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9 Traits that Readers Want in Your Story's Hero

Today, I will conclude the trio of character types that I started with Villains and Antiheroes, by discussing what readers want from your story's Hero. Please note that I am speaking specifically about a heroic protagonist, not just any protagonist for any sort of story. Also remember that it could be the case that a story is about the protagonist BECOMING the hero. In this case, the story should be about learning or gaining these traits as they make mistakes, try to grow, and move towards their goal.

Trait 1: Ideals that set them apart from the world. (Dumbledore)

The first thing that should set your hero apart from the world, is not any sort of power or ability, it is an ideal. Any realistic world contains many good people within it. This means that anyone who surpasses that level of good, must have a worldview that challenges the level of goodness already present.

Trait 2: A drive to push them to change the world. (Kick-ass)

Yes, there are heroes in literature who just seem to want to preserve the status-quot. But there are two problems with this. First, such is not an interesting or dynamic hero, only an opponent to change. Second, you turn the hero into an antagonist (a figure preventing action) as opposed to a protagonist (the figure that is the driving force of the story).

Trait 3: Wants the world to grow and become stronger, not to play the role of Big Brother. (Professor Charles Xavier)

In their attempts to surpass society, and bring good change to the world, the hero ceases to be so when they reach the level of fascism. Meaning, a hero is not one who forces their views on the masses, but instead one who tries to inspire the world to become a better place. Otherwise, they are a benevolent dictator.

Trait 4: Contains identifiable human flaws. (Ron Weasley)

So far, it's looking like your hero is a very good person, which they should be! However, if you want your readers to identify with your hero, you have to give them realistic flaws. This could include self-doubt, arrogance, cowardice, naivety, greed, lust, anger, prejudices, or many other traits. But remember that if you want these flaws to be valid, they should cause genuine problems for the hero throughout the course of the story, and cause them to do things that are less than heroic. Otherwise, you're giving them a pseudo-flaw that any reader will see right through. Don't make your hero fearful, but always defying that fear, or just too nice for their own good.

Trait 5: Seeks salvation, and not destruction. (Luke Skywalker)

A hero should not be a force of destruction—save that for your antihero. They shouldn't want to destroy the antagonist, even if that eventually has to happen. This comes as part of having high ideals. And if the hero has to destroy in order for these ideals to succeed, then they succumb to dictatorship—fascism.

Trait 6: Weaker than the villain. (Harry Potter)

Either situationally, emotionally, mentally, or physically, the hero must be weaker than the villain in the most important way to the story. This is important for building suspense, and actually creating stakes in your story. If the hero is stronger than the villain, then I don't need to worry about the potential for the hero to lose in the end. Nor does the hero have to grow as a character in order to win. Also remember that it is in their nature for intelligent readers to root for the underdog—not the powerful dictator with a heroic outfit.

Trait 7: Works against fate/luck. (Neville Longbottom)

Luck and coincidence should NEVER work in the favor of your hero, only against him or her. You may have heard of Deus Ex Machina—when luck, a god-like character, or fate save the hero in the end. All I have to say is NO! Bad! Your characters should always triumph over evil based on their own merit and growth, not cheap writing gimmicks and intervention.

Trait 8: Loses major battles. (Batman)

Now you don't have to go as far as to let the villain break your hero's back, but you should allow your hero to lose badly and frequently. Doing so works with the two previous traits in creating genuine stakes in the story—putting the audience on the edge of their figurative seats.

Trait 9: Should stand on their own accord, without Jesus symbolism. (Wreck-it Ralph)

I bring this up because the most common flaw I see in heroes is that they are modeled after or piggy-back the symbolism in the story of the Passion. There is nothing inherently wrong with the mythos of Christ, but there is something very wrong in trying to use that story to make your hero look more heroic, instead of letting them stand on their own accord. Simply note the events and popular imagery within the Christian mythos, make mental notes of them, and eliminate every one from your own story so that readers identify your hero as their own unique character, and not the millionth “chosen one.”

Comment with your own examples for any or all of these traits!

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