“ | I can’t get it out of my head, I f**king dream of it 7 years... Everyday I have this... Sometimes I wake up, and I don’t know where I am... I don’t talk to anybody, sometimes a day... sometimes a week. | „ |
~ John Rambo on how the Vietnam war destroyed him |
“ | That's right, a Toon. We were investigating a robbery at the First National Bank of Toontown. Back in those days, me and Teddy liked working Toontown, thought it was a lot of laughs. Anyway, this guy got away with a zillion simoleons. We trailed him to a little dive down on Yukster Street. We went in. Only he got the drop on us, literally. Dropped a piano on us from fifteen stories. Broke my arm, Teddy never made it. I never did find out who that guy was. All I remember was him standing over me laughing, with those burning red eyes, and that high, squeaky voice. He disappeared into Toontown after that. | „ |
~ Eddie Valiant to Roger Rabbit about his brother's death |
“ | I lost... I lost Gwen, my, um, she was my MJ. I couldn't save her. I'm never gonna be able to forgive myself for that. But I carried on - tried to, tried to keep going, tried to be the Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man because I know that's what she would have wanted. But, at some point I just, I stopped pulling my punches. I got rageful. I got bitter. I just don't want you to end up like... like me. | „ |
~ Webbverse Spider-Man to MCU Spider-Man |
Tragic Heroes are part of a longstanding literary concept; these are characters who suffered a tragedy in their lives that propelled a fatal flaw (like pride, for example) that will doom them to fail during life threatening situations, in search of their goals.
Due to their experiences and situation, they are often not in full control of their actions/emotions and hence the reader/viewer can sympathize with them due to them not being alone by choice, but rather by them being (for the most part) a victim of circumstances, despite their best efforts or noble intentions. In a common breeder, these tragedies and misfortunes can also cause these heroes to lose everyone they love and/or have every dream unfulfilled and broken is the most realistic way to turn anyone into a nervous wreck. In fact, they suffer from many parts including:
- Heroes who wrongfully lost loved ones, shaping them into who they are today (e.g. Batman, Spider-Man, Aang, Harry Potter, Tanjiro Kamado, Anakin Skywalker, Kratos, Iroh, Scarlet Witch, Jonathan Joestar, and Barry Allen).
- Heroes who were bullied, abused, and/or outcasted by society but overcame it to become heroes (e.g. Zuko, Amity Blight, Shoto Todoroki, Eleven, Naruto Uzumaki, Izuku Midoriya, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, Po, Rocket Raccoon, Denji, and Megamind).
- Heroes who struggled to control their actions as a result of being brainwashed, manipulated, and/or exposed to something that brought out their darker qualities (e.g. Hulk, Winter Soldier, Sensei Garmadon, Zane, Nezuko Kamado, Simon Petrikov, Clone Troopers, Armin Arlert and Henry Creel).
These characters are not to be confused with byronics, who are charismatic characters with strong passions and beliefs, yet are nonetheless deeply flawed individuals and don’t always have a tragic past like these would but they are very similar in comparison.
Note: Heroes who suffer from deep-rooted insecurities or have had something bad happen to them that they didn't deserve don't automatically fall under this if they never had a tragic backstory that shaped them in some way. They should go under the Insecure and/or Scapegoat categories instead (e.g. Katsuki Bakugo, Winnie the Pooh, Gumball Watterson, and Steve Harrington). Also DO NOT add characters that have genuine tragedies but have corrupting qualities and a very heinous side that invalidates it or do heinous and evil actions out of something that upset them in a way that is too petty to qualify as being truly tragic (e.g. Peter Griffin, Mr. Krabs, Eric Cartman, Plankton, Pythor P. Chumsworth, Chloe Bourgeois)
