SPOILER WARNING
No matter the audience, genre, or decade, any great story needs an equally great hero. For centuries, humans have been enthralled by heroic figures with extraordinary abilities. The Greeks fawned over beautiful demigods and recited stories about them slaying monsters, while the Japanese had samurai, the embodiment of the virtue of honor.
Today, the thirst for brave, sexy, and stupendous heroes remains as high as ever. In addition to superpowered men in tights, our culture romanticizes cowboys, gangsters, spacemen, and even plumbers. Many modern heroes have their own deep mythology, but their inspiring battles are never more entertaining than when they occur on the silver screen.
From the epic days of early Hollywood to the CGI battles of today, there are thousands of movie heroes who’ve enthralled us with cool one liners, unique abilities, and unyielding ethics.
But with so many different films, there’s now a multitude of types of heroes as well. While great heroes often share traits like power, bravery, and honor, their heroic essences still vary, often impacting the outcome of their journey.
Consequently, I offer ten common types of movie heroes below with one that best exemplifies that suit of hero. Some may surprise you, some won't, but all are surefire heroes in their own right.
10. The Reluctant Hero
Although we are used to brave heroes accepting their burdensome nature, not every hero is so eager to turn down that path. Many heroes even spend a large part of their film’s runtime avoiding the hero’s journey, no matter what happens around them.
Whether they’re simply scared of doing something so dangerous or scarred from the last time they tried to help someone, the reluctant hero recognizes the noble journey and ignores it. Of these heroes who just can’t muster the courage right away, none quite have the emotional reluctance of Logan (Hugh Jackman) in Logan (2017).
Decades after the events of the original X-Men films, Logan finds himself in a near distant future with very few mutants left. He’s no longer Wolverine, but a lonely limo driver, scuffing with random people in an increasingly violent and uncaring world.
Logan has clearly failed as a hero but is presented with the opportunity to save one last person, a young girl (Dafne Keen) who shares his healing power. But unwilling to risk his current life of seclusion, Logan refuses, leading to more innocent people dying. Once he’s confronted by true evil though, he finally fights back, fully bearing his claws and embarking on one last journey.
What makes Logan such a compelling reluctant hero is not just what see in Logan, but the plethora of films that precede it. Since 2000, we’ve seen Wolverine consistently prove himself as one of the most badass characters ever, taking on the toughest enemies and winning nearly every time.
As such, seeing him struggle in fist fights and work as a lowly driver is a jarring image, but one that perfectly shows how far this legend has fallen. Logan’s walked the hero’s journey time and time again but still ended up in a future where he lost everything he fought for. When he gets one more chance to be the hero, this time for an innocent girl, he can’t help but refuse because he knows where this journey ends.
But as a true hero, he can’t deny who he is, agrees to help, and sacrifices himself in the process. He never gets to save his X-Men teammates, but he does save her, ensuring that none of them died in vain. With every reason to be a reluctant hero, Logan overcomes them all to redeem himself and be an X-Man one last time.
9. The Underdog
On the opposite end of the reluctant hero, there’s the hero who so desperately wants to help but never gets that chance. This hero is the underdog, facing adversity at nearly every corner of their lives.
The odds of them ever becoming a hero are low, but once given the chance, they surpass all expectations and do the unthinkable. With tenacity and morals aplenty, they never give up until they’ve shown the entire world that they are capable of being a hero. While the underdog trope has been tackled relentlessly, one of the best (and funniest) portrayals comes from Kung Fu Panda (2008).
In a world full of wolves, rhinos, and tigers, Kung Fu Panda has us follow Po (Jack Black), a chubby panda who works in a noodle shop. Throughout the film, Po is constantly belittled and underestimated, never being given a fair chance by anyone but the shrewd Master Oogway (Randall Duk Kim).
Po’s uphill battle begins early as he faces an immense challenge. It's not in the form of a skilled adversary, but an actual uphill climb of a comically ridiculous number of stairs. While Po’s ensuing struggle evokes laughter, it also attests to how ill fitted this panda is for the martial arts.
