• Features for Creative Writers
  • Features for Work
  • Features for Higher Education
  • Features for Teachers
  • Features for Non-Native Speakers
  • Learn Blog Grammar Guide Community Academy FAQ
  • Grammar Guide

Hero's Journey 101: How to Use the Hero's Journey to Plot Your Story

Dan Schriever

Dan Schriever

The Hero's Journey cover

How many times have you heard this story? A protagonist is suddenly whisked away from their ordinary life and embarks on a grand adventure. Along the way they make new friends, confront perils, and face tests of character. In the end, evil is defeated, and the hero returns home a changed person.

That’s the Hero’s Journey in a nutshell. It probably sounds very familiar—and rightly so: the Hero’s Journey aspires to be the universal story, or monomyth, a narrative pattern deeply ingrained in literature and culture. Whether in books, movies, television, or folklore, chances are you’ve encountered many examples of the Hero’s Journey in the wild.

In this post, we’ll walk through the elements of the Hero’s Journey step by step. We’ll also study an archetypal example from the movie The Matrix (1999). Once you have mastered the beats of this narrative template, you’ll be ready to put your very own spin on it.

Sound good? Then let’s cross the threshold and let the journey begin.

What Is the Hero’s Journey?

The 12 stages of the hero’s journey, writing your own hero’s journey.

The Hero’s Journey is a common story structure for modeling both plot points and character development. A protagonist embarks on an adventure into the unknown. They learn lessons, overcome adversity, defeat evil, and return home transformed.

Joseph Campbell’s The Hero with a Thousand Faces (1949)

Joseph Campbell , a scholar of literature, popularized the monomyth in his influential work The Hero With a Thousand Faces (1949). Looking for common patterns in mythological narratives, Campbell described a character arc with 17 total stages, overlaid on a more traditional three-act structure. Not all need be present in every myth or in the same order.

The three stages, or acts, of Campbell’s Hero’s Journey are as follows:

1. Departure. The hero leaves the ordinary world behind.

2. Initiation. The hero ventures into the unknown ("the Special World") and overcomes various obstacles and challenges.

3. Return. The hero returns in triumph to the familiar world.

Hollywood has embraced Campbell’s structure, most famously in George Lucas’s Star Wars movies. There are countless examples in books, music, and video games, from fantasy epics and Disney films to sports movies.

In The Writer’s Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers (1992), screenwriter Christopher Vogler adapted Campbell’s three phases into the "12 Stages of the Hero’s Journey." This is the version we’ll analyze in the next section.

The three stages of Campbell's Hero's Journey

For writers, the purpose of the Hero’s Journey is to act as a template and guide. It’s not a rigid formula that your plot must follow beat by beat. Indeed, there are good reasons to deviate—not least of which is that this structure has become so ubiquitous.

Still, it’s helpful to master the rules before deciding when and how to break them. The 12 steps of the Hero's Journey are as follows :

  • The Ordinary World
  • The Call of Adventure
  • Refusal of the Call
  • Meeting the Mentor
  • Crossing the First Threshold
  • Tests, Allies, and Enemies
  • Approach to the Inmost Cave
  • Reward (Seizing the Sword)
  • The Road Back
  • Resurrection
  • Return with the Elixir

Let’s take a look at each stage in more detail. To show you how the Hero’s Journey works in practice, we’ll also consider an example from the movie The Matrix (1999). After all, what blog has not been improved by a little Keanu Reeves?

The Matrix

#1: The Ordinary World

This is where we meet our hero, although the journey has not yet begun: first, we need to establish the status quo by showing the hero living their ordinary, mundane life.

It’s important to lay the groundwork in this opening stage, before the journey begins. It lets readers identify with the hero as just a regular person, “normal” like the rest of us. Yes, there may be a big problem somewhere out there, but the hero at this stage has very limited awareness of it.

The Ordinary World in The Matrix :

We are introduced to Thomas A. Anderson, aka Neo, programmer by day, hacker by night. While Neo runs a side operation selling illicit software, Thomas Anderson lives the most mundane life imaginable: he works at his cubicle, pays his taxes, and helps the landlady carry out her garbage.

#2: The Call to Adventure

The journey proper begins with a call to adventure—something that disrupts the hero’s ordinary life and confronts them with a problem or challenge they can’t ignore. This can take many different forms.

While readers may already understand the stakes, the hero is realizing them for the first time. They must make a choice: will they shrink from the call, or rise to the challenge?

The Call to Adventure in The Matrix :

A mysterious message arrives in Neo’s computer, warning him that things are not as they seem. He is urged to “follow the white rabbit.” At a nightclub, he meets Trinity, who tells him to seek Morpheus.

#3: Refusal of the Call

Oops! The hero chooses option A and attempts to refuse the call to adventure. This could be for any number of reasons: fear, disbelief, a sense of inadequacy, or plain unwillingness to make the sacrifices that are required.

A little reluctance here is understandable. If you were asked to trade the comforts of home for a life-and-death journey fraught with peril, wouldn’t you give pause?

Refusal of the Call in The Matrix :

Agents arrive at Neo’s office to arrest him. Morpheus urges Neo to escape by climbing out a skyscraper window. “I can’t do this… This is crazy!” Neo protests as he backs off the ledge.

The Hero's Journey in _The Matrix_

#4: Meeting the Mentor

Okay, so the hero got cold feet. Nothing a little pep talk can’t fix! The mentor figure appears at this point to give the hero some much needed counsel, coaching, and perhaps a kick out the door.

After all, the hero is very inexperienced at this point. They’re going to need help to avoid disaster or, worse, death. The mentor’s role is to overcome the hero’s reluctance and prepare them for what lies ahead.

