What is a Hero?

[JerichoPenumbra]

What in your opinion/experience is a hero?

[Kuma Da]

Someone who, in spite of an overwhelming mass of reasons not to do something, does it anyways to great effect.

[Gamerlord]

Someone who sacrifices their well-being for the protection and safety of others.

[Slayn82]

Someone that people tells stories about. What, you mean GOOD Heros? The ones that people tell Good tales/ say good things about. History is written by liars, after all.

In the end, we are just little man struggling.

[golentan]

A hero is one who chooses a hard path for the benefit of others, in full knowledge of what they do.

[gibbo88]

Someone who decides between "easy" and "right", and goes with what is "right".

[SDF]

Delicious!

http://www.3-thymes-the-flair-catering.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/ItalianHeroOD20PT2066.jpg

[Moff Chumley]

Delicious!

http://www.3-thymes-the-flair-catering.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/ItalianHeroOD20PT2066.jpg

/thread :smallamused:

[Krade]

/thread :smallamused:

My thoughts exactly.

That said, my favorite kind of hero is the kind who is really just a big jerk and most everyone doesn't like him. Then, despite all that, he still does all the things that have already been mentioned.

[MethosH]

http://izismile.com/img/img2/20090702/he_is_a_hero_a_real_superman_in_real_life_00.jpg


The guy that is helping for the right reasons. Helping for the wrong reasons may just be bad on the long term. I would love to talk more about this but I can't. :smalltongue:

Also... Cliff Richard is NO hero!

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/e0/I%27m_No_Hero_US_album.jpg

[Zocelot]

Everyone's a hero in their own way. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oafRdw6ofmw)

[Force]

The guy that is doing the right thing for all the wrong right reasons (sorry, Rich).

[Serpentine]

Historically? The protagonist.

Actually, that's about right, really...

[Flickerdart]

Historically? The protagonist.

Actually, that's about right, really...
And the protagonist is decided by the narrator.

[Mattarias, King.]

A hero is one who does the impossible, despite what others may say, and does it to help others, to protect his friends, family, even people he doesn't know. He doesn't have to be liked by everyone or want to be, he just wants to do what's right. And he never gives up.

Basically, these guys, in my opinion.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/97/MMPRgroup.jpg

They're the ones who taught me what being a hero was all about, way back when I was a wee lad.

[Moff Chumley]

You wanna know who's a hero? Stevie Wonder (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uv_wZQJYlo0).

[Serpentine]

They're the ones who taught me what being a hero was all about, way back when I was a wee lad.OOOoooooh. Being a hero is about being colour-coordinated according to your sex and/or racial background. Gotcha :smallwink: :smalltongue:

[Mattarias, King.]

OOOoooooh. Being a hero is about being colour-coordinated according to your sex and/or racial background. Gotcha :smallwink: :smalltongue:

:smalltongue: Sssh. I was little. Sex and race meant nothing to me. Still don't.

[Lycan 01]

Hm. People who are willing to do the right thing and help other people, no matter the cost or risk, are heroes.

When I think of heroes, I think of firefighters and cops for some reason. I think its because they put their lives on the line every day, simply because they want to make a difference and help people. Firefighters want to save lives, even if it cost them theirs. Cops want to help people and stop bad guys, even if their only reward is hatred and even death. These are people who are willing to voluntarily sacrifice themselves just to make the world a better place for others. And that makes them heroes. To me, at least... :smallconfused:

Members of the armed forces are heroes, as well. But that goes without saying... :smalltongue:

[Shyftir]

A hero gets up when he gets knocked down. A hero does what's right, because it's right. A hero knows fear to the depths of his bones, but tells it to sit down and shut up like V and the laws of physics. A hero knows what he believes in and works to advance it, but doesn't hurt others to do so. He protects the helpless and opposes the tyrant.

My Grandfathers' were heroes. They stood against evil men, like Hitler and Toto. They watched friends die and saw the earth before them ruptured with explosives and riddled with bullets. They kept fighting. That's a hero. If I was half the man they were I'd be awful proud of myself.

