Are heroes of fantasy any different from those of other genres?

[Vanessa Eden]

I know a cowardly hero...2 actually ...Bilbo and Frodo Baggins. not all adventurous heros are brave :)

[Vanessa Eden]

also many heros from the romantic history genre are incredibly brave...see Promise of the Rose and A Kingdom Of Dreams. the heros in those books are a brave and courageous as any you would find in adventure stories. Especially the Highlander and Viking romance heros.

[Vanessa Eden]

I like this topic. :)

[Vanessa Eden]

well wait.

actually Bilbo and Frodo were brave but not in the classical brawny sense...but of will and mind. That to me was a breakthrough for what a hero was and what a hero could be.

[Tim]

Justin wrote: "I guess it really all depends on the definition of the word hero. If we are talking about one who overcomes obsticles, has to battle an opposing evil foe and saves the day? Then fantasy. Other heros are usually based off of being the main character and merely being triumphant in the end..."

Yes. And that is exactly what I would like to define. I understand that the fantasy genre is very widespread, that there are a plethora of sub-genres. Some do not even have heroic characters. But in the traditional sense, what makes a hero heroic? I believe it's more than overcoming the physical obstacles in a tale.

[Justin]

I believe it to be the characters background and mentality. What makes them a defining character is also what makes them heroic. What they stand for and not always what they fight for. Their sheer will to achieve and suceed to me is what makes them heroic.

[Brenda]

You need to go back to the ancient Greeks. They coined the terms protagonist and antagonist. As you can see by the word forms, these are two characters that are in opposition. The assignment of the term (in other words, who gets to be protagonist) is not a question of who is 'the good guy' or what she does. It revolves around the focus of the work.
Thus, Frodo and Gollum (in LOTR) are protagonist and antagonist; the work is focused on them even when it wanders far away into Gondor or Aragorn's doings. Aragorn may be the hero, but he's not the protagonist.

[William]

Well... maybe fantasy heroes are a bit different from other genres. I think in most cases, they might be a bit more... well, heroic, more clearly the good guy. Maybe it's the whole opposite to the dark forces opposed against the protagonist. More black and white.

Hell, I think I'm doing a terrible job articulating what I mean, but here it is: In fantasy the hero tends to be less conflicted with the issues and faults of contemporary heroes; everything seems much simpler, more black and white. Contemporary heroes are just more grey.

There are, of course, many exceptions, so maybe I'm just wrong, wrong, wrong.

At any rate, that's what I think.

Also, always give me a conflicted, morally challenged hero who was to redeem himself or herself. Way more interesting than Dorkins, the poor boy who becomes a master magician without ever losing his moral compass or saying something mean to a friend.

[Erin *Proud Book Hoarder*]

Hm. I keep thinking about it and rolling the question over in my head, but no, I think it would be essentially the same. A hero is a hero and usually there is a mountain to overcome in nearly every genre.

[Brenda]

Exactly. The nature of story itself demands that the hero -- in any work -- is going to spend the work overcoming something. It can be as minor as getting the dog to become papertrained, or as major as saving Middle Earth from the Dark Lord.

[Justin]

''And then a hero comes along with the strength to carry on and you casts your fears aside and you know you can survive...sorry the song just sort of popped into my head after seeing hero pop up on my notifications.

[C.B.]

Steelwhisper wrote: I recently read a lot of romance, and can only shake my head at the huge amount of absolutely unbedworthy and non-relationship-able men who get hoisted upon a pedestal there these days.

So true. I used to write paranormal romance under the name Lynn Bailey and it's tough to write a hero who is heroic but not a jerk. Some romance heroes would make me run a mile in the other direction.

[C.M.J.]

I like flawed heroes, so that's how I write them in my fantasy books. I think it's easier for people to identify with a character who isn't a shiny, sparkly, perfect specimen of a superhero because--let's face it--none of us measure up.

[William]

Matthew,
I know I'm generalizing, but most often the heroes in fantasy are that perfect. Usually, the nice village boy who grows up to be awesome. And sometimes I like that, but only sometimes.

C.M.J.
I'm like you, when I write heroes I make them as deeply flawed as I can. But I'm totally into redemption stories; they're my favorite.

[C.M.J.]

William, I think your generalization is right! Perfection in a character tends to make for a predictable, boring book. Not always, but... And like you, sometimes I think that's great. It really depends on what else is happening in the story. If the hero is an awesome faultless paragon, though, the plot and the writing had better be too.

[Ken]

I'd call it a matter of contrast. If a hero's flaws are clear, he might struggle just against them-- or it might be against himself plus whatever else is out there. While a lot of classic fantasy heroes (but not Frodo, just Aragorn!) have only the outside world to fight, but that's still plenty to fill up a good story.

Either way, there's enough to use, if it's used well. But still, many readers just prefer their world-beater heroes to find all their problems from that outside, while others insist the hero have at least as many flaws as real people.

[Ken]

I'd call it a matter of contrast. If a hero's flaws are clear, he might struggle just against them-- or it might be against himself plus whatever else is out there. While a lot of classic fantasy heroes (but not Frodo, just Aragorn!) have only the outside world to fight, but that's still plenty to fill up a good story.

Either way, there's enough to use, if it's used well. But still, many readers just prefer their world-beater heroes to find all their problems from that outside, while others insist the hero have at least as many flaws as real people.

[Ahmed]

Honestly, I think the difference between a fantasy hero is the scale of what their opponent is. While the crime story hero may face a syndicate, the fantasy hero often faces a threat far beyond what even their world thinks they're capable of. In fact, the fantasy hero's opposition is often so far beyond them that even they aren't sure of their odds, while other genre heroes may face things that may be more even in regards to what they are capable of.

[Tim]

I am digging into the psychology of the matter. What makes people enjoy their heroes?

A well-written protagonist in any story is one that the reader can either identify or sympathize with. The odds must be believable. The choices the hero makes must be rational and follow his character. In other words, character development must be present. I believe that a well-wrought hero is one that deals with both internal and external conflict. e.g. - While the hero is fighting a foe, that person may be questioning his/her own morality. We root for our protagonists the more they overcome obstacles both on the outside and in their personal lives.

Therefore, a hero in the fantasy genre is one who combats external opposition of fantastic proportions, but all the while deals with down-to-earth human-like problems. There is a larger gap between the juxtaposed realities of internal and external conflict, and it is a prospect the writer deals with without realizing it much of the time. Fantasy heroes may be aided by magical weapons or supernatural powers, but his/her heart and soul still belong to the characteristic of our human world.

Those are my thoughts for the moment.

[Niki]

Tim wrote: "I am digging into the psychology of the matter. What makes people enjoy their heroes?

A well-written protagonist in any story is one that the reader can either identify or sympathize with. The od..."

Yes, exactly. You stated that so perfectly. <3