a good guy.
  • Heel–Face Town: When a city goes from a Wretched Hive to something more positive, without necessarily being an opportunistic takeover.
• Helpless Good Side: The good personality hardly does anything to keep the evil personality in check.
• Henshin Hero: The hero has a super mode where they become stronger.
• The Hero: The character who performs heroic deeds with a heroic motivation. And usually the biggest force of good in the story. Likely The Leader of any Five-Man Band, though lone-wolf Heroes who prefer to go solo also exist.
• The Hero's Journey: A basic function of narratives that illustrates a character's path to becoming a hero.
• Hero's Muse: The Hero is inspired or led by an idealized woman.
• Hero's Slave Harem: Heroes owns or controls multiple slaves or servants who double as Love Interests.
• Hero Academy: A school for training young heroes.
• Hero Antagonist: When the antagonist role is filled in by a good guy. They're usually the main opponent of a Villain Protagonist.
• Hero Does Public Service: Heroes help out in the community when not busy with their day job.
• A Hero Is Born: A heroic character's birth or the character as an infant is shown in the beginning.
• Hero of Another Story: Good guys who have their own adventures, despite not being part of the main story.
• Hero Protagonist: The main character of the story is almost always a good guy (with some exceptions).
• Hero Stole My Bike: The hero needs to get somewhere fast so he steals a ride.
• Hero with a Unique Name
• Heroes Act, Villains Hinder: Good guys kickstart the plot, and the bad guys are holding them back.
• Heroes Fight Barehanded: Many heroes prefer to use their fists and feet instead of using any weapons.
• Heroes' Frontier Step: A character commits an action so noble that it proves that they're a hero.
• Heroes Gone Fishing: The heroes take a break from their mission to enjoy some fun and relaxation.
• Heroes Love Dogs: Good guys like to keep pet dogs.
• Heroes Prefer Swords: A group's heroic leader is the only one with a sword.
• Heroes "R" Us: An organized group of heroes.
• Heroic Bastard: A good guy born to unmarried parents.
• Heroic BSoD: A hero experiences an emotional breakdown.
• Heroic Build: Many heroic men have an impressively muscular body.
• Heroic Bystander: Someone who performs a worthy heroic act without any formal or professional training.
• Heroic Comedic Sociopath: A sort of comic relief who works toward a positive, morally affirming goal whilst being as vicious as possible along the way.
• Heroic Dog: A canine who really is man's best friend.
• Heroic Dolphin: Dolphins are portrayed as heroic and/or friendly.
• Heroic Fire Rescue: A heroic character shows their heroism by rescuing someone from a burning building or something similar.
• Heroic Host: A heroic person gains powers through something inhabiting their body.
• Heroic Lineage: Heroism is passed down through the family.
• Heroic Mime: A good guy who never talks.
• Heroic Neutral: A character wants to be left alone, but will jump into to the scene if there is danger aboard.
• Heroism Motive Speech: A good guy makes a speech about why they became the hero and/or what being a hero means to them.
• Heroic Rematch: The hero loses against an important enemy early on, but wins against them when it counts the most later.
• Heroic Resolve: A hero, when being beaten, finds an inner strength and the will to win.
• Heroic Russian Émigré: Anti-bolshevik Russian expats are portrayed positively.
• Heroic Sacrifice: Getting oneself killed in a selfless effort to save other people.
• Heroic Safe Mode: Instead of breaking down, the hero goes into fight-or-flight Determinator mode.
• Heroic Seductress: A highly attractive but virtuous woman who uses her looks to advance her heroic goals.
• Heroic Self-Deprecation: The hero belittles themselves.
• Heroic Vow: The hero makes a promise that they intend to keep at all costs.
• Heroic Willpower: The hero is in danger of being corrupted by an evil force, but manages to fight it off by doing their best not to give in to the madness.
• Heroism Equals Job Qualification
• Heroism Won't Pay the Bills: Fighting for all that's good isn't a well-paying job.
• Hero on Hiatus
• Hero Secret Service: The people who protect the important one.
• "The Hero Sucks" Song: Characters, usually villains, insult the hero through a song.
• A Hero to His Hometown
• Hero with an F in Good: A character who isn't very good at being a hero.
• Hero with Bad Publicity: A good guy who has an (undeservedly) bad reputation among the citizens. Which may be the result of manipulations by a bad guy with a better reputation.
• Hidden Agenda Hero: The hero's motive is a mystery.