Meeting the Mentor in The Matrix :

Neo meets with Morpheus, who reveals a terrifying truth: that the ordinary world as we know it is a computer simulation designed to enslave humanity to machines.

#5: Crossing the First Threshold

At this juncture, the hero is ready to leave their ordinary world for the first time. With the mentor’s help, they are committed to the journey and ready to step across the threshold into the special world . This marks the end of the departure act and the beginning of the adventure in earnest.

This may seem inevitable, but for the hero it represents an important choice. Once the threshold is crossed, there’s no going back. Bilbo Baggins put it nicely: “It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to.”

Crossing the First Threshold in The Matrix :

Neo is offered a stark choice: take the blue pill and return to his ordinary life none the wiser, or take the red pill and “see how deep the rabbit hole goes.” Neo takes the red pill and is extracted from the Matrix, entering the real world .

#6: Tests, Allies, and Enemies

Now we are getting into the meat of the adventure. The hero steps into the special world and must learn the new rules of an unfamiliar setting while navigating trials, tribulations, and tests of will. New characters are often introduced here, and the hero must navigate their relationships with them. Will they be friend, foe, or something in between?

Broadly speaking, this is a time of experimentation and growth. It is also one of the longest stages of the journey, as the hero learns the lay of the land and defines their relationship to other characters.

Wondering how to create captivating characters? Read our guide , which explains how to shape characters that readers will love—or hate.

Tests, Allies, and Enemies in The Matrix :

Neo is introduced to the vagabond crew of the Nebuchadnezzar . Morpheus informs Neo that he is The One , a savior destined to liberate humanity. He learns jiu jitsu and other useful skills.

#7: Approach to the Inmost Cave

Man entering a cave

Time to get a little metaphorical. The inmost cave isn’t a physical cave, but rather a place of great danger—indeed, the most dangerous place in the special world . It could be a villain’s lair, an impending battle, or even a mental barrier. No spelunking required.

Broadly speaking, the approach is marked by a setback in the quest. It becomes a lesson in persistence, where the hero must reckon with failure, change their mindset, or try new ideas.

Note that the hero hasn’t entered the cave just yet. This stage is about the approach itself, which the hero must navigate to get closer to their ultimate goal. The stakes are rising, and failure is no longer an option.

Approach to the Inmost Cave in The Matrix :

Neo pays a visit to The Oracle. She challenges Neo to “know thyself”—does he believe, deep down, that he is The One ? Or does he fear that he is “just another guy”? She warns him that the fate of humanity hangs in the balance.

#8: The Ordeal

The ordeal marks the hero’s greatest test thus far. This is a dark time for them: indeed, Campbell refers to it as the “belly of the whale.” The hero experiences a major hurdle or obstacle, which causes them to hit rock bottom.

This is a pivotal moment in the story, the main event of the second act. It is time for the hero to come face to face with their greatest fear. It will take all their skills to survive this life-or-death crisis. Should they succeed, they will emerge from the ordeal transformed.

Keep in mind: the story isn’t over yet! Rather, the ordeal is the moment when the protagonist overcomes their weaknesses and truly steps into the title of hero .

The Ordeal in The Matrix :

When Cipher betrays the crew to the agents, Morpheus sacrifices himself to protect Neo. In turn, Neo makes his own choice: to risk his life in a daring rescue attempt.

#9: Reward (Seizing the Sword)

The ordeal was a major level-up moment for the hero. Now that it's been overcome, the hero can reap the reward of success. This reward could be an object, a skill, or knowledge—whatever it is that the hero has been struggling toward. At last, the sword is within their grasp.

From this moment on, the hero is a changed person. They are now equipped for the final conflict, even if they don’t fully realize it yet.

Reward (Seizing the Sword) in The Matrix :

Neo’s reward is helpfully narrated by Morpheus during the rescue effort: “He is beginning to believe.” Neo has gained confidence that he can fight the machines, and he won’t back down from his destiny.

A man holding a sword

#10: The Road Back

We’re now at the beginning of act three, the return . With the reward in hand, it’s time to exit the inmost cave and head home. But the story isn’t over yet.

In this stage, the hero reckons with the consequences of act two. The ordeal was a success, but things have changed now. Perhaps the dragon, robbed of his treasure, sets off for revenge. Perhaps there are more enemies to fight. Whatever the obstacle, the hero must face them before their journey is complete.

The Road Back in The Matrix :

The rescue of Morpheus has enraged Agent Smith, who intercepts Neo before he can return to the Nebuchadnezzar . The two foes battle in a subway station, where Neo’s skills are pushed to their limit.

#11: Resurrection

Now comes the true climax of the story. This is the hero’s final test, when everything is at stake: the battle for the soul of Gotham, the final chance for evil to triumph. The hero is also at the peak of their powers. A happy ending is within sight, should they succeed.

Vogler calls the resurrection stage the hero’s “final exam.” They must draw on everything they have learned and prove again that they have really internalized the lessons of the ordeal . Near-death escapes are not uncommon here, or even literal deaths and resurrections.

Resurrection in The Matrix :

Despite fighting valiantly, Neo is defeated by Agent Smith and killed. But with Trinity’s help, he is resurrected, activating his full powers as The One . Isn’t it wonderful how literal The Matrix can be?

#12: Return with the Elixir

Hooray! Evil has been defeated and the hero is transformed. It’s time for the protagonist to return home in triumph, and share their hard-won prize with the ordinary world . This prize is the elixir —the object, skill, or insight that was the hero’s true reward for their journey and transformation.

