The Superhero Complex: Who Wants to Save the World?

As most of you reading this know, there seems to be a trend in the "hero complex" in young adult, middle grade, and children's novels. Stories like Percy Jackson, Hunger Games, and Whichwood all have younger people saving the world. But why has this become the norm for a lot of current writings?

Well, let's explore that together.

First off, what is the superhero complex and how can we try to identify the features of it in our literature and our lives?

The superhero complex is often when a character has a desperate need to protect the people around them. They do not necessarily think of their own safety in the matter, only that they must protect. This person will have an inherent desire and compulsion to help people. There is also a need to do it all alone, to hopefully trim down the list of casualties. Many of the identifiable features of this include over protection, a disinterest in self preservation, and being quite controlling over any and all situations.

Now, let's move on to some examples.

Children's novels

Children's novels are not exempt from the hero complex. While some of the series have been moved up to middle grade or even young adult. The younger children also have examples of characters who feel the need to protect and save their friends. Below, I have one such example.

Whichwood by Tahereh Mafi is a retelling of Alice in Wonderland where a young girl is ostracized from her magic based community because she lacks the color the others have so much of in their everyday lives. This means she does not have magic. But when she gets wind of her missing father actually being out there, she sets off with a boy to go and find him. She does not ask for help from adults. She does not even want the boy's help in saving her father. She needs to control and save. Even when she gets into sticky situations, she is the one who wants to get them all out of it. Most likely stemming from being ostracized from her community, she has a need to be able to be in control of this one adventure, thinking that they will all accept her as she is if she is able to save her father. Yes, this story is showing young children that they should be accepted as who they are, but it's also an introduction into the long tradition of the hero complex in literature they will encounter for the rest of their lives.

Middle Grade

Middle grade is where a lot of us were really introduced into this hero complex. Most notably in the chosen one archetype like in Harry Potter or Percy Jackson.

Harry Potter is the epitome of the hero complex for me. He is always taking it upon himself to save the world. Yes, many of the problems are because of and directly involve him, but he hardly ever asks for help. Instead, he heads right into danger without thinking of what others may bring to the table. He only acquiesces when he is forced to allow them to come. Like with Hermione and Ron. They are both very strong characters in and of themselves, but he only sees them as people he needs to protect. That is a downfall of his. Instead of seeing teammates, he sees liabilities. He only goes to authority figures when he is desperate (possibly because they do not offer to help him much otherwise) and even then, it is often after something already quite bad has happened.  

Percy Jackson from the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan has a similar way of thinking as our boy Harry, but he does allow people to help him. In fact, he is one of the few people with the hero complex on this list who is always asking people to help. He still feels he needs to save the world and protect those he loves, but he is open to assistance. 

Young Adult

Young adult novels are chalked full with main characters with a hero complex. It seems that everyone wants to save the world and sacrifice themselves in the meantime once they become a teenager. I think the teenage angst is being sent a bit overboard, but these books are popular for a reason.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins is one of the most obvious candidates for the hero complex debate in young adult literature. Katniss literally volunteers to join into a death game that everyone tries to avoid to save her little sister from having to be a part of it. A noble cause to say the least.  But then she gets invested in a game that is far more than the yearly death match between twenty-four children. She continues on into a rebellion, a revolution, and ends up losing almost everything because of it. 

The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare shows another young girl pulled into a war she did not necessarily start. She takes it upon herself to take the blame for a lot of what has happened and will often put herself into dangerous situations to try to make up for that fact.

Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas has one character who has little to no regard for their life. This character, who you will know if you have read the books, gives themselves up at seemingly any chance to go through with their plans. And on top of this, they NEVER share what their plan is until either the middle of the plan being unfolded or afterward. I have a feeling that if they did not have to, they would never tell anyone what they were doing and would just run around being all kinds of self-sacrificial. I know this character is doing what they think is best for their friends and their people, but it gets to be a bit much when in each book they are trying to out do their last outrageous plan. (I can honestly say I still adore this character with all my heart and would not change them for the world, but I still have to make a point.) 

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas is not as bad as Throne of Glass is for characters with the hero complex, but it is pretty high up there. Characters, you will know who if you have read all three books, literally try to die for their causes. They are willing to let others kill them to save the people they love. This is pretty extreme. Yes, many of these characters are centuries old and have a lot of experience in fighting, but others are quite young. There isn't just the dying for one's cause either. Most of them are willing to give up anything to save their loved ones, their subjects, and the entire world they live in. 

Unbreakable by Kami Garcia is about a group of paranormal hunting teenagers who are trying to save the world from these demons. They want no credit, they want no help, and they will do anything to get to their goal.

The Illuminae Files by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff is a phenomenal space opera that follows an intergalactic war and a group of young people who are able to use their technologically savvy minds to help save the lives of thousands. Some go out and are willing to die for this fight, some are pulled into it unwillingly. But all of them do what needs to be done to save those they love.

The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer is a retelling series of our favorite fairy tales but set in a futuristic science fiction time period. It is full of these, again, young people who take worlds onto their shoulders because they are forced into that life. I think there are two adults they look to occasionally for help, but for the most part, it is for this group of rag-tag young adults to take on the evil that has threatened their society.

This is a culturally caused symptom. When the person sees their society failing at helping those around them, they will take up the torch and do it themselves. There are cases, many actually, where this hero complex becomes destructive. People will cause the disasters they save others from. I am not focusing on this aspect of the complex in this article, but I thought it would be important to note.

What are your thoughts on the topic? Let me know in the comments below!

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I'll catch you all next time!

XOXO

Dana