• Hidden Heart of Gold: A character doesn't want others to know about their benevolent side.
• High-Heel–Face Turn: When a villainous group has just one woman, then she's the one who will turn good in the end.
• The High Queen: The queen is beautiful and good to an inhuman degree, and is to be held in awe.
• Hollywood Action Hero
• Homegrown Hero
• Homeless Hero: A nomadic hero who wanders around to fight evil.
• Honest Corporate Executive: The head of a corporation is a good person and refuses to use their company for unethical purposes.
• Hooker with a Heart of Gold: A sex worker who is kind-hearted, beautiful and attractive, usually to provide a romantic foil for The Hero.
• Hope Bringer: A hero who rallies and inspires others to act.
• Horrifying Hero: Heroes' looks and abilities seem more like they'd conventionally belong on a villain than a good guy.
• Horseback Heroism: Good guys are performing noble actions while riding horses.
• Hospitality for Heroes: Generous shopkeeper gives away product to heroes or generally good people for their deeds.
• Houseboat Hero: A hero who live in a houseboat.
• Humble Hero: A hero has no ego and believes themself to be ordinary.
• "I Want" Song: Heroes express their desires or dreams through a musical number.
• Ideal Hero: A hero who's held up as being a near-perfect role model.
• The Idealist Was Right: A character who was scoffed at for being idealistic ends up having the best solution for their problems.
• Idiot Hero: The hero is not really smart.
• I'm Not a Hero, I'm...: Heroes (or any characters with good qualities) deny their status as a hero even if their actions said otherwise.
• Immortal Hero: Heroes never die in the story, unlike villains.
• Incorruptible Pure Pureness: The hero who is morally pure and is immune to temptation.
• Indian Maiden: A woman who is the calming force behind her father or chieftain, aiding him through the difficult times of woe in an age that threatens their way of life.
• Injured Self-Drag: What a hero will do if they're badly beaten or injured, because a hero will refuse to give up.
• Innocent Aliens: Extraterrestrials who truly come in peace.
• Innocent Soprano: In musical theater, the innocent romantic heroine has a high singing voice.
• Internal Reformist: A character who is part of a corrupt system works to improve it, or at least refuses to engage in wrongdoing.
• Intrepid Reporter: A reporter actively seeks out and gets involved in their stories.
• Invincible Hero: A hero who is so super-competent that they seem to be outright unstoppable.
• Iron Lady
• Iron Woobie: The hero is a miserable person, but that won't stop them from quitting their journey.
• It Sucks to Be the Chosen One: The hero dislikes being forced to face their destiny.
• Japanese Spirit: The belief that everyone (or rather, everyone "good") is or can become better by a certain virtue, whether it's a born-with trait, a faith that cannot be shaken, or undying willpower.
• Jeanne d'Archétype: A young Action Girl in military combat who is viewed as an inspiring symbol of the cause.
• Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Some heroes are mean, but have a soft side deep down.
• Jumped at the Call: A character is eager to uphold the responsibility of being the hero once they are given the chance.
• Just Like Robin Hood: Criminals who steal from the filthy rich and give to the poor.

K-M

• Karma Houdini: A character who escapes the consequences of their wrongdoings might step back and reevaluate their lives and redeem themselves.
• Karmic Jackpot: Characters are rewarded for performing good deeds.
• Kid Detective: A child who solves crime.
• Kid Hero: The hero is a young child or teenager.
• Kid Hero All Grown-Up: They've entered a full-time career of heroism in adulthood.
• Kindhearted Cat Lover: A kind hero who loves cats.
• Kindhearted Simpleton: A generally pig-ignorant, stupid character who makes up for their idiocy and denseness by being morally nice and show any sort of likability in them.
• Kindly Vet: A character who is a veterinarian is also as kind as can be.
• The Kindnapper: Someone kidnaps others for reasons that are (or are believed to be) benevolent.
• King in the Mountain: A legendary figure is believed to be in hibernation until the people they've protected need them again rather than dead.
• Kleptomaniac Hero: "Take everything that isn't nailed down or too heavy, and anything that can be pried loose is not considered nailed down".
• Kneel Before Frodo: A heroic character is unexpectedly bowed to.
• Knight Errant: Drifting heroes who do good deeds as they pass by.
• Knight in Shining Armor: A hero who champions the weak and innocent, especially women in distress.
