This person is a hero, pure and simple. They're almost always right, are a friend to all their teammates, and morally superior — without the usual flaws of Good Is Dumb or Well-Intentioned Extremist, unless it's a comedic work. They have a well-rounded skill set. They're not as strong as The Big Guy, or as intelligent as The Smart Guy, or as sensitive and socially adept as The Heart, but they're close. They can personally accomplish a variety of goals, but their real superpower is getting the whole diverse set of personalities to focus and pull together. They'll always know who to ask for help, and when — and usually how. Most often, they will be The Protagonist but there are exceptions to this rule. Just as often, they will be The Leader or otherwise the shining star that holds the Ragtag Bunch of Misfits together, but there are exceptions to this as well. In a team lineup, they will be front and center. The Hero will often undertake The Hero's Journey.
The concept of The Hero is very old and every culture and nation has had individuals they identified as heroes. On account of Values Dissonance, the notion of what the hero signifies has changed and diverged a great deal from the ancient world to the early modern world to the present day. Heroes in the ancient world were compelling because they embodied virtues and qualities common to the experience of people at the time (War, Violence, Survival) whereas later generations would seek idealized values from their heroes because of their desire and yearning for a better world.
In Team Trope dynamics and speculative fiction, you may notice powers and skills common to the hero, including:
In many games or settings, they'll be a Jack of All Stats; a well-balanced fighter with decent power and speed, and sometimes some ability at magic.
Most of the time, they'll use a sword or sword-like weapon as their weapon of choice, even in science-fiction settings where this makes less sense than a gun.
In a fight, they will ALWAYS win (say 99.99% chance). Even if they lose, bet your life on it that they will win the Heroic Rematchnote .
They will usually wear either red or blue (sometimes both), and if they've got a theme or powers, expect them to be fire-based. Electricity and light/holy are also common Elemental Powers for the hero.
The Hero is most often male and his female sidekick is usually in love with him. The primary romantic plot in the team is often between The Hero and the girl, with The Lancer sometimes rounding out a triangle. The Hero might also be a Chaste Hero or a Celibate Hero as an additional complication to romantic subplots.
If the Hero has too many of the "positive" qualities listed above, they may degenerate into a Marty Stu. If they're too generic, then they're an Every Man (but please note that the Every Man does not have to be this trope or The Protagonist). They are sometimes the Only Sane Man trying to keep The Team together because they live in Dysfunction Junction. Because The Lancer is, by definition, The Hero's foil, The Hero and The Lancer usually have a special chemistry, either a Bash Brothers relationship or Red Oni, Blue Oni. They are often rivals with a strong mutual respect for each other, and are sometimes Heterosexual Life-Partners. They are likely to argue about who is The Leader, but as stated above, this role usually goes to the hero.
The Hero does not have to be The Leader. Indeed, since Villains Act, Heroes React, the hero often arrives on the scene a little too late, so his role and function in the story is more or less reactive and predetermined rather than ones that have been set or chosen by him which is counterintuitive to the role of The Leader. Indeed, The Hero is likely to get his marching orders from the Big Good. When heroes are leaders, expect them to be Frontline General or Badass in Charge. When they are merely part of a crew, expect them to start out as something of The Load if they're a Mouthy Kid or The Fool, but don't worry — in time, they will reveal their great potential, eventually swaying friend and foe alike to their cause. Even if they need significant growing up to reach that point. Eventually, they may very well become The Leader. In cases where Heroes Act, Villains Hinder, a leader hero can take a more proactive role in the plot.
If there's a character cooler than the Hero, that character is generally Too Cool to Live. See also The Ace, The Captain, The Kirk, Messianic Archetype, The Chosen One, and Hero Protagonist. A superhero is, by the catch-all definition, a hero (often with superpowers) who dedicates their very life to... well, being a hero.
Note: It is important to remember that while the hero is usually also The Protagonist, a.k.a the main character, they are not necessarily one and the same. Whereas the hero is defined by the character traits described above, The Protagonist is defined by their central role in the story. In Star Wars, for instance, Luke Skywalker is an archetypical example of The Hero and is more or less The Protagonist of the original trilogy, but the prequel trilogy establishes the more antiheroic Anakin Skywalker as The Protagonist of the film series as a whole, even though he is a villain for more than half of the saga. See Supporting Protagonist for instances in which this is the case.
Also Note: A character can be The Hero of the story without being part of a Five-Man Band. Also the generic namesake for Things I Will Do If I Am Ever the Hero.
