Reluctant Heroes in Romance: Why We Love Them (And Why They Work Every Time)

Reluctant heroes are one of the most addictive romance tropes—and if you read or writer steamy, emotionally messy Happily ever afters, you already know why. Reluctant heroes are the best! I said what I said. There is nothing better than a guy who likes to think of himself as a bad boy, who may in fact be morally gray in many ways, but when pushed will be the one to save the

man in a library

day or make the big sacrifice. As a romance author I am always looking for character details, character arcs, and any little tid-bits I can use to make my characters richer and fuller. And for me there is nothing yummier than seeing a reluctant hero make the changes he must to be that person by the end of the story.  

What Is a Reluctant Hero in Romance?

A reluctant hero is a character—usually morally gray—who resists responsibility unless it directly serves him, emotional connection, or doing the “right” thing until they are forced into it. They don’t want to be the hero… which is exactly why we love watching them become one.

Why We’re Obsessed with Morally Gray, Reluctant Heroes]

 There’s something irresistible about a man who insists he’s not the good guy—and then proves otherwise when it matters most. Readers love the tension, the resistance, and most of all, the transformation. A reluctant hero gives us emotional payoff in the most satisfying way. He earns it.

Now that my nest is empty and I’m not having to wake up at 4:30am boots on the ground every day, I am able to watch some of the TV shows I missed as a tired mom and schoolteacher. Currently, my husband and I are watching Haven.

It is a show that is based on a Stephen King short story, The Colorado Kid. Stephen King had no input on the script other than giving his permission to use the canon material as a base. It isn’t as gory as it is cloaked in the supernatural.

Quickly, if you aren’t familiar, haven is a small town on the Maine coast and it is inundated with what they, in the town call “the troubles”. Not everyone in town is aware, but certain people can make things happen. For instance, one woman’s trouble is that everything she tries to eat turns into cake. I know, but honestly, they did not make it seem as fabulous as we would think. Lol.

Duke Crocker (Haven) – The “I Didn’t Ask for This” Hero

 The unsuspecting reluctant hero, at least as far as I have gotten in the series, is Duke Crocker. Duke is a smuggler, bootlegger, thief, you name it. Not at all the hero for this town. Or is he?

I don’t want to give the story away, but let’s just suffice it to say he is often forced throughout the different episodes to be the good guy and help towns folk, or to do things that are not in his best interest. And in true reluctant hero fashion he always shoves it off as not being any big deal, or even showing annoyance that he was once again asked to go out of his way to help. Which he always does.

 I am not at the end of series yet, and it is twisty enough that maybe I will be broken hearted at the end and he won’t be the hero I think they are making him out to be, but that is part of the fun of the reluctant hero, because you don’t know until the very end if he is going to do what’s right or if he will ghost everyone.

Peter Quill (Star-Lord) – Trauma + Found Family

Star Lord Peter Quill is a great example of this. He was stolen as a child after watching his mother die of cancer. Taken onto a spaceship with a band of thieves and kept because he was small and could fit into small places.

He grew up thinking that was all he would ever be. The memories of his mother kept his heart soft and open to love, but his fear of being treated badly made him hide that. Cue a group of misfits, that make Peter see that what he thinks is a flaw is not and when combined with others can save the planet.

Guardians of the Galaxy movies have a huge amount of subtext and really plays with the idea of what love is and how do people show love when they haven’t been shown it themselves. But, that is for another blog post.

Han Solo – The Original “I’m Only in It for Myself” Lie

Han Solo, another bootlegger and thief who isn’t interested in the revolution. It has nothing to do with him and really gets in the way of him doing his thieving. But, with the coaxing of a beautiful princess she is able to take the love he has for Chewbacca, his side kick and redirect it to the cause of right vs. wrong. Before you know it, he is flying through the galaxy saving the princess, and a whole host of others while he fights for good against evil. He did not wake up one morning and decide he was going to join the cause and be on the side of right and justice. He fought against it.

Some of our most beloved book boyfriends are those morally gray men, who wind up willing to do the wrong thing, for the right reasons and we love them for it. I think it is a need in all of us to see the good in people, even if they are trying their hardest to hide any good at all. We know they deserve a redemption arc, but they have to be convinced they deserve redemption.

Rick O’Connell – Chaos, Competence, and Unexpected Devotion

And one last reluctant hero from deep in my soul is Rick O’Connell from the Mummy. He takes the job of bringing Evelyn to the city of the dead because she is getting him out of a horrible jail, which he no doubt deserves to be in, and she is paying him well. But, almost immediately, we

see glimpses of how he treats those in his care, or those he considers friends. She drags him into a world that he couldn’t imagine existed with horrors most would run from, but when she tries to abandon him and go her own way, he is all in to protect her. Somewhere along the journey it became about more than money, and he was willing to face all those dangers not for wealth, or fame, but for love.

If you love a hero who fights it every step of the way before falling hard, you’re very much my kind of reader. It’s kind of my thing when I write romance too

The Reluctant Hero Backstory (Why It Always Hurts So Good)

A reluctant hero’s origin story is usually a hard-luck story, where he has no choice at a young age but to fend for himself or shield himself from hurt. He evolves into a hard person with many walls—hiding the soft heart he must protect from everyone.

How to Write a Reluctant Hero Readers Will Obsess Over

As a romance author, I can tell you—reluctant heroes don’t work unless the resistance feels real.

• Give him a wound, not just an attitude

• Make his resistance logical

• Force him into impossible choices

• Let love cost him something

• Earn the redemption arc

Why the Redemption Arc Hits So Hard

Some of our most beloved book boyfriends are those morally gray men who wind up willing to do the wrong thing for the right reasons—and we love them for it.

I think it is a need in all of us to see the good in people, even if they are trying their hardest to hide any good at all. We know they deserve a redemption arc, but they have to be convinced they deserve redemption.

Let’s Be Honest… We All Loved a Bad Boy Once

Most of us had a crush on a bad boy in high school. We would go to sleep dreaming that only our love could change him into a good, upstanding guy. It was the power of our love. (Truth be told, it was the hair, eyes, and leather jacket.)

But I think there is still that little part in all of us—and that is what our reluctant heroes do for us.

So tell me, who’s your ultimate reluctant hero? The one who resisted the hardest… and fell the most spectacularly?

And if you’re like me and can’t get enough of morally gray men with redemption arcs, you might want to check out my books, because I absolutely do not write well-behaved heroes Clair's Bookshelf