[Serpentine]

Actually, I'd like to change mine.
For literature/history: the protagonist, and/or a figure who (symbolically or substantiatively) initiates significant progress, change national identity (Romulus would be an example of both).

For real life: see my signature, below.

[Jack Squat]

My definition of a hero - Someone who, against better judgment, does something incredibly stupid and dangerous to benefit people who they don't particularly know.

EDIT: I feel I should clarify that this is said with the greatest admiration.

[PhoeKun]

A hero is just a man who knows he's free.

I think, having said that, I'm supposed to die and leave a city to slavery under a deranged madman and his robot army.

[Silverraptor]

You need a "Hiro"?:smalltongue:

http://hanifahblog.files.wordpress.com/2009/01/hiro_nakamura1.jpg

[Felixaar]

Stingray Sam is not a hero - he just does things that folks don't do that need to be done.

[snoopy13a]

A descendant of the greek gods. Examples are Odysseus, Achilles, Aeneas, etc.

[Lupy]

Someone who does what's right even in the face of insurmountable odds.


A hero is just a man who knows he's free.

I think, having said that, I'm supposed to die and leave a city to slavery under a deranged madman and his robot army.

Mist?

[Dihan]

One of these:

http://www.britsuperstore.com/acatalog/Cadbury_Heroes_480G.jpg

[Kelb_Panthera]

It's one of those sandwiches that they sell at subway :smalltongue:

[Thajocoth]

"What is a hero? A benevolent pile of good deeds."

A hero is simply anyone who does something good that benefits someone who is not them.

[ScottishDragon]

One who meets Chuck Norris and lives

[Tar Palantir]

A hero is someone who does what must be done, even if it's hard, even if it's terrible, even if he'll never be able to live with himself after doing it.

[Bor the Barbarian Monk]

A hero braves the unknown, strives to do that which should be done, struggles to survive beyond seemingly insurmountable odds, and will make sacrifices for those whom he/she may barely know.

My opinion on this comes from the numerous heroes I've met on this very site. Were it not for the Playground, I would not have gotten to my brother's side when he was deathly ill, (and subsequently lived through that which should have been a terminal illness). There were also those who helped me LIVE when my life was at its roughest. You know who you are, and you are ALL heroes to me. :smallsmile:

[Jack Squat]

One who meets Chuck Norris and lives

You may bow down before me then :smallwink:

I'm surprised no one's said "someone who gets other people killed" yet.

[skywalker]

OOOoooooh. Being a hero is about being colour-coordinated according to your sex and/or racial background. Gotcha :smallwink: :smalltongue:

Billy is a smurf?! :smalltongue:

Fun fact about the original Power Rangers: The yellow ranger was a boy in the Japanese series, from which the suit footage was reused. That's why Trini's suit doesn't have a skirt.


You may bow down before me then :smallwink:

Never knew this. I will motion at next meeting to make you supreme leader for life.

[Dr.Epic]

Someone who, in spite of an overwhelming mass of reasons not to do something, does it anyways to great effect.

By that logic, if I stick my hand in a blend I'm a hero (there are an overwhelming mass of reasons not to do it and I'm sure I could do it to great effect).

[Mercenary Pen]

Does it really matter what a hero is?

According to the Stranglers there are no more heroes anymore.

[Ichneumon]

A hero(ine) is someone who's prepared to go against the world if that was necessary to do what he/she views as "the right thing".

[Dr. Bath]

A hero(ine) is someone who's prepared to go against the world if that was necessary to do what he/she views as "the right thing".

See also: Villain.

[Ichneumon]

See also: Villain.

Indeed.:smallcool:

[Solaris]

A hero is someone who does what must be done, even if it's hard, even if it's terrible, even if he'll never be able to live with himself after doing it.

I'm inclined to disagree. That doesn't make him a hero, that makes him dutiful. The hero finds the option where he keeps a (relatively) clean conscience.