This is later confirmed when Po starts training, as he not only sucks at kung fu, but his respective peers desperately want him to leave. His disastrous introduction to kung fu is even juxtaposed against antagonist Tai Lung’s (Ian McShane) incredible escape from prison, properly illustrating the severe gap in skill between the hero and villain.
Even when Po finally does manage to gain some real skill, the greatly anticipated Dragon Scroll provides no additional help, spurring master Shifu to evacuate the endangered valley. However, Po deciphers the hidden meaning of the scroll and finally accepts himself for who he is and not those he has been emulating his whole life.
With his earlier skills, ingenuity, and inherent panda traits, he defeats Tai Lung and becomes the Dragon Warrior. It’s an underdog tale of extreme proportions, leaning heavily into his lowly life before finally realizing him as the heroic figure he always wanted to be.
8. The Villain Turned Hero
While underdogs aspire greatly to have a positive impact in the world, some heroes never intend to do any good at all. Instead, they begin at nefarious depths, only ever fighting to protect their own selfish interests.
But then, they become entangled with other noble spirits and end up on a more virtuous path. These are heroes who must redeem themselves, otherwise known as villain turned heroes.
The villain turned hero remains a popular Hollywood trope, especially in sequels where audiences want to see a fan favorite villain join the hero’s side. One of the best instances of this happening though comes from The Pirates of the Caribbean franchise in the form of Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp).
Sometimes nearing the lines of an antihero, Jack Sparrow certainly starts on a distinctly antagonistic note. He’s immediately recognized as an enemy by the British, duels the benevolent Will Turner (Orlando Bloom), and threatens to hurt Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley) just so he can escape.
Moreover, Jack Sparrow has internalized the pirate lifestyle as he fully embraces the plundering, murdering, and stealing essential to it. Even by pirate standards, he’s awful, as he constantly betrays his friends and always puts himself first. Throw in a plethora of lovers he's scorned and sailors he specifically recruits to sacrifice to Davy Jones (Bill Nighy), and it’s no wonder why he was left for dead by his old crew.
Yet, because of his awful exploits early on, Sparrow’s turn to hero across the trilogy is astounding. Throughout the first two films, Jack Sparrow consistently outwits his friends and enemies to save himself, failing as a pirate captain.
In Dead Man's Chest (2006), Swann eventually probes him about his wishy-washy nature, insisting that he’s genuinely good inside. Given Sparrow's charming demeanor and likable presence, the audience desperately wants to believe her too and see him become a full fledged hero. When Sparrow returns to help defeat the Kraken, we not only feel relieved, but can finally relish the character's actualization of his best self.
Indeed, Jack’s decision dooms himself, but his willingness to help means he dies as a hero and true friend. He never quite shakes the inherent immorality of being a pirate, but he finally returns his friends’ favor of saving him, making him a hero to us.
7. The Antihero
Like the villain turned hero, the antihero also subverts the traditional picture of a well-meaning savior. But while a villain turned hero eventually finds redemption and fulfills the hero image somewhat, an antihero might never embrace such a change.
Instead, the antihero almost always uses nefarious means to accomplish their goals, often stooping lower and lower as the story progresses. However, that doesn’t mean there’s no fight for them. Most antiheroes are fighting wars of their own, often trying to save the people or ideas they care about by any means necessary.
Antiheroes have seen rising popularity in recent years, but none quite capture the spirit as much as Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) in The Godfather trilogy.
The eventual embodiment of Machiavellian principles, Michael Corleone begins his journey as the golden child and war hero of the powerful Corleone mob family. He seems innocent, but his knowledge of his family’s nefarious dealings shows that he already exhibits antihero tendencies.
After several murders and attacks from rival mobs, Michael must step into the leadership position and maintain his family’s status. He overcomes early reluctancies and complications to lead the family into its next era of prosperity by eliminating all opposition at the end of the first film.
Yet, it’s not Michael’s humble beginning that makes him an excellent antihero, but rather the cold stance he’s left in once The Godfather II ends. In the sequel, Michael intends to preserve his family no matter the cost. His moves are always calculated, ensuring that other factions are silenced and all loose ends within the family are secure.
