“ | Do you know what you get for being a hero? Nothin'. You get shot at. Pat on the back, blah blah blah. 'Attaboy.' You get divorced... Your wife can't remember your last name, kids don't want to talk to you... You get to eat a lot of meals by yourself. Trust me kid, nobody wants to be that guy. I do this because there is nobody else to do it right now. Believe me if there was somebody else to do it, I would let them do it. There's not, so I'm doing it. That's what makes you that guy. | „ |
~ John McClane on the price of being a hero. |
Heroic Karma Houdini unlike it's villainous counterpart, is a hero who is never or rarely adequately awarded for their noble actions by the end of a story, thus escaping Karma on the opposite end. However, despite this, these characters can have a positive outcome from their mistakes or otherwise.
This isn't to be confused on the Villains Wiki where it's usually impossible for a villain to be both a Scapegoat and a Karma Houdini (exceptions aside). A hero on this page can just as well be a Scapegoat and a Heroic Karma Houdini. If they're never rewarded and always dragged down by villains this may corrupt and make fall the hero.
An example of this can be Scratchy from The Simpsons, who despite his heroic and kind deeds, always ends up killed by the villain.
Important Note: Do not list here morally ambiguous heroes who do not answer for their morally ambiguous deeds, neither former villains who never were punished for their previous misdeeds. This article is about inadequately rewarded heroes. A hero whose heroism is never properly acknowledged and repaid, or rarely at best.
All items (648)
- A.K. Waters
- Aaron Davis
- Abby (Let Me In)
- Abby Archer
- Abyo
- Admiral General Aladeen
- Agent J
- Agâh Beyoglu
- Akane Tendo
- Akari Akaza
- Akuma
- Alakshmi Verma
- Alessa Gillespie
- ALF (Gordon Shumway)
- Alfred Brown
- Alice (American McGee's Alice)
- Alistair Krei
- Allelujah Haptism
- Alvin Jr.
- Ameisha Kichougasaki
- Anakin Skywalker
- Angel (Monica's Gang)
- Angel Bunny
- Angelica Pickles
- Ankh
- Anna Shepherd
- Archdeacon
- Ares (Warriors Orochi)
- Arngeir
- Arsène Lupin III
- Arthur Kirkland
- Arthur Penhaligon
- Arthur Radley
- Arvin Russell
- Asahi Kobe
- Ash Williams
- Athena (mythology)
- August
- B. Virtanen
- Baatar Jr.
- Bart and Eddie
- Bartok
- Batman (Frank Miller)
- Batman (Justice League: Gods and Monsters)
- Beatrice (Re:Zero)
- Beavis & Butt-head
- Beerus
- Bell (Call of Duty)
- Ben Reily
- Benjamin Martin
- Benson Dunwoody
- Bernard Bear
- Berri (Conker)
- Beth Greene
- Betty Cooper (Riverdale)
- Big Daddy (Kick-Ass Film)
- Big N
- Black (Twisted Metal)
- Black Cat
- Black Woz
- Blade (Live-Action Marvel Universe)
- Blade (Marvel)
- Bloo
- Bob Belcher
- Bog King
- Boogie
- Boomhauer
- Borra
- Boxer (Animal Farm)
- Brooks
- Bruce Robertson (Film Version)
- Buck (Home on the Range)
- Buford Van Stomm
- Bugs Bunny
- Bunny (The Powerpuff Girls)
- Butch Coolidge
- Buttons
- Caesar's Ape Army
- Canal Crew
- Candace Flynn
- Candace Stone
- Captain America (Marvel)
- Captain Marvelous
- Captain Neweyes
- Captain Smek
- Carl Johnson
- Carol Peletier
- Caroline Cordovin
- Carrie White
- Catalina Aruca
- Catwoman (DC)
- Catwoman (Harley Quinn TV Series)
- Champa
- Charlie (Rio)
- Charlie Barkin
- Charlie Collins
- Charlie Harper
- Chicken Little
- Chilindrina
- Chloe Price
- Chosen One (Animator vs. Animation)
- Chris (DarkHarvest00)
- Chris Griffin
- Chris Jericho
- Chris Yukine
- Chuck Billy
- Ciaphas Cain
- Claudette Vance
- Claudius
- Clay Jensen
- Clay Simons
- Clementine (The Walking Dead)
- Clone Troopers
- Colress
- Commander Cody
- Commander Shepard (Paragon)
- Concussion
- Conker The Squirrel
- Cordelia Foxx
- Cortez
- Cosmo Spacely
- Cro (Mini Fighter)
- Crowley (Supernatural)
- Cuddles (Annoying Orange)
- Cula
- Daffy Duck
- Damian Wayne (Robin)
- Damon Baird
- Dan Mandel
- Dandy
- Dani (Midsommar)
- Daniel Diaz
- Dante (101 Dalmatian Street)
- Dante (DmC)
- Daredevil (Daredevil 2003)
- Daredevil (Marvel)
- Daryl Dixon
- Dash Rendar
- David "Hesh" Walker
- David Apolskis
- David Sumner
- David Van Driessen
- Davos Seaworth
- Death Jr.
- Dethklok (Metalocalypse)
- Dexter Morgan
- Dobby
- Dogbert
- Don "Wardaddy" Collier
- Don Ramón
- Donald Duck
- Dopinder
- Dot and Randy
- Douglas Quaid
- Doña Florinda
- Dr. Cockroach
- Dr. Ivanov
- Dr. King Schultz
- Dr. Nefario
- Dr. Samuel Loomis
- Dr. Wondertainment
- Draco Malfoy
- Dracula (The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy)
- Driver
- Dru Gru
- Duck Hunt
- Duckman
- Duncan (Total Drama)
- Dutch (Predator)
- Dwight Schrute
- Earl Hickey
- Early Cuyler
- Ed (Ed, Edd n Eddy)
- Edd (Ed, Edd n Eddy)
- Eddard Stark
- Eddy (Ed, Edd n Eddy)
- Edgar Redmond
- Edward Douglas
- Edward Kenway
- Edward Scissorhands
- Elder Gods (Greek mythology)
- Elektra (Live-Action Marvel Universe)
- Elektra Natchios (Marvel Cinematic Universe)
- Eli (The Book of Eli)
- Elina Vance
- Elizabeth James
- Ellaria Sand
- Ellen Ripley
- Elliot Stabler
- Emilia (Re:Zero)
- Emily Fields
- Emily Fitch
- Emma Frost (Marvel)
- Emma Frost (Wolverine and the X-Men)
- Emmy Altava
- Emotion Lord
- Ennis Del Mar
- Entrèe
- Eric Cartman
- Eric Draven