What Makes a Hero

The idea of heroes should need no introduction. Hercules, King Arthur, Superman. These are only a few examples of a tradition of storytelling dating back to before written language. However, despite their accomplishments, these would not be men we would always consider "heroic" in the modern sense. Heracles was unfaithful to his lovers. King Arthur impregnated his half-sister and butchered a large chunk of England's infant population. Superman is a dick. Despite their flaws, they are the examples used most often to illustrate the heroic archetype. This raises the question- what makes a true hero?

Each of these heroes follows the monomythic structure outlined by Joseph Campbell in The Hero with a Thousand Faces. The heroes heard the call to adventure. The Heroes rose above their peers to face off with incredible obstacles; be it the twelve labors, the edict of destiny, or the wrath of the gods themselves, respectively.

Terry Pratchett's Discworld offers a more realistic hero: Ankh-Morpork's Samuel Vimes. In a world with dwarves, trolls, wizards, and dragons, it is hard to imagine him as "realistic." But Vimes isn't one of those. Vimes is an ordinary human. He is a man in a position considered a joke by the city and its people- Captain of the Night Guard in a city where the thieves and assassins operate in the open. Whatever its blemishes, though, Ankh-Morpork is his city, and he accomplishes incredible tasks in its defense. To name a few accomplishments from the course of the Discworld series, he has arrested a dragon (destruction of property), two armies marching toward the gates (disturbing the peace), and the city’s ruler (for treason). In a world where the traditional weaknesses of the supernatural reign, he killed a werewolf with his bare hands to protect his wife. He refuses to be stopped or bribed in his pursuit of justice. And this is what makes him Heroic.

Vimes does not seek out adventure or glory.