Return with the Elixir in The Matrix :

Neo has defeated the agents and embraced his destiny. He returns to the simulated world of the Matrix, this time armed with god-like powers and a resolve to open humanity’s eyes to the truth.

The Hero's Journey Worksheet

If you’re writing your own adventure, you may be wondering: should I follow the Hero’s Journey structure?

The good news is, it’s totally up to you. Joseph Campbell conceived of the monomyth as a way to understand universal story structure, but there are many ways to outline a novel. Feel free to play around within its confines, adapt it across different media, and disrupt reader expectations. It’s like Morpheus says: “Some of these rules can be bent. Others can be broken.”

Think of the Hero’s Journey as a tool. If you’re not sure where your story should go next, it can help to refer back to the basics. From there, you’re free to choose your own adventure.

Are you prepared to write your novel? Download this free book now:

The Novel-Writing Training Plan

The Novel-Writing Training Plan

So you are ready to write your novel. excellent. but are you prepared the last thing you want when you sit down to write your first draft is to lose momentum., this guide helps you work out your narrative arc, plan out your key plot points, flesh out your characters, and begin to build your world..

hero's journey essay introduction

Be confident about grammar

Check every email, essay, or story for grammar mistakes. Fix them before you press send.

Dan holds a PhD from Yale University and CEO of FaithlessMTG

Get started with ProWritingAid

Drop us a line or let's stay in touch via :

Letter Review

What is the Hero’s Journey? An introduction with examples

hero's journey essay introduction

So you’ve heard about the Hero’s Journey, but it’s kind of complicated right? This article will introduce you to the basics, with plenty of examples, and walk you through an introduction to Joseph Campbell and Christoper Vogler’s work!

One title I’ll address is ‘The Writer’s Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers” by Christopher Vogler.

The title ‘The Writer’s Journey’ echo’s Joseph Campbell’s work ‘The Hero’s Journey.’ Joseph John Campbell (March 26, 1904 – October 30, 1987) was an American professor of literature at Sarah Lawrence College who worked in comparative mythology and comparative religion.

Campbell’s best-known work is his book The Hero with a Thousand Faces (1949), in which he discusses his theory of the journey of the archetypal hero shared by world mythologies, termed the monomyth.

The idea is that there is a particular kind of hero, on a particular kind of journey, which recurs many times throughout story telling cultures all across the world. Campbell’s work had a big impact on many screenwriters , like George Lucas who wrote Star Wars. 

The Writer’s Journey by Vogler is a practical how-to guide based on largely on Campbell’s theories. Vogler himself is a veteran story consultant for major Hollywood companies, influencing stories such as The Lion King, and Fight Club, and Thin Red Line. 

In this post I’ll be introducing you to some of the key concepts contained in the book , and hopefully something useful to you might stand out, or might whet your appetite for further reading. 

So what I’m going to do now is copy out the Hero’s Journey as described in Vogler’s text, and I’d like you to think about whether it applies to any of your favourite stories or films . Some projects to keep in mind are Star Wars , Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter. 

Heroes are introduced in the Ordinary world, where they receive the Call to adventure . They are reluctant at first or refuse the call, but are encouraged by a mentor to cross the first threshold and enter the special world, where they encounter tests, allies, and enemies.

They approach the inmost cave, crossing a second threshold where they endure the ordeal. They take possession of their reward and are pursued on The Road Back to the Ordinary world. They cross the third threshold, experience a resurrection and are transformed by the experience. They return with the elixir, a boon or treasure to benefit the ordinary world. 

Did that apply to any of your favourite tales? Let’s dig down briefly into a few of the terms .

First of all, the Ordinary World – what is that? 

Vogler writes: Most stories take the hero out of the ordinary mundane world and into a special world, new and alien. This is the familiar fish out of water idea which has spawned countless films and TV shows. If you’re going to show a fish out of this customary element you first have to show him in the ordinary world to create a vivid contrast with a strange new world they are about to enter. 

I’ve also found that showing a character in their ordinary world can help us to identify with them.

Then we have the call to adventure – note that the world is adventure – and all the excitement and fear that are contained in that concept. 

Vogler says: The hero is presented with a problem, challenge, or adventure to undertake. Once presented with a call to adventure she can no longer remain indefinitely in the comfort of the ordinary world.

So this is when Gandalf shows up with the Ring, or when Hagrid says Harry – yer a Wizard.

Next we have the refusal of the call. Why should the character refuse the call to adventure? Vogler writes :

This one is about fear. Often at this point the hero books at the threshold of adventure, or expressing reluctance.  After all, she is facing the greatest of all fears, terror of the unknown. Hero has not yet fully committed to the journey and may still be thinking of turning back. Some other influence, a change in circumstances, a further offence against the natural order of things, or the encouragement of the mentor is required to get her past is turning point of fear.

So when a character refuses the call, we also identify with them in this moment, and it helps us to realise that they are like us. Would we want to take the cursed evil ring into the heart of the enemies territory and destroy it? Not really. Could we eventually be convinced to – perhaps! 

Next comes the mentor – who is this mentor exactly? Glinda the good witch, Gandalf, and Dumbledore, all fit the bill. 

Vogler writes : By this time stories will have introduced a Merlin like character who is the heroes mentor. The relationship between hero and mentor is one of the most common themes in mythology and one of the richest in it’s symbolic value. It stands for the bond between parent and child , teacher and student, doctor and patient, God and man.

This is the person who encourages you to go on the frightening journey we all embark on in life, and lets you know that there are many reasons to undertake this journey. 

