What Makes A Hero?

What is a hero? If you ask that question, then it’s very likely everyone will have a different answer. To some, a hero is simply someone that inspires hope in others with their mere presence. To others, a hero is someone who fights evil to protect the peace. No matter the definition, people are still able to recognize a hero or a villain when they are one. Though, as time goes on, the line between the two has started to blur.

One of the defining traits of a hero is their drive to do whatever they can to protect people. This often means sacrificing their own personal lives for the sake of continuing their mission. A great example of this is Batman, someone who has oftentimes thrown away his personal life in order to be the best hero that he can be. And for him, that’s a person who strikes fear in his enemies while also giving peace to the innocents. But while that was enough for fans before, nowadays they are questioning if that is enough.

Aside from being a rich billionaire orphan, the thing that Batman is most known for is his no kill rule. For him it doesn’t matter what the situation is, he will always look for a way to save everyone, including villains. At first this sounds very heroic; a hero who’s not willing to sacrifice even the lives of evil criminals. However, a problem that this rule has caused is the fact that as a result of him refusing to kill, these same criminals have untold chaos in his city killing countless people. It’s for this reason that people now ridicule Batman for sticking to his philosophy despite the fact that if he did start killing he might actually save more lives. For them, a hero is someone who kills their enemies before they have the chance to do more damage.

I do understand where these people are coming from. If you know that a bomb will go off eventually and kill people, why wouldn’t you get rid of them? The problem though is we’re forgetting something: these people are heroes. It’s not their job to be judge, jury and executioner but instead to stop these villains from causing anymore trouble. That isn’t to say that a hero can’t kill people. Spider-Man, another hero who doesn’t kill his villains, has been shown multiple times to at least be willing to use lethal force to take down his enemies. What I am trying to say is that being a hero isn’t about killing people, but instead to be someone that can act as a beacon of hope to others.

Look no further than Superman, the very embodiment of hope. He is a being with the capability to take out basically every villain for good if he decided to. However, he doesn’t for one reason: because he thinks it would be wrong. What he wants is to protect anyone and everyone he can while also helping them to be better. For him, there’s nothing more important. And, despite having a similar philosophy to Batman, fans love to praise him.

So does a hero need to kill to be a hero? No. I do believe that if a hero refuses to kill they need to be sure that their decision won’t cause more harm than good. While people criticize Batman, he does stop his villains before they go too far. It’s just that Arkham is so incompetent that villains are always escaping. Being a hero means that you’re willing to take peoples’ lives in your own hands because you think that you can protect them. And if you’re unwilling to do whatever you can to protect them, then maybe you’re not cut out to be one.

Logan Floyd-Mcgee | Writer
POP-COOLEDTURED SPECIALIST
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