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I’ve been doing some thinking about heroes and their reputations. Mostly how I work with them in my books. I’ve always found it interesting when a character considers the long term affect of their adventures. Even if they don’t think about it, I do enjoy showing how they go from unknown to known or how their past comes up in the present. To me, it feels like this gives more impact to their actions, especially in fantasy where the adventures tend to be rather lofty. There are two characters specifically that caused this thought and inevitable question.
One is Ichabod Brooks who starts his adventure with an in-depth reputation. This comes after years of taking on dangerous jobs, so it’s been earned. Something about working with a character that already has a past is fun. You can to see him react to people knowing him, which can open up personalities that you don’t get from a new hero. In Ichabod’s case, it’s one that has been altered by bard tales. That gives me some humorous conversations and misunderstandings to play with. On the serious side, it gives more credence to a character’s abilities since he or she has been doing things for years. Guess it also helps that Ichabod is older than the other side of this coin.
That would be Luke Callindor, especially in Beginning of a Hero. He starts as a relatively unknown since it’s his last name and family reputation that precedes him instead of his own deeds. This is why he starts off rather obsessed with cutting his teeth on a first adventure. Unlike coming in with an established reputation, the readers get to see how Luke’s legend is forged. There’s no embellishments or missing parts like you would get from a character like Ichabod. You witness the failures and backtracks instead of only getting the victories, which can be good and bad. The good is that you establish a closer connection of growth. The bad is that some readers don’t like seeing the failure and immature side of a blossoming hero. Is this better or worse? Neither because it’s simply different.
So, what do you think about fictional heroes and their reputations? Not only to the reader, but their reputations within their own world?
Legends of Windemere 
I read a book where an alleged “hero” had a reputation that turned out to be false. But he eventually became a hero. So I usually look at reputations as things to be proved. But I love a story where a hero has a reputation in place and I can see him or her in action with no muss no fuss. But i also like stories where heroes blossom into the heroes they will ultimately become–like Luke’s beginning as a hero. Like Bruce Wayne beginning as Batman.
Do you think you’ll someday write a prequel showing us how Ichabod earned his reputation?
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I’m not sure. I kind of like having a character I can write with a reputation in place. All of my other stories focus on heroes from their beginnings, so Ichabod stands out. One of my goals with him was to have an adventuring ‘hero’ with a stable family back home. Kind of like what Spider-Man would have been if Joe Quesada never existed. (Bitter? Me? . . . Yes.)
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Ha ha! Yes. Spidey is a sort spot for many.
Well, that kind of reminds me of Indiana Jones and Lara Croft. Both had established reputations. Though Lara has been rebooted.
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I heard Indiana Jones will get rebooted too at some point. Kind of scared about that happening.
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I like your concept. I think both have been done well, but it tends to flavor the entire story. Great question to ask yourself before starting a new story.
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Thanks. It really does flavor the story. After I wrote this, I stumbled onto an Amazon category called ‘coming of age’. That’s an interesting one because it denotes a curious division. You have stories that show a hero being born and others showing a hero living. Both are viable paths.
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I enjoy watching the hero and other characters grow and develop as long as the down times aren’t over done or permanently change my perception of them. For me, well intended mistakes or failure is part of the organic growth process. Compromise of a moral or ethical nature, betrayal- resulting from a lack of agency effectively kills a character for me. There are some acts and choices that can’t be undone or overcome for me. If it’s the hero, at that point I “check out” of the story. The topic isn’t limited to the “hero”, other characters who are part of the story can have the same impact. This happens to some extent to a person connected to Luke. An act compromised all of the above, completely changed their reputation in story and out. Post here on that person used to generate feedback and interaction now they are largely ignored. A non compromised mistake- with agency, would have been better for their reputation (they were infatuated and made a mistake). In contrast, readers think nothing of Luke being in love and intimate with two women…. why? There was no moral compromise, he didn’t succumb or submit, his actions full of agency.
I think the lesson should be, readers and the world are quick to forgive/understand failure, or choices they don’t agree with if a character maintains agency. Less so the compromise of values or lack of agency.
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I like how you’ve handled both, actually. I particularly enjoyed Ichabod’s love of bards, while Luke has a refreshing brush with reality in your books.
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I don’t think that bard thing is ever going to get old when I write Ichabod stories. Curious about what you mean by a brush with a reality for Luke.
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How he starts off thinking all that matters is fame, then he discovers that battle isn’t exactly glorious, and that there are more important things in life than that. At least that was my takeaway. Or have I missed something? 🙂
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You got one of the big things. Luke is a character who is always learning and making mistakes. I think Kevin’s speech about going into battle and fighting for something connects to the theme you’re talking about. And that’s a big part of every character in the series. They have this large destiny, but they still need something tangible and ‘for them’ to fight for. Saving the world is all well and good, but it’s a little too massive and vague to draw as much strength as you would fighting for a loved one.
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Absolutely. In Luke’s case, his vanity takes quite a battering – and it’s all for the best.
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And he still has 14 books of learning to go too. 🙂
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Lol – poor Luke 😀
Someday he may even develop Ichabod’s affinity for bards 😀
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If he lives that long. 😉 In all seriousness, I have marked Luke as the walking disaster out of the champions. He improves a lot, but he starts off having a lot less life experience than the other champions. Even Sari has seen more of the world and had more adventures before her debut and she’s a year younger than him. This is something that always seems to come out with him when he’s pushed.
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What about his other love interest? She’s young, too.
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Which other one?
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Kira. My brain was toast last night, but I remembered the name this morning 😀
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Ah. I got confused because I thought we were talking about her and Sari. So I was wondering if there was a third you were referring too.
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😀
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You can come up against the Superman conundrum, though. That is, everyone knows Superman helps the innocent, meaning he’ll get lots of requests for aid and not have time for himself. Plus, as his behaviors and weaknesses (kryptonite, anyone?) become widely known, evil-doers will be able to plan traps just for him… Which, I think, was part of Ichabod’s story.
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Good point. Ichabod is still human, so he doesn’t have as much of a problem as Superman. Yet he can’t come in with the element of surprise. You also have that issue of stories spreading and being distorted, so there can be overcompensation by enemies. I really do wonder if every villain in Metropolis is given a ‘Superman Antagonist Starter Kit’, which is nothing more than a chunk of kryptonite and Lois Lane’s home address.
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