You don’t need a hero to have a story, but if you want to write about heroic deeds you’re going to end up with one somewhere along the lines. Here are 7 types of heroes that you can use to get you started with your story, or modify these archetypes to keep things fresh and original. Read the full post at: http://www.jsmorin.com/2013/02/7-types-of-heroes/

1. 7 Types of Heroes
J.S. Morin

2. Does a story need a hero?

3. You don’t need a hero to have a story but if you
want to write about heroic deeds,
you’re going to end up with one somewhere
along the lines.

4. Where do I start?

5. Decide on the hero first and let the story follow him from
there.
Or work out the plot and fill in with the appropriate actors
later.
It can help to have some archetypes in mind.

6. Here are a few basic types of
heroes you can look to when
brainstorming.

7. The Perfect Hero

8. The Perfect Hero
A paragon of virtue.
Embodies everything good
about humanity.
Strong
Uncompromising
Selfless
Kind
Decisive
Can make readers feel
inspired or perhaps inferior.
Suitable for
superhero comics,
epic fantasy,
fairy tales, or
satirical works
Examples:
Superman
Odysseus
King Arthur

9. The Misfit

10. The Misfit
Social Outcast.
Member of a different
race or religion.
Can overcome their
difference or use it to their
advantage.
Ostracized because of
some disability.
Some degree of
psychological damage.
Suitable for
YA and
social injustice-themed stories
Distrustful of others.
Bitter or shy
Examples
Harry Potter
Drizzt Do'Urden
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

11. The Grizzled Old-Timer

12. The Grizzled Old-Timer
They've been there and
done that.
Doesn't need to learn
the ins and outs of heroism
He's the one doing the
teaching.
He may not be in his prime, but
there is still plenty of fight left
in him.
Great Leader.
Can carry a victory.
Serve as an inspiration in his
death.
Suitable for
group settings (he's a good vehicle
for imparting knowledge to the
other characters)
Examples
Gandalf
Obi-wan Kenobi
Granny Weatherwax

13. The Everyman

14. The Everyman
It isn’t always the smartest
or the strongest
who become heroes.
Sometimes all it takes is
to be in the
right place at the right time
and choose to do the right thing.
There is no special power, no
divine sign that tells
this hero he is destined for
greatness.
An everyman hero is a one we can
relate to.
We could see ourselves in his
place.
Suitable as the Fates’ Mad Lib, a
blank spot that just happened to
get filled in with his name.
Examples:
Arthur Dent
Edmund Pevensie
Bilbo Baggins

15. The Anti-Hero

16. The Anti-Hero
He’s someone totally ill-fit
to the role but must don the
mantle of hero.
He probably doesn’t like it and
probably wants to be rewarded
for his efforts but he’s willing to
shoulder the load and get it
done.
He makes us ask: Can one
good deed be enough to
redeem someone? What if he
goes back to his old,
disreputable ways?
Greed, brutality, ruthlessness,
selfishness, these are the antihero’s anti-virtues.
Common offsetting virtues can be
sympathy for a particular victim, a
soft spot for underdogs, or even an
honest desire to repent.
Examples
Raistlin Majere
Haplo
Han Solo

17. The Prodigy

18. The Prodigy
He has a distinct undeniable
potential; if only the right
circumstances can unlock it.
Suitable to pair with the grizzled
old veteran who could show the
way of the world.
The prodigy is raw and
unformed, the perfect material
to build a story around.
The prodigy can go step by step
along the Hero’s Journey, which
itself is basically an instruction
book for raw heroes.
He needs to learn everything,
to experience the wonders of
whatever power makes him
special.
Examples:
Luke Skywalker
Parn
Paul Atreides

19. The Un-Hero

20. The Un-Hero
He’s almost like the everyman.
With a key exception: he rarely
ends up being a proper hero.
Somehow for this hero,
everything works out in the
end and is heaped with the
credit.
Generally, the un-hero is in all
the wrong places at all the
wrong times.
Suitable for
a less serious heroic form
and should be reserved for a
less serious work.
Does more to hinder
the cause
of good and justice
than to help it.
Examples:
Rincewind
Inspector Gadget
Mr. Furious

21. There you have it.
Do you have an archetype that needs to be
added to the list?

22. Read the full blog post, or leave a comment at
http://www.jsmorin.com/2013/02/7-types-of-heroes/