Next Vogler talks about crossing the first threshold. What does this mean exactly? He writes

Now the hero finally commits to the adventure and fully enters the special world of the story for the first time by crossing the first threshold. He agrees to face the consequences of dealing with the problem or challenge posed in the call to adventure. This is the moment when the story takes off and the adventure really gets going.

So in Lord of the Rings this is the moment when Frodo sets out on the road. 

Next Vogler describes Tests, Allies, and Enemies. Another way of saying tests might be obstacles – these are the things that get in the way of the adventurer – and test them to see what they are truly made of. Character is revealed in the way the character overcomes these tests.

Vogler speaks of allies, which refers to the friends that the character makes along the way. Another great theme in stories, along with the importance of overcoming fear and conquering fear of the unknown, is the importance of friendship, or fellowship as it is often referred to in Lord of the Rings.

And we now encounter enemies, these are the people who embody the opposite of the protagonist’s objective. They usually stand to benefit if the hero’s objectives are not met, and they may stand for the values that the protagonist detests. In Harry Potter Voldemort and his death eaters represent evil, and death, and racism, and everything that Harry detests. 

Volger describes the approach to the inmost cave. This is perhaps where things begin to sound a little less familiar, and little less intuitive. So far we might have been describing any human endeavor. Vogler writes

The hero comes at last to the edge of the dangerous place, sometimes Deep Underground, where the object of the quest is hidden. Often it’s the headquarters of the hero’s greatest enemy, the most dangerous spot in the special world, the innermost cave. When the hero enters that fearful place he will cross the second major threshold. Heroes often pause at the gate to prepare, plan, and out with the villains guards. This is the phase of approach.

So there are many inner caves we can probably name off the top of our heads. Perhaps Mount Doom in Lord of the Rings. It’s important to note that this phase is all about approach to the inmost, most dangerous place. It involves all the preparations that happen prior to the big battle. 

Next Vogler discusses the ordeal: 

Here the fortunes of a hero hit bottom in a direct confrontation with their greatest fear. They face the possibility of death and are brought to the brink in a battle with a hostile force. The ordeal is a black moment for the audience, as we are held in suspense and tension , not knowing if he will live or die. 

Here is the final battle. When Harry and Voldemort have their final duel, when Luke and Emperor face off, when Frodo comes to the edge of Mount Doom. We all know this one. This is where you pay off all the tension that has been building between your protagonist and antagonist. 

Next we have reward. Vogler writes

Having survived death, beaten the dragon, or slain the Minotaur, hero and audience have cause to celebrate. The hero now takes possession of the treasure she has come seeking, her reward. It might be a special weapon like a magic sword, or a token like the grail or some elixir which can heal the wounded land. Sometimes the sword is knowledge and experience that leads to greater understanding and a reconciliation with hostile forces. 

So there’s a clue at the end there that all the symbols can be altered for a more naturalistic setting . The reward at the end might actually be a peace treaty with the enemy, it might be winning a restraining order against a violent partner, or it might be destroying the one ring to rule them all in the crack of doom in the land of Mordor.

Next we have ‘The Road Back’. The idea explored here is that the journey is not over once the final destination is reached. We must all return home after our ordeals, and as any fans of The Odyssey will tell you, sometimes returning home is not as easy as it sounds. Vogler writes:

We are crossing into act 3 now as the hero begins to deal with the consequences of confronting the dark forces of the ordeal. If she has not yet managed to reconcile with the parent, the Gods, or the hostile forces, it may come raging after her. Some of the best chase scenes spring up at this point, as the hero is pursued on the road back by the vengeful forces she has disturbed by seizing the sword, the elixir, or the treasure.

Vogler also describes resurrection. For instance we might think of the moment Luke nearly dies at the hands of the emperor at the end of Star Wars. Vogler writes

In some cultures, hunters and Warriors had to be purified before they returned to their communities, because they had blood on their hands. The hero who has been to the realm of the dead must be reborn and cleansed in one last ordeal of death and resurrection before returning to the ordinary world of the living.

This can be thought of as a round two of the ordeal, a final test in which the protagonist must truly demonstrate that they have learned the lessons of the journey one final time in order to survive. 

Finally, we have the return with the elixir. Vogler writes: 

The hero returns to be ordinary world, but the journey is meaningless unless she brings back some elixir, treasure, or lesson from the special world. The elixir is a magic potion with the power to heal. It may be a great treasure like the grail that magically heals the wounded land, or simply might be knowledge or experience that could be useful for the community someday.

The clearest example I can think of is the knowledge and skills the Hobbits bring back to Hobbiton with them in the Book of Lord of the Rings, where they discover that Sauruman has taken up residence in the Shire, and they drive him off with their special skills.

Ultimately, in addition to acquiring skills and self knowledge, the item that the hero returns with is one of the points of the entire tale. The elixir may simply be peace itself, as is often the case. The Hobbits have secured peace in Middle Earth, Luke has helped end the evil reign of the Sith Lords, Harry has defeated Lord Voldemort and his death eaters. 

So that’s where I’ll leave Vogler’s The Writer’s Journey. But I encourage you to especially look at the section on character archetypes, in which he goes into great depths about the types of characters the hero encounters on his or her journey. 

This structure is positioned as applying particularly on a grand scale, and is referred to as mythic, but it also applies to smaller scale domestic stories too. 

If you enjoyed this post or found it interesting, please consider sharing it! Thank you!

Improve your writing in one of the largest and most successful writing groups online

Join our writing community!

The Hero’s Journey Ultimate Writing Guide with Examples

hero's journey essay introduction

by Alex Cabal

What do Star Wars , The Hobbit , and Harry Potter have in common? They’re all examples of a story archetype as old as time. You’ll see this universal narrative structure in books, films, and even video games.