His goal of ensuring the family survives seems noble enough to warrant such crimes until the real fragility of the Corleone family is revealed in the film's final moments. As Michael sits alone at the dinner table, deceased family members appear as specters from his memory to join him in the familial act of enjoying a meal.
With so many members lost, some of them killed by Michael himself, the family is a shamble of its former self, proving Michael’s overall efforts have failed. He represents the ultimate antihero, one so focused on his goal that he doesn’t realize he has lost everything until it’s too late.
6. The Delusional Hero
A staple of being a hero is knowing you’re fighting on the right side, but some heroes find themselves fighting battles that aren’t real. These are the delusional heroes, the modern-day Don Quixotes fighting wars that have already been lost or never existed at all.
While antiheroes know they’re crossing lines they shouldn’t, delusional heroes have convinced themselves that they must accomplish goals that have no real impact on their lives.
Some delusional heroes might believe they’re saving others, while others try to save themselves in misguided ways. But for all the delusional heroes, there is perhaps none more intriguing than Holly Golightly (Audrey Hepburn) in Breakfast at Tiffany’s.
A neighbor, friend, and sorta love interest to Paul (George Peppard), Holly first appears as a delightful enigma for the audience to decipher. She seems dedicated to chasing the glitz and glamour rampant in New York City, succinctly epitomized by her love for the opulent store, Tiffany’s. Seemingly a gold digger who’ll sell her soul and body to become rich, Holly often does not come across as any hero.
However, she eventually reveals that she must acquire wealth to save her poor brother Fred who’s stuck in the army. Thus, her actions become more noble to both Paul and the audience, sometimes even making her a sacrificial hero of sorts.
But as the story unfolds, Holly’s delusion unravels. Fred is eventually killed in an accident, shattering her world. She has the perfect opportunity to stop chasing the rich lifestyle that has driven her to exasperating lengths and be with Paul, but she instead keeps looking for the perfect rich bachelor.
Holly has always used her brother as an excuse to chase wealth, but it isn’t until he dies that her main desire becomes apparent. When Paul tries to confront her by offering a chance to escape, she initially declines, trying desperately to cling to her lifestyle any way she can.
But since he genuinely loves her, Holly finally realizes the rarity of such a chance and accepts his humble offer with an iconic kiss in the rain. Wrought in her delusions, Holly never saves her brother, but through Paul, she saves herself from a lifetime of chasing unimportant riches.
5. The Unsuccessful Hero
While a delusional hero can subvert audience expectations, it’s even more surprising when a hero fails entirely. One of the biggest expectations we have for heroes is for them to actually save us, but that doesn’t always happen. These are unsuccessful heroes.
Mirroring real life, they lose, failing to catch the bad guy or protect whatever they’ve been fighting for. Despite all honorable intentions and efforts, some heroes fall short, reminding us they we're only ever human.
Many movie heroes fall short of their goals in some way, but one of the most saddening defeats in movie history comes from Jim Stark (James Dean) in Rebel Without A Cause.
A 50’s heartthrob, Jim Stark is one of the earliest embodiments of teen distress to appear in mainstream cinema. In the film, his rebellious nature acts as a flagrant cry for help in the neglectful world around him.
As such, he not only becomes an outcast at his new school, but stands as a hero for other outcasts, including the disturbed Plato (Sal Mineo). Jim and Plato quickly become friends, but Jim soon realizes that Plato shows signs of mental illness that are largely ignored. Consequently, Jim’s mission becomes taking care of Plato by being what he doesn’t have: a stable and good friend.
However, Plato’s issues are serious, and he eventually spirals out of control. Plato eventually shoots some bullies to save Jim before becoming a fugitive. With the police now involved, Plato hides at the observatory where they first met, as Jim tries to talk to him. But despite his best efforts, misunderstandings and awful timing result in the police shooting Plato as Jim watches.
What makes Jim’s failure so devastating is that he does nearly everything correctly. He connects with Plato, persuades him to disarm himself, and walks him out of the observatory so that nobody gets hurt. This also isn’t Jim’s responsibility at all, but he commits to his friend because he wants to do the right thing for the one person he's bonded with. But it’s still not enough and he fails.