I'm surprised no one's said "someone who gets other people killed" yet.

... Only 'cause I just saw this thread. It may surprise a lot of people to learn that 'Hero' is often a low-grade insult in the Army. Used on someone over-eager, over-motivated, and dim-witted.

Cynicism aside? Those who give of themselves for the sake of others. A civilian aid worker helping a war-torn region is just as more heroic than the trooper pulling security for him. The trooper, after all, is armed, armored, and trained for life-threatening situations. He doesn't meander into genuine hero territory until he's done something that put his life at risk with the purpose of saving his buddies. There's a reason medics are the most highly-decorated branch of the Army.

[Mystic Muse]

OOOoooooh. Being a hero is about being colour-coordinated according to your sex and/or racial background. Gotcha :smallwink: :smalltongue:

combined with poor special effects that haven't improved, weapons that couldn't cut through jello, lotsa memory loss, stupid poses and fighting badguys whose mouths don't move

"we're going to blast this badguy with a giant gun to kill him, turn around in a stupid pose and just HOPE he doesn't turn into a freaking giant like every other badguy before him"

[Closak]

A hero is a person like Zack Fair...

Wait...He's dead.


Okay, a hero is someone who died saving someone else.

[Ichneumon]

Okay, a hero is someone who died saving someone else.

Or somebody who died trying to do just that.

[HandofCrom]

The last one standing.

[EndlessWrath]

one who takes levels in PC classes? :smalltongue: Although I always liked: A hero is someone who can go the distance (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScKztLwDya8)

-------

in all seriousness. A hero is someone who does good deeds and whatever must be done. Not for fame and glory, not for rewards or recognition, not because it benefits him or her. But because it is the right thing to do. A hero is someone who cares about others more than they do him/herself and is/are willing to fight against odds and fight against people or factions much stronger than him/herself, risking property, happiness, life.. anything and everything. because it is the right thing to do. its not someone who's willing to die in a blaze of glory to be remembered through history. Its someone willing to die for a complete stranger, willing to die alone and forgotten, but knowing and would rather live for something greater. Its 3am, I hope that made sense -__-

-Wrath

[Zeb The Troll]

You need a "Hiro"?:smalltongue:

<picture of Hiro Nakamura>Interestingly, I'm currently reading a book in which the main character's name is Hiro Protagonist. :smallcool:

[Setra]

A hero is someone who does something that, by a society, is considered to be a extraordinarily good and selfless deed.

[Thajocoth]

A hero is someone who does something that, by a society, is considered to be a extraordinarily good and selfless deed.

So, one who saves the Earth from a death laser on the moon is not a hero, if their house is on the Earth?

[Headless_Ninja]

A hero is someone who truly believes in the hero inside of themselves, and summons him/her forth through an act of will.
Alternatively, it's someone who falls into a nuclear reactor and hopes for the best.

[skywalker]

Interestingly, I'm currently reading a book in which the main character's name is Hiro Protagonist. :smallcool:

Gooooood book.

[Kallisti]

A hero is one who chooses a hard path for the benefit of others, in full knowledge of what they do.

This is a good definition, and I'm too lazy to read the entire thread to make sure I'm not repeating someone else, because I would be. So I'll just say +1 to this.

[Solaris]

So, one who saves the Earth from a death laser on the moon is not a hero, if their house is on the Earth?

*Bludgeons*
You didn't see that, people. We didn't just get someone trying to encourage legalese definitions of broad, abstract concepts.

[Archpaladin Zousha]

The definition of hero has been something in flux throughout the ages.

Initially, heroes were simply men whose strength and bravery allowed them to do things others couldn't. Gilgamesh was not a good man by any stretch of the imagination. He slept with every bride in his city on her wedding night, invaded a god's sacred forest, killed its guardian and cut down the biggest tree there just for the hell of it, and sassed a goddess. Then he tried to find immortality and he FAILED. And that made him a hero to the Babylonians. Heracles had anger management issues which led him to murder his wife and kids, and he committed several more murders and manslaughters even after his famous twelve labors. In fact, most Greek heroes didn't have much in the way of moral character. But they could do things that other men thought impossible, and they were loved for it.