This ultimate Hero’s Journey writing guide will define and explore all quintessential elements of the Hero’s Journey—character archetypes, themes, symbolism, the three act structure, as well as 12 stages of the Hero’s Journey. We’ll even provide a downloadable plot template, tips for writing the Hero’s Journey, and writing prompts to get the creative juices flowing.

What is the Hero’s Journey?

The Hero’s Journey is a universal story structure that follows the personal metamorphosis and psychological development of a protagonist on a heroic adventure. The protagonist goes through a series of stages to overcome adversity and complete a quest to attain an ultimate reward—whether that’s something tangible, like the holy grail, or something internal, like self confidence.

In the process of self-discovery, the archetypal Hero’s Journey is typically cyclical; it begins and ends in the same place (Think Frodo leaving and then returning to the Shire). After the epic quest or adventure has been completed by overcoming adversity and conflict—both physical and mental—the hero arrives where they once began, changed in some as they rose to meet the ultimate conflict or ordeal of the quest.

Joseph Campbell and Christopher Vogler

The Hero’s Journey has a long history of conversation around the form and its uses, with notable contributors including Joseph Campbell and the screenwriter Christopher Vogler , who later revised the steps of the Hero’s Journey.

Joseph Campbell’s “monomyth” framework is the traditional story structure of the Hero’s Journey archetype. Campbell developed it through analysis of ancient myths, folktales, and religious stories. It generally follows three acts in a cyclical, rather than a linear, way: a hero embarks on a journey, faces a crisis, and then returns home transformed and victorious.

Campbell’s ideation of the monomyth in his book The Hero With a Thousand Faces was influenced by Carl Jung’s perspective of psychology and models of self-transformation , where the Hero’s Journey is a path of transformation to a higher self, psychological healing, and spiritual growth.

While Campbell’s original take on the monomyth included 17 steps within the three acts, Christopher Vogler, in his book The Writer’s Journey , refined those 17 steps into 12 stages—the common formula for the modern structure many writers use today.

It’s also worth checking out Maureen Murdock’s work on the archetype, “The Heroine’s Journey.” This takes a look at the female Hero’s Journey, which examines the traditionally masculine journey through a feminist lens.

Hero’s Journey diagram: acts, steps, and stages

Below, you can see the way Volger’s Hero’s Journey is broken into twelve story beats across three acts.

A diagram representing the Hero’s Journey. The 12 steps of the journey surround a circle, which goes in a direction from act 1 to the final act.

Why is the Hero’s Journey so popular?

The structure of the Hero’s Journey appears in many of our most beloved classic stories, and it continues to resonate over time because it explores the concept of personal transformation and growth through both physical and mental trials and tribulations. In some sense, every individual in this mythic structure experiences rites of passage, the search for home and the true authentic self, which is mirrored in a protagonist’s journey of overcoming obstacles while seeking to fulfill a goal.

Additionally, the Hero’s Journey typically includes commonly shared symbols and aspects of the human psyche—the trickster, the mother, the child, etc. These archetypes play a role in creating a story that the reader can recognize from similar dynamics in their own relationships, experiences, and familiar world. Archetypes allow the writer to use these “metaphorical truths”—a playful deceiver, a maternal bond, a person of innocence and purity—to deeply and empathetically connect with the reader through symbolism. That’s why they continue to appear in countless stories all around the world.

Hero’s Journey character archetypes

Character archetypes are literary devices based on a set of qualities that are easy for a reader to identify, empathize with, and understand, as these qualities and traits are common to the human experience.

It should be noted that character archetypes are not stereotypes . While stereotypes are oversimplifications of demographics or personality traits, an archetype is a symbol of a universal type of character that can be recognized either in one’s self or in others in real life.

The following archetypes are commonly used in a Hero’s Journey:

The hero is typically the protagonist or principal point-of-view character within a story. The hero transforms—internally, externally, often both—while on their journey as they experience tests and trials and are aided or hindered by the other archetypes they encounter. In general, the hero must rise to the challenge and at some point make an act of sacrifice for the ultimate greater good. In this way, the Hero’s Journey represents the reader’s own everyday battles and their power to overcome them.

Heroes may be willing or unwilling. Some can be downright unheroic to begin with. Antiheroes are notably flawed characters that must grow significantly before they achieve the status of true hero.

The mentor often possesses divine wisdom or direct experience with the special world, and has faith in the hero. They often give the hero a gift or supernatural aid, which is usually something important for the quest: either a weapon to destroy a monster, or a talisman to enlighten the hero. The mentor may also directly aid the hero or present challenges to them that force internal or external growth. After their meeting, the hero leaves stronger and better prepared for the road ahead.

The herald is the “call to adventure.” They announce the coming of significant change and become the reason the hero ventures out onto a mysterious adventure. The herald is a catalyst that enters the story and makes it impossible for the hero to remain in status quo. Existing in the form of a person or an event, or sometimes just as information, they shift the hero’s balance and change their world.

The Threshold Guardian

This archetype guards the first threshold—the major turning point of the story where the hero must make the true commitment of the journey and embark on their quest to achieve their destiny. Threshold guardians spice up the story by providing obstacles the hero must overcome, but they’re usually not the main antagonist.

The role of the threshold guardian is to help round out the hero along their journey. The threshold guardian will test the hero’s determination and commitment and will drive them forward as the hero enters the next stage of their journey, assisting the development of the hero’s character arc within the plot. The threshold guardian can be a friend who doesn’t believe in the hero’s quest, or a foe that makes the hero question themselves, their desires, or motives in an attempt to deter the hero from their journey. Ultimately, the role of the threshold guardian is to test the hero’s resolve on their quest.

