Reluctant hero

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The reluctant hero is a heroic archetype described by Joseph Campbell in The Hero With a Thousand Faces:

The hero may refuse the adventure or deny the ability to move beyond the status quo. The heralded event may even be ignored – All of these constitute the ‘Refusal of the Call.’

The use of magical intervention is then needed to plunge the hero into the unknown. The reluctant hero requires supernatural forces to urge him on, while the willing adventurer gathers amulets (magical items) and advice from the protector as aid for the journey.

The reluctant hero is typically portrayed either as an ordinary person thrust into extraordinary circumstances which require him to rise to heroism, or as a person with extraordinary abilities who nonetheless evinces a desire to avoid using those abilities for the benefit of others. In either case, the reluctant hero does not intitially seek adventure or the opportunity to do good, and their apparent selfishness may draw them into the category of anti-heroes. The reluctant hero differs from the anti-hero in that the story arc of the former inevitably results in their becoming a true hero.

Examples of reluctant heroes include Han Solo and Luke Skywalker, of the Star Wars films, as well as Indiana Jones in the Temple of Doom prequel.

In many stories, the reluctant hero is portrayed as having a period of doubt after his initial foray into heroism. This may be brought about by the negative consequences of his own heroic actions, or by the achievement of some position of personal safety - leaving the audience to wonder whether he will return to heroism at the moment when he is needed the most. Campbell describes this as the "Rescue from Without":

The reluctant hero loses all desire to abandon his bliss, he does not want to take on the burdens of the world. Someone or thing may facilitate his miraculous return from apparent death. An overriding reason is necessary to bring the hero back to the world to save it.

An example of this from the Star Wars series, the standard exemplar of Campbell's monomyth in action, is when Han Solo is planning to leave the rebel headquarters on Hoth at the start of The Empire Strikes Back, before the Imperial attack forces him to go on the run with Leia.

Another example is that of Todd McFarlane's Spawn. In the story, Al Simmons was a top assassin for the CIA. When he was betrayed by his own men, he went to hell and made a deal with the demon Maelbolgia to see his wife one last time. Al was sent back to earth with little to no memory of his past, a hideously scarred body and face, and supernatural powers. Being called the Spawn, Al learned his mission in life, to lead the armies of hell in a war to destroy heaven and make Maelbolgia king of all. Spawn refused and has since had to fight enemies of heaven and hell, all the while trying to protect and get back to the woman he loves, his wife Wanda.[link]

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