The Importance Of Will: A Hero's Journey

Youth adult writer Brodi Ashton once proclaimed, “Heroes are made by the paths they choose, not the powers they are graced with.” Anyone can be a hero, one only needs the will to do so. Throughout history, archetypal heroes such as Superman from DC comics, have outrageous physical capabilities and superior intelligence. Although these two descriptions may correspond to several heroes, all true heroes have the will to act and persevere, and that is what makes them renowned heroes. But why is ‘will’ so valuable? Well, when one gazes upon the challenges an epic hero undergoes, it becomes obvious. Writer and lecturer Joseph Campbell studied the journeys of multiple epic heroes until finally he made a philosophy called the mono-myth or hero’s journey. This mono-myth consists of twenty five challenging steps, pushing heroes to their limit. However, not so much their physical limit as opposed to their will to act.
R. R. Tolkien's humble warrior Aragorn from The Lord of the Rings trilogy, and all the way to George Lucas's galactic orphan, Luke Skywalker from the Star Wars franchise, make clear the treacherous journey of an epic hero when put in correlation with Joseph Campbell’s twenty five hero’s journey steps ultimately demonstrating the importance of will and perseverance in choosing the right path in acquiring the title of ‘epic