The Shape Shifter

The shape shifter adds dramatic tension to the story and provides the hero with a puzzle to solve. They can seem to be one thing, but in fact be something else. They bring doubt and suspense to the story and test the hero’s ability to discern their path. The shape shifter may be a lover, friend, ally, or enemy that somehow reveals their true self from the hero’s preconceived notion. This often causes the hero internal turmoil, or creates additional challenges and tests to overcome.

The shadow is the “monster under the bed,” and could be repressed feelings, deep trauma, or festering guilt. These all possess the dark energy of the shadow. It is the dark force of the unexpressed, unrealized, rejected, feared aspects of the hero and is often, but not necessarily, represented by the main antagonist or villain.

However, other characters may take the form of the shadow at different stages of the story as “foil characters” that contrast against the hero. They might also represent what could happen if the hero fails to learn, transform, and grow to complete their quest. At times, a hero may even succumb to the shadow, from which they will need to make sacrifices to be redeemed to continue on their overall quest.

The Trickster

The trickster is the jester or fool of the story that not only provides comic relief, but may also act as a commentator as the events of the plot unfold. Tricksters are typically witty, clever, spontaneous, and sometimes even ridiculous. The trickster within a story can bring a light-hearted element to a challenge, or find a clever way to overcome an obstacle.

The Hero’s Journey can be found all across comparative mythology

Hero’s Journey themes and symbols

Alongside character archetypes, there are also archetypes for settings, situations, and symbolic items that can offer meaning to the world within the story or support your story’s theme.

Archetypes of themes, symbols, and situations represent shared patterns of human existence. This familiarity can provide the reader insight into the deeper meaning of a story without the writer needing to explicitly tell them. There are a great number of archetypes and symbols that can be used to reinforce a theme. Some that are common to the Hero’s Journey include:

Situational archetypes

Light vs. dark and the battle of good vs. evil

Death, rebirth, and transformation in the cycle of life

Nature vs. technology, and the evolution of humanity

Rags to riches or vice versa, as commentary on the material world and social status

Wisdom vs. knowledge and innocence vs. experience, in the understanding of intuition and learned experience

Setting archetypes

Gardens may represent the taming of nature, or living in harmony with nature.

Forests may represent reconnection with nature or wildness, or the fear of the unknown.

Cities or small towns may represent humanity at its best and at its worst. A small town may offer comfort and rest, while simultaneously offering judgment; a city may represent danger while simultaneously championing diversity of ideas, beings, and cultures.

Water and fire within a landscape may represent danger, change, purification, and cleansing.

Symbolic items

Items of the past self. These items are generally tokens from home that remind the hero of where they came from and who or what they’re fighting for.

Gifts to the hero. These items may be given to the hero from a mentor, ally, or even a minor character they meet along the way. These items are typically hero talismans, and may or may not be magical, but will aid the hero on their journey.

Found items. These items are typically found along the journey and represent some sort of growth or change within the hero. After all, the hero would never have found the item had they not left their everyday life behind. These items may immediately seem unimportant, but often carry great significance.

Earned rewards. These items are generally earned by overcoming a test or trial, and often represent growth, or give aid in future trials, tests, and conflicts.

The three act structure of the Hero’s Journey

The structure of the Hero’s Journey, including all 12 steps, can be grouped into three stages that encompass each phase of the journey. These acts follow the the external and internal arc of the hero—the beginning, the initiation and transformation, and the return home.

Act One: Departure (Steps 1—5)

The first act introduces the hero within the ordinary world, as they are—original and untransformed. The first act will typically include the first five steps of the Hero’s Journey.

This section allows the writer to set the stage with details that show who the hero is before their metamorphosis—what is the environment of the ordinary world? What’s important to the hero? Why do they first refuse the call, and then, why do they ultimately accept and embark on the journey to meet with the conflict?

This stage introduces the first major plot point of the story, explores the conflict the hero confronts, and provides the opportunity for characterization for the hero and their companions.

The end of the first act generally occurs when the hero has fully committed to the journey and crossed the threshold of the ordinary world—where there is no turning back.

Act Two: Initiation (Steps 6—9)

Once the hero begins their journey, the second act marks the beginning of their true initiation into the unfamiliar world—they have crossed the threshold, and through this choice, have undergone their first transformation.

The second act is generally the longest of the three and includes steps six through nine.

In this act, the hero meets most of the characters that will be pivotal to the plot, including friends, enemies, and allies. It offers the rising action and other minor plot points related to the overarching conflict. The hero will overcome various trials, grow and transform, and navigate subplots—the additional and unforeseen complexity of the conflict.

This act generally ends when the hero has risen to the challenge to overcome the ordeal and receives their reward. At the end of this act, it’s common for the theme and moral of the story to be fully unveiled.

Act Three: Return (Steps 10—12)

The final stage typically includes steps 10—12, generally beginning with the road back—the point in the story where the hero must recommit to the journey and use all of the growth, transformation, gifts and tools acquired along the journey to bring a decisive victory against their final conflict.

From this event, the hero will also be “reborn,” either literally or metaphorically, and then beginning anew as a self-actualized being, equipped with internal knowledge about themselves, external knowledge about the world, and experience.

At the end of the third act, the hero returns home to the ordinary world, bringing back the gifts they earned on their journey. In the final passages, both the hero and their perception of the ordinary world are compared with what they once were.

