Greatest Hero of All Time (Preliminary Research before Poll)

[gamecat]

Oh no. He does mean imbred, in this case.

I do. Feyd-Rautha was Baron Vladimir Harkonnen's nephew. Jessica Atreidies was the product of Baron Harkonnen's rape of Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam. She was sent to the Atreidies to have a daughter, but she defied and had a son, bringing the Kwizatz earlier, inadvertently. The Bene Gesserit plan was to INbreed the daughter with Feyd, thus pooling superior Atreidies and Harkonnen genes.

That is inbreeding, unless ****ing your relatives is acceptable to you.

 

[Agback]

D'Artagnan (especially as portrayed in The Man in the Iron Mask)

G'day

I hope you are referring to the recent movie: Gabriel Byrne's character was okay. The d'Artagnan in the original book sold out to the bad guy in return for an apointment as Marechal de France. Ick!

Heroes of mine that someone else might have heard of include:

HISTORICAL

Asoka, Emperor of India (3rd century BC)

Hypatia

Robert Grosseteste, Bishop of Lincoln and Chancellor of Oxford University ('Grandfather' of Modern Science and of Parliament)

Simon de Montfort ("the Righteous"), Earl of Leicester ('Father of Parliament')

Sir John de Evill (a.k.a. Ewill, d'Eyvile, Deiville; a.k.a. Robin Hood)

Arthur Wellesley, first Duke of Wellington.

Sir John Gorton

FICTIONAL

Justin Alastair, Duke of Avon (from Georgette Heyer's "These Old Shades" and "Devil's Cub")

The Earl of Rule (from Georgette Heyer's "The Convenient Marriage")

Richard Fauconbois (from Violet Needham's "The Black Riders")

Horatio Hornblower (from the series of novels and stories by CS Forester)

Ged / Sparrowhawk (from Ursula Le Guin's "Earthsea" trilogy)

Severian the Torturer (from Gene Wolfe's "Book of the New Sun")

Lucius "Latro" (from Gene Wolfe's "Soldier of the Mist" et seq.)

Glinnes Hulden (from Jack Vance's "Trullion: Alastor 2262")

and greatest of all:

/ King Aillas (from Jack Vance's "Lyonesse" trilogy)
\
< Glawen Clattuc (from Jack Vance's "Cadwal Chronicles")
/
\ Adam Reith (from Jack Vance's "Tschai: Planet of Adventure" series)

Regards,


Agback

 

[Agback]

Robert the Bruce

That self-promoting turncoat fought for the English at the battle of Falkirk. He only became a Scottish patriot when there were no other claimants to the Scottish throne.

Regards,


Agback

 

[Agback]

The Southern Baptist in me wants to talk about humble carpenters from Judea...

You try it and the Theravadins will roll out a compassionate ex-king of Kapilavastu. And shortly afterwards that moderators will shut this thread down.

Regards,


Agback

 

[Zarrock God of Evil]

G'day

I hope you are referring to the recent movie: Gabriel Byrne's character was okay. The d'Artagnan in the original book sold out to the bad guy in return for an apointment as Marechal de France. Ick!

I am. Liked the way he tried to do the right thing all the way - torn between all those people he loved. Sounds like quite a jump in character since the first book? The movie approach seemed more like the D'Artagnan were used to ...

-Zarrock

 

[Agback]

Originally posted by jester47 I take it that we are looking for the greatest hero. I would assume means that they are not simply a protagonist, or someone that has a keen tactical mind. A hero in this definintion would not be someone simply doing his job and being good at it (i.e. a lot of military leaders already named.)I would say that they are people with the balls to clearly do good and avoid the pitfalls that come with power. The greatest hero I would say is not insane. I assume that the sources are open to any media. Heroes cannot be national heroes as many national heroes are seen as criminals by other nations. Case in point: Che. Unilaterally they have to be accepted over political boundries or they are not GREATER heroes.

The greatest hero:
is recognised as such universally
always tries to do the right thing
wins most of the time
must be mortal[/B]

Okay then, the man you want is Arthur Wellesley, a man who struggled up from humble beginnings (as second son of an Irish earl) to become:

A duke in Great Britain
A duke in France
A prince in Portugal
A prince in the Netherlands
A duke in Russia
A duke in Prussia
A duke in Austria
A duke in Spain, and Grandee of the First Class
A Duke in the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies

A field-marshal in England (the first ever)
A Marshal of France
A field marshal in seven other national armies

Prime Minister of Great Britain

Member of forty orders of knighthood from the Bath to the Holy Ghost

Warden of the Cinque Ports

Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire

Chancellor of Oxford University

And Ranger of Green Park.

The only ever lost one engagement in the field (as a lieutenant-colonel in India), though he did lose two general elections.

Regards,


Agback

 

[Furn_Darkside]

Horatio Hornblower (from the series of novels and stories by CS Forester)

Another great pick!

FD

 

[Bob Aberton]

2. achieves whatever right thing it is they set out to do or dies trying (meaning they never give up on a fight, challenge, or goal)

Ah-hah. Here in lies my problem.

WHAT IF THE GUY FAILS?

What about the Informant who's too late to stop the bomb?
BUT had every intention of sacrificing himself if necessary?

What about the Secret Service guy who's just ONE SECOND too late to take the bullet?

Is a Martyr the same as a Hero?

And is the Secret Service guy who was ONE SECOND too late to take the bullet ANY LESS HEROIC than the Secret Service guy who DID TAKE THE BULLET?

 

[kenaustin]

And is the Secret Service guy who was ONE SECOND too late to take the bullet ANY LESS HEROIC than the Secret Service guy who DID TAKE THE BULLET?

No, he's just out of a job.

 

[Forged Goo]

How about

Vlad Taltos from the Steven Brust series

and

Jed, he did keep his family fed

Goo