• Knight in Sour Armor: A cynical hero who nonetheless continues to do good.
• Knight Templar: Character who has noble goals, but can be self-righteous and extremist in achieving them.
• Lady and Knight: The brave, chivalrous knight defends and falls in love with the fair lady.
• Lady of Adventure
• Lady of War
• The Lancer: The hero's second-in-command.
• Lancer vs. Dragon: When The Lancer takes on their Evil Counterpart The Dragon.
• Lantern Jaw of Justice: Good guys with huge chins.
• Law Enforcement, Inc.: A self-funded, self-supporting private agency which can act as a legal authority and law enforcement power, or as an official military outfit.
• Lawful Good: Involving good and order.
• The Leader: A role always filled by the main hero/protagonist of the story.
• Let's You and Him Fight: Two heroes, on the same side, and working for the same goals, attack each other.
• Light Is Good: Heroes are usually associated with the light and bright colors.
• A Lighter Shade of Grey: When an Anti-Hero is more heroic than an Anti-Villain.
• Little Old Lady Investigates
• Load-Bearing Hero: A hero that holds a falling object to save the members of main cast or others.
• Loon with a Heart of Gold: A character who is quirky, insane or unhinged is also one of the kindest and most compassionate, more than most of the "normals".
• Lord Error-Prone: A klutzy or incompetent hero or quest-doer.
• Lovable Alpha Bitch: The Alpha Bitch is actually a good person underneath.
• Lovable Coward: They're too chicken to confront danger, but end up being forced to do so anyways.
• Lovable Jock: The sports guy is more warm-hearted than his domineering look would imply.
• Lovable Lizard: Heroic (or at least friendly) lizards.
• Lovable Sex Maniac: A sex-crazed character who is portrayed as likable and heroic.
• Love Goddess: A deity of love.
• Loved by All: The hero is universally liked by everyone.
• Madonna Archetype: Characters modeled after the Virgin Mary.
• Magical Asian: A wise Asian mentors a usually white character.
• Magical Girl: Young girls learning to find their place in the world while secretly fighting to protect it with magical powers.
• Magical Jew: A Jewish character becomes a source of wisdom or a mentor for other (usually non-Jewish) characters.
• Magical Negro: A minority character will step forward to help the hero, with their pure heart and folksy wisdom, and possibly magic.
• Magical Queer: A character that has all of the wisdom in the world because they are gay, and has been persecuted because of it.
• Magical Romani
• Magician Detective
• Magnetic Hero: A hero with remarkable personal magnetism gains friends and allies with astonishing ease.
• Main Character Final Boss: The hero of the story also plays the role of its final boss.
• Mammal Monsters Are More Heroic: Mammalian monsters are portrayed as heroes.
• Man of the City: The hero who ensures the safety and well-being of the city they live in.
• Martial Pacifist: They would personally prefer a peaceful solution, but that doesn't mean they aren't willing to put up a good fight if they have to.
• Mean Character, Nice Actor: The character is mean and nasty, but the actor behind that character is not.
• The Meddling Kids Are Useless
• The Medic: A character serves to heal while all his teammates do the fighting.
• MegaCorp: A (nominally heroic) business institution with government-like powers.
• Mellow Fellow: A character, who is easy-going and content with their position, is often a benevolent or at least affable character due to rarely being confrontational.
• Mentor Archetype: A character whose role is to ensure the heroes' Character Development in case they can't do their pupils' tasks themselves.
  • Mentor in Sour Armor: A mentor who is snarky, cynical, and harsh on the surface, but is a good person underneath.
  • Sink or Swim Mentor: A mentor teaches another character a skill by putting them in a life-or-death situation.
• Mentor's New Hope: Training a new student inspires an old mentor.
• Messianic Archetype: A savior who endures great sacrifices, up to and including death, to aid others.
• Mighty Whitey: Outsider, usually from a more technologically advanced nation, becomes a better tribesman than any of the native people.
• Mission Control: A character who assists another one (usually an agent) on their objectives via long-distance communication.
• Mistaken for Superpowered
• Misunderstood Loner with a Heart of Gold: A character may seem evil, but he/she is actually a good person.
• The Mole: A hero who is secretly working for the other side.
• Monster Façade: A monster who is scary but has a heart of gold on the inside.
• Monster Adventurers: Creatures who are generally disposable Mooks decide they want the Plot Armor that comes with being a hero.
• Mook–Face Turn: Mooks who are convinced by heroes to defect to the forces of good.
