Recently I have been on a Tolkien movie fest. First watching “the Hobbit” series and now getting stuck into “Lord of the rings”. It’s not first time I’ve watched them, I’ve watched them many times. But I am still fascinated by Tolkien’s story telling magic. Of course not all books can be turned into movies, but Peter Jackson did a wonderful job capturing the essence of Tolkien’s stories.

But what makes them so good? It’s the wonderful character’s of course. The hobbits, elves and dwarfs are all fantasy creatures, but so human in their frailties. The story lines are based on the classical ‘hero’s journey’, an ensemble of fascinating characters setting on a honourable quest. What’s not to like about that?

The main characters in the two trilogies are of course humble hobbits — Bilbo Baggins and Frodo, both of which were reluctant heroes, but grow in stature during the course of the stories. They are a very different type of hero. They have no special skills other than quality of their character. And maybe that is why we relate to them. They are innocent and vulnerable.

That got me thinking about the different types of heroes in stories. There are many different types of heroes and heroines to choose from.

There is the superhero type of hero. This is a hero with special skills. They may have flaws, but they are committed to the task and follow their duty. For example, James Bond, Robin Hood, Indiana Jones, Katnis Everdeen, and any of the comic super heroes fit into this category. These characters are noted for their constancy in the face of adversity. However, they rarely transform during the course of the story. But we still love them.

The guardian is another type. He or she is hero that goes out of his way to protect and individual or town or something else precious to them. For example, the local sheriff, Ray Owens, has to protect his town from a gang cartel in “The Last Stand”. Another example is Ellen Ripley in “Aliens”, where she has to save the young girl, Newt.

The rebel who fights for an injustice or a cause is another common type. For example: Erin Brockovich in the movie of the same name; Darby Shaw in the Pelican Brief; Angela Bennet in “The Net”: and Jake Brigance in “A time to Kill”.

The bad boy hero is another type. He or she is a character who suffers from hubris and must be humbled. For example, the character of Thor in any of the Thor movies.

The wounded hero that is haunted by his past and needs to find redemption is another type. For example, Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars “Return of the Jedi” found redemption at the end of the series (although technically Luke Skywalker was not the hero at the the time).

The ordinary guy (or cop) caught up in an impossible situation and most take command. For example, John McClain in “Die Hard”. Blake Snyder names a whole genre after these types of character as being the “Dude with a problem”.

The reluctant hero or boy that must grow to be king. For example, Kind Arthur in the movie of the same name. These heroes have to be pushed hard before they respond.

The sleuth or cop that always manages to outsmart their villains. There are many examples: Colombo, Hercule Poirot, and Sherlock Holmes. This embraces the whole crime and mystery genre.

The fool triumphant: the joker or naif that is never taken seriously, but somehow finds their way. For example, Elle Woods in “Legally Blonde”, or Forest Gump in the movie of the same name.

The trickster who evades the capture – the likeable thief. For example, Luther Witney in Clint Eastwood’s movie, “Absolute Power”. Another example, is Thomas Crown in “The Thomas Crown Affair”. Most of the heist movies also fall into this category.

You might think that this is simple stereotyping, and no one wants to read about another hero of the same ilk. But these are hero types have constantly worked, and we never seem to get bored with them. Of course, the hero is only one element of a story and there are countless variations of storylines to freshen up the hero. At the end of the day a story only works if it induces and emotional response in the reader or audience and that is what storytelling is all about.

What do you think?