“ | Don't be ridiculous! There aren't any monsters around here, okay?! The only thing that is here is a kind-hearted girl who brought me back to life! | „ |
~ Ayumu Aikawa assuring Eucliwood Hellscythe that he does not hate her. |
“ | Not enough. I must stay in the eye of the whirlwind... must push myself harder... | „ |
~ Revali’s rare display of his vulnerable side. |
“ | I can't be with someone like me. I hate myself! | „ |
~ Jerry Seinfeld admitting he's deeply insecure behind his arrogance, fully aware to what kind of person he is and preferring not to date with girls who behave like him. |
“ | I hate myself more than anyone. I always think I have to get my act together, but I end up cowering, running away, sniveling. I want to change. I want to be a competent person. | „ |
~ Zenitsu Agatsuma to himself |
Heroes who sometimes lack self-esteem or confidence. This can range from thinking they're monsters to believing they don't have what it takes to accomplish their goals. They are very similar to tragic heroes, but the defining characteristic of an insecure hero is that they are lying in many ways both to themselves and others (i.e. they have a bad habit of saying things that they don't actually believe, especially about themselves, although they themselves often aren't even aware of this).
Alternatively, an insecure hero is a good-hearted individual who acts in a dangerous way due to severe pain suffered by some tragic reason. Sometimes, they are victims of bullying or severe abuse by someone who is cruel or evil.
Usually, these heroes just need a friend or loved one - other times, they need acceptance, yet it is also common for an insecure hero to simply be too far gone and absorbed in their own troubles to accept (or want) help, as was the case with Sayori, Eucliwood Hellscythe, Natsuki, Sadness, Yuri, Aoi Akane, Shrek, Queen Elsa, Riku, Raven, and (briefly) Elize Lutus. Unlike their villainous counterparts, however, for heroes, insecurity nearly always serves as a trait to overcome through character development.
Ironically, many insecure heroes also qualify as Arrogant or an Egomaniac. These heroes suffer from what is called a "Superiority complex", where they feign arrogance, egomania and narcissism to hide their flaws from others and, more often than not, themselves. Perfect examples include Inuyasha, Oscar, Nick Wilde, Sasuke Uchiha, Anakin Skywalker, Duncan, Shadow the Hedgehog, Emperor Kuzco, Rika Kawai, Toko Fukawa, The Grinch, Prince Adam, Lord Blumiere, Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu, Revali, Squidward Tentacles, Greg Heffley, Donkey Kong from The Super Mario Bros. Movie, and Mr. Snake. Some heroes suffer from a superiority complex without actual signs of egomania or arrogance such as Papyrus from Undertale, and Edge from Mario + Rabbids.
All items (4697)
- Bubbles (Finding Nemo)
- Bubbles (The Powerpuff Girls 2016)
- Bubbles (The Powerpuff Girls)
- Buck (Ice Age)
- Buck Cluck
- Bucky Barnes (Marvel Cinematic Universe)
- Buddy Hobbs
- Buer
- Buford Pugh
- Bumblebee (DC Super Hero Girls 2019)
- Bumblebee (DC Super Hero Girls)
- Bumblebee (Transformers: Animated)
- Bumblebee (WFC Trilogy)
- Bunnicula
- Bunnidharma
- Bunnie Rabbot
- Bunny (The Powerpuff Girls)
- Bunny Blanc
- Burai (Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger)
- Burnish
- Buster Moon
- Buttercup (2016 Reboot)
- Buttercup (Powerpuff Girls Z)
- Buttercup (The Powerpuff Girls)
- Butters Stotch
- Buzz Lightyear (Buzz Lightyear of Star Command)
- Buzz Lightyear (Toy Story)
- Byleth
- Byph
- Bôh
- C.C.