• Moral Pragmatist: Characters join the side of good because it's practical.
• More Hero than Thou: Good guys have a dispute over who gets to make the noble sacrifice.
• Moses Archetype: Character that acts as a leader to their people as Moses had done, liberating them from slavery and guiding them to a promised land.
• Mr. Vice Guy: A hero who often engages in some sort of sin or vice.
• Multinational Team: A team of heroes has members from different countries.
• My Girl Back Home
• My Hero, Zero: A protagonist named "Zero".
• Mystery Writer Detective

N-R

• Naïve Everygirl
• Nature Hero: Heroes with an affinity to nature and the wilderness or derive their powers from such.
• Nature Lover: A character is driven by an affinity for the natural world.
• Nazi Hunter: Someone who tries to bring fugitive Nazi war criminals to justice.
• Necessarily Evil: Some good guys assume the villain's role out of necessity.
• Neighbourhood-Friendly Gangsters: Local criminals try to protect their neighbors and communities from other bad guys.
• Nerd Action Hero
• Neutral Good: Involving selflessness, without substantial favor for or outside rules.
• Nice Guy: A kindhearted hero who is a very swell guy/girl to be around with.
• No Badass to His Valet
• No Hero to His Valet: There's always one person (or a group of people) who sees the popular hero as just a guy.
• "No More Holding Back" Speech: The hero makes a speech about the problems they've experienced and how they overcame them.
• No One Gets Left Behind: Even with imminent danger closing in, one character risks everything to help another get out alive.
• Noble Bigot: They still try to do the right thing despite their prejudices.
• Noble Bigot with a Badge: A policeman who tries to uphold the law despite their prejudices.
• Noble Profession: Some occupations are just expected to be benevolent, well-meaning and lovely.
• Noble Savage: Someone from a primitive tribe, who is generally more decent and wise than people from civilized society.
• Noble Wolf: Wolves are portrayed as proud, noble, dignified, intelligent and usually reasonable (although still dangerous).
• Nominal Hero: Someone who may incidentally do some good deeds despite a total lack of altruistic motives.
• Non-Action Protagonist: A protagonist who shows no combat ability, but overcomes obstacles through non-action means.
• Non-Ironic Clown: This type of clown who is a good guy in every sense of the word, intending to entertain children in circus.
• Non-Powered Costumed Hero: A character that dresses up in a non-standard costume to fight crime/evil or to save people, but has no special powers.
• Not Too Dead to Save the Day: Dead or "dead" person comes back just in time to save the day.
• Officer and a Gentleman: This character is a cultured, refined, polite, and honorable military officeholder.
• Officer O'Hara: The stereotypical Irish police officer.
• Old-Fashioned Copper: British bobbies are characterized for being morally upstanding law enforcers.
• Omniscient Hero: The being isn't only omniscient, but is a hero as well.
• The One with a Personal Life: The one member of the crew who still has a life outside of adventuring.
• Only the Chosen May Wield: A weapon only wieldable by the Chosen One or one with certain special attributes.
• Outdated Hero vs. Improved Society
• Outside-Context Problem, when they are the good guys.
• Pajama-Clad Hero: A hero who does good deeds while in sleepwear.
• The Paragon: The hero who encourages others to be more heroic.
• Part-Time Hero: A hero who tries to live a normal life between heroics.
• Patrick Stewart Speech: A character defends humanity by pointing out its strengths.
• Paying It Forward: A character helps another because someone else helped them in a similar situation before.
• Pet the Dog: An outwardly rude character does something nice to prove that they are good underneath.
• Pink Heroine: The color pink associated with superheroines.
• Plucky Girl: A brave and optimistic heroine.
• Polite Villains, Rude Heroes: Good is Not Nice versus Affably Evil.
• Politically Incorrect Hero: A hero who holds some very controversial beliefs about other people.
• The Poorly Chosen One: Unfortunately, they totally failed to achieve their great destiny.
• Positive Friend Influence: A character that helps others within their social circle (friends, family, Ragtag Bunch of Misfits, etc) to start making their way on overcoming their issues and become better people.
• The Power of Friendship: A hero can defeat a bad guy with companionship as his/her strength.
• The Power of Love: The heroes' love for each other lets them overcome their trials.
• The Power of Rock: A hero can defeat the villain via rock music.
• Pragmatic Hero: A hero who does morally questionable deeds for the greater good.
