What Makes the Hero Heroic

Here are some characteristics of the epic hero. Note that not every hero has every character trait listed. These are mainly general observations.

• epic love (often separated from lover)
• suffers
• masculine
• violent
• weak spot
• confronted with temptation
• loyal
• extremely strong
• clever
• handsome
• has a secret item that helps him (e.g. cloak of invisibility)
• his men are his family
• violent towards women
• their weapon has a name
• their horse has a name
• it is clear from the day of his birth that he is going to be a hero
• journey