This question is for ‘hero’ in all forms: realistic, fiction, superhero, comic book, anime, etc. Let’s say a person is flawed, or is very arrogant, or has a superiority complex, etc., but also does heroic things—like being a firefighter, doctor, wizard, superhero, whatever. Do you think that person is still a hero despite having negative personality traits?
Of course no person is perfect, and in literature a perfect person would be boring.
In my view, anyone who does something selfless that really helps other people or person, because they see the need to help, is a hero. They don’t need to be good in every other way. Just that they use their powers for good.
Villians can be nice, too. With some fatal flaw that causes great harm.
No. Who you described at the end is what is called an Anti-Hero, who is someone who can do good things but they do them their own way which might not always be the right or correct way to solve a problem. Even if the problem was solved.
Deadpool is an anti-hero - loves killing people and partaking in all sorts of immoral things, but is doing good deeds by only doing the killing on bad people.
An arrogant person like Tony Stark is not an anti-hero, just a hero.
Now in real life, well it’s a completely different story. I’d say it’s just more that anyone can do heroic acts no matter how bad of a person they are.
Literally no one is perfect, just like if someone was truly average in every respect, they’d be the most unique person who ever lived.
It’s dangerous to put people on a pedestal. A lot of good happens because someone who isn’t perfect decided to do something good that day
That will depend on your values and culture. In ancient greece, heroes were warriors that killed many or defeated impossible odds. Now it is usually about self sacrifice or saving many people. Some people see humble hard workers as heroes. Though that also has an element of self sacrifice.
Perfect, like many things in life, is matter of perspective. You can have some traits that some may perceive as flaws and still be perfect. Just means your life is at least a tad more interesting.
Colossus: Four or five moments - that’s all it takes to become a hero. Everyone thinks it’s a full-time job. Wake up a hero. Brush your teeth a hero. Go to work a hero. Not true. Over a lifetime there are only four or five moments that really matter. Moments when you’re offered a choice to make a sacrifice, conquer a flaw, save a friend - spare an enemy. In these moments everything else falls away…
No, it just means you are someone that helps others, even when you know that you won’t gain anything from that yourself.
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Only one of us was perfect, and I ain’t HIM (His Imperial Majesty, Haile Selassie I)
A hero is only a hero from one perspective. There was a movie in '92 called Hero that sort of explores this a bit. It’s not a great movie, but it has a sort of scummy guy do something great and a sort of OK guy do something scummy.
No such thing as a perfect person. We are all flawed in some way
Nobody is perfect. Not even heroes. Not even fictional heroes.
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Of course not.
If a fictional character is a perfect hero, then you’re either writing for five year olds or a terrible author.
