Let's talk about heroes

So I'm working on a project for a writing class, and the teacher wants us to focus on making a "reach" - basically, using our stories to build upon a general idea, or a skill to master. Me being me, I decided to focus on "building a hero that people will cheer for".

It was then that I realized that if I'm going to make a cool hero — both for the project and beyond — then I should get some second opinions on what people like about heroes. Their characters, their trials, their personalities...tell me about your preferences. Anything that makes you Squee whenever he/she takes the stage.

Or if you so desire, what do you put into your heroes? What do you go for, or what do you want to "prove", so to speak?

So let's hear it. Let's have a heroic hootenanny! Or, if you prefer, a box social.

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A hero is just an asshole legitimized by worship and circumstance. Or, to quote Malcolm Reynolds...

"It's my estimation that every man ever got a statue made of him was one kind of sum-bitch or other. But it ain't about you...its about what they need."

Sorry OP, I'm on the other side of that issue.

If I were to write some of the strange things that come under my eyes they would not be believed. ~Cora M. Strayer~

I think the most entertaining heroes are those who are cool, but remain human. They'll have their quirks, their failings and their flaws, and we can laugh at them or feel sorry for them, but they'll also be incredibly badass. Their flaws are what make their badassery impressive (rather than Suish).

Also, they're not static. They develop over time. That aspect is fairly crucial, I think.

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I like my heroes with a touch of zannyness. When you dressing up and going around fighting monkeys, you just have to realize the ridiculousness of the situation.

Theres sex and death and human grime in monochrome for one thin dime and at least the trains all run on time but they dont go anywhere.

Okay, I'll be serious now.

The most important component of a hero is his flaws. After all, positive traits compel us to rest in our laurels, whereas flaws are the driving force that spur change. A hero is often effecting greatness around him to put some inner demon to rest; how many Real Life heroes were driven by the ghost of a past mistake?

If I were to write some of the strange things that come under my eyes they would not be believed. ~Cora M. Strayer~

or their own neuroses

Theres sex and death and human grime in monochrome for one thin dime and at least the trains all run on time but they dont go anywhere.

I prefer heroines, to be blunt. The reasons are difficult to explain, unfortunately.

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I always kinda liked heros who are The Determinator, pushing through the pain and the hurdles to stay true to what they set out to do, never giving in despite all the temptations. Fills my heart with pride, it does, when done well.

It can get irritating though, if the character is constantly talking about never giving up — it gets kinda cheesy after the first few mentions. Definitely one of the things better shown than told.

Nemo enim fere saltat sobrius, nisi forte insanit Deviantart.

@Sand: I think we're speaking in gender-neutral terms, but I can see why you'd like a good heroine. Most of the central protagonists in my stories are women, for some odd reason.

@Dec: I like Determinators as well, but I agree that its annoying when it gets just a little too overdone.

edited 2nd Mar '11 8:05:50 PM by drunkscriblerian

If I were to write some of the strange things that come under my eyes they would not be believed. ~Cora M. Strayer~

The greatest hero is, of course, Lex Luthor and in the spirit of the great Lex, they have to be willing to sacrice the lives of thousands, millions and indeed billions of innocent people in order to satisfy a personal vendetta against a guy who's only crime is being better than them.

Seriously though, a hero that's willing to bend the rules once in awhile. Not always, or even often but once in a blue moon you'll come across that one guy whose death would make the universe a better place and not taking him out would be downright What the Hell, Hero? material.

edited 2nd Mar '11 8:13:02 PM by Anaheyla

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John Custer from Preacher put it fairly simple:

"You've gotta be one of the good guys, 'cause there are way too many of the bad."

That's how I feel a hero should be. Trying to do the right thing not for the fame & glory, but because they think that somebody has to step up to the plate (so to speak). Whether they succeed or not depends on various factors.

Embroiled in slave rebellion, I escaped crucifixion simply by declaring 'I am Vito', everyone else apparently being called 'Spartacus'.

@Ana: easy to write, but hard to find in the real world. I prefer heroes who view violence as a necessary evil, no matter how "justified" it may look to be.

The Dirty Harry film Magnum Force (irony of ironies) does a good job of playing with this theme; Harry's investigating cops who are taking the law into their own hands, and wondering the whole time what, if anything, makes them different from him.

I like heroes who are all to aware how close they are to the other side of the equation.

If I were to write some of the strange things that come under my eyes they would not be believed. ~Cora M. Strayer~

In my experience, heroes need flaws. It lets people sympathize with them and makes them cheer for them even more when they get past their problems and kick some ass (figuratively or literally).

I personally prefer heroes with a "good" motive and a boatload of problems. They seem more like the people reading about them that way

I've got new mythological machinery, and very handsome supernatural scenery. Goodfae: a mafia web serial

Wow, lots of good responses here. It feels like there's a lot for me to consider...