The 12 steps of the Hero’s Journey

The following guide outlines the 12 steps of the Hero’s Journey and represents a framework for the creation of a Hero’s Journey story template. You don’t necessarily need to follow the explicit cadence of these steps in your own writing, but they should act as checkpoints to the overall story.

We’ll also use JRR Tolkien’s The Hobbit as a literary example for each of these steps. The Hobbit does an exemplary job of following the Hero’s Journey, and it’s also an example of how checkpoints can exist in more than one place in a story, or how they may deviate from the typical 12-step process of the Hero’s Journey.

Step One: “The Ordinary World”

1. The Ordinary World

This stage in the Hero’s Journey is all about exposition. This introduces the hero’s backstory—who the hero is, where they come from, their worldview, culture, and so on. This offers the reader a chance to relate to the character in their untransformed form.

As the story and character arc develop, the reader is brought along the journey of transformation. By starting at the beginning, a reader has a basic understanding of what drives the hero, so they can understand why the hero makes the choices they do. The ordinary world shows the protagonist in their comfort zone, with their worldview being limited to the perspective of their everyday life.

Characters in the ordinary world may or may not be fully comfortable or satisfied, but they don’t have a point of reference to compare—they have yet to leave the ordinary world to gain the knowledge to do so.

Step One example

The Hobbit begins by introducing Bilbo in the Shire as a respectable and well-to-do member of the community. His ordinary world is utopian and comfortable. Yet, even within a village that is largely uninterested in the concerns of the world outside, the reader is provided a backstory: even though Bilbo buys into the comforts and normalcy of the Shire, he still yearns for adventure—something his neighbors frown upon. This ordinary world of the Shire is disrupted with the introduction of Gandalf—the “mentor”—who is somewhat uncomfortably invited to tea.

2. Call to Adventure

The call to adventure in the Hero’s Journey structure is the initial internal conflict that the protagonist hero faces, that drives them to the true conflict that they must overcome by the end of their journey.

The call occurs within the known world of the character. Here the writer can build on the characterization of the protagonist by detailing how they respond to the initial call. Are they hesitant, eager, excited, refusing, or willing to take a risk?

Step Two example

Bilbo’s call to adventure takes place at tea as the dwarves leisurely enter his home, followed by Gandalf, who identifies Bilbo as the group’s missing element—the burglar, and the lucky 14th member.

Bilbo and his ordinary world are emphasized by his discomfort with his rambunctious and careless guests. Yet as the dwarves sing stories of old adventures, caverns, and lineages, which introduce and foreshadow the conflict to come, a yearning for adventure is stirred. Though he still clings to his ordinary world and his life in the Shire, he’s conflicted. Should he leave the shire and experience the world, or stay in his comfortable home? Bilbo continues to refuse the call, but with mixed feelings.

Step Three: “Refusal of the Call”

3. Refusal of the Call

The refusal of the call in the Hero’s Journey showcases a “clinging” to one’s original self or world view. The initial refusal of the call represents a fear of change, as well as a resistance to the internal transformation that will occur after the adventure has begun.

The refusal reveals the risks that the protagonist faces if they were to answer the call, and shows what they’ll leave behind in the ordinary world once they accept.

The refusal of the call creates tension in the story, and should show the personal reasons why the hero is refusing—inner conflict, fear of change, hesitation, insecurity, etc. This helps make their character clearer for the reader.

These are all emotions a reader can relate to, and in presenting them through the hero, the writer deepens the reader’s relationship with them and helps the reader sympathize with the hero’s internal plight as they take the first step of transformation.

Step Three example

Bilbo refuses the call in his first encounter with Gandalf, and in his reaction to the dwarves during tea. Even though Bilbo’s “Tookish” tendencies make him yearn for adventure, he goes to bed that night still refusing the call. The next morning, as Bilbo awakes to an empty and almost fully clean hobbit home, he feels a slight disappointment for not joining the party, but quickly soothes his concerns by enjoying the comfort of his home—i.e. the ordinary world. Bilbo explores his hesitation to disembark from the ordinary world, questioning why a hobbit would become mixed up in the adventures of others, and choosing not to meet the dwarves at the designated location.

4. Meeting the Mentor

Meeting the mentor in the Hero’s Journey is the stage that provides the hero protagonist with a guide, relationship, and/or informational asset that has experience outside the ordinary world. The mentor offers confidence, advice, wisdom, training, insight, tools, items, or gifts of supernatural wonder that the hero will use along the journey and in overcoming the ultimate conflict.

The mentor often represents someone who has attempted to overcome, or actually has overcome, an obstacle, and encourages the hero to pursue their calling, regardless of the hero’s weaknesses or insecurities. The mentor may also explicitly point out the hero’s weaknesses, forcing them to reckon with and accept them, which is the first step to their personal transformation.

Note that not all mentors need to be a character . They can also be objects or knowledge that has been instilled in the hero somehow—cultural ethics, spiritual guidance, training of a particular skill, a map, book, diary, or object that illuminates the path forward, etc. In essence, the mentor character or object has a role in offering the protagonist outside help and guidance along the Hero’s Journey, and plays a key role in the protagonist’s transition from normalcy to heroism.

The mentor figure also offers the writer the opportunity to incorporate new information by expanding upon the story, plot, or backstory in unique ways. They do this by giving the hero information that would otherwise be difficult for the writer to convey naturally.

The mentor may accompany the hero throughout most of the story, or they may only periodically be included to facilitate changes and transformation within them.

