10 Characteristics of a Great Romance Hero
Who makes a great romance hero?
Here are ten things every romance hero needs to have.
- Deserving: Every hero needs to deserve our empathy. There has to be something about him that makes us root for him, even when he does unlikable things. It may be that he has had a traumatic childhood or gut-wrenching experience in war, or maybe he has a worthwhile goal, or he has a likable personality. What ever it is, it causes us to empathize with him as he struggles to attain his goal.
- Believability: The hero’s thoughts, actions, and reactions must make sense.
- Mystery: Every character, but especially the hero, must have something hidden in their background – a secret, a horror, a wish – that propels them to act in certain ways and which when it is revealed enhances and explains the core of the person.
- Uniqueness: The hero needs a special skill, ability, occupation, heritage, talent, or quirk that makes him stand-out from every other romance hero ever written.
- Ability to love: Although the hero may start out rejecting the notion of love, the capacity to commit heart and soul to another person must be part of his core values.
- Bravery: A true hero takes action to protect what he loves and believes in even if he is terrified or it risks his life or property or future happiness.
- A Dream or Goal: Without a hero’s dream or goal, there would be no story. That doesn’t mean the hero always gets what he wants. Sometimes that goal is the wrong one.
- An Obstacle or Enemy: There is no need to be a hero if getting what you want is easy. There have to be people getting in the way, throwing in monkey wrenches and other annoying things that block the hero from reaching his goal and create conflict.
- Flaws: No human is perfect, especially romance heroes. They may be handsome and likable and brave, but they also have to be real people who burn the dinner, stub their toes, and are late to important dates.
- Ability to Grow and Change: It is not just enough for the hero to know his goal is a mistake or that he has flaws or he’s defected the enemy. He must use that knowledge to change into a better man, a man more worthy of love, than he was at the beginning of the story.
Aristides Stavros is such a hero. Read his and Melissa’s story in Beneath the Skin. Available for Pre-Order from Wild Rose Press.
Who is your favorite romance hero?
Leave a comment below.
Francis Crawford of Lymond – the historical series by Dorothy Dunnett – can’t find anything comparable.
I have read the Lymond series about ten times, and I so agree with you. He is absolutely marvelous – the James Bond of the Renaissance. I think Jamie Fraser in the Outlander series is a close second, though.