male protagonists
Stories' central guys
Male protagonists are the central male characters who drive a story's action.
The phrase appears most often in literary criticism, film analysis, and discussions about representation in media.
A work might be criticized for featuring only male protagonists, or praised for giving its male protagonist emotional depth: The novel's male protagonist struggles with traditional expectations of masculinity.
- action heroFilm's combat-driven protagonist
- saviorOne who rescues another
- heroOne admired for courage
- knight in shining armorIdealized rescuing hero
- ambitiousStrongly desiring achievement
avenger · trickster · flawed · tragic flaw · scapegoat · conflicted · dark past · martyr · warrior · bildungsroman · coming of age · character arc · redeemer · reluctant hero · courageous · empathetic · introspective · everyman