In addition, Jim’s character ends where he began, in utter despair as he continues to be ignored by “mature” adults around him. Jim not only fails to save his friend, but he’s reminded that troubled teenage voices will continue to go unheard. While Jim’s altruism inspires us to keep fighting, his loss reminds us to prepare for failure because it's an inevitable part of human life.
4. The "Super" Hero
On the complete opposite end of heroes who fail to save the day are those heroes who just never seem to lose. No matter the opposition, these heroes always win, saving the innocent and usually earning themselves a happy ending. These heroes are “super” heroes.
They might not always have superpowers (though they often do), but their tenacity and skills always amount to stupendous feats. We not only love these heroes, but we want to emulate them, often falling for their looks, lifestyle, and innate likeability.
“Super” heroes might be one of the most popular film heroes right now, but no hero pleases crowds quite as much as Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford).
Brought to life by Steven Spielberg and George Lucas, Indiana Jones is the ultimate superhero. In fact, it only takes the first scene of Raiders of the Lost Ark to show why he’s such an incredible adventurer.
Despite flurries of traps, Jones outmaneuvers them all, working his way to the treasure. No matter how much the danger mounts, Indy always survives, even when the iconic boulder barrels towards him in a seemingly inescapable manner.
Jones also proves he is full of heart, standing out amongst the thieves and double crossers he quickly encounters. Fighting the hero’s fight, Indiana Jones enters the temple, finds the treasure, and looks so cool while doing it.
Despite being just a man, Indiana Jones is as incredible as any other “super” hero. His skills are impressive, but his knowledge puts him above everyone else in nearly every situation.
At the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark, the Nazis nearly win, but Jones’ humility and knowledge save him and Marion (Karen Allen). As the Ark is opened, Jones respects Ark's sanctity and closes his owes, which spares his head from exploding. Just like always, Indiana Jones wins.
He’s rarely the strongest, but Jones’ intelligence, fighting skills, and heart of gold make him nearly invulnerable. Exhibiting no real flaws, Indiana Jones never really feels relatable or grounded. Instead, he is the superhero of all “super” heroes, always winning noble fights and riding off into the sunset with a grin on his face.
3. The Relatable Hero
As inspiring and entertaining as movie heroes can be, sometimes we just need a hero we can connect with. These are the relatable heroes. While “super” heroes excel in fights against monsters and alien, relatable heroes fight the daily struggle that everyone else does. They’ve no distinct advantage besides the sheer will to do the right thing.
Relatable heroes are aplenty in cinema, especially in dramas, but few heroes are as relatable as Donnie Darko (Jake Gyllenhaal) from Donnie Darko.
Just a sixteen-year-old boy, Donnie is an outcast who struggles with mental illness and fitting in with the cookie cutter society around him. His family loves him but acknowledges that their lives with him are notably difficult.
Life for Donnie soon becomes more difficult when he starts having visions of a man in a bunny suit telling him that the apocalypse is imminent. Unsure of whether these visions are real or in his head, Donnie questions everything around him, becoming even more of an outcast.
Eventually, he realizes they are real, and he has one choice; he must sacrifice himself to save the world. Donnie accepts this fate, and the world is safe without anyone ever knowing it was in danger.
Admittedly, nothing about this scenario sounds relatable. Yet, Donnie’s outsider status is a realistic presentation for anyone struggling to fit in. Coupled with mental illness and insane visions, Donnie is quite separated from many of his peers.
His otherness is best represented when he rebels against his guidance counselor’s “helpful” exercise. Frustrated with the task, Donnie yells at her, trying his best to explain that her assignment fails to understand the complexity of human emotion, which she ignores. This scene epitomizes Donnie’s relatability as he is just a complex human trying so hard to be understood. That Donnie still decides to sacrifice himself for a town that never understands or accepts him shows the sturdiness of his moral compass.
Even in death, Donnie is relatable to anyone who feels like they carry the world on their shoulders without being seen. Heroic even when he’s ultimately alone, Donnie Darko dies not just as a hero, but an average person whose struggles could beseech any of us.
2. The Inspirational Hero
As we approach the end of this list, it’s important to remember exactly what heroes do that cement themselves as the premier characters in fiction. Sure, they entertain and astound, but so do the villains. What keeps drawing us back to heroes is their ability to inspire.
