Predestined Glory: Why Heroes’ Flaws Are Always Forgiven

Heroes are fascinating because they do amazing things while often behaving in ways that would get anyone else in serious trouble. They kill, cheat, lie, and sulk, yet across cultures, from Greek epics to Indian sagas, Norse legends, and Chinese folklore, they are celebrated, idolised, and remembered for millennia. Their moral flaws exist, but audiences and cultures deliberately overlook them. Why? Because it is predetermined that they are heroes. The story, the culture, and the audience are all invested in preserving that image.

Take Achilles. He sulks for weeks because Agamemnon insulted him. He kills Hector partly out of rage. By any normal moral standard, he is difficult at best, terrifying at worst. And yet, Greek culture immortalises him as the ultimate warrior. His flaws are acknowledged but treated as quirks. Why? Because Achilles is destined to be heroic. His glory and impact are the story’s focus, and dwelling too much on ethics would interfere with the audience’s admiration. His heroism is predetermined, and everything else (temper, pride, vengeance) is filtered through that lens.

Odysseus is another prime example. He blinds a cyclops, deceives allies, and causes death along the way. Ethics would normally matter, yet the narrative emphasises his cunning and cleverness. His moral lapses are briefly noted but never allowed to overshadow his heroism. Like Achilles, Odysseus’ status is preordained. The audience is meant to marvel at his achievements, not critique his behaviour.

Indian epics show the same pattern. Arjuna hesitates before killing friends and mentors, and Ram abandons Sita due to societal pressure. These actions are ethically troubling, but they do not diminish their heroic stature. Their deeds align with cultural ideals like dharma, skill, and devotion. Flaws exist, but they are smoothed over, because the culture has decided they are heroes and wants them remembered that way. Focusing too much on morality would interfere with the predetermined admiration the stories are built to generate.

Norse heroes, African epic figures, and Chinese legends all follow a similar logic. Thor, Sigurd, Sundiata Keita, and Guan Yu have flaws, act recklessly, or bend rules. Their misdeeds are acknowledged but treated as secondary to feats and qualities that make them legendary. Cultures and audiences deliberately forgive, forget, or rationalise these flaws because they want to idolise them. Predetermination is key: these figures are scripted to be heroes, and the story invests in that status first, ethics second.

However, villains are treated aren't treated the same. While heroes’ flaws are overlooked, villains are condemned for similar actions. Their wrongs are amplified to create contrast and reinforce the predetermined moral hierarchy. Heroes are allowed morally grey actions because they are destined to inspire admiration. Villains, by contrast, are destined to caution, punish, or terrify. Predetermination is the invisible hand shaping audience perception.

This selective memory works for a reason. Flaws make heroes human and the stories compelling, but if audiences dwelt too long on their ethical lapses, admiration would falter. By lightly acknowledging flaws and then shifting focus to courage, achievement, or loyalty, cultures ensure that heroes remain untouchable in status. Their legendary deeds are prioritised over morality because the story demands it. Achilles died a hero , Odysseus returns home as clever as ever, Arjuna won the war, and Thor smashes giants. Heroism is sealed, and flaws forgiven or even celebrated.

In the end, heroes across mythologies show us the same thing: their status is predetermined, their flaws tolerated, and their admiration guaranteed. Cultures and audiences overlook ethical lapses because they are invested in idolising them. Glory trumps morality, hubris is forgiven, and flaws are remembered only as seasoning for the tale. From Achilles sulking in his tent to Odysseus scheming, from Arjuna wrestling with conscience to Thor storming into battle, these figures captivate not because they are perfect, but because their heroism is preordained and untouchable. Predetermined, flawed, and unforgettable is the enduring magic of mythological heroes.