fictional heroes

Fictional heroes are characters in stories, films, games, or other creative works who embody admirable qualities or perform heroic deeds.

The term encompasses protagonists from literature, mythology, comics, and popular media: Superman and Spider-Man are fictional heroes who shaped American culture.

Unlike real-world heroes, fictional ones can be designed to represent ideals—courage, sacrifice, justice—without human flaws, though modern storytelling often gives them complexity.

The phrase sometimes carries slight dismissiveness, implying someone's role model isn't real: He patterns himself after fictional heroes instead of actual people.