reluctant hero
Hesitant chosen one
A reluctant hero is someone who rises to heroic action despite initial resistance, self-doubt, or desire to avoid involvement.
The figure appears constantly in fiction—an ordinary person thrust into extraordinary circumstances who would rather not be there: He's the classic reluctant hero, dragged into saving the world against his will.
The reluctance makes the eventual heroism more relatable than eager valor.
- unwillingOpposed to participating
- chosenSelected from alternatives
- call to actionPrompt urging immediate response
- destinyPredetermined course of events
- burdenOppressive weight or duty
ordinary · thrust · courage · rise to occasion · great power · doubt · selfless · sacrifice · everyman · calling · fate · quest · unlikely · against all odds · humble · accidental · protector · savior
- heroessuperhero, superheroes, Superman, Batman, Spider-Man
- action clichesexplosion, car chase, one-liner, slow motion, shootout
- character archetypesvillain, mentor, sidekick, protagonist, antagonist
- character tropesantihero, damsel in distress, mentor, femme fatale, chosen one
- hero typessuperhero, antihero, chosen one, underdog, warrior
- heroic talesepic poem, saga, odyssey, quest, myth
reluctant heroeager beaver
Overly enthusiastic person
crusader · zealot · white knight · knight errant · do-gooder
reluctant heroglory hound
One pursuing acclaim greedily
fame seeker · attention seeker · self-promoter · grandstander · showboat
reluctant, reluctance, reluctantly, hero, heroes, heroic, heroically, heroism, heroine