• Precursor Heroes: A hero or group of heroes that arose in the hour of need and dealt with the threat 1,000 years ago.
• President Superhero: A President (or otherwise Chief of State) of a sovereign country who happens to have superpowers — and does use them for heroics as a side job.
• Primary-Color Champion: Heroes tend to wear primary colors, particularly red and blue.
• Princess Protagonist: When the heroine is a member of royalty.
• Private Detective: A professional crime investigator who is not a member of the police, but is hired by them to help solve cases.
• Pro-Human Transhuman: The enhanced hero still cares for the well-being of others, augmented or not.
• Prodigal Hero: A character who lives in the lap of luxury, then run away from home, live in exile, and return home to save the day.
• Prohibited Hero Saves the Day: The character told to stay back ends up saving everyone.
• Propaganda Hero: A hero who is made into the symbol of a cause.
• Proper Lady: An ideal woman who's self-sacrificing, smart, loyal, chaste, incorruptible, gentle, and strong.
• A Protagonist Shall Lead Them: A long-divided people are united by the prophesied arrival of a hero, who becomes their leader.
• Protectorate: A character swears to defend something from harm.
• Proto-Superhero: Early versions of the modern superhero archetype.
• Punch-Clock Hero: This character is a hero because it's his job. Not a big deal.
• Putting the "Pal" in Principal: The archetypal personable school principal.
• The Quarterback: The effective captain who is usually nicer than his teammates.
• Quintessential British Gentleman: An stereotypical proper British character who is involving the virtues of hospitality, rationality and temperance, the avoidance of irrational extremes, devotion to 'things held dear', rebellion against corruption, and courageous composure in the face of adversity.
• Ragtag Bunch of Misfits: A ramshackle group of characters has to save the day.
• The Real Heroes: Ordinary servicemen and everyday civilians should deserve more respect for their good deeds.
• Reasonable Authority Figure: The authority figure who mostly aids the heroes.
• Rebel Leader: The character who leads La Résistance.
• Rebellious Rebel: A character rebels against a rebellious organization.
• Reckless Pacifist: A character that vehemently refuses to kill their assailants but nevertheless tend to endanger the lives of others (enemies, allies, or bystanders) quite often.
• Recruit Teenagers with Attitude: Instead of trained adults or the average superheroes, random teenagers are asked to save the day.
• Red Is Heroic: Many good guys like to wear red clothes.
• Redshirts: The Good Counterpart of evil Mooks. Unfortunately, they're not any more useful in a fight.
• Redshirt Army
• The Redeemer: The hero reforms a majority of villains they meet.
• Redeeming Replacement: The identity of a villain is assumed by someone who instead uses the identity to be a hero so as to make amends for their predecessor's crimes.
• Reformed, but Not Tamed: A villainous character turns to the good side, but retains some of their evil qualities.
• Reformed Bully: A character who once was a school bully is reformed.
• Reformed Criminal: Small time Criminals who have a change of heart and join the good guys.
• Refusal of the Call: The character, typically the hero, receives a Call to Adventure but at first refuses for some reason.
• Reluctant Warrior: Heroes who only fight when it's absolutely necessary.
• The Republic: Usually capitalist, democratic, and humanitarian heroic culture, more tight-knit than The Federation.
• La Résistance: A group of people who intend to fight back against and overthrow the tyrannical regime oppressing them.
• Retired Badass: A hero who is retired (but no less brave or competent).
• Rich Kid Turned Social Activist: An idealistic person who's from a very rich background, but tries to help the poor and downtrodden personally and directly.
• Right Makes Might: The hero believes that justice will prevail, and so it does.
• Right Man in the Wrong Place
• Righteous Rabbit: Rabbits tend to be depicted as friendly, nice or good.
• Rightly Self-Righteous: These heroes may brag and boast a lot about their goodness, but they really are as good as they claim themselves to be.
• Rose-Haired Sweetie: A girl with pink hair has a magnanimous and optimistic personality to match.
• Rude Hero, Nice Sidekick: A hero who is a jerk who is accompanied by a nicer sidekick.

S-Z

• Saint-Bernard Rescue: A Saint-Bernard that carries a barrel of brandy around its neck comes to the rescue when somebody is dying of hypothermia.
• Saintly Church: The Church that means well.
• Santa Claus: The ultimate representation of goodwill and holiday cheer.
• Satan Is Good: Satan is portrayed as a heroic figure.
