7 Types of HeroesJ.S. Morin

Does a story need a hero?

You don’t need a hero to have a story but if you want to write about heroic deeds,

you’re going to end up with one somewhere along the lines.

Where do I start?

Decide on the hero first and let the story follow him from there.

Or work out the plot and fill in with the appropriate actors later.

It can help to have some archetypes in mind.

Here are a few basic types of heroes you can look to when brainstorming.

The Perfect Hero

The Perfect HeroCan make readers feel inspired or perhaps inferior.

Suitable forsuperhero comics,epic fantasy,fairy tales, orsatirical works

Examples:SupermanOdysseusKing Arthur

Embodies everything goodabout humanity.

StrongUncompromising

SelflessKind

Decisive

A paragon of virtue.

The Misfit

The Misfit Can overcome their

difference or use it to their advantage.

Suitable forYA andsocial injustice-themed stories

ExamplesHarry PotterDrizzt Do'UrdenRudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

Ostracized because of some disability.

Some degree of psychological damage.

Distrustful of others.Bitter or shy

Social Outcast.Member of a different

race or religion.

The Grizzled Old-Timer

The Grizzled Old-TimerGreat Leader.Can carry a victory.Serve as an inspiration in his death.

Suitable forgroup settings (he's a good vehicle for imparting knowledge to the other characters)

ExamplesGandalfObi-wan KenobiGranny Weatherwax

Doesn't need to learn the ins and outs of

heroismHe's the one doing the

teaching.

He may not be in his prime, but there is still

plenty of fight left in him.

They've been there and done that.

The Everyman

The Everyman An everyman hero is a one we

can relate to.We could see ourselves in his place.

Suitable as the Fates’ Mad Lib, a blank spot that just happened to get filled in with his name.

Examples:Arthur DentEdmund PevensieBilbo Baggins

Sometimes all it takes is to be in the

right place at the right time and choose to do the right

thing.

There is no special power, no divine sign that tells

this hero he is destined for greatness.

It isn’t always the smartest or the strongest

who become heroes.

The Anti-Hero

The Anti-HeroGreed, brutality, ruthlessness, selfishness, these are the anti-hero’s anti-virtues.

Common offsetting virtues can be sympathy for a particular victim, a soft spot for underdogs, or even an honest desire to repent.

ExamplesRaistlin MajereHaploHan Solo

He makes us ask: Can one good deed be enough to

redeem someone? What if he goes back to his old,

disreputable ways?

He’s someone totally ill-fit to the role but must

don the mantle of hero.

He probably doesn’t like it and probably wants to be

rewarded for his efforts but he’s willing to shoulder the

load and get it done.

The Prodigy

The ProdigySuitable to pair with the grizzled old veteran who could show the way of the world.

The prodigy can go step by step along the Hero’s Journey, which itself is basically an instruction book for raw heroes.

Examples:Luke SkywalkerParnPaul Atreides

The prodigy is raw and unformed, the perfect

material to build a story around.

He needs to learn everything, to experience the wonders of whatever

power makes him special.

He has a distinct undeniable potential; if

only the right circumstances can unlock

it.

The Un-Hero

The Un-Hero

Generally, the un-hero is in all the wrong places at all

the wrong times.

Does more to hinder the cause

of good and justice than to help it.

He’s almost like the everyman. With a key

exception: he rarely ends up being a proper hero.

Suitable fora less serious heroic form and should be reserved for aless serious work.

Examples:RincewindInspector GadgetMr. Furious

Somehow for this hero, everything works out in the end and is heaped with the credit.

There you have it.

Do you have an archetype that needs to be added to the list?

Read the full blog post, or leave a comment at http://www.jsmorin.com/2013/02/7-types-of-heroes/