The films that stay with the audience years after they were released are the ones which have complex characters who capture everyone's attention from the get-go. They make the audience weep, scream in horror, and try to anticipate what they might do in that situation. A few of these characters live through incredibly difficult situations, forcing them to act and make difficult, sometimes agonizing and unbearable decisions. These are the ones the viewers remember, making them wonder: "What would I do in this situation?"
With the rise of superhero movies, heroic moments and characters have become popular. However, a person doesn't need a special suit and superpowers to do heroic things - and the same goes for the aforementioned characters. From The Bride fighting everyone and everything to get her daughter back in Kill Bill, Luke Skywalker not being persuaded by the dark side (as it happened before in his family) in Star Wars, or even the real scientists who had to face unbearable prejudice but changed the world in Hidden Figures, ordinary people can become extraordinary.
Heroic acts and people come in all shapes and sizes. There isn't a formula for how someone can become heroic, but oftentimes they simply have to act the best way they can when faced with hardships. These are some of the most heroic characters in movies who aren't superheroes.
8 Lance Corporal William (1917)
1917 is a spectacularly shot movie about World War I, focusing on wo best friends going against all odds to try to save over 1600 men from being massacred. William has to face half the journey alone after holding his friend in his arms while he died after trying to save a German soldier's life. Getting shot in the head and falling down a river with freezing water are only a few things William has to endure. 1917 is a story about friendship, the love between two brothers, and what is the right thing to do, even when the whole world seems wrong.
7 Boromir (Lord of the Rings)
In one of the most fantastic stories ever written (with a prequel TV series being released this year) and adapted to the big screen, Boromir may not be the most beloved character in Lord of the Rings, but he sure left his mark. After trying to do everything he could to get the ring from Frodo, his sacrifice to save the hobbits' lives has to make a spot on this list. He wanted the ring because he saw a possibility to defeat the enemy and save his people, which are noble reasons for his actions. After he realized his mistake, he decided to sacrifice himself for the greater good. He shows that being a hero requires an unbelievable level of selflessness as well as being capable of accepting your own mistakes.
6 Severus Snape (Harry Potter)
Initially one of the most hated characters throughout the Harry Potter series, J.K. Rowling made everyone fall in love with Severus Snape in the last book, making him worthy of being on this list. Even after the love of his life chose another man, Snape continued to be in love with Lily. He transformed his patrounous animal (a spell that can only happen when you think of your most heartwarming memory and takes the form of an animal) into the same as Lily. Protecting Harry throughout the years without getting any recognition for it, and getting reminded that Lily died every time he looked into Harry's eyes, Snape continued to take care of him until his death, showing how the best heroes aren't always the recognized ones.
5 John Keating (Dead Poets Society)
Going against what society at the time thought was right, represented by the boarding school, professor John Keating of Dead Poets Society will be forever embedded in the lives of literature and film lovers. His compassion with his students entices everyone to see the world differently, and to be better people. In one of his most iconic roles, Robin Williams transformed himself from the funnyman of Mork and Mindy into an inspiring, dramatic and heartwarming character. He challenges the viewers, just like his students, to step on a desk and claim 'O Captain, My Captain' - let it be a reminder that it is worth it to be passionate and be proud of what makes each person unique.
4 Erin Brockovich (Erin Brockovich)
The part that gave Julia Roberts her Academy Award for Best Actress, Erin Brockovich is a heroic character based on an even more heroic woman. An unemployed single mother used her convictions to fight a powerhouse corporation, Pacific Gas & Electric Company, almost completely on her own. She didn't let the hardships of the situation be greater than her need to make a better life for the families involved. Erin goes above and beyond to ensure the victims have the insurance they deserve, $333 million, while also being taken seriously during the trial.
3 Atticus Finch (To Kill a Mockingbird)
Atticus Finch of To Kill a Mockingbird went against the discriminatory ways of thinking that was popular in the fifties regarding people of color. He was one of the first white privileged male characters who explicitly fought against racism. Following him through the eyes of his young daughter, Scout, the audience can see the uphill struggle he faced and how he didn't let anyone say that what he was doing was wrong, while also needing to explain the absurdities of why people wanted to convict an innocent man because of the color of his skin to his daughter.
2 Fantine (Les Misérables)
Les Misérables has a lot of heroic characters but, in the role that finally gave Anne Hathaway her Academy Award, Fantine is one of the most heroic characters of the French tragedy. She is a young working-class woman who does everything she can to give her daughter, Cossette, the life that she never had. Fantine decides to part from her daughter, taking her to a family that she thinks will provide her with a better life; unfortunately, Fantine doesn't survive long enough to see her daughter again. She works in a factory and sells her hair and teeth to have money. Fantine dies in a hospital after contracting tuberculosis, thinking about the love of her life: her daughter. It's a heartbreaking but heroic portrayal of motherhood.
1 Guido Orefice (Life is Beautiful)
The top of this list had to be a character in one of the most heartbreaking films ever made. La vita è Bella (or Life is Beautiful) is a movie about Rome when it was taken over by the fascists and the Nazis. The audience is transported inside a Jewish concentration camp alongside a father, Guido, and his young son, Giosué. Inside, the father tries his hardest to make the inhuman conditions they have to face into a fun game they can play together. Never letting the reality of what was going on inflict any negative emotion on his son Guido is the definition of heroic, in a film which can bring tears to the eye with just its plot synopsis alone.