Other heroes combined their physical prowess with strong moral character. Beowulf, for example, obviously proved his strength by killing both Grendel and Grendel's mother, but he also demonstrated the qualities of a good servant and king, by remaining loyal to his uncle, King Hygelac, and giving most of Hrothgar's rewards for killing the monsters to him. When Hygelac died, the people wanted Beowulf to become king, but he turned it down, insisting that Hygelac's son and heir was the rightful king. It was only after that king died that Beowulf took the throne. And even as an older man, he retained both his heroic character and his heroic strength, by taking on the rampaging dragon at great risk to himself. He probably would have survived the fight too, had all his men except Wiglaf not abandoned him.

As time went on, however, the strength aspect became less important than the aspect of moral character. Nowhere is this clearer than with Arthurian legend. Most of Arthur's knights were simply men who upheld the code of chivalry. Sir Gawain is one of the most famous examples, sticking as close to his oath as he can when facing the challenge of the Green Knight, and keeping his promise to the Loathly Lady when he marries her. But another thing that arose here was allowing for the hero to be more human. Sir Gawain doesn't keep all his promises to the Green Knight, keeping what he believes to be a magic belt that will save his life. The knight gives him a little cut to punish him for it, but otherwise says that Gawain has passed the test admirably. Gawain is harder on himself than anyone else is.

These traits of great strength and moral character are the enduring traits of every hero, and each has differing amounts of both. Some heroes are very strong, but aren't good role models, while others are people everyone can look up to but might not be icons of physical prowess.

Granted, this is probably a shallow analysis at best, as I haven't even taken the concept of the anti-hero into account, or addressed literature that followed after 1066, but I believe that these two traits generally are the yardsticks by which most people pick their heroes.

[Setra]

So, one who saves the Earth from a death laser on the moon is not a hero, if their house is on the Earth?
No, he would not be what I would consider a "true" hero. Though he may be regarded as the savior of earth.

To me, being a true hero requires selflessness.

[skywalker]

Other heroes combined their physical prowess with strong moral character. Beowulf, for example, obviously proved his strength by killing both Grendel and Grendel's mother, but he also demonstrated the qualities of a good servant and king, by remaining loyal to his uncle, King Hygelac, and giving most of Hrothgar's rewards for killing the monsters to him. When Hygelac died, the people wanted Beowulf to become king, but he turned it down, insisting that Hygelac's son and heir was the rightful king. It was only after that king died that Beowulf took the throne. And even as an older man, he retained both his heroic character and his heroic strength, by taking on the rampaging dragon at great risk to himself. He probably would have survived the fight too, had all his men except Wiglaf not abandoned him.

Please also note that a large part of being a great hero was being able to boast about it. A healthy ego was not just important, it was required and synonymous with being a true hero.


As time went on, however, the strength aspect became less important than the aspect of moral character. Nowhere is this clearer than with Arthurian legend. Most of Arthur's knights were simply men who upheld the code of chivalry. Sir Gawain is one of the most famous examples, sticking as close to his oath as he can when facing the challenge of the Green Knight, and keeping his promise to the Loathly Lady when he marries her. But another thing that arose here was allowing for the hero to be more human. Sir Gawain doesn't keep all his promises to the Green Knight, keeping what he believes to be a magic belt that will save his life. The knight gives him a little cut to punish him for it, but otherwise says that Gawain has passed the test admirably. Gawain is harder on himself than anyone else is..

The Green Knight story was written well after 1066, incidentally.

What really shows here is that what is required to be a hero changes with the dominant culture. Early British/Welsh depictions of Arthur differ greatly from the later French Arthurian stories, where Arthur isn't even really the main deal anyway. Both of these differ from Beowulf, an Anglo-Saxon myth. Gilgamesh, much the same, is from a completely different mythology.

