a far from complete list of hero types

This post is the continuation of a subject that my class talked about during Sunday School that’s been stuck in my mind since then. (And that was like a month ago.) We were talking about heroes, and how our need for one makes us crave hero stories, even if we’re not aware of it. And that made me want to talk about hero types.

But, since it’s me, this is going to be a weird, incomplete list that probably rambles without ever reaching any discernable point. And it’s going to have bullet points because they give me life.

• The Chosen One

The Chosen One (or The Prophesied One) has been overused. Granted, it’s overused because so many good stories have Chosen Ones, so everyone else tries to copy them. But still. It’s very predictable. I always find it funny when the reveal of a prophecy being about the main character is supposed to be a plot twist. Because no one ever saw that coming.

Despite all the overuse, I don’t want to hate on this hero type. The underdog aspect that normally goes along with it is great, and I appreciate when the Chosen One isn’t exactly the best, most intelligent person. (*cough* Harry Potter & Percy Jackson *cough*.) This hero tends to have their fair share of noble-ness, though, and I think it’d be interesting to see more characters with grayer moralities be Chosen Ones.

• The Everyman

There is a special space set apart in my heart for this hero type.

Maybe it’s just me, but there’s something relatable about a character who gets (unwillingly) thrown into something they can’t deal with (me in every single social situation), who is not special in any way and is somewhat ignorant or incompetent. This hero is more down-to-earth. They’ll want to do the right thing, but that doesn’t mean they’ll necessarily be happy about it.

Also, I find it funny that almost every character Martin Freeman plays falls under this category. Bilbo Baggins, John Watson, Arthur Dent from A Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (which I need to READ), and even kind of the dude he plays in the MCU. Annnnnd, as if that wasn’t enough, Scott Lang is basically the poster child of this type, and if that doesn’t make you love it then I don’t know what to say.

• The Common-Sense Hero

This hero is less of the ‘doing the right thing because it’s the right thing to do’ hero, and more of the ‘doing the right thing because it’s what’s not going to kill me at the moment’ hero. Which makes them more neutral and logical, and less self-righteous. They’re a more self-serving hero, and it can be interesting to see how their greyer morality clashes with the more strictly good heroes.

Peter Quill is kind of an example of this, ‘saving the galaxy because he’s one of the idiots who lives in it’, and all.

• The Hero Who Isn’t Happy to be Here, But is Going to Save Everyone But is Also Going to be Really Bitter About it

Is this an antihero? Or an exaggerated everyman? In my mind, I guess it overlaps a bit. This hero has all of the skills and knowledge to help, but they’d rather not deal with it. They’re not completely morally numb, just apathetic (and probably sarcastic.) And while they recognize the right thing to do, they’re going to give a lot of crap to whoever’s making them do it.

Examples of this would be Sherlock Holmes (depending on the mood he’s in) and Johanna Mason from the Hunger Games. And maybe, maybe, Loki. On his less murderous days.

• The Earnest Hero

I love sarcastic heroes. I really do. But, the snarky-ness comes at the cost of sincerity at times. Most characters, if they do the right thing all the time, come across as boring vanilla heroes (*cough* SUPERMAN *cough*.) So most characters are too cool or too macho to do the right thing for no reason. And I just? I miss earnest heroes. Heroes who do the right thing for the beauty of it, and won’t be bullied into making fun of their beliefs. Heroes who believe in goodness so much that they’ll follow it even if it isn’t the easiest or most logical or even lawful way to go. And I can’t even think of an example of this character. It’s possible that they don’t exist, and I’m just thinking of the pure essence of Hufflepuff. I don’t know.