What does a ‘Hero’ mean to me?

[Love4NovelGuy]

I remember back when I was a simple-minded child and how the first 'superhero' I actually saw was Spider-Man.



Don't expect me to remember much of it now because I only saw it airing in the early 2000's. However, what I do remember about that animation was it's less goofy take on spider-man as a whole.



The origin story of Peter Parker wasn't any different than others and it was mostly generic, but what made the biggest impact on me at the time was watching how gaining superpowers wasn't really as great as it sounded.



When Peter Parker first gained his powers, he was hit with constant slip-ups and realised himself how he couldn't just tell others of his freakish powers.



It was through that animated series was I able to comprehend just what a 'heroes struggle' actually was.



This was especially true when Venom came along and showed just how dangerous his abilities can be in the hands of someone with less virtuous intentions.



'With great power comes great responsibility.' Actually resonated with me as it started to sound less cheesy.



So... How does this old animation have to do with what a Hero means to me now? Well, that's a complicated topic.



To iterate my perspective, I'm going to have to fast forward to present day and talk about My Hero Academia.



Immediately at the first episode of this Anime, I found someone completely different from the 'Hero' Spider-Man.



Both of them are similar in that they both started off as normal people.



Izuku and Peter were both studying at the time they gained their powers, but the story from there is completely different other than that.



Not only does both their 'worlds' have a different attitude towards ability users in general, but the way they obtained their powers was completely different as well.



Some of you might be thinking: "Well thank you for stating the obvious" now.



In fact, it may sound far-fetched to even think these two heroes are similar in any way. Yet I somehow disagree with that.



The reason I like Izuku so much is because both he and All-Might represent the most crucial aspect to being a superhero, or more, a 'Hero'.



The spirit of sacrifice is something I find to be admirable. To put your daily lifestyle and even 'yourself' in danger to help others is worthy of praise.



Yet... that's all I feel for heroes, just pure admiration and nothing else.



In Spider-man, the first 'true' villain for me was Venom. Not only was Venom creepy and eerie but he was practically everything Spider-Man was capable of, an embodiment of chaos itself.



I could feel sympathy for Eddie Brock because he felt so 'Human' to me. He was just an average guy who had one bad day that almost lead him to trying to commit suicide.



To me, Eddie Brock was a lot more Human than Stain from Hero Aca.



He was narrow-minded, Yes, but his story made him a lot more scarier than stain's killing intent could ever be.



When I think of the two and compare them a little. I find Venom, a walking symbiotic abomination, to be more empathetic than Stain's madness.



This isn't to say that Stain is a bad villain overall. In fact, he was a crucial villain in Hero Aca that really fought for what he believed to be the right thing to do.



It's just that for me, I found his 'mission' and his actions to be contradictory.



What does he aspire to do?



I guess... it's to form a cult of people who believe Heroes should be more like martyrs and sacrifice themselves for random people they don't know about.



Kidding, kidding... He's just a guy who wants to be heard by the populace.



Now, how does he make a difference?



I guess he kills heroes he doesn't like while shouting how unheroic they are...?



When you see it done, it might look okay, but how it sounds when written just makes you feel he's insane.



Normal people don't risk their benefits or themselves for others. Not because they're weak but because selfishness is just another part of human nature. You wouldn't value the life of a stranger over your best friend nor would you value a random person enough unhesitatingly sacrifice your life to save them from a nearby danger.



Superheroes are the same. They may place personal life at risk sometimes to save other people but most of them usually hesitate when it comes to risking their lives to save one person.



I feel it undermines the rarity of finding people who have the spirit of sacrifice to think that just anyone could do it.



You could see from just how Izuku was unable to save Bakugo despite his bravery that just having the guts to save someone doesn't always end well no matter how good your intentions are.



He fought hard but reality wouldn't change due to his brave actions.



This is why Heroes are usually portrayed as people who are normally stronger than your average mix martial artist.



They are bold and can take care of themselves while they help others.



To be a true Hero, one needs to have courage to go the extra mile when showing compassion to those in need.



Even Doctor Who can give a passionate speech about kindness. He too is a Hero despite not having a 'Hero Name'.



However, now that I brought him up. I now remember that he was only 'smarter' than a normal human. His physical capabilities were so negligent that his companions could kick his ass.



Speaking of them, weren't all his companions, who were only normal people (at least in the beginning anyway), able to help others in need without having great superpowers?



Aren't they considered Heroes as well?



Now look, I've went from Marvel to Hero Aca and lastly landed on Doctor Who.



Most would say that these three things have nothing in common, but is it true?



To put an end to this immeasurably long ramble, let me just some everything up.



To be a Hero, all you need is kindness.



You don't need to sacrifice your life.



