Seinen Hero Traits
Basic Traits
A character must at least meet 6 of the basic traits to be classified as a Seinen Hero:
- Heroic/Anti-Heroic: A Seinen Hero has to accomplish a noble and extraordinary deed, even if it is not always for selfless reasons.
- Cynical: A Seinen Hero is distrustful of people's intentions and think they do it for themselves.
- Apathetic: A Seinen Hero doesn't display much concern towards any situation.
- Stoical: A Seinen Hero doesn't openly display their emotions towards others.
- Insightful: A Seinen Hero thinks deeply and reflects on any aspect of life through their own experiences.
- Sophisticated/Mature: A Seinen Hero displays high emotional maturity.
- Pessimistic: A Seinen Hero thinks that bad things will always happen.
- Realistic: A Seinen Hero has a realistic view on life and doesn't live for empty ideologies.
- Strong Sense of Willpower: A Seinen Hero refuses to give up in life regardless of the obstacles standing in their way.
- Nihilistic: A Seinen Hero views life in itself as meaningless.
- Pragmatic: A Seinen Hero makes choices based on logic rather than morals.
- Morally Ambiguous: A Seinen Hero often act in shades of gray, committing heroics and villainy all at the same time.
Bonus Traits
- Has Anger Issues: A Seinen Hero has a hard time controlling their anger.
- Has Killer Instinct: A Seinen Hero doesn't hesitate to kill anyone without showing mercy.
- Has Bloodlust: A Seinen Hero takes pleasure in fighting their enemies if not killing them.
- Lustful: A Seinen Hero has an obsession of having sex with anyone.
- Reckless: A Seinen Hero has a tendency of putting their own life in danger.
- Tragic Past: A Seinen Hero has experienced traumatic circumstances that warped their psyches before the beginning of their respective stories.
- Has Trust Issues: Due to their traumatic experiences, a Seinen Hero has a hard time being honest to others or depending on them for their help.
- Hard-Boiled: A Seinen Hero has been toughened up by their experiences to the point where they don't get too emotional by anything.
- Vengeful: A Seinen Hero wants to seek revenge on someone who hurts them or someone they care about.
- Black Hair: A Seinen Hero's hair color is black.
- Has an Outfit with Black/Red/Blue: A Seinen Hero wears an outfit consistent of at least two of the three colors: Black, Red and Blue.
- Sociopathic/Psychopathic: A Seinen Hero consistently shows little to no regard for right and wrong and often ignores the rights and feelings of others.
- Is an Edgelord: A Seinen Hero has a rather edgy attitude, coming off as brooding, dark and mysterious.
Categories
Special Categories That Can Fit
- Light-Novel Heroes: If a Seinen Hero has several qualities associated with the Light-Novel Hero archetype, they may qualify.
- Non-Heroes: As long as they performed a heroic deed out of good intentions rather than pragmatism despite being considered villains, they can qualify.
- Shojo Heroes: Same with Light-Novel Heroes.
- Shonen Heroes: Same with Shojo Heroes.
- Shonen Rivals: Same with Shonen Heroes.
Caution Categories
- Rapists: Unless they redeem themselves, are in a state of questionable agency and/or show remorse, all of which are extremely rare and unlikely, they are too repulsive, cruel, dark and vile to fit.
- Shonen Villains: If the character is not NPE or PE, they may fit.
- Fake Tragic: Unless they have ultimately redeemed themselves from their villainous ways, heroes who have genuine tragedies but have severe corrupting factors that go far past it (e.g. heinousness, criminal acts, sociopathy, grey-zoned acts) can never count as a Seinen Hero.
Categories That Never Fit:
List of categories and traits that contrasts with Seinen Hero.
- Near Pure Evil: Too much of full-scale villains to count.
- Pure Evil: Same reasons as NPE's