Illustrated for your convenience.
"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 list is about different kinds of heroic characters. We also have a specific list of Hero Tropes, which are ways that heroes are made heroic in storytelling.
If you're looking for something about the show of the same name, try Heroes (and if a link from another page sent you here instead of there, feel free to correct it — no-one may ever know you did, but virtue is its own reward!). You may also be looking for our page on the David Bowie album "Heroes".
Tropes:
- Accidental Hero
- The Ace
- Action Dad
- Action Genre Hero Guy
- Action Girl
- Action Hero
- Action Pet
- Action Survivor
- Adaptational Heroism
- Adaptational Nice Guy
- Adventurer Archaeologist
- The All-American Boy
- All-Loving Hero
- Always Lawful Good
- Amnesiac Hero
- Anti-Anti-Christ
- Anti-Hero
- Arc Hero
- The Atoner
- Badass Biker
- Badass Bookworm
- Badass Unintentional
- Bad Powers, Good People
- Barbarian Hero
- Beacon of Hope
- Beauty Equals Goodness
- Benevolent Mage Ruler
- Big Good
- The Big Guy
- Blue Is Heroic
- Broken Hero
- Brother-Sister Team
- The Cape
- The Captain
- Celibate Hero
- Character Alignment:
- Chaste Hero
- The Chick
- The Chosen One
- Chronic Hero Syndrome
- Comedic Hero
- Comes Great Responsibility
- Commanding Coolness
- Contrasting Sequel Main Character
- Cool Uncle
- The Cowl
- Create Your Own Hero
- Creepy Good
- Crusading Lawyer
- Damsel in Distress
- Dark Is Not Evil
- Defends Against Their Own Kind
- Designated Hero
- Determinator
- Deuteragonist
- Doomed Moral Victor
- Dork Knight
- The Drifter
- Eternal Hero
- Experienced Protagonist
- Extraordinarily Empowered Girl
- Face
- Face of a Thug
- Failure Knight
- Fallen Princess
- Farm Boy
- The Fettered
- First-Person Smartass
- Five-Man Band
- Folk Hero
- The Fool
- Genius Bruiser
- Gentle Giant
- Gentleman and a Scholar
- God of Good
- Good All Along
- Good-Guy Bar
- Good Is Not Nice
- Good Is Not Soft
- The Good King
- Good Parents
- Good Versus Good
- Great White Hunter
- Greater-Scope Paragon
- Guile Hero
- The Gunslinger
- Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold
- The Heart
- Heel–Face Turn
- Henshin Hero
- The Hero
- Heroes Act, Villains Hinder
- Hero Academy
- Hero Antagonist
- Hero Protagonist
- Heroes Love Dogs
- Heroic Albino
- Heroic Bastard
- Heroic Build
- Heroic Dog
- Heroic Dolphin
- Heroic Russian Émigré
- Heroic Sacrifice
- Heroic Seductress
- Heroism Won't Pay the Bills
- Hero Secret Service
- "The Hero Sucks" Song
- A Hero to His Hometown
- Hero with an F in Good
- Hero with Bad Publicity
- Hollywood Nerd (Hollywood Geek)
- Homeless Hero
- Honest Corporate Executive
- Hope Bringer
- Horrifying Hero
- Horseback Heroism
- Hurting Hero
- Ideal Hero
- Idiot Hero
- Incorruptible Pure Pureness
- Index with a Heart of Gold
- Intrepid Reporter
- Iron Lady
- Iron Woobie
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold
- Kid Detective
- Kid Hero
- King in the Mountain
- Knight in Shining Armor
- Lady of Adventure
- The Lancer
- Lantern Jaw of Justice
- The Last DJ
- Light Is Good
- Little Old Lady Investigates
- Lord Error-Prone
- Lovable Alpha Bitch
- Lovable Coward
- Magician Detective
- Magnetic Hero
- Martial Pacifist
- Messianic Archetype
- Mighty Whitey
- Monster Adventurers
- Mr. Vice Guy
- My Girl Back Home
- Mystery Writer Detective
- Naïve Everygirl
- Nature Hero
- Nazi Hunter
- Nice Guy
- Noble Savage
- Outdated Hero vs. Improved Society
- Outside-Context Problem, when they are the good guys
- The Paragon
- Part-Time Hero
- Pet the Dog
- Pink Heroine
- Plucky Girl
- A Polite Index
- Polite Villains, Rude Heroes
- Politically Incorrect Hero
- The Poorly Chosen One
- Prodigal Hero
- Propaganda Hero
- Proto-Superhero
- Punch-Clock Hero
- The Quarterback
- Rebellious Rebel
- Red Is Heroic
- Red Shirt Army
- Retired Badass
- Right Man in the Wrong Place
- Righteous Rabbit
- Rude Hero, Nice Sidekick
- Science Hero
- Scrap Heap Hero
- Sealed Good in a Can
- Secular Hero
- The Sixth Ranger
- Small Steps Hero
- The Smart Guy
- Smith of the Yard
- Snooping Little Kid
- Socially-Awkward Hero
- Spanner in the Works
- Spoiled Sweet
- Stock Shōnen Hero
- Stock Shoujo Heroine
- Summon Everyman Hero
- Super Zeroes
- Supporting Leader
- Technical Pacifist
- Teen Superspy
- Terror Hero
- Token Good Teammate
- Token Heroic Orc
- Took a Level in Kindness
- Tragic Hero
- Trenchcoat Brigade
- Tsundere
- Underhanded Hero
- Unfazed Everyman
- Unlikely Hero
- Wake Up, Go to School, Save the World
- The Wise Prince
- The Wonka
- Working-Class Hero
