Hero Types: Modern Concepts

The Anti-Hero
      The selfless hero is the first form of anti-hero as the direct opposite to the Greek warrior hero. The Greeks would view all of the selfless hero's traits as weakness, yet the selfless hero fulfills the definition and conventions.  The selfless hero's culture also supports the traits.
     That said, we are left still with the concept of an anti-hero. For many, this role is fulfilled by heroes with an amoral code who have no compunction against killing. However, remember that moral codes are but one trait, and not the sole determiner of a hero's status. The Greeks killed their enemies. To not do so was a sign of weakness.
     While characters such as Spawn, Wolverine, and The Punisher go against modern morality, they reflect back to the warrior hero, and this is but one trait, not all of them.
     What, then, is an anti-hero? An anti-hero fulfills the definition and conventions, but has no heroic traits. Rather than courageous, determined, strong, wise, and faithful, the anti-hero is cowardly, gives up, weak, foolish, and unbelieving. Yet, despite all of these impediments to being a hero, the character still manages to fulfill the definition.
     Example: Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever

The Villain
     The villain is not, strictly speaking, solely the opposition to the hero. Instead, many villains hold close similarity to heroes with regard to conventions and traits. The sole determining factor between a hero and a villain is the definition. Where a hero improves his or her society for the better (whether seeking to do so or not), the villain seeks only to improve him or herself, often to the detriment of the society.
     Frequently this puts the villain in opposition to the hero, and makes for an excellent agent of Nemesis. The villain, though, is not dependent on the hero, and may exist in stories of myths independently, with no mention of a hero.  In fact, the force of Nemesis (often acting in concert with the society) can stand between the villain and his or her objectives, just as with a hero.
     Examples: Lex Luthor, Green Goblin.

The Nihilist
     Not all villains are equal. There exists a subset of villains who are not out for their own benefit at the cost to their society, but out to destroy society for whatever reason. These villains want to eliminate their own society, and cannot even claim to be part of another society.
     Examples: Mordred (King Arthur), The Joker, Thanos (Marvel Comics)

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Myth Guide

Hero Types: Modern Types

Common Man hero
     This hero type shows that anyone can be a hero.  Typically, heroes in myth have divine parentage or are of some kind of noble class, raising them above everyday people. The common man hero shows that anyone can become a hero.
     Examples: George Washington, Davey Crockett, Abraham Lincoln, Daniel Boone

Reluctant hero
     The reluctant hero attempts to bow out of becoming a hero by trying to dodge the call.  There is no desire to actually step up and become a hero.  Only reluctantly does the hero emerge and accept the quest (usually after having been on it for some time).
     Examples: Bilbo Baggins (Modern literature explores this idea more than mythology. For many cultures, not accepting the call is a sign of cowardice.)

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Hero Types: Classical

Warrior
     The warrior hero conquers enemies primarily through force of arms and cunning.
     Examples: Hercules, Perseus, Achilles, Beowulf

Selfless hero
     The selfless hero is the warrior's anti-hero.  The traits a selfless hero possesses are almost in direct opposition to that of the warrior hero, and the methodology of the selfless hero does not rely on force of arms or cunning.
     Instead, the selfless hero uses words, humility, faith, morality, and piety to accomplish his goals.
     Examples: Jesus Christ, Elijah, Job, Abraham Lincoln, Gandhi, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Chivalric hero
      The chivalric is a combination of the warrior and selfless hero types.  Popular during the high Middle Ages, the heroes have a high morality and a warrior ethic.
     Examples: King Arthur, Sir Gawain, Tristan.

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Hero Types: Overview

     The Greeks established the hero myth tradition as most are familiar with it, the strong warrior who conquers enemies.  In fact, war was the primary occupation of many Greeks who would conquer other cities, other lands, and then return home with the spoils of war, to the benefit of the people (the quest and return conventions).
     However, this is reflective of Greek society and values, and while other cultures, such as the Norse, hold to similar ideals, heroes are determined primarily by their society's values.  The Greek warrior hero, for example, holds no place in Hebrew or Muslim societies.  Even modern-day American values would not hold with how savage the Greek heroes can be.
     The type of a hero is determined not by conventions, but by the cultural values of the society that produces the hero. These cultural values are almost never overtly stated, but are reflected in the specific traits of the hero. To determine the hero type, you must analyze a hero's traits to unlock those cultural values.
     Remember that morality is culturally defined, and will come through in the hero's traits, especially how the hero deals with conflicts. Be sure not to interpret a hero based on modern cultural values. This simply does not work.

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Classical >>

Heroes: Perspectives

     Heroes, it must be remembered, are considered to be heroes by their own culture, and not  based on the evaluations of those outside that culture.  So, while it might be tempting to think of a certain figure as a villain, this is frequently not the case.
     More often heroes end up in opposition to one another.  Both figures are considered heroes by their respective cultures, espousing traits valued by each, and fulfilling both the definition and the conventions. So while myths such as that of The Iliad present a primarily Greek perspective, Hector and Aeneas are both heroes of Troy.
     This applies to modern heroes and historic figures.