If you don't mind, I'd like to toss out another idea for you guys to grapple with. A classmate of mine (in the same fiction class, no less) was doing a presentation on Reservoir Dogs, and the subject about heroes came up during his talk. His opinion? To put simply — and in trope-speak — Good Is Old-Fashioned. By the sound of it, anti-heroes and the like were the way to go...except the teacher called him out on it for being so narrow-minded.

And I almost did, too; frankly, I think there's a mountain of potential to be had from The Cape and others like it. Like a lot of you have been saying, it's the flaws and humanizing characteristics that make a hero special. Still, what do you make of it?

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I can certainly see the appeal of an anti-hero, but they're anti for a reason. Most anti-heroes shouldn't really be called "heroes". "Protagonist" fits the bill much better, because it doesn't imply any particular kind of morality.

When you get out of the rut of thinking of anti-heroes as actual heroes, their potential is much vaster. John Constantine is a good example of this — he's not a hero; just the perspective of the overall narrative. He doesn't do things out of good or evil, even though he leans towards the good end of the spectrum. Constantine just does things for self-preservation, or to protect someone he cares about, or because he's curious.

An anti-hero is a fantastic opportunity when it comes to narrative, but far from the only option. Or even a good option. A lot of people can't write anti-heroes, because they want to write a hero who swears a lot and is sometimes mean. That's just an asshole with abilities.

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@Voltech: Oh, I would have loved to hear someone try and sell the characters in Reservoir Dogs as heroes. That would have been funny.

Someone should have explained to the kid that there's a vast gulf of difference between "hero" and "protagonist".

I would not say that Good Is Old-Fashioned, but at a certain point with The Cape, good becomes face-palm worthy. And that causes a disconnect with the viewers, who sit back and go "what a moron. I'd never do that!"

If I were to write some of the strange things that come under my eyes they would not be believed. ~Cora M. Strayer~

An asshole with abilities...I won't lie, I totally lol'd at that. Still, it's a valid point, and I'm glad you brought it up.

Also a valid point. I'm in the idealistic camp, but I'm not so starry-eyed that the squeaky-clean good guy is the be-all and end all — not to mention I've been working with an anti-hero (of sorts) for a while now.

And to be fair, the guy who was presenting on Reservoir Dogs wasn't exactly trying to sell the characters as heroes; it was just a tangent someone brought up about likable protagonists, and that eventually shifted towards heroes and such. Although, wouldn't that make for some interesting new readings?

edited 2nd Mar '11 9:17:58 PM by Voltech44

My Wattpad — A haven for delightful degeneracy

I like The Messiah types, especially when the world doesn't make it easy for them to stand up for their beliefs. I tend to identify with people like that, because I've always been very idealistic and stubborn myself.

I also really like Chessmaster heroes. Mainly, I tend to like when the hero has the kind of personality that naturally leads them into taking action, rather than being forced to take action due to the circumstances. Villains Act, Heroes React gets boring after awhile.

If I'm asking for advice on a story idea, don't tell me it can't be done.

To be honest, I perefer certain world types over hero types. It always bugged me that the only real place an anti-hero can really exist is in a Crapsack World. Granted, putting said hero in a word made more for a lighthearted comedy can be rather hard. That's why the worlds I create tend to balance out the good with the incredibly terrifying.

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I like snarky, pragmatic, cynical protagonists. Nothing irritates me more than Honour Before Reason. Also, I like Deadpan Snarker protagonists, but there are limits; it gets boring when they never stop quipping, even in situations where you'd normally be screaming/crying/asleep.

Scepticism and doubt lead to study and investigation, and investigation is the beginning of wisdom. - Clarence Darrow

I believe that the best heroes fight for something,  ^*

because we strive to achieve many goals every day. Heroes are essentially who we want to be, because they suffer many hardships yet they continue onwards.

@ OP: What do you think about killing off your heroes?

Has ADD, plays World of Tanks, thinks up crazy ideas like children making spaceships for Hitler. Occasionally writes them down.

I like to fully exploit the Sliding Scale Of Anti Heroes for fun and profit, but that's just me...

I'll hide your name inside a word and paint your eyes with false perception.

Brooding cynicism is overdone and not many characters who do it can do it right.

Unless the situation he's in warrants a cynical outlook, the hero should be happy, or at least upbeat. The world is an amazing place, even taking into account the fact that people live in it. He's a mighty man who can kick ass and take names with the best of them.

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A hero is only as good as his villains, which stands to reason that he should be as human as his villains.

Theres sex and death and human grime in monochrome for one thin dime and at least the trains all run on time but they dont go anywhere.

In the same vein as heroes needing to be human, I tend to prefer characters who aren't extraordinary, at least in my own writing. I'd rather write about an average person who does the best they can than a cyborg, vampire, angel, or whatever.

Be not afraid...