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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Jeremy Ackerman-Yost" data-source="post: 270621" data-attributes="member: 4720">Primary requisite of a hero: Willingness to sacrifice self for the greater good.  Actual elements of risk need to be there.  Predestination of events is a disqualifier, as truly heroic actions are taken by free will ONLY.  And pretentious musicians need not apply.  Unnecessaily brutal and/or evil methods are also a disqualifier, as is inherent racism.  Real life:Martin Luther KingGhandiFiction/Legend/Mythology:Samurai JackRobin HoodSpidermanBelgarion (this one is a little iffy because of all the predestination going on, but ultimately many of the choices he made with his own mind qualify)SparhawkArthurSamwise GamgeeDavy CrockettJean ValjeanEvery character ever played by John Wayne (that I know of, I suppose he might have snuck a villain in there that I didn't notice)2nd String (these characters are often heroic, but are too self-serving on occasion to be full-out heroes):Jean-Luc PicardBen GrimmSherlock HolmesVan HelsingIndiana JonesOdysseusProtagonists (these characters and people were inherently self-serving, and while they may be considered heroes locally, their reasons and/or methods make them protagonists of their stories, not heroes):ConanLancelotAchillesWilliam Wallace (RL.  The movie version would be 2nd string)I have NO idea where to put Batman.  When written well, Batsy is perpetually on the edge of turning into a villain himself, but he does take a number of selfless actions.  Ultimately, though, the fact that the motivation for his quest is deeply personal hurts his hero standing.</blockquote>

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