• Saving the World: The ubiquitous goal of many stock heroes: Preventing The End of the World as We Know It or the world from being conquered.
• Scary Black Man: Some good guys are heavy-set or very muscular dark-skinned male character is perceived as particularly threatening or badass.
• Science Hero: The hero is a scholar who uses his scientific knowledge to fight evil.
• Scrap Heap Hero
• Screw the Rules, I'm Doing What's Right!: A character who listens and does what their heart tells them is the morally right thing to do and not what bureaucratic laws tell them to.
• Sealed Good in a Can: A hero who has somehow been imprisoned for a long time.
• Secular Hero: A hero who doesn't hold religious beliefs.
• Series Mascot: Most good guys serve as iconic characters chosen to represent a fictional universe or media franchise.
• Sexy Villains, Chaste Heroes: Sexualized villains' designs contrast with the designs of more modest heroes.
• Sheep in Sheep's Clothing: A good-natured character is suspected to be not-so-nice, but turns out to be exactly as initially perceived.
  • Sheep in Wolf's Clothing: A character who has been turned non-human and infiltrates the non-humans to help their human friends.
• Showy Invincible Hero
• Shut Up, Hannibal!: After the villain tries to break the hero's spirit by claiming that their heroic efforts are worthless or that the hero is no different from the villain, the hero responds by sharply rebuking the villain and rejecting their harangue as they prepare to kick the villain's butt.
• Sidekick Song: The hero's sidekick has a moment to shine with a song.
• Sixth Ranger: An additional team member who joins the hero team a good while after the other members have been active.
• Small Steps Hero: A hero who does immediate good and worries about evil later.
• The Smart Guy: The most intelligent member of the group.
• Smith of the Yard
• Smiting Evil Feels Good: Heroes get enjoyment and satisfaction from hurting evil.
• Snooping Little Kid
• Socially Awkward Hero: While they're eager to help other people, they're not very good at casually socializing with them.
• Sociopathic Hero: The Sociopath is a "hero".
• The Soft-Hearted Warrior: A warrior feared on the battlefield but not at home.
• Southern Gentleman: A polite and proper guy from the American south, typically with a few unpleasant traits.
• Spanner in the Works: The hero foils the villain's plan by accident or because the villain failed to anticipate their involvement.
• Spark of the Rebellion: A small act of defiance against The Empire kickstarts a rebellion.
• Spoiled Sweet: A rich, sheltered and optimistic character who can be genuinely affable and use their wealth to help people.
• The Spymaster: The character who commands all of a faction's spies.
• Standard Royal Court: A staple setting of historical and Speculative Fiction, the natural home of good kings, the Good Chancellors, and every breed of aristocrat.
• Stock Light-Novel Hero: The stereotypical protagonist of most Light Novel stories.
• Stock Shōnen Hero: The stereotypical protagonist of most Shōnen anime.
• Stock Shoujo Heroine: The stereotypical protagonist of most Shoujo anime.
• Stoic Woobie
• Summon Everyman Hero
• Superheroes: Heroes who are defined by possessing special skills, abilities, superpowers, or at least a gimmicky theme and grandiose personality that sets them apart from more mundane heroes. Obviously enough, they're the opposite of supervillains.
• Superhero Episode: An episode where a character temporarily gains superpowers (or at least a costume) and fights crime.
• Superhero Trophy Shelf: The hero's lair contains souvenirs from their adventures.
• Superior Species: A race that is at least apt to being better than humans in practically every relevant way.
• Superman Substitute: A character clearly designed as an Expy or Captain Ersatz of Superman.
• "Super Sentai" Stance: Superheroes go into a coordinated posing routine designed to look "cool".
• Super Zeroes: Incompetent superheroes.
• Supporting Leader: A secondary character who leads the forces of good in their struggle against the villain.
• Sweet Baker: A person who regularly bakes has an amicable personality.
• Swiss-Army Hero: The hero can change forms to cover many different situations or roles.
• Sympathetic Inspector Antagonist: The antagonist of a work is a sympathetic police officer trying to capture the law-breaking criminal protagonist.
• Take Up My Sword: The hero dies, so someone else needs to heed his/her call.
• Team Chef: The member of a hero team who does the cooking.
• Team Dad: The surrogate father to the heroic team.
• Team Mom: The surrogate mother to the heroic team.