[CurlyKitGirl]

Interestingly, I'm currently reading a book in which the main character's name is Hiro Protagonist. :smallcool:

Fortunately, he's sees Reason.

A 'hero' is something very hard to describe if you're aiming for a 'hero' taking into account all cultures, ages, literature, belief and whatnot.

You know, this was probably a bad thing to start musing about right before going to a translation class on OE heroic/elegaic poetry. I shall muse on this question and write an edit into this post - or a new one - later on.

[paddyfool]

@Zousha,


Heracles had anger management issues which led him to murder his wife and kids

And being mentally dominated by a goddess had nothing to do with it?

On the whole, though, quite a trenchant analysis. I think the idea of "honourable" heroes is older, even considering Western culture alone, than the Arthurian legends, however. For instance, Virgil's Aeneid turns around the Trojan war to let you see it from the Trojans' point of view; as a people fighting for their lives against an enemy backed by the gods themselves, as a result of a chain of events caused by the gods and prophecy, they still held out for 10 years. And seen through this perspective, Hector, rather than Achilles or Odysseus was the greatest hero of that war; a man who went out to do the honourable thing and stand up to a raging invulnerable demigod, even though he knew it was hopeless.

[Serpentine]

Aside from his last-minute turn-tail, I don't think Iliad portrayed Hector as a lesser hero...
Hell, the whole point of it was Achilles' sulking jeopardized the entire siege.

[LurkerInPlayground]

The definition of hero has been something in flux throughout the ages.

Initially, heroes were simply men whose strength and bravery allowed them to do things others couldn't. Gilgamesh was not a good man by any stretch of the imagination. He slept with every bride in his city on her wedding night, invaded a god's sacred forest, killed its guardian and cut down the biggest tree there just for the hell of it, and sassed a goddess. Then he tried to find immortality and he FAILED. And that made him a hero to the Babylonians. Heracles had anger management issues which led him to murder his wife and kids, and he committed several more murders and manslaughters even after his famous twelve labors. In fact, most Greek heroes didn't have much in the way of moral character. But they could do things that other men thought impossible, and they were loved for it.

Other heroes combined their physical prowess with strong moral character. Beowulf, for example, obviously proved his strength by killing both Grendel and Grendel's mother, but he also demonstrated the qualities of a good servant and king, by remaining loyal to his uncle, King Hygelac, and giving most of Hrothgar's rewards for killing the monsters to him. When Hygelac died, the people wanted Beowulf to become king, but he turned it down, insisting that Hygelac's son and heir was the rightful king. It was only after that king died that Beowulf took the throne. And even as an older man, he retained both his heroic character and his heroic strength, by taking on the rampaging dragon at great risk to himself. He probably would have survived the fight too, had all his men except Wiglaf not abandoned him.

As time went on, however, the strength aspect became less important than the aspect of moral character. Nowhere is this clearer than with Arthurian legend. Most of Arthur's knights were simply men who upheld the code of chivalry. Sir Gawain is one of the most famous examples, sticking as close to his oath as he can when facing the challenge of the Green Knight, and keeping his promise to the Loathly Lady when he marries her. But another thing that arose here was allowing for the hero to be more human. Sir Gawain doesn't keep all his promises to the Green Knight, keeping what he believes to be a magic belt that will save his life. The knight gives him a little cut to punish him for it, but otherwise says that Gawain has passed the test admirably. Gawain is harder on himself than anyone else is.

These traits of great strength and moral character are the enduring traits of every hero, and each has differing amounts of both. Some heroes are very strong, but aren't good role models, while others are people everyone can look up to but might not be icons of physical prowess.

Granted, this is probably a shallow analysis at best, as I haven't even taken the concept of the anti-hero into account, or addressed literature that followed after 1066, but I believe that these two traits generally are the yardsticks by which most people pick their heroes.
The thing is that virtue is more important than moral character in defining a hero.

Morality is an evolving cultural phenomenon. And despite what people think, a lot of our morality is based the benefit of better knowledge (e.g. racism is bad because "race" is an artificial abstraction and humans are mostly the same in all important respects).

