7 Types of Heroes
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Transcript of 7 Types of Heroes
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/