Black Dragon submitted a new blog post:
Mythic Guide to Heroes & Villains — Courageous and Skilled Heroes
by Antonio del Drago
This is Part 3 of the Mythic Guide to Heroes & Villains.
Characteristics of a Hero
The characteristics that you give your character are entirely up to you. The hero archetype does have some characteristics that are synonymous with the role, however. While you are not required to use all of them (or any of them, for that matter) you should at least familiarize yourself with them. They have, after all, created a formula for heroes that has lasted for thousands of years in the world of fiction.
Courageous
In the world of fiction, bravery is (almost always) a defining characteristic of a hero. Note that this does not mean that your character needs to be fearless. If your character is absolutely sure of himself and feels no doubt about his journey or fear of the villain, your hero can come across as too self-assured and even arrogant. A complete lack of fear is not even possible in nature. Fear is a self-preservation instinct that is inside of us all, and it is there to serve a purpose.
True courage means that the character has rightfully acknowledged the risks of the journey ahead of him. He progresses forward not from a casual dismissal of these risks, but through a determination to do what is right in spite of them.
As far as your hero is aware, there is a...
Continue reading the Original Blog Post.
Mythic Guide to Heroes & Villains — Courageous and Skilled Heroes
by Antonio del Drago
This is Part 3 of the Mythic Guide to Heroes & Villains.
Characteristics of a Hero
The characteristics that you give your character are entirely up to you. The hero archetype does have some characteristics that are synonymous with the role, however. While you are not required to use all of them (or any of them, for that matter) you should at least familiarize yourself with them. They have, after all, created a formula for heroes that has lasted for thousands of years in the world of fiction.
Courageous
In the world of fiction, bravery is (almost always) a defining characteristic of a hero. Note that this does not mean that your character needs to be fearless. If your character is absolutely sure of himself and feels no doubt about his journey or fear of the villain, your hero can come across as too self-assured and even arrogant. A complete lack of fear is not even possible in nature. Fear is a self-preservation instinct that is inside of us all, and it is there to serve a purpose.
True courage means that the character has rightfully acknowledged the risks of the journey ahead of him. He progresses forward not from a casual dismissal of these risks, but through a determination to do what is right in spite of them.
As far as your hero is aware, there is a...
Continue reading the Original Blog Post.