I’ve got a hero I’ve been nurturing a crush on for a while now—he’s tall, dark, and handsome, but not particularly physically imposing. He’s brilliant, yet charmingly self-effacing. He has a warm, quirky, incredibly self-deprecating sense of humor, and values love and loyalty almost above all else, and while perhaps not the most outwardly brave or self-confident man, when push comes to shove, a rather impressive backbone makes an appearance. He can definitely get flustered, but at the same time, he can also regroup and think fast on his feet. And one of his most sterling qualities is how he has a tremendous personal moral code with a deeply ingrained sense of right and wrong, but isn’t without the ability to see shades of gray. Sounds wonderful, right? Well, yeah, definitely, but at the same time, he does have a few self-esteem issues. Little and not-so-little things from his past that nearly destroyed an early sense of confidence and have since kept him trapped in a life that doesn’t even come close to tapping into his potential. Or, when he’s being honest with himself, fulfilling him, professionally or emotionally. It’s as if he was so wounded by what happened, he’s chosen to live his life in a state of suspended animation. Relatively self-contained within a small circle of family and friends, and above all, safe. However, in the last year, he’s really begun blossoming—coming out of his shell—and it’s been such a lovely thing to see. It happened, as such things are wont to do, because of a ghost from his past. And, as such things are also wont to do, because of a girl.
My hero: Chuck Bartowski, of the NBC series, Chuck.
The thing I love best about Chuck (aside from the fact that he’s played by the lovely, lovely Zachary Levi) is that he embodies every fabulous quality of the beta hero. This particular archetype has long been my particular favorite, in terms of leading men, not simply because of all of the aforementioned qualities, but also because to me, it provides such limitless possibilities for character growth. Whereas a typical alpha hero, he’s mastered so many things and of course, also tends to be such an ideal physical specimen, that basically, he’s left with only one or two aspects of their personalities, usually on the emotional end of the spectrum, requiring improvement. As a matter of fact, that’s one of the fun things about Chuck—the fact that there is a true alpha: Casey, who on paper should be the hero and is, indeed, brave and heroic and everything wonderful about the alpha male. But for this show’s purposes, he’s definitely second banana. And can I just say how it tickles me to the bottom of my perverse little heart? Hats off to the writers for taking that trope and turning it on its ear.
Another aspect that I really enjoy about both reading and writing the beta hero is that like an alpha, a true beta is comfortable in his skin—it’s just that that skin can be akin to a chameleon’s, changing and morphing to suit his environment. When Chuck was a Stanford undergrad, he was bright, looking forward to his future, expecting to be the next Bill Gates. When circumstances (and his former best friend) conspired to get him expelled, he went home, got a job, and plays the part of gamer geek/Nerd Herd tech guy/Buy More employee. Now that he’s an accidental CIA operative, he’s learning the ropes there, not without a little effort and a lot of stumbling, but as with everything else, he gives it his all. He goes into situations, not always sure how things are going to work out, but knowing that he’s going to try his absolute best. And when the dust clears, the bad guys are put away, and the marlin’s back on the wall (joke from the show), there he stands, the true blue, heart-on-his-sleeve, unexpected hero. And the loveliest thing to see? How in really quiet moments, in a secret part of his heart, he’s admitting that he kind of likes this hero gig—especially if it helps him get the girl.
Oh, psst, don’t tell Chuck, but The Mentalist’s Patrick Jane has been kind of worming his way into my heart as well. Another beta hero, but of a completely different ilk. It’s like a smorgasbord, I tell you!
So, any characters of note—be it book, television, or film—that have been doing it for you? I’d love to hear.
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I love beta heroes too, because as you mentioned, their stories so often have strong character development arcs. Too many of the alpha heroes have minor, token “learning experiences” and that’s it; they’re too perfect from page one to need more than a good dusting.
I’ve been enjoying The Mentalist too, and I just heard that six more episodes have been ordered, so yay! Usually whenever I really enjoy a TV show it gets cancelled, like with Blood Ties and Dresden Files last year.
Harry Dresden was another good beta hero — smart and with some wicked skills, but also a couple hundred points of disadvantages. It’s nice seeing a hero have to worry about paying rent and all.
And Morgan was hot, even if he wasn’t in very many episodes; I was looking forward to seeing his character developed, before the show was cancelled.
Angie
I a total sucker for the Winchester boys from Supernatural! They are delectable, tough, wicked, clever, cool, and oh so lovely.
Love ‘em.
I must have a thing for the bad boy in the fictional hero because I love Sawyer, from Lost, too. Wickedly fun to watch.
Oh, I love Chuck Bartowski!
