Ten Qualities Every Fictional Hero Should Have

Erica here: How about those fictional heroes???



Heroes. One of the many reasons we love to read romances. Those dashing heroes! But what is it about them that we love? Is there something that they have in common that makes them appealing? This is something that's been rolling around in my head for awhile, and here is my (Non-exhaustive!) list, along with some of the templates that have inspired some of the heroes I've created.

1. A Sense of Humor. For me, a hero has to have a sense of humor, even if it's buried deeply or he's reluctant to show it. Wry, witty, dry, light-hearted, it doesn't matter the type, but it has to be there. He has to be able to laugh at the absurdities of life.


Ben Wilder - The Cactus Creek Challenge
Ben is probably the most lighthearted hero
I've ever written. He loves a good joke, and he can
see the humor in just about any situation. He even
takes an exploding outhouse and a tea party in
the jail in his stride.
2. A Purpose. To be a hero, a man has to want something, has to have a reason for existing. He can't just aimlessly wander through life letting stuff happen. He has to make things happen.

Branch Kilborn - Guard Your Heart7 Brides for 7 Texas Rangers
(Coming early 2018!)
Branch is all about being a Texas Ranger.
It's what gets him up in the morning, and it's
what drives him, even when others
might quit.3. A Code. A fictional hero has to have a code of conduct that he believes in and that governs his life. As a reader, you don't have to agree with every aspect of this code, but it has to be there. He has to know right from wrong, and this code has to provide some of the conflict in his life. Things he wants to do but can't, because it would be wrong...things he wants to prevent or avenge, too. And things he must do because they are right, even if...or especially if...it costs him something in the end.

Bear - A Bride for Bear
The Convenient Bride Collection
Bear has to take in three little girls,
because to do otherwise would violate his
personal code...but doing it will cost
him his freedom.
4. Integrity. A true hero has integrity. He does the right thing, even when no one is watching. He is honest in his dealings with others, and he is honest with his emotions. Not manipulative, not scheming, not devious.

Elias Parker - His Prairie Sweetheart
Elias looks out for the new schoolmarm,
even though he knows she is unsuitable for
the job, and that if he doesn't help her, she
will return whence she came all the sooner.5. Ability. A true hero is good at something, and usually in a way that no one else is. He has a special talent or personality trait that makes him stand out from the rest of the cast. This can be a unique occupation, or it might be something like his relentless pursuit of justice.

Max Kirkland - The Archaeologist's Find
The Most Eligible Bachelor Collection
Max is an Egyptologist, tops in his field. He's
tasked with curating the new exhibit for the
tomb he discovered in Egypt. He's the only
man for the job. 6. Compassion. A true hero has a soft heart buried somewhere within his broad chest. Something gets to him, whether it's children, animals, the poor, or someone who is in a bad place where he's been himself. He can't be an emotional thesaurus in blue-jeans, because that's not how men are made, but he also can't be an emotional blank slate. He has to feel, and he has to feel compassion in order to be truly heroic.

Thomas Beaufort - The Bounty Hunter's Baby
Turns out Thomas is a sucker for a newborn.
And I'm a sucker for a big, strong man
holding a newborn! Swoon!
7. Appeal. Our heroes don't have to be handsome...though it is helpful if the heroine finds him so...but there has to be something appealing about them. It might be their gruff voice, or the green flecks in their blue eyes, or the way they always hold a door open for a lady. Nobody wants to read a romantic story about a man with bad teeth, a mean streak, or who is lazy. Make him desirable!

Oscar Rabb - A Child's Christmas Wish
(Coming out next month!!!!)
Oscar's obvious love for his daughter, his
devotion to his dead wife, and his strong, steady
personality are all appealing! Not to mention,
he's...dreamy!

8. A Good Weakness. Heroes need to have weaknesses that the heroine can see and feel a desire to help him with. A personality trait that she can help balance out. This is something that, if taken to an extreme, can prove to be the hero's Achilles heel.

Gard Kennedy - Win, Place, or Show
Of Rags and Riches Collection
Gard is a horseman, and he puts the needs
of his horses above his own. He needs
someone to show him that a love of horses
and a love of a good woman aren't
mutually exclusive.

9. A Bad Weakness. Heroes cannot be perfect. They cannot be the very embodiment of Prince Charming with no flaws, no lies they believe, no weaknesses that trip them up. That kind of hero is so...very...boring! The reader has to be able to identify with the hero, with his flaw, and how he (and the heroine) work to overcome it.

Bowie Hart - Love at Last
7 Brides for 7 Texans
Bowie was wounded and captured at
Gettsyburg, and he believes both his
disfigurement and incarceration made
him unworthy of the love and esteem of
others. His pride and self belief trip him up,
and he needs the love of a good woman
and his brothers to prove him wrong.
10. A Need. Heroes can be capable, but they can't be entirely self-sufficient. They have to need the heroine in their life. This can take a lot of forms, whether they have a concrete need of her to do something for them, or whether they have an emotional need of someone to love and protect, someone to love them. Or it can be both! In fact, it makes for a better story if it's both!

Elliot Ryder - My Heart Belongs in
Fort Bliss, Texas
Elliot is compiling a journal on
medicinal medicines of Native
Americans, and he needs someone to
provide illustrations. That's where the heroine
comes in. He also needs someone to help
him raise the twins he's inherited. That's ALSO
where the heroine comes in.

These are a few of the qualities that I believe all great fictional romance heroes possess...what do you think? What would you add to the list?

ERICA VETSCH can’t get enough of history, whether it’s reading, writing, or visiting historical sites. She’s currently writing another historical romance and plotting which history museum to conquer next! You can find her online at www.ericavetsch.com and on her Facebook Page where she spends WAY TOO MUCH TIME! www.facebook.com/EricaVetschAuthor/