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How to Pick a Hero

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How to Pick a Hero

Believe it or not, there are actually many types of hero's in the world. If you didn't know this… my GOD what have you been doing? Moves you to the front of the class… immediately.

Assuming for the moment you do know, however, there's an entirely different challenge ahead - picking the right one for your story, video game, movie, or whatever the hell else you're trying.

The Classic Hero - You know them well. The do gooders that do no wrong, always save the day, and look good doing it. Great for cartoons, nooooooot so good for keeping an audience. Sorry, folks, their time has mostly come, and nobody wants to hear about them. They still have uses, though - you can do a kiddy thing, you can set them up as the well meaning, but eternally annoying, rival, or you can even make fun of them! Repeatedly! With pointy sticks! (Or, you know, you can put them in video games, where they're still alive and well! Just look at Mario.)

The Insane Hero - these can be seen along two lines.  First off, there's the Don Quixote version. This is a noble guy who just happens to be a bit insane, living in the past and trying to face off monsters when there aren't any. It's a fairly good archetype, and if you're up to it, feel free to go for it. Just make sure you're original, though - nobody likes a copy cat.

The other option is what I forever term… the Kuno option. These are the idiots who pull crazy stunts in the name of heroics, and then expect applause. They're pretty much the exact same as Don Quixote, but they lack the noble quality, and we don't mind mocking them. Which means it's a pretty good thing we have enough pointy sticks - don't want to give those Classic guys up there a break, after all.

The Anti-Hero - these are the people who become hero's against their own will. They're not noble, they're not grand, they're not even nice, necessarily. You might hate them with every fiber of your being - but they're still the heroes. I recommend avoiding that "hate" option, though - if you're audience hates everyone, they won't care either way.

A general good example, lacking a specific, is the drunken idiot who just happens to shoot the guy about to kill you all. He couldn't care less, he just happens to have an incentive to do something for you at this moment. You can sort of see it in Monday, from Dead Winter by S. Dave Shabet. He's a mercenary type, doing good because it happens to suit him, not because of any particular alignment.

It can make for an interesting story, but limits you in some ways. There always has to be an incentive, and if you do something without that incentive, your characters are going to want to know why - and so will your readers.

The Screaming Hero - this is the angry one. Like my own Katie, she doesn't want to be the hero, she shouldn't have to be the hero - as far as she's concerned - but for reasons that someone else is shoving down her throat, she is the hero, and man is she p****d.   (These can be males as well, of course, particularly Tged ones like Yuuki from Sparkling Generation Valkyrie Yukki by Kittyhawk. but my own Katie is obviously… not, so I'm going to stick to the feminine for now.)

You have to drag this hero everywhere! You can use a threat, you can use a tease, or you can pick them up and drag them kicking and screaming to the bad guys, before saying, "Go kill that or die." It can actually make for a pretty fun scenario. They tend to be real people, standing somewhere between classic and Anti, wanting nothing to do with the situation but there anyway. They're easy to relate to, fun to write, and tend to be less likely Mary Sues than the ones that just go, "I. AM. DESTINY!" and get over it.

Destined Heroes: Okay, this actually can be it's own group, or it can overlap with the previous group. It can have a few parts, really. First off, there's you're Accepting heroes. The ones who have been raised their entire lives knowing that it is going to be them who has to fight off evil, and they're entire personality is based on that… stiff as a board, you want some people around to balance them out, and they aren't necessarily your main focus. Rather, the story focuses on someone who will, in turn, be focusing on them, and who the audience will like a lot better. You can also focus on them, mind you -  www.fanfiction.net/s/2559745/3… is a fanfic involving HP that does a pretty good job of this version. It's not easy, though, and there's a reason people prefer the first type.  Another type, is - once more - the Screaming Hero. Maybe they're just finding out. Maybe they always knew, but never stopped resisting. Either way, they don't want it, you do, and you're going to have the time of your life making them accept it… which is good, 'cause your audience will have fun with it.

Lastly, though, is a kind you generally want to avoid, which will be listed… Now.

The Accepting Hero - this is the guy or gal who just sorta takes it in stride. Maybe someone comes up with a destiny, and they go… "Why not?" Maybe they have someone they want to protect, so they agree to it. Maybe they're just slightly stupid, and want adventure! There's no doubt that these really can be good heroes - Diane Duane does a wonderful job of it with her Young Wizards series. They also have pitfalls, however, and it's pretty easy to slip into a Mary Sue type thing, which will leave your audience running. Be careful, have fun, and do what works for your story. The most important thing is just to make sure that whatever happens fit's the character, and the character him or herself makes sense.

