For a lot of literary heroes, even those from a traditional hero’s journey, being a hero isn’t their goal. In fact, the acts that makes them heroes are done grudgingly. Even resentfully. So what makes these reluctant heroes do what they do?

What Forces Reluctant Heroes into Action?

For the most part, the reluctant hero is forced to go on the journey, and the choices from that point are made simply by the character’s moral compass and purpose. By being who they are, they can only act a certain way when faced with the situations they encounter.

So, really, the question of the reluctant hero is more about what forces them to go on the journey than it is what makes them act the way the do while on it. So… what makes them go on the journey?

Saving Someone

The only time Deadpool acts heroic is when he’s saving someone else (and then, it’s still heroic with a large side of morally corrupt). He agrees to the treatment for the sake of Vanessa and their love. While it’s not literally saving someone, it’s still fits the emotional motivation.

On a less violent note, in A Wrinkle in Time (the book, not the movie), Meg doesn’t really know what’s going on or even believe she could possibly help, but she has to act to save her dad and her brother. Without those motivations, she’d have stayed home.

Survival

The old, tried-and-true motivation: do or die. A common variation is “do ___, or the world will end,” which nicely combines Survival with Saving Someone. Or, more accurately, saving everyone.

Rand al’Thor, Perrin Aybara, and Mat Cauthon all fit this category in The Wheel of Time. They have a choice between leaving home with an Aes Sedai (a powerful figure they don’t trust) or die. And quite possibly get everyone in their village killed, too.

Technically, you could argue that Fate played a role, but they didn’t leave because of a prophecy. They left because they wanted to live. And that’s actually what motivates their actions for at least half of the first book.

Someone Said To / Puppetmasters

Usually an old guy says to, and the young, naive-but-kind character goes off on the adventure as he/she was told to. That’s actually most fairytales: Dad said to go and try to win this Princess’ hand, so here I go with my ax and my hunk of bread.

Bilbo from The Hobbit may very well fall under this category. Of course, his motives are pretty unclear, so I could put him in several categories (why did he go again?).

Skeeve from the Another Fine Myth books fits this bill pretty well. He’s a bit lazy and fairly ignorant, so when older and worldlier people tell him he has to do x, y, and z to survive or go back to his normal life, he does what they say. I’m not saying that survival doesn’t play into it, but in many cases, he really only has their word for the fact that survival is an issue. And Aahz is not above telling a few fibs to get the result he wants (to put it mildly).

Yes, the old guy might have to do more than speak to get his way, but get his way he will.

For example, Ender in Ender’s Game is about as reluctant a hero as you can get. The old men in the military manipulate and monitor him even before he is born with the sole purpose of making him good enough to save the human race.

Of course, the military didn’t just tell him to (although Graff manages to persuade Ender to participate multiple times with a little help from his sister). They also took steps to leave him no other choice, so, yeah, this is an extreme example.

Fate

I almost made this another name for Someone Said To, but the more I thought about it, the more I decided that it’s really a unique combination ofSomeone Said To and Survival. Because it’s not only the people pushing the character. It’s the circumstances, as well.

Think Neo in The Matrix. Would he have been The One if the Oracle hadn’t told Morpheus that he would find The One? Hard question, right?

Sorry. Have a cookie. You’ll feel better.

Responsibility

While some could argue that Fate includes a sense of responsibility for events, I’m talking about a much more straightforward version. The you-broke-it-so-you-fix-it kind.

In Bedlam’s Bard by Mercedes Lackey, lots of people tell Eric that he’s got to get his act together and save the elves (and other magical creatures in the area). Fate, Someone Said To, and Survival are all pushed at him as reasons to become the hero. But they don’t work.

Sure, he tries to go along with it for his friends’ sakes, but as a screw-up with emotional baggage, he actually manages to make the situation even worse by letting his emotions get in the way of the goal. Only then, did he get his act together.

Why? Well, it wasn’t really his goal until he messed up so badly that he felt responsible. That’s what made him grow up and truly take on the quest.

Escape

Some characters become heroes simply to escape their horrible lives. I guess, under certain circumstances, ridiculously dangerous journeys don’t look so bad.

In The Silver Chair, Eustace and Jill want to escape the bullies at their school and go to Narnia, so they ask for Aslan’s help. Little did they know what adventure they would go on as a result (Jill didn’t even believe Narnia was real!).

Boasts & Pride

Maybe, they lost their temper and blurted it out without thinking. Maybe, they were trying to impress their crush. Either way, they said they would do it, and, for whatever reason, they feel obligated to live up to their words.

This is another category Bilbo might go in – were his boasts during the party the tipping point for his going?

Rico’s enlistment from Starship Troopers has this feel. He told the pretty girl he was going to join, so now he has to.

Snacks & Fear

Can you say Scooby Doo and Shaggy? Why are two people that are basically high, into snacks, and afraid of spooky stuff going on adventures to find ghosts?

You want to know why? Their friends wanted to. That’s right. Their friends wanted to, so they tricked Shaggy and Scooby with Scooby snacks. That’s really the only reason they go.

Also, their indulgence in snacks, fear of spooky stuff, and attempts to run away are what lead them to find clues to the trick being played. So without snacks and fear, these two wouldn’t be heroes even by accident.

Curiosity & Obsession

If I remember correctly, Sherlock Holmes only took cases that interested him. That means that despite needing money enough to share his lodgings (how he met Dr. Watson), he would frequently turn down cases that did not meet his standards of being intellectually inspiring.

Ergo, his obsession with the intellectual pursuits and his curiosity towards a suitable mystery are what led him to take on cases and find justice (or at least answers) for his clients.

Revenge

In Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey, Lessa’s goal is revenge for her murdered family. Little does she know, however, what events that will set off or the journey she will face as a result.

So revenge isn’t the main part of the story – not even close. It’s simply the catalyst.

Privacy

Shrek definitely didn’t want to be a hero. When faced with a swamp full of strangers invading his privacy, however, he made the decision to do whatever he could to get them sent back where they came from. He wasn’t doing it for their sakes – he just wanted his space and privacy back.

Next thing you know, he’s facing cheers and treated like their hero. Sure, he did it out of selfishness (or, put kindly, self-preservation), but he still saved them from being isolated in some lousy swamp when they’d rather be back in their homes.

What motivates your hero?

This list includes at least 11 different motivations (not counting all the combinations of them, either). You can use any of them or something else entirely. You can go traditional (Fate/Someone Said To/Survival/Saving Someone), or you can go as far away from that as you please.

There are so many options, and that’s what’s so great about it.

In fact, my absolute favorite takeaway is that the motivation that starts it all can be as selfish as you please. It can even be evil, and the person can still turn out a hero – to someone, anyway.

Isn’t that interesting?

-Em