Moral character is viewed as a type of strength. In all those cases, physical strength and prowess of arms is still a virtue. (As well as defying the hell out of cosmic powers.) It's just that the idea of what falls under the "virtue" heading has evolved to include other things.

[CurlyKitGirl]

Back.
If we conflate all portrayals and generalise a 'hero' we get the following:
1. Male.
2. Strong - either of will, physical strength, (often) morals, mind (but not necessarily intelligent).
3. Guided, inspired or protected/patronised by a deity. Or Other.
4. Does great things - kills the monster/wins the battle/saves the fair maiden.
5. Of notable descent - royal, noble or godly.
6. Proud and sure of themselves.
7. Selfless???
8. A hero saves people/world/something.

Each and every one of these has been subverted as far back as the origin of writing.
1. The Old English imagining of the apocryphal Bible book Judith depicts her as a Germanic hero.
2. Any fantasy book, or 'classic literature' will subvert the next. James Barclay's The Raven are mercenaries who initially start off on a Save the World quest via accident and being hired to do so. George R. R. Martin - enough said. The Sword in the Stone (T. H. White) has heroes who are dumb, silly, weak, and so on. Launcelot, one of the most famous knights/heroes of Morte d'Arthur is a psychotic nutcase who commits adultery and betrays his king. But he's a hero.
3. Any novel without a fantasy world would have this to some extent.
4. Great can be defined with extreme difficulty. Going strictly from a literary aspect: why is Achilleus' defeat of Hektor greater than Hektor's ten years of holding out against the collected Grecian armies? Odysseus in Greek stories is a 'cunning hero'; in the Aeneid he is a trickster. Yet aren't his deeds still great? Is saving one child's life greater than saving an adult's life?
5.Bit tricky this one, a lot of 'heroes' that leap to mind eventually turn out to be the usual SECRET HEIR TO THE THRONE OR NOBLE HOUSE. I believe a nice aspect of this is represented by Sam Vimes of Discworld fame. He's from a discredited noble house, hates all nobles bar Sybil an possibly Vetinari; starts out as an alcoholic and becomes His Grace, the Duke of Ankh, Commander Sir Samuel VImes of the Ankh-Morpork City Watch. A respected diplomat, noble and person. Would we say he is a 'typical hero' in this sense as he's of noble stock, however watered down and discredited? And how about Captain Carrot? Everyone knows he's the King, but he wants to be a Watchman. Who is the hero? Who is more noble? Many people say Same Vimes is one of the best portrayals of the LG alignment in 'real life' because he knows he's bad and a person; but he tries hard to be good. Carrot is almost supernaturally kind and charismatic ('blood will out' anyone?); but he doesn't have as many demons as VImes. Hero? Lesser hero?
6. Now we have the more introspective novels where we're revealed more of our characters thoughts we know this isn't the case. One series, two words. The Belgariad: "Why me?"
7. When does selflessness start? Both the Anglo-Saxons and Ancient Greeks had a similar idea. Cursed if I can remember the technical term for the anienct greek one; but it's fame in deeds and battles. People want to be remembered, so they do great deeds. Or how about The Raven? At first it was a MacGuffin Plot, then they found out it could be used to end the world. They were paid for their item retrieval, but were offered more money to save the world. Yet they'd already decided to save the world without the offer. Selfless? But they live in the world, it's selfish to want to save it.
8. Technically, by recycling you help to save the world. Many people would say that doesn't make you a hero. Saving someone's life against insurmountable odds does make you a hero. A what point does saving something make one a hero? The world? Yes. A continent? Yes. Country? Yes. City? Yes. Schools? Yes. One life? Yes . . ? But doctors do it all the time and we don't proclaim them all heroes, we take them for granted.