That’s one of my favorite shows right now, and he’s a big reason why. It’s so refreshing to see an average, slightly nerdy guy be the hero instead of the usual supercool, super-handsome, super-capable guy.
Chuck works as a character for me because he’s so relatable, and he always tries to do what’s right — even if there are bad guys chasing him. I heart Chuck.
ACK! I am TOTALLY IN LOVE with Chuck. Stay away from my man, will ya?
Loved this post.
Not a beta lover myself.
Being an alpha female,
I tend to make those guys cry in real life
so I associate them with extreme guilt.
I do LOVE alpha males
with senses of humor.
I don’t understand why romance alphas
are always so dark, depressing, and serious.
Who wants to follow a leader like THAT?
Heck, who wants to read about a guy like THAT?
Give me a good laugh anytime.
Goes to show what a cave I live in that I didn’t even realize they’d made it into a series.
But yeah, I think that’s one of the most appealing aspects of the beta hero for me as well– that sense of “realness.” Not that a good alpha can’t feel every bit as real, but sometimes, they definitely have that “too good to be true” vibe.
Oh Misa, they are yummy– I adore Jensen Ackles’ take on Dean– such a deeply flawed and wounded man and from what I understand, Sammy’s been up to some questionable antics. I didn’t watch much last year because it had a vague “jump the shark” feeling. Besides, my CP is an ardent (read: obsessed) fan, so she kept me up to date on all the major developments.
I’ve also heard that there’s honest-to-goodness angel action going on– as in less chubby Botticelli and more vengeance and will go medieval on your ass. And bonus! HAWT. I may have to start watching again.
Got distracted by the hawt– meant to say that while the bad boy isn’t one of my particular favorites, I can definitely see the attraction in terms of being the wounded hero, which is also a powerful archetype– or maybe a sub-archetype, since the wounded can apply as easily to an alpha as a beta, don’t you think?
Yeah, right? It’s what I meant about backbone– I love that while he embodies the cute, nerdboy qualities, he’s really no one’s pushover. Before I sat down to write this column, I actually went back and watched some of the S1 eps and it’s very evident that while he may have found himself in a highly unexpected situation overall, he’s not going to allow the government to completely dictate his life.
And I love that he’s always challenging Sarah and Casey with “why?” Again, while he may accept the extraordinary circumstances of his new life, he doesn’t just meekly accept them. He always has to have justification of some sort. Gotta love the brainy guys.
Cordy, Cordy… Chuck strikes me as a rather generous soul. I’m sure he’d be willing to be shared.
Kimber, while I appreciate where you’re coming from, I think the idea that the beta hero is always cowed by an alpha female is as common a misconception as the one that suggests all alpha males are dark, tortured jerkwads.
That said, I’m with you on heroes with senses of humor. A sense of humor and brains will slay me– every. single. time.
I see you took my advice in re: blog topic. *G*
But you absolutely nailed what I love about Chuck in particular, and beta heroes in general.
I’ve loved Seeley Booth since Bones arrived to television. He can be funny, a little over the top, alpha, or at least he likes to think he is…I’ve watched Chuck and like the show, but I’m not consistent with the time slot, so I often miss it, but when I do catch it, I love it.
But of course!
I had to actually restrain myself– in terms of rhapsodizing about Chuck– lest I find myself with a restraining order.
But you know like I said upthread, going back and watching bits of the S1 eps, it’s interesting to see just how strong a character Chuck is and that’s exactly why he’s so appealing. Going back and watching “Chuck Versus the Alma Mater” in particular, really illustrated how even as a college freshman, Chuck always realized not only that he was a total geek but how the rest of the world would tend to see that sort of geekiness. He’s a nerd, but a self-aware one.
Oh, Seeley’s a total alpha,but so fun, with quirks that set him apart. Little obvious things like the belt buckles and socks that belie his by the book exterior. I love how he’s constantly reconciling aspects of his past like being an Army Ranger sniper with his deep faith and his own position as a father.
He’s easily one of the most interesting characters to come along in a long time and I think David Boreanaz is absolutely wonderful at portraying him.
I love Chuck too! One of my favorite shows on tv right now and I got season 1 on dvd so I could watch Chuck all the time.
Barbara — if you’re a Dresden fan, it’d be totally worth watching for DVDs to catch the one season they made. There were some changes, of course, but not all bad. Bob is different but not worse (I actually like both versions about the same) and TV!Morgan is a major improvement, aside from being hot.
Angie
I love Chuck and I didn’t even realize why until you laid it all out. Now whenever I have to think of a Beta male for an example Chuck will instantly come to mind.
Dr. Spencer Reid from Criminal Minds
I love me smart boys who are cute!