A hero is a brave person, it goes without saying. They feel the fear and do it anyway. They may shoulder a lonely, terrible weight of doing things they would rather not do, for the greater good. Because if they don't, maybe no-one else will. A hero always retains their humanity, but they do not do popularity contests, and ask no one's approval to do what they feel is the right or just the necessary thing.
There is always cynical muttering. A hero has to rise above it and not give blow for blow. Eyes front, fixed on the true target.
Faced with that extremity, they feel the fear and do it anyway. Courage isn't courage if you weren't afraid in the first place. Above all, a hero never gives up but it is never, NEVER about THEM
Alexander the Great was no hero in my eyes. Vicious spoilt brat.
Hector, tragic hero.
Gentle Dr John Snow is one of my heroes from history.
They have CAPACITY. A hero's faults and failings are writ large. A hero is not mean, spiteful or petty.
I think anyone is a hero, who does what their best judgement says is right, proper, just and necessary, when it means going up against any kind of really big target or so-called authority, so that the bully will not win.
A parent going to sort out a rotten Head teacher, so as not to betray a child down who's been on the receiving end of a blatant injustice. A patient refusing to take rubbish from a doctor, a police officer calling out an evil in the system, as with that detective lady with Greater Manchester Police.
There will always be villains and gatekeepers, folk muttering or hiding in herds, and heroes.