• Technical Pacifist: A pacifist who is fine with using violence so long as it's non-lethal, or will only commit lethal violence as an absolute last resort.
• Teen Superspy: A hero with all of the style, panache and gadgetry, who exists to save the world (or maybe just the kids) from megalomaniacs bent on world domination.
• Tenor Boy: The young and idealistic romantic lead in theater tends to sing in the tenor range.
• Terror Hero: A heroic character who exploits the villains' fears.
• Things I Will Do If I Am Ever the Hero
• To Absent Friends: Two or more heroes gather to grieve for a dead comrade, with a toast or without a formalized structure, usually after their heroic cause.
• Token Good Cop: The only law-enforcement officer shown who isn't corrupt, incompetent, or otherwise ineffective.
• Token Good Teammate: The only nice person among a gang of scoundrels.
• Token Heroic Orc: The only heroic member of a species that is (otherwise) evil.
• Took a Level in Kindness: Characters become nicer over time.
• Tooth Fairy: A (mostly) benevolent faerie that collects teeth from human children.
• Tragic Hero: A hero who's motivated by their Dark and Troubled Past, or has otherwise suffered great hardship.
• Training the Peaceful Villagers: A heroic character teaches a normally peaceful group of people how to defend themselves.
• Trenchcoat Brigade
• A True Hero: An exploration of what makes someone a legitimate or better hero.
• Tsundere
• Uncle Pennybags: A wealthy person who often uses their fortune to help the needy and/or give those less fortunate than them a good time.
• Underhanded Hero: A heroic character who is skilled in a combination of thievery, stealth, deception, acrobatics, and manipulation.
• Unfazed Everyman
• Unintentionally Karmic: They save the day and ruin things for the bad guy…but not on purpose.
• Unlikely Hero: Nobody really expects them to rise up to the challenge of saving the day.
• Unscrupulous Hero: A hero who is considered one because the villains are worse than him.
• Upbringing Makes the Hero: Heroes with a down-to-earth upbringing tend to have a strong enough moral compass to navigate most moral dilemmas.
• Villain Killer: A (oftentimes) heroic character who has killed numerous villains (including Big Bads, The Dragons, and or villainous factions).
• Virtuous Bees: Thanks to their gentle character, work ethic, and their willingness to sacrifice themselves for the greater good, bees are seen as virtuous and noble insects.
• Virtuous Character Copy: A hero based on a villain from another work.
• Virtuous Vegetarianism: A character's refusal to eat meat is used as a symbol of inner goodness or purity.
• Wake Up, Go to School & Save the World: Young heroes have to balance their school life with fighting evil.
• Walking Spoiler: A hero's mere existence involves major spoilers for the work.
• War Hero: A character who served/serves in the military and been decorated for heroism on the battlefield.
• We Help the Helpless: Heroes will lend a hand to anyone in need of their help. The less fortunate classes of society are no exception.
• Weaker Twin Saves the Day: Where one twin is weaker but ends up reluctantly saving the day when their stronger sibling dies.
• Wealthy Philanthropist: A rich character who attempts to use their money to help the poor and other people who are in need.
• Welcome Back, Traitor: A party member changes sides only to come back and is received in open arms.
• Well-Intentioned Extremist: Some good guys who resort to extreme methods to achieve their good goals.
• White Magician Girl: A healing specialist whose role is the party's resident healer, nurturer and source of feminine wisdom.
• White Man's Burden: A white character sets out to help improve the lives of a (usually racial) minority.
• White Sheep: A good character who rebels against their evil family.
• Wise Old Turtle: Turtles and tortoises are depicted as wise old mentors.
• The Wise Prince: A ruler who is worthy of their title and also very troubled.
• Wise Tree: Trees that are willing to teach others the ways of the world, stories of the ancient past, or the villain's weakness.
• With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility: The newcomer hero realizes that they should use their powers to protect and help people rather than for personal gain.
• Withholding the Big Good
• Wonderful Werewolf
• The Wonka: The owner of a business who runs the business well in spite of being completely bonkers.
• Working-Class Hero: The hero comes from a lower-class background.
• "X" Marks the Hero: A character has a cross-shaped scar to show they're a badass good guy.
• The Xenophile: Human characters who are fascinated by space aliens.
• You Meddling Kids: Villains blame it on the "meddling kids" when caught.
• Zombie Apocalypse Hero: The hero of a Zombie Apocalypse, whose goal is to survive against the zombie hordes at all costs.

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