Heroes With Flaws

There are definitely characters in modern stories that have done horrible things yet are still considered heroic. Three examples off the top of my head come from different modern BBC shows. In the 2005 series of Doctor Who, the Doctor struggles with a very tumultuous past and struggles to be good in the present. Viewers quickly learn that the Doctor caused the unfortunate destruction of his entire race and also observe his character commit some not-too-kind actions. Yet we as viewers still root for the Doctor as he goes on his world-saving escapades and love and adore him in all his incarnations. In another BBC show, Merlin, its titular character starts out as a happy-go-lucky and can-do-no-wrong character. As the show progresses, however, Merlin's character grows darker as he makes bad and perhaps even cruel choices. Despite these flaws, his character is much beloved and it is still clear he is the hero of the show. In Sherlock, Sherlock Holmes can sometimes be rather insensitive and cruel to those who care about him. Yet as soon as he lets a moment of kindness slip past or starts brilliantly solving crimes viewers adore him. While these characters have their flaws and have done bad things, they are good overall, and this is what makes them heroes. Knowing that great heroes can be such despite having faults is a comfort to audiences, making them feel that they too can be heroic despite their own personal flaws. As long as goodness is in the majority or there is some overarching redeeming quality, we can have heroes in our society that are not perfect.