Characters as Heroes

When we think of heroes, we have two versions that come to mind… those created by amazingly creative people and those in real life that you may or may not see on TV, Facebook, etc.

Where We Get Our Ideas Of Heroes

When we look back at our history, we see a lot of mythology, journals from explorers, and even written within the Bible pertaining to heroes and what they were like. Those stories paved the way for the hero to come to life in many ways. As the years have passed, heroes have evolved, grown and become more human, sharing their thoughts, pain and triumph with their fans. From reading them on the page through written words or images to seeing them on the big screen, we have seen our heroes come to life.

Sharing Traits and Qualities

Heroes within fiction (whether novels, movies, or tv) show all the traits of What it Takes to be a Hero and more. They are brave, courageous, dedicated, take risks, love, and sacrifice for the well-being of others. Whether it’s the town, nation or even the world they fight for what they believe in. Though they have their thoughts on the task at hand, they always have time to encourage, motivate, and believe in others and their quest more than they believe in themselves sometimes.

Work Toward Heroism

Not every hero realizes that what they are working toward will gain them hero status. They are working toward a goal, a destination, along their quest. Their end result the only thing driving them to complete what’s been laid in front of them. They show all the traits and qualities of a hero without focusing on what that means.

As they journey along, they learn, grow, and fight for that thing they’re after. Nothing will stop them from getting to where they must go or overcome the obstacle standing in their way.

They Have What It Takes

Not every character is gung-ho on becoming a hero, nor does it cross their mind that they would gain the label “Hero” when their quest is finally complete. They work toward what they desire, what they love, what they need until they achieve/acquire it. Heroism is just a bonus most come to gain with the complete of their journey and those that are striving for hero status don’t always gain it the way they thought they would.

Being a hero isn’t gaining the support or love of the citizens. It’s making mistakes, learning from them, getting back up when you’ve been knocked down. It’s continuing when every muscle in your body is telling you to stop, just stop and give it up. But that’s not what heroes do, they keep going, forging ahead, dragging themselves to their next leg of the journey until they reach the end.

They have what it takes to be a hero, Even when they hit rock bottom (and they all do), they always find the strength and determination to move forward toward their destination. Heroes believe (or have someone who reminds them to believe) in their cause. What they are doing and why they are doing it and the consequences of not completing what they started.

They Are… You and Me

Heroes throughout history have (even those that seem like they don’t) some human characteristic that makes them more relatable to us. Even Achilles had weak ankles. Each and every one of them had some weakness, some flaw that we, as humans, can see as a part of ourselves. They weren’t completely indestructible, there was always something that could harm, hurt, or cause them to lose focus. Heroism comes in all shapes and sizes, that’s one of the great things about it. It doesn’t discriminate. Anyone can be a Hero. 

No one ever wants to think of a hero as someone who is flawed, but would you really want someone who wasn’t? They could do everything right, they always knew what to do and what to say, never needing to learn from their mistakes, never needing to grow as a person/creature.

What We Can Learn From Heroism

It doesn’t matter how you look, your abilities, or whether or not you have some superpower. You can be a hero just like those you read about. Follow your dreams, love, encourage, believe, and serve others. Get up when you’re knocked down. Don’t give up and keep moving. Nothing can stand in your way if you keep that in your heart, Nothing!

Final Thoughts

When you look through history, or even now, you see heroes all around you, beautifully flawed, needing to learn and grow just like you. Become a hero and grow.