All items (10364)
- Amalthea
- Amanda Brooks
- Amanda Kirby
- Amanda Krueger
- Amanda Porter
- Amanda Ripley
- Amanda Waller (DC)
- Amane Kasai
- Amaterasu (Ōkami)
- Amaya (The Dragon Prince)
- Amber (Sucker Punch)
- Amber Ashworth
- Ambrosius Goldenloin
- Ame (Wolf Children)
- Ameisha Kichougasaki
- Ameli (Inotia)
- Amelia (Fire Emblem)
- Amelia Earhart
- America Chavez (Marvel Cinematic Universe)
- Amethyst (Steven Universe)
- Ami Murata
- Ami Onuki (Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi)
- Amicia de Rune
- Amicus
- Amir Qadiri
- Amita
- Amity Blight
- Amleth
- Amsterdam Vallon
- Amumu
- Amuro Ray
- Amy (Alpha and Omega)
- Amy Alden
- Amy Chen
- Amy Farrah Fowler
- Amy Klein
- Amy Pond (Doctor Who)
-
- Amy Rose (Archie Comics)
- Amy Sorel
- Ana (Overwatch)
- Ana Clark
- Anakin Skywalker (Angry Birds Star Wars)
- Anakin Skywalker (Star Wars)
- Anastasia Romanov (Don Bluth)
- Anastasia Tremaine
- Anastasie Trianon
- Anatoly Knyazev (Arrowverse)
- AncientGarurumon
- Andi (Hotel for Dogs)
- Andre Lyon
- Andre Wright
- Andrea Davenport
- Andrei Ivanovich Yermak
- Andrei Sergeivich Kalinin
- Andrew (The Dark Pictures)
- Andrew Clark
- Andrew Glouberman
- Andrew Llewellyn
- Andrew Martin
- Andrew Neyman
- Andrina
- Android 16
- Android 17
- Android 18
- Android 21
- Android 8
- Andromeda Shun
- Andros
- André Toulon
- Andy (Undead Unluck)
- Andy Barclay
- Andy Barclay (Reboot)
- Andy Bernard
- Andy Bogard
- Andy Carver
- Andy Dufresne
- Andy Taylor
- Andy the Apple
- Andy Wilcox
- Anew Returner
- Ang Jouyan
- Ange Ushiromiya
- Angeal Hewley
- Angel (Buffy)
- Angel (IDW)
- Angel (Lady and the Tramp)
- Angel (Monica's Gang)
- Angel (The Big O)
- Angel Devil
- Angel Dust
- Angela (comics)
- Angela (Gargoyles)
- Angela (The Dark Pictures)
- Angela Childs
- Angela de Marco
- Angela Jitrenka
- Angela Miller
- Angela Orosco
- Angela Sheehan
- Angelia
- Angelino
- Angelise Ikaruga Misurugi
- Angelo Lagusa
- Angewomon (Adventure)
- Angie Hinomoto
- Angry Video Game Nerd
- Animal Man
-
- Anita (Hunter X Hunter)
- Anita Lesnicki
- Ankara
- Ankh
- Anko Mitarashi
- Ann (One Piece)
- Ann Takamaki
- Anna (The Vampire Diaries)
- Anna Assaoui
- Anna D'Antoni
- Anna Leatherwood
- Anna Shepherd
- Anna Windass
- Anne Boonchuy
- Anne Faraday
- Anne Frank
- Anne Hale
- Anne Von Blyssen
- Annelotte Kreutz
- Annette (Netflix's Castlevania)
- Annette Birkin
- Annette Fantine Dominic
- Annette Hargrove
- Annie Brackett
- Annie Cartwright
- Annie Edison
- Annie Leonhart
- Annie Phillips
- Anri Sonohara
- Ansem the Wise
- Ant-Man (Yost Universe)
- Anthea and Concordia
- Anthony (The Dark Pictures)
- Anthony Carmine
- Anthony Tivoli
- Anthy Himemiya
- Antoine D'Coolette
- Antonio Foscarelli
- Anubis (Sacrificial Princess and the King of Beasts)
- Anubis Cruger
- Anya Amasova
- Anya Forger
- Ao (Naruto)
- Ao Haidong
- Aoi Akane
- Aoi Asahina
- Aoi Izumi
- Aoi Kanzaki
- Aoi Kuchiba
- Christopher Aonuma
- Ape Trully
- Aphelios
- Apollo (Camp Half-Blood)
- Apollo Justice
- Apollomon
- Appa (Avatar)
- Appa (Netflix)
- Apple White
- April O'Neil (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem)
- April O'Neil (TMNT 2003)
- April O'Neil (TMNT 2012)
- April Ryan
- Aptom
- Aqua (Kingdom Hearts)
- Aqualad (Young Justice)
- Aquaman (DC Animated Movie Universe)
- Aquaman (DC Extended Universe)
- Aquaman (DC)
- Aquamarine Hoshino
- Aquila Yuna
- Aragane Twins
- Aragog
- Aragorn
- Arata Kasuga
- Aratak
- Arataki Itto
- Arbiter
- Arbormon
- Arcade Gannon
- Archangel (Marvel)
- Archer (Fate/stay night)
- Archie Andrews
- Archie Andrews (Riverdale)
- Arcturus (Ninjago)
- Arcueid Brunestud
- Ard Meteor
- Arella Roth
- Ares (Warriors Orochi)
- Arfolomew
- Argo Tsukishima
- Argos