Hunk - Television Tropes & Idioms

The classic European and American standard of male beauty*, the hunk is two things: handsome and manly.

His face tends to be squarish and sharp-featured, often with a prominent chin. He has big, well-muscled arms and a large torso with pronounced muscles and little fat. He also has fairly thick, muscular legs, though they get less attention. It is often implied that he is as well-endowed between the legs as in the arms. The hunk may or may not have body hair, depending on the time period

Clothing tends to be simple and timeless. Nowadays, a hunk's casual wardrobe will consist of tight jeans and either a tank top, tight T-shirt, or flannel shirt (if he wears one at all. works oriented at a female audience have him not in increasing numbers). For work and formal events, a smart suit is a given.

The hero of a story, if male, is frequently a hunk, particularly in an action series. If the lead character is a woman, the leading man or the heroine's Love Interest, if not both, tends to be a hunk.

It is rare for a hunk to be an outright villain. However, a nasty hunk is often used to deliver the Moral of the Story. In this case, the (usually young, often teenage) heroine will imagine him to be a perfect Knight In Shining Armour type, but he's actually a Prince Charmless, jerkass or vain prick, thus proving that one should not judge another based on appearances.

Mr. Fanservice is usually one of these. Contrast Pretty Boy. East Asian pop-culture tends to use Bishōnen as the go-to "hot guy standard" instead.

Examples

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Advertising

Calvin Klein hires hunks as underwear models.
Abercrombie and Fitch is built on this trope.
The Old Spice Guy openly exploits and lampshades this trope.

Anime and Manga

Gene Starwind in Outlaw Star.
Guts of Berserk.
Portgas D. Ace in One Piece.
- Roronoa Zoro.
Son Goku in DragonBall
Inugami of Wolf Guy - Wolfen Crest.
Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez of Bleach
- Main protagonist Kurosaki Ichigo has his moments.
Shin Seijurou from Eyeshield Twenty One.
Kamina from Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann.
Kurogane from Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle.

Comics

Superman is usually drawn this way. Clark Kent varies by the artist.
Bruce Wayne aka Batman is also frequently drawn in a hunky manner.
Most male comic book heroes, really. It would probably be quicker to list the aversions of this trope.
Bruce Banner averts it, being short and skinny. His alter-ego doesn't fare much better, as he is generally drawn as extremely muscular but troll-faced. However, during the 90s Bruce Banner and the Hulk were merged into a single persona and this new incarnation was drawn with the Hulk's body and Banner's face, creating a (green) hunk.

Film

Gaston from Beauty and the Beast is a rare villainous example.
Prince Charming in the Shrek movies. Also a villainous hunk.
- There's also Shrek in his human form.
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's role as the name role of The Scorpion King was parodied in Mad Magazine. Let's just say they named the parody The Scorpion Hunk.
- The Rock is cast this way in virtually every role.
In the film version of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Viktor Krum is portrayed as this despite being unattractive and gangly in the books.

Literature

Carrot Ironfoundersson in Discworld is described as being pretty hunky.

Live-Action TV

Angel in both Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, so much so that Even the Guys Want Him.
Booth in Bones, who shares an actor with Angel.
Arthur◊ and the Knights◊ of◊ the◊ Round◊ Table◊. They even have a pet Pretty Boy.◊ Or Merlin has them. No one's really sure which.◊
The title character of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys.
Both Dylan Hunt and Tyr Anasazi in Andromeda. Again, Hunt and Hercules are played by the same actor.
Fraser in Due South
From Degrassi, Spinner, Sean, Jay and Riley fit this trope to Memetic Sex God levels.
Person of Interest gives us the very attractive Jim Caviezel.
John Crichton and Cameron Mitchell, both played by the◊ absurdly◊ attractive◊ Ben◊ Browder.◊ You're welcome.

Professional Wrestling

Due to varying fan opinions and the nature of the form of fiction, it would probably be quicker to mention wrestlers who do not fit this trope.

Video Games

Chris Redfield and Billy Coen in Resident Evil.
Solid Snake from Metal Gear Solid, is considered this for a reason.
Ike in Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance and Radiant Dawn.
Jecht from Final Fantasy X and Dissidia is actually described as having "the body of a bronzed god," which is in stark contrast to the many, many bishies in the series.

Western Animation

Johnny Bravo. Despite having the looks, he repulses women because he is such a preening dumbass.
The aptly named He-Man from He-Man and the Masters of the Universe.
Big Macintosh is a pony version.

I Want To Be A Real Man

Human Notepad

Personal Appearance Tropes