The Whiny Hero - this works better if you're following the villain, frankly. It can also work for a Destined Hero, however, focusing on the companions as the so called Chosen One goes around screaming he wants pancakes. You don't have to like them, though it's good if you can laugh at them. They exist to be despised, while you enjoy the talk of their companion, or even they're enemies. It takes a bit of creativity to make a story capable of fitting them, so if you're looking for something a bit unique this might be a good road to take.

The Soldier - this is a person who's doing good, because it's their job. Maybe they even believe in it - that's not the point. The point is, they're out there fighting for something they believe in. It makes for a different type of story, but it's no less good for it.

The not-hero - these are the people who don't do the big stuff. They just live, do good deeds, and save someone's day. Heck, maybe they're life! It's also possible that people just keep sucking them into big things, like seen in Aptitude Test by Toug. (Why yes, I DO know a lot of web comics!) They're just evil-magnets of goodiness, and we love them so.

The Unknowing Hero - These are the ones who don't even seem to realize there's something big about them… I'm mostly putting this up for The Fancy Adventures of Jack Cannon by Jamie Anderson. I mean, seriously, the man doesn't seem to even realize he's been trained to kick evil's butt, his parents don't want him to kick evil's butt, and guess what? The idiot ends up forced to kill evil's butt. Repeatedly. His mom gets mad at him if he fails. Hell, he's getting more training, and I bet he STILL won't realize how weird his family is! (He punches through dirt towards someone's voice after being buried alive. Honestly…))

The Careless Hero - these are the hero's who are clumsy. They're often being rescued, they're always in trouble, but it's somehow endearing and we like them anyway. They stay alive through good friends, and lots of help! Supporting cast definitely needed.

The Tireless Hero - this one's there for the sake of Mario, honestly. It's a lot better for video games, since real people tend to get tired… put them through too much, and they'll snap. But not Mario! He's always up for another rescue! (I'd mention Link, but let's face it - the man only gets his a** off the lazy boy chair every other generation, and then he still makes Zelda do half the work. Don't get me wrong, I love the game - and I LOVE the fact that Zelda is capable of doing something beyond being rescued. But tireless he is not.)

The Sorta-Kinda-Maybe Destined Hero - first off, i need to thank :iconthedarkneon: for recommending half of this. The other half he reminded me of at the same. Sometimes - and this is the recommended half - you get someone everyone THINKS is a hero. Maybe he's supposed to be destined, maybe he did something stupid and it got blown out of proportion, but in everyone's mind he really is the hero. Yet, despite his ineptitude, he still manages to do something heroic! or - and now we're in my part - maybe he steps aside and lets someone ELSE be the hero, for a change.

The other side of this, however, is the person who's totally convinced he's the hero. He's big headed, a total idiot, and nobody wants to talk to him but they can't get rid of him.

Then he finds out he's not the hero after all. Or you can take a more delicate scene, not finding out until the end that the little shy guy's the true hero. A bit obvious, actually, but still makes for a good story.

The Evolving Hero - this is the hero you start off hating, paired with someone you don't. The idea is to watch them grow up, often from a whiny brat, into an Accepting Hero who does what has to be done. Good story, classic tale, a bit overdone but feel free to use your own twists as needed.

The Doomed Hero - these are really hard to do well. Basically, it's the hero who's going to die. It's their destiny - fight the evil, beat the evil, die anyway. You know it, they know it, - hell, the neighbors next door know it, and if you say it one more time all three of you are going to shove it where the sun don't shine. (Yes, i'm including yourself. It's that bad.)

The Lost/Loss hero: Suggested by :icondarkneon:... sorta. His idea wasn't quite an archetype, but it fits into this. Basically this is the hero who's lost something. Maybe they're lost themselves, now, maybe not. Maybe they know exactly what's going on, or they don't have any memories. It also works very well with TG. It can come with new powers, or not... they might be trying to go back, or be perfectly happy. Either way, they are defined by what they no longer have.

Don't do it if you can't avoid the angst, have fun with it if you can make it work.

Once you've picked yourself a Hero, fill out the details. Everyone has their own method, either asking questions or letting it come. I just sort of… wait. If I need more, I poke around and still falls into place, but otherwise I let it come as it wills. Everyone has their own methods, though, and you'll need to figure out what works… don't hesitate to take advice, but remember that you can't rely on it! Stuff like this is a personal thing.
I hope you all enjoy this, and at least some of you can make use of it.

Feel free to suggest something i missed, of course!

How To Make A villain - [link]

Mario and Link belong to Nintendo, Kuno belongs to the awesome Rumiko Takahash, Don Quixote belongs to Miguel de Cervantes, and anyone i missed belongs to their respective owners! I claim nothing that wasn't made by me.

I'm writing a Damsel Directory tomorrow... maybe a TG Guide tonight for fun. :)
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JcArtSpace's avatar
I've kinda got this idea with a story that involves several hero-type protagonists, and this guide is super helpful for figuring out where they will all fit in.