The 5 Best Hero Types! (In my Opinion)

So, as Jaidie mentioned last week we are doing a blog post series, one post each Friday, and I am presenting you the first post to my part of the series The Do’s and Don’t’s of Writing Heroes! The first post is My Five Favorite Types of Heroes!!!! So, let’s dive in here and see what we can come up with!

I love heroes!!! Who doesn’t? Conflicted heroes, selfless heroes, heroes in general…lol…they are just so awesome! So, I’m going to run through my favorite types of heroes and why I like them!!!

The hero that thinks of others before himself

The hero that wants to help others and thinks nothing of his own safety. There is something so endearing about this hero. Maybe because it beckons back to Christ and how He gave His life for us with no second thoughts of Himself.

The most classic example of this that I know of is Robin Hood and then also, Maid Marian can be in this category as well. Robin comes back from the Holy Lands, finds England under treacherous hands, and does his best to fight back, it’s beautiful! I love the way he and Marian work to help the poor and constantly put themselves at risk. (At least in the BBC Robin Hood 😉)

Another example is Drew Carter from The Wars of the Realm Series (if you have not read this series, please do so! It is soooooooooo good!) Drew has been through so much and yet he throws all his skill into helping those in tough situations. I can’t go into too much detail for fear of spoilers but Drew lives by the motto that “It is wrong to do nothing when you have the power to do something.” And I love that!!!

I love how these heroes are always thinking of ways to help others, it makes them so lovable. Their selflessness is easy to look up to and it is something I think we all would like to emulate. They are not that hard to write, but then they are…because they are always dashing in to save others and you have to try and preserve them…lol…

The Selfish Hero

The hero who is caught up in their own problems…he’s also, usually a reluctant hero because he cares about his own safety more than he does anyone else…or maybe he is selfish by not caring about his own safety, it works both ways.

I have a few examples, the first of which is shocking. Robin Hood. At least from the BBC Robin Hood, he cares about others and nothing for his own safety, but he is selfish in that he craves the spotlight of it. He wants to be the center of attention and he wants people to love him. I love the dual sides of Hood in the series, it’s so beautifully done! But also that he doesn’t consider how his death would affect the people…he has kinks and I love that about Hood.

Sage from The Ascendance Series…This guy is complicated. He doesn’t want to do what he’s supposed to do. He wants to be a hero, but he doesn’t want to be a hero. He wants to be loved, but he doesn’t’ want to be loved. He wants to protect people, but he wants to be protected. He selfishly thinks only of what he thinks he should do without second thoughts about how his actions will impact others. A great series, btw

Janner from The Wingfeather Saga – Ah, such a relatable guy. Janner is worried about his own safety above everything else. He worries about what he is entitled to as the oldest, begrudges what his brother has, and hates what he is given. He is such an emotionally raw character as he fights the selfishness inside him…and man, his character arc is beautiful!

I love selfish heroes because they are so raw! The character arcs are so beautiful, as they go from caring only about themselves, or not caring about how their deaths and decisions impact others, to just…giving their all for others. It’s really one of the most beautiful types of heroes! Also, the most relatable and I believe most complicated to write because you have these dual fighting against each other and an impossible character arch to execute, but when done right….man! They will blow you away!

The Underdog Hero

The hero that has no way to win maybe doesn’t want to be here, and yet he is just what the story needs and it’s just…ahh…

So, gonna pull some well know characters here…Frodo and Bilbo Baggins! These guys want anything but to be heroes and yet that is exactly what they end up becoming. The odds are stacked against these small guys sooooooooo high and yet they make it through!

The Underdog hero is sooo awesome! When done right, I don’t mean that suddenly they go from being the underdogs to winning, no! The journey is long and treacherous and often unexpected. (You get it? If you got it you get a gold star….) It is going to take everything these heroes have to survive, but if they do it will be beautiful! (yes, I said if…)

The underdog hero arch is almost as large as the selfish hero, and sometimes the two go hand in hand…Bilbo was a bit of a selfish hero in the beginning but his kinks quickly worked themselves out, thankfully.

The Humble Hero

This hero is not puffed up, not full of it…a refreshing breeze in the world of heroes….ah, you feel that! I only have one example, because these guys are SUPER rare but…here it goes.

Okay, my favorite! Aragon/Strider from the Lord of the Rings…Wow! He is a very humble hero; never do we hear Aragon bragging about where he’s been trained or how good he is with a sword. Never do we hear him wanting more than what he has. He is okay with serving where he is at. I love this guy! (If you don’t, you’re not my friend, jk…) But he is a perfect humble hero!

We need more humble heroes, heroes that don’t want the spotlight and just want to help…and not brag about the help they give. They don’t do it for fame or glory, money, or even love, they simply do it because it is the right thing to do. Ah, great guys.

The Arrogant Hero

Or confident, but usually the two go hand in hand in stories…so my example.

Legolas is a good example…now let me explain. Legolas knows he’s good and is not afraid to give a smug look to the mere mortal men around him, or the dwarf. He knows his skill, knows he’s awesome and is not afraid to embrace that. He’s not unlikeable, but he is definitely not humble like Aragon. Still, there is something about him that is just perfect!

Arrogant or confident heroes have to be handled with care, because if not they can get on your nerves…like really get on your nerves! But if they are done well…then everyone will love them!

Special surprise!

I am getting a collection of short stories ready to publish! And I need a little help…I need a few beta readers! Please, if a few of you guys would read over my stories that would be awesome! There are five and they are 1k words or less each. It would mean a lot to me! Please and thank you! The form is here if you are interested! (Also, a little surprise over on the form if you go to sign up 😉 ) I am so excited about the prospect of publishing!!!!

Update on Unfortunate Events: The Dragon Prince Chronicles Book 1!

Okay, so the beta finished! Thanks so much, you girls!!! Your feedback was amazing and awesome and we’re off on an editing spree to implement what you guys pointed out! So, we have ten chapters left before we’re done with our edits and then it’s off to our editor, Candra! We’re so excited!

We’re going to try and pick a publishing date, then, of course, we have to pick a date for Heard in Silence and my short story collection…haha, we’re putting our summer to good use…lol…

Conclusion:

So, there are my five favorite types of heroes…do you agree? What are your favorite heroes? Do you like Selfish heroes? Do you ever not like a hero because he is too relatable? Are you excited about all these projects? Let me know in the comments!

God Bless and keep you all safe!

Your friend,

Rissy