You don't need some hidden superpower or some strong talent.



Just kindness...



Spider-Man had learnt how to be kind to others by calling his reason for saving the lives of other people as a form of 'responsibility'.



Izuku (Deku) had learnt that though courage alone won't give a hundred percent chance of success in saving others. It's the first step needed to be a true Hero.



As for the The Doctor? He's been changing so rapidly over the years that he is no longer the original old man he used to be. However, one thing that has never changed is the fact that he has two hearts filled with compassion.



And that's the end of my rambling. I hope you enjoyed this rollercoaster~

 

[Eukro]

For me, a Hero is someone that is courageous, noble and takes risks to help someone else. I see a lot of stories that talk about how the MC is a hero, when he just runs around killing everyone that has even a minor disagreement with him. They will save someone as long as they are a beautiful female to add to their harem, or their nonthreatening friend. Random passers by are completely ignored. To me that is far from heroic.

When I think of a hero, it's the side character that dies trying to save people while the MC is busy courting death.

 

[Lone_Crane]

I don't know if I really believe in heroes, more like there are people who have principles and live by them. Others might call them heroes. But depending on one's point of view they might be a villain to someone else. But I like this exchange in wuxia author Yun Zhongyue's 1976 novel The Great Assassin. The protagonist, Lin Yan, is talking to an elder monk from Emei (translated by me):

“Benefactor, if Tax Commissioner Liang is assassinated do you know how many people in Shaanxi will suffer?”

“How many innocent people will suffer if he doesn’t die? Can it compare?”

“If the tax commissioner dies the imperial court will just send another to take his place. Maybe two.”

“At least the next one won’t be as venomous as this one.”

“Benefactor, do you know the Ten Evil Stars under Venomous Dragon?”

“I’ve heard of them. They’re Venomous Dragon’s personal die-hard followers.”

“Benefactor, can you take on three of them by yourself?”

“I can,” he said without hesitation.

“What if there are four of them, or five…”

“Eventually I’ll be able to catch them when they’re alone.”

(…)

The old monk remonstrated, “Good is rewarded, and evil is requited. Payback is just a matter of time. A person who goes berserk will always receive Heaven’s punishment and sink to the deepest pits of hell. Benefactor, you’re a promising, capable youth. Why must you risk yourself like this? The highest level of attainment for a martial artist is to become one with nature, without boundaries, merged with the universe, transformed…”

“I understand all that.” He drew his sword and stood. “Everyone will die one day,” he said solemnly. “Great Master, even if you cultivate until you transcend your physical body, or I cultivate to the highest realm and become one with nature, neither of us will live forever. We are both heading toward death’s final journey. You might leave behind your relic ashes, and I my immortal fame, but our lives will still end in extinction.” He held up Cold Rainbow. “What good is it?” He spoke each word pointedly. “If my accomplishments don’t benefit the empire and its people or any other living thing, then what’s the difference between me and a walking corpse? A block of stone sits there for thousands of years, empty, still, neither alive nor dead. It’s still just a block of stone, meaningless to everyone.

“Let me tell you, one more or one fewer of your ilk won’t make much difference. Let me tell you, I’m young and ardent. I know good from bad, right from wrong, and I’ve trained diligently for more than a decade. Not for my own personal gain. I want to put everything I have into helping the common people. You can say that I’m foolish; you can say that I’m bringing trouble to the world; you can say that I am working for others to please my own desires. I won’t argue with you. I will hold high the sword of chivalry and ardently fight evil to the end, never cowering, never yielding, but advancing courageously without hesitation. If you all are thinking of stopping me, be sure not to take the task lightly.”

 

[jinxs2011]

A lot of heroes in stories aren't really heroes. They have power, they do good deeds, but if s**t really starts to hit the fan they turn and run or prioritise their own safety or the safety of their friends, sometimes at the expense of many, many others. A real hero doesn't just protect others when it's easy. They do it when it's hard, when there's nobody else and the odds are stacked against them. They fight the losing battle because the battle needs to be fought. They sacrifice themselves for the people, not for fame, power or glory, but because it needs to be done. Iron Man is a good example of this. He had it all: Fame, Wealth, Power, even a loving family. But when the time came, he sacrificed it all.

 

[Quecafe]

I see heroes as beings capable of sacrifice when necessary, of course, that before being heroes they are people and as such have the right to not be perfect. But I think what makes them into those shining beacons of hope, is the ability to put the safety of other above to theirs. I think the greatest example I have seen IRL was the family of a friend that always donates to charity and helps in voluntary work even when they could be economizing, the family isn't really poor, but it also isn't rich, they are average people who decided to be good people, and I sincerely admire them.
For me, the heart of being a hero sums up to be ready to sacrifice oneself if needed.