The Messiah is a type of hero who is revered as a "savior" or icon by his or her supporters, often serving as an inspiration to others. They are similar to the Chosen One, but while they may overlap they differ in that Messiahs usually have their status given to them by their supporters rather than a prophecy.

Messiahs typically have a very strong sense of right and wrong, and always do the right thing, or at least try to do the right thing. Often times their role in the story echoes that of Christ and they endure a sizable sacrifice as the means of bringing that salvation about for others. This role comes in two terms:

1. All-Loving Hero: This character, simply put, loves everyone. Loves them with a deep, spiritual love that means they will shake heaven and earth, destroy gods and planets, bring nations to their knees, etc. for the person they just met yesterday. They will believe the best of everyone, and constantly give someone a second chance (though they will defeat the Big Bad). They repay cruelty with kindness and anger with calm. Indeed, should these heroes kill anybody, it is more than likely to be a despicable monster that even they know is beyond redemption. Harry Potter, Kagome Higurashi, and Touma Kamijou are good examples of this type of hero.
2. Messianic Archetype: It is a character whose role in the story (but not necessarily personality) echoes that of Christ. They are portrayed as a savior, whether the thing they are saving is a person, a lot of people or the whole of humanity. They endure a sizable sacrifice as the means of bringing that salvation about for others, a fate they do not deserve up to and including death or a Fate Worse than Death. Examples include Goku and Kamina.

The villainous counterpart of this is a Dark Messiah. If a Messiah turns evil, he or she may become a Dark Messiah if their supporters follow them.