- Cable (Marvel)
- Cable (X-Men Movies)
- Cady (M3GAN)
- Caesar (Planet of the Apes Reboot)
- Cai Wenji
- Cait (Fallout 4)
- Calamity
- Callum
- Calypso Crew
- Cameron (Total Drama)
- Camilo Madrigal
- Canal Crew
- Cancer
- Candace Flynn
- Candace Stone
- Candice Ramirez-Singleton
- Cao Xiu
- Caprice
- Caprikid
- Captain Blubber
- Captain Falcon
- Captain Hero
- Captain K'nuckles
- Captain of the Guards
- Captain Pikachu
- Captain Quaid
- Captain Qwark
- Captain Rex
- Captain Spaceboy
- Captain Underpants
- Carapace
- Carl Chryniszzswics
- Carl Clover
- Carl Denham
- Carl Fredricksen
- Carl Otis Winslow
- Carl Wheezer
- Carlita
- Carlos Garcia
- Carly Brooks-Spencer
- Carmen 'Raya' Alonso
- Carmen Sandiego (2019)
- Carmen Sandiego (Where in The World is Carmen Sandiego?)
- Carmilla Carmine
- Carrie O'Malley
- Carrie White
- Carter Davis
- Carter-A259
- Cartoon Bendy
- Cartoon Mouse
- Casca
- Casey Jones (TMNT)
- Casey Novak
- Casper (Casper's Haunted Christmas)
- Casper McFadden (1995 live-action film)
- Casper the Friendly Ghost
- Cassandra (Tangled)
- Cassie (Dragon Tales)
- Cassie Ainsworth
- Cat (Red Dwarf)
- Cat Noir (Ladybug & Cat Noir: The Movie)
- Cat Noir (Miraculous Ladybug)
- Cat Valentine
- CatDog
- Catra (She-Ra and the Princesses of Power)
- Catwoman (DC)
- Catwoman (Harley Quinn TV Series)
- Catwoman (JLA: The Nail)
- Catwoman (Nolanverse)
- Cavendish (One Piece)
- Cecil (Fire Emblem)
- Cecil Harvey
- Cecilia Nuthatch
- Cedric the Great
- Celestia Ludenberg
- Celestial Being
- Celica Arfonia
- Celty Sturluson
- Cera
- Chacha Azai
- Chael (Zenonia)
- Chai Xianghua
- Champ (Goosebumps)
- Chancellor Esteban
- Chandler Bing
- Chane Laforet
- Char Aznable
- Charles Barkley
- Charlie (Jurassic World)
- Charlie (The Whale)
- Charlie Barkin
- Charlie Brown
- Charlie Calvin
- Charlie Fineman
- Charlie Goldfinch
- Charlie Harper
- Charlie Hinton
- Charlie Kelly
- Charlie Morningstar
- Charlotte Richards
- Charmcaster
- Chase (Kamen Rider Drive)
- Chaz Ashley
- Chazz Princeton
- Cheesy
- Cheezi and Chungu
- Chef Pee Pee
- Chelsea Roberts
- Cherri Bomb
- Cheryl (Pokémon)
- Chi-Chi
- Chiaki Nanami
- Chicken Little
- Chief Benja
- Chief Clancy Wiggum
- Chihiro Fujisaki
- Child Emperor
- Chilindrina
- Chip (Cubix: Robots For Everyone)
- Chip and Dale
- Chip Brown
- Chirico Cuvie
- Chiron (Moonlight)
- Chise Hatori
- Chito
- Chiyu Tamade
- Chloe (Disney Fairies)
- Chloe Cerise
- Chloe Price
- Cho Chang
- Cho Sang-woo
- Chocolat Aikawa
- Choi Jadoo
- Choichiro Hikari
- Chouhi Yokutoku (Koihime†Musou)
- Chouun Shiryuu (Koihime†Musou)
- Chris (Cross Ange)
- Chris (Mini Fighter)
- Chris (Until Dawn)
- Chris Griffin
- Chris Hawley
- Chris Pearson
- Chris Redfield
- Chris Vail
- Chris Yukine
- Chrissy Feinberg
- Christian (Moulin Rouge!)
- Christine Malone
- Christopher Boone
- Christopher Johnson
- Christopher Thorndyke
- Chrono
- Chrysella
- ChuChu (Show by Rock!!)
- Chuck (Angry Birds)
- Chuck (The Maze Runner)
- Chuck Bartowski
- Chuck Golden
- Chumley Huffington
- Chōchō Akimichi
- Chōji Akimichi
- Chōta Segawa
- Cia
- Ciaphas Cain
- Ciel Kirahoshi
- Cinderella (Disney)
- Cinderpelt
- Cindy Lou Who (2000)
- Cindy Lou Who (How the Grinch Stole Christmas)