No matter our situation, a great hero reassures us that there is still hope in our lives. Even when heroes fall short, they remind us that failure is a part of life, but we should still fight anyways.
From deeply flawed humans like Donnie Darko to invincible heartthrobs like Indiana Jones, all great heroes inspire us to give the world everything we’ve got. Nearly every movie hero inspires in some capacity, but perhaps none do so with as much affability as Forrest Gump (Tom Hanks).
Despite being mentally disabled, Forrest affects the latter half of the sprawling twentieth century in spectacular fashion. With just a kindhearted soul, Forrest does everything an American could possibly dream of doing. He meets presidents and rockstars, earns millions of dollars, and travels to countries few will ever visit.
Of course, Forrest is rarely conscience of his cultural impact, but he lives the way his mom taught him and never falters morally. Forrest triumphs in the face of incredible adversary and becomes an icon with ease.
Yet, it’s how Forrest garners his impressive achievements that inspires us so much. Forrest endures as an inspirational figure because he simply strives to be the best person he can be. Besides his running skills, Gump has no spectacular abilities, but he perseveres on his own terms. He helps those who need it, defends the neglected, and always cares about others.
Moreover, Forrest becomes a hero in one of America’s most confusing times, filled with divisive anger and constant turmoil. Forrest’s world is just as grueling as ours, and he loses about as much as anyone else.
But due to his inherent kindness, he never gives up, leading the best life anyone could live. Sure, it’s unrealistic how much success he has, but the core values of Forrest Gump reaffirm that we only need the right goals in life to be heroes.
1. The Greatest Movie Hero of All Time
Finally, it’s time to pick the all-time greatest movie hero. Like Forrest Gump, they must be inspirational, but there’s many other traits they need too. They should certainly be relatable so that we can sympathize with them, while also having enough power to win us over.
They should also exhibit the flaws that make us human, perhaps being reluctant to heroism or even straying down the wrong path. Even worse, they might fail to stop the bad guy or quit being a hero entirely.
But at the story’s end, when things seem most doubtful, they must remember who they are and fight till the very end. While it’s hard to find one hero who embodies all these traits, none come as close as your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.
With the advantage of having ten different movies, Spider-Man is a hero unlike any other. He’s obviously a “super” hero, with super strength and web slinging. In fact, Maguire’s Spider-Man swinging through the New York skyline remains an iconic, yet inspiring shot. Spider-Man also always seems to outsmart the bad guys, whether they be insane scientists or demonic aliens. This isn’t surprising given his superpowers, but when he removes that mask, everything changes.
As Peter Parker, Spider-Man becomes a complex hero. While other heroes are revered, Spider-Man’s just a relatable teenager who must do everything that you and I do. He works crappy jobs, struggles to maintain his personal life, and tries to keep it all safe from the villains around him.
Consequently, he’s sometimes reluctant to be a hero, but deep down he knows that he must be because nobody else can. I won’t repeat Uncle Ben’s quote here, but it resonates just as strongly today as it did in 2001.
Spider-Man is a dedicated hero, but he’s still not perfect, losing his shares of battles. Garfield’s turn as the character sees him fail to save Gwen Stacy, while Holland’s go sees him lose everyone in his life only a few years after dying in outer space.
Perhaps his biggest loss of all is never getting to have a normal life. Peter might be relatable, but he always knows that he doesn’t get the joys of an average life. Peter's struggles reflect our own reality though, as there are many times in life when we don’t get what we want. While we can become envious of others easily, nobody gets to have everything, not even if you’re Spider-Man.
In Into the Spider-Verse, there’s a moment when the shopkeeper, played by creator Stan Lee, talks to Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) about being a hero. He says, “That person who helps others simply because it should or must be done, and because it is the right thing to do, is indeed without a doubt, a real superhero.”
This quote ultimately summarizes everything Spider-Man is: the choice to do the right thing. He has the power and intelligence we never will but must still sacrifice greatly to be a hero. Spider-Man inspires by being realistic and entertains by being amazing, but it’s his commitment to doing the right thing, whether he fails or not, that makes him the greatest movie hero of all time.
