The Best Atypical Heroes in Movies, Television, & More

When we think of heroes, we often picture muscular do-gooders in tight spandex. We think of the bold and the brave, as well as the beefy and built action stars of the ’80s. Yet there are plenty of heroes across television, film, and more who don’t fit the typical hero archetype. A couple might have popped into your head just reading that intro.

Below, let’s look at a few of the best atypical heroes!

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Dale Cooper (Twin Peaks)

Dale Cooper was definitely an odd one out. His looks alone were remarkably dissimilar to your usual leading men. Yet the quirky, soft-spoken, polite, coffee-drinking FBI agent instantly captivated Twin Peaks fans everywhere from the moment he entered the mysterious logging town — at exactly 11:30 AM on February 24.

In the series, Dale was always focused on humanity first, eschewing the cold and jaded detective trope. He loved donuts. He was fascinated by snowshoe hares, and loved people despite the atrocities he’d witnessed throughout his career. If you don’t adore Dale Cooper, it’s safe to say you’ve never watched Twin Peaks.

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Jester Lavorre (Critical Role)

Critters just can’t enough of this mischievous Mighty Nein member. While Jester Lavorre is technically the party’s healer, she isn’t noble or stuffy. Instead, she’s silly and excitable. Always up for playing some tricks or pilfering some pastries, Jester is prone to going off the rails and dragging everybody else with her. But she still gets the job done when it counts.

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Eric Draven (The Crow)

While The Crow could be considered a super hero/antihero because of his vengeful motivation, he still broke the mold. Gothic and leather-clad, Eric Draven was kind hearted and sweet. He was forced to choose violence to exact his revenge. While he held no remorse for his actions, it was clear he carried himself with infinite sadness and clung to his only chance to avenge his fallen fiancée.

We could also see the infinite care he brought to his second shot at life. Eric still took care of Sarah and minded his manners around Sergeant Albrecht. He only punished the wicked. And when the time came, he went quietly to the afterlife to reunite with the woman he loved.

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Mako Mori (Pacific Rim)

First of all, if you haven’t watched Pacific Rim, go fix that. Then come back and gush over Mako Mori with us. In the iconic film, Mako managed to be both fierce and unassuming at once, all due to her respectful yet passionate — and sometimes defiant — nature. She went from a wannabe pilot to a full-fledged apocalypse-cancelling badass as soon as she confronted her trauma. Such strength and perseverance are truly admirable. And while those are typical hero traits, Mako is anything but a caricature.

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Korra (The Legend of Korra)

The Legend of Korra surprised audiences with an Avatar who had already mastered most of the elements by the first episode. But then it went out to demonstrate that simply mastering those abilities does not make a hero, nor is it the only battle a bender needs to fight. Korra is so significant in The Last Airbender canon because she fails so completely and consistently. Yet every time, she gets back up and raises her fists.

We also have to give a shoutout to Korra’s bisexuality! It’s not often we see a queer woman as our main hero or even main character. The Legend of Korra gave us a vivacious, loud, muscular, unapologetic one. While this identity was explored a lot more in later comics, that doesn’t discount what it brought to the screen during the series’ epic four season run.

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Who are your favorite unusual or atypical heroes? Share your picks at side.show/geekgroup or in the Sideshow Social Network, and don’t forget to Let Your Geek Sideshow!