Maybe trying an OE approach would help. What is a hero not?
1. A hero does not kill needlessly.
Except many do. George R. R. Martin; Odysseus; Gilgamesh. And I have read books where the villain becomes a hero through self-sacrifice. Does one great deed cancel out all the bad ones? Or vice versa? How about Eight-Bit Theatre?
2. A hero is not cowardly.
But then isn't heroism loosely defined as standing up to something one is terrified of? So a coward can be a hero. And heroes can be afraid, is admittedly fear cowardly? And pacifism: cowardly or not? [Pardon the dip into politics here] Ghandhi is a hero, but a pacifist. Does he deserve to be mentioned with Gilgamesh et al.?

But even the 'not' list is wrought with "but"s which is why it's so short.

The hero is normally the protagonist of a novel/media. When the term was first invented (as protagonistes) it meant 'first actor' or 'first character'. Medea's protagonist is a child-killer. Even at the creation of drama as we know it the protagonist was never guaranteed to be a hero.

I think the safest quality by which one can define a hero is simple:
A hero has to be called a hero by at least one person. I have many heroes; my mother, my granddad, Terry Pratchett; Freddie Mercury; several of my friends. And yet I doubt very many people would add their voice to mine when I call them heroes. They are personal heroes.
Churchill is a countrywide hero.
Arthur a worldwide one.

A hero is someone who is an inspiration to at least one person; or who has once done something 'good' either in the absolute sense of This Is Good (i.e. lifesaving be it for work or because it was needed) or even in the more nebulous sense of 'good' such as 'Granddad taught himself to read and write and supported his family from the age of six years old'.

And as far as literature (ancient or modern goes) a hero is whoever the writer or the readers designate as one despite how villainous the character could be.

Ha. My mini musing did nothing but point out problems with 'hero'.

[EndlessWrath]

Changing my answer.
Definition of Hero (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heero_Yuy#Heero_Yuy): Best friend of Duo Maxwell, Pilot of the Wing Zero, Romantic interest of Relena Peacecraft, raised as the perfect soldier, 15 year old teenager who wears a green muscle shirt and black shorts. :smallwink::smalltongue::smallamused:

-Wrath

[skywalker]

2. A hero is not cowardly.
But then isn't heroism loosely defined as standing up to something one is terrified of? So a coward can be a hero. And heroes can be afraid, is admittedly fear cowardly? And pacifism: cowardly or not? [Pardon the dip into politics here] Ghandhi is a hero, but a pacifist. Does he deserve to be mentioned with Gilgamesh et al.?

Cowardice is not merely fear, it is being mastered by fear.

Courage is not the absence of fear, but mastery of it. My old Karate master used to say "you cannot be brave if you are not afraid."

Courage cannot exist without fear.

Pacifism can be cowardly, but it is not necessarily. You can be a pacifist for a variety of reasons.

[Faulty]

An altruist who takes it to the level of "badass".

[Zeb The Troll]

Pacifism can be cowardly, but it is not necessarily. You can be a pacifist for a variety of reasons.Indeed. When pacifism is the unpopular stance, I submit that standing by your values can certainly be courageous. In certain places at certain times in history, being a staunch pacifist could get your butt kicked in the alley.

[The Extinguisher]

A hero is just a man who knows he's free.

I think, having said that, I'm supposed to die and leave a city to slavery under a deranged madman and his robot army.

I <3 you so much :smallbiggrin:
But it's okay, because they could not stand for themselves.

Also, I'm... impressed? that no one's brought up an hero yet.

[Pocketa]

It's one of those sandwiches that they sell at subway :smalltongue:

Sandwich voting.

It's so subjective, because we never know the full story.

[Rettu Skcollob]

A MISERABLE PILE OF HEALTH POINTS
stupid thing not letting my post in all caps

[Delwugor]

Anyone who regularly think of others before themselves. They are my heroes and the people I look up to.

One person who I've worked with is a great example just because he always listens to what other people have to say. No theatrics, no life threatening situation, just the willingness to place the same importance to what people say as they do.

[Stealthdozer]

A hero is one who provides hope, most especially where there is none.

Student: Happy the land that breeds a hero.
Galileo: No, pity the land that needs one.