Johnny displays his courage early in the story. Dally, Johnny, and Pony were at the movies. There was a pretty girl seated ahead of them whom Dally was harassing. He stood up to him and commanded him to stop. Ponyboy narrates this,
"’Leave her alone, Dally.’ ‘Huh?’ Dally was taken off guard. He stared at Johnny in disbelief. Johnny couldn't say "Boo" to a goose. Johnny gulped and got a little pale, but he said, ‘You heard me. Leave her alone’" (Hinton 24). Johnny stands up for a girl that he doesn’t know. He tells him this, even though Dally was Johnny’s hero and was a dangerous person known for violence. This show how Johnny was courageous and heroic for standing up to Dally.
Johnny shows courage throughout the book, but towards the middle of the book he also displays great loyalty to Ponyboy. Pony and Johnny were at the park in the middle of the night. A Blue Mustang pulled up and a gang of socs leaped out. They beat up Johnny and started to drown Pony. Johnny defended Pony by stabbing the soc who was drowning him. Johnny tells why he killed him, “‘You killed him, huh Johnny?’ ‘Yeah’ his voice quavered slightly. ’I had to. They were drowning you, Pony” (Hinton 57). Johnny killed the soc that was drowning Ponyboy. Johnny fought the socs even though he was outnumbered and scared to death of them. Johnny was heroic because he was loyal to Pony by risking his life for him.
Furthermore Johnny’s selflessness and helpfulness are especially drawn out when he saves children from a burning church. Dally, Pony, and Johnny had just come back from the Dairy Queen when they saw that the church had caught ablaze. Johnny and Pony rushed in once they heard that there were children stuck inside, they vaulted through the window. As the last child was scooped up and tossed out of the window, a piece of roofing fell atop Johnny. Johnny was hospitalized and was not expected to recover. Pony narrates at the hospital as an observer of the event praises them, “I swear, you three are the bravest kids I’ve seen in a long time. First, you and that black haired kid climbing through that window, then that tough looking kid going back in to save him. Mrs. Clariant and I think you were sent straight from heaven” (Hinton 95). The man who was at the seen tells of Johnny saving the kids, who were complete strangers. Johnny later died after saving the kids. This shows how Johnny was selfless by risking, and eventually losing his life to save the children.
Many people might see Johnny as a fearful hoodlum who killed someone. I disagree with this point of view because it ignores him saving Ponyboy twice, him standing up to Dally, and him saving children from a burning church. To be a hero you do not need to be perfect. You only need to be able to stand up to what is wrong, to be brave, to help people in distress and need, and to be loyal. Johnny deserves to be considered a hero because he contains all of these important qualities. I believe that Johnny was the most heroic character in The Outsiders because he is the only one who I think has all of the good qualities and very few bad ones.