• Magneto is regarded as a hero by his mutant society. 
• Benedict Arnold is regarded as a hero and patriot by the British for his acts during the War of the Insurrection (the British name for the American Revolutionary War).
• Adolf Hitler was a hero to the German people of the 1930s and 40s. 
• Josef Stalin was a hero of the Soviet Union for decades (though also regarded as a villain for how he murdered people in his own society and for accumulating personal power).

Nemesis
     Nemesis is not a convention that a hero possesses; Instead it is a force present in hero myths. Heroes are not allowed to simply waltz in and complete their quests or deeds unimpeded.  There is always opposition to the hero.  The opposition is known by the Greek term: Nemesis. Nemesis is strictly the force which acts against the hero, keeping the hero from obtaining his or her goals.
     Nemesis can take the form of a person, such as Hector fighting Achilles; deities such as Poseidon cursing Odysseus; monsters such as the lion Samson conquered; forces of nature, such as the whirlpool Charybdis; or nearly any other force which stands between the hero and his goals (we will address villains later on as they are a special consideration).

Conclusion
     The definitions, conventions, and traits of heroes are not static, but serve as a template for endless possibilities, and are a staple of mythology. The types of heroes in this handout are not exhaustive; there are myriad other combinations of ideas waiting to be explored. Modern literature, film, and comic books copy and expand on this template every day. Hero mythology is perhaps the longest lasting and subtlest influence of mythology.

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Heroes: Traits

     Heroes possess qualities and abilities which generally set them apart from ordinary people (heroes are always, always mortal, and never gods). Traits are the method by which heroes are able to accomplish heroic deeds.
     Collectively, traits indicate cultural values; the society feels these are admirable qualities. However, it must be something which the hero possesses and uses, and not something circumstantial or a companion's abilities (Athena’s aid to Odysseus is not a trait of Odysseus).
     Morality and honor are traits, but must be defined as each society has different values. (Greek warrior honor vs. Norse. Chivalric code vs. Samurai Bushido, etc.)
     Common traits: strength, agility, skill with weapons, determination, intelligence, courage, willpower, cleverness, faith, piety, humility, divinely granted power, special items or equipment.

Hero Equipment
     The equipment is usually of superior, and is tied specifically to that hero, such as the Shield of Achilles.  In many myths, there is a passage depicting the "arming of a hero" showing a hero being equipped with weapons or armor to prepare for a conflict.
     Examples: Excalibur, Captain America's Shield.

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Heroes: Conventions

     Conventions are established identifiers common to hero myths. Heroes follow some, but rarely all, of the conventions.

Birth
     Heroes generally have a story associated with their birth or early childhood. Many heroes have some form of divine parentage, with either the mother or the father a deity.  Though common, it is not a requirement.  The divine parentage, though, does fulfill the requirement for a birth story.
     Examples: Moses in a basket, Hercules (Zeus is his father), Superman escaping Krypton.

Name
     Beyond a given name, heroes possess an attributive name, which is reflective of some part of their character or their deeds. The name can be one which the hero attributes to himself, but is always reflective in some way.
     Examples: Clever Odysseus, Diomedes of the War Cry, Barrel-rider (Bilbo Baggins), Batman (Bruce Wayne), Dark Knight, Man of Steel.

Call
     The call part of the quest conventions, and is that which urges the hero off on a quest (usually what it is that changes a hero's society for the better).
     Examples: The abduction of Helen which sent Odysseus, Agamemnon, and Achilles off to war with Troy; Arthur pulling the sword from the stone; Moses and the burning bush; the murder of Peter Parker's Uncle Ben.

Quest
     The quest is where the hero leaves to accomplish a goal, which ultimately changes society for the better.
     Examples: The Trojan War to reclaim Helen for Menelaos, Perseus freeing Andromeda, Moses leading the Hebrews out of Egypt, Frodo and Sam to destroy the One Ring.
Return
     The return is the heroes returning back to their home (not always a physical place, and not always the same place they started from) to a state of rest after the quest is accomplished.
     Examples: Perseus becoming king, Odysseus returns to Ithaca, Moses leads the Hebrews out of Egypt, Sam and Frodo return to the Shire.

Deeds
     The deeds are acts that the heroes accomplish. Many deeds are frequently carried out while on a quest, but aren't necessarily directly part of the quest (the deeds may happen while he is on the quest, but they are not essential to the quest). They may just be incidental to the heroes' stories, and occur even before the quest.
     Examples: Hercules killing snakes in his crib, Moses killing the Egyptian, Odysseus and the Cyclops.

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Traits >>

Heroes: Overview

            Heroes generally fall into the category of "we know them when we see them", but in mythology there are specific rules and guidelines that apply, and are applicable not just to mythology, but all heroes.  In fact, most heroes in current literature and film are based off of and are extensions of mythological heroes. A Hero is:

A person who, through prowess or force of personality,  changes his or her society for the better.

     It's important to note that some battle or direct conflict are not necessary. Prowess is an indication of skill, not necessarily strength. A hero must fulfill this definition.
     Definitions of what constitutes a hero are without considerations of morality. Moral codes are determined by the cultures, and what holds true for modern cultures generally does not hold true for ancient cultures.
     Additionally, heroes all possess Attributes. Attributes consist of  Conventions and Traits.

Myth Guide

Conventions >>