Movie Heroes (part II)

5) Harry Potter - “Harry Potter” franchise (2001-11)

Phenomenal cosmic power; itty-bitty living space. When we first meet Harry Potter, he’s a 10-year-old boy living in a cupboard under the stairs at his mean old Aunt and Uncle’s house. But on his 11th birthday, he’s informed that not only is he a wizard; he’s one of the most famous wizards ever – with a hefty inheritance waiting, we might add. Harry spends the next years of his life living up to his reputation, and trying to put an end to the darkest wizard who ever lived: Lord Voldemort. With bravery, cunning and two of the best friends ever put to screen, the Boy Who Lived was willing to sacrifice himself for the betterment of all wizardkind.

4) Peter Parker - “Spider-Man” franchise (2002-)

Long before there was Kick-Ass, there was this nerd-turned-superhero icon. While Spidey’s origin story has been retold a couple of times, the same essential elements always remain the same: Peter Parker is your run-of-the-mill dork until a radioactive spider bites him. Although he isn’t sure how to use these newfound web-slinging abilities at first, he gains some valuable words of advice from Uncle Ben. As Spider-Man, Peter aspires to honor his uncle’s memory by defending New York, even if it means giving up any dream of personal happiness he may have. 

3) Luke Skywalker - “Star Wars” franchise (1977-)

Luke Skywalker’s story has become a textbook example of how to portray a hero’s journey. A simple farm boy, Luke looks up at his home planet’s moons in hopes of one day becoming something more. Upon teaming up with Obi-Wan Kenobi, he takes his first step towards becoming a Jedi knight like his father. Of course, Luke gets more than he bargained for after learning his daddy isn’t so clean-cut afterall. Through training, loss, and friendship, though, Luke finds his inner strength and rises as the galaxy’s last hope.

2) Steve Rogers / Captain America - Marvel Cinematic Universe (2011-)

Despite constantly getting knocked down, the wimpy Steve Rogers always stands up for what’s right. This makes him the ideal candidate for a super-soldier experiment in which his exterior is altered to match his unbreakable spirit. He leads the U.S. in their mission to take down the Red Skull, sacrificing himself in the process. That’s just the tip of the iceberg as Rogers awakens years later to fight a new war. Of all the Avengers, his backstory is the most inspirational, making us all want to follow Captain America into battle.

1) Rocky Balboa - “Rocky” franchise (1976-)

To date, “Rocky” is still the greatest underdog story ever told. Never has a sports movie been more rousing and never has a zero to hero protagonist been more compelling than Rocky Balboa, a down-on-his-luck boxer working as a strong-man for a loan shark, and who’s given a shot at facing the heavyweight champion of the world. While it takes him until the next movie to ultimately seize that title, the Italian Stallion demonstrates that you can come out on top even when you don’t win. He’s an everyman that motivates us all to go the distance.