Step Four example

The mentor, Gandalf, is introduced almost immediately. Gandalf is shown to be the mentor, firstly through his arrival from—and wisdom of—the outside world; and secondly, through his selection of Bilbo for the dwarven party by identifying the unique characteristics Bilbo has that are essential to overcoming the challenges in the journey. Gandalf doesn’t accompany Bilbo and the company through all of the trials and tribulations of the plot, but he does play a key role in offering guidance and assistance, and saves the group in times of dire peril.

Step Five: “Crossing the Threshold”

5. Crossing the Threshold

As the hero crosses the first threshold, they begin their personal quest toward self-transformation. Crossing the threshold means that the character has committed to the journey, and has stepped outside of the ordinary world in the pursuit of their goal. This typically marks the conclusion of the first act.

The threshold lies between the ordinary world and the special world, and marks the point of the story where the hero fully commits to the road ahead. It’s a crucial stage in the Hero’s Journey, as the hero wouldn’t be able to grow and transform by staying in the ordinary world where they’re comfortable and their world view can’t change.

The threshold isn’t necessarily a specific place within the world of the story, though a place can symbolize the threshold—for example a border, gateway, or crossroads that separate what is safe and “known” from what is potentially dangerous. It can also be a moment or experience that causes the hero to recognize that the comforts and routine of their world no longer apply—like the loss of someone or something close to the hero, for example. The purpose of the threshold is to take the hero out of their element and force them, and the reader, to adapt from the known to the unknown.

This moment is crucial to the story’s tension. It marks the first true shift in the character arc and the moment the adventure has truly begun. The threshold commonly forces the hero into a situation where there’s no turning back. This is sometimes called the initiation stage or the departure stage.

Step Five example

The threshold moment in The Hobbit occurs when the party experiences true danger as a group for the first time. Bilbo, voted as scout by the party and eager to prove his burglar abilities, sneaks upon a lone fire in the forest where he finds three large trolls. Rather than turn back empty-handed—as he initially wants to—Bilbo chooses to prove himself, plucking up the courage to pickpocket the trolls—but is caught in the process. The dwarves are also captured and fortunately, Gandalf, the mentor, comes to save the party.

Bilbo’s character arc is solidified in this threshold moment. He experiences his first transformation when he casts aside fear and seeks to prove himself as a burglar, and as an official member of the party. This moment also provides further characterization of the party as a whole, proving the loyalty of the group in seeking out their captured member.

Gandalf’s position as the mentor is also firmly established as he returns to ultimately save all of the members of the party from being eaten by trolls. The chapter ends with Bilbo taking ownership of his first hero talisman—the sword that will accompany him through the rest of the adventure.

6. Tests, Allies, Enemies

Once the hero has crossed the threshold, they must now encounter tests of courage, make allies, and inevitably confront enemies. All these elements force the hero to learn the new ways of the special world and how it differs from the hero’s ordinary world—i.e. how the rules have changed, the conditions of the special world vs. the ordinary world, and the various beings and places within it.

All these elements spark stages of transformation within the hero—learning who they can trust and who they can’t, learning new skills, seeking training from the mentor, and overcoming challenges that force and drive them to grow and transform.

The hero may both succeed and fail at various points of this stage, which will test their commitment to the journey. The writer can create tension by making it clear that the hero may or may not succeed at the critical moment of crisis. These crises can be external or internal.

External conflicts are issues that the character must face and overcome within the plot—e.g. the enemy has a sword drawn and the hero must fight to survive.

Internal conflicts occur inside the hero. For example, the hero has reached safety, but their ally is in peril; will they step outside their comfort zone and rise to the occasion and save their friend? Or will they return home to their old life and the safety of the ordinary world?

Tests are conflicts and threats that the hero must face before they reach the true conflict, or ordeal, of the story. These tests set the stage and prime the hero to meet and achieve the ultimate goal. They provide the writer the opportunity to further the character development of the hero through their actions, inactions, and reactions to what they encounter. The various challenges they face will teach them valuable lessons, as well as keep the story compelling and the reader engaged.

Allies represent the characters that offer support to the protagonist along the journey. Some allies may be introduced from the beginning, while others may be gained along the journey. Secondary characters and allies provide additional nuance for the hero, through interactions, events, and relationships that further show who the hero is at heart, what they believe in, and what they’re willing to fight for. The role of the allies is to bring hope, inspiration, and further drive the hero to do what needs to be done.

Enemies represent a foil to the allies. While allies bring hope and inspiration, enemies will provide challenges, conflicts, tests, and challenges. Both allies and enemies may instigate transformative growth, but enemies do so in a way that fosters conflict and struggle.

Characterization of enemies can also enhance the development of the hero through how they interact and the lessons learned through those interactions. Is the hero easily duped, forgiving, empathetic, merciful? Do they hold a grudge and seek revenge? Who is the hero now that they have been harmed, faced an enemy, and lost pieces of their innocent worldview? To answer that, the hero is still transforming and gestating with every lesson, test, and enemy faced along the way.

Step Six example

As the plot of The Hobbit carries on, Bilbo encounters many tests, allies, and enemies that all drive complexity in the story. A few examples include:

The first major obstacle that Bilbo faces occurs within the dark and damp cave hidden in the goblin town. All alone, Bilbo must pluck up the wit and courage to outriddle a creature named Gollum. In doing so, Bilbo discovers the secret power of a golden ring (another hero talisman) that will aid him and the party through the rest of the journey.

The elves encountered after Bilbo “crosses the threshold” are presented as allies in the story. The hero receives gifts of food, a safe place to rest, and insight and guidance that allows the party to continue on their journey. While the party doesn’t dwell long with the elves, the elves also provide further character development for the party at large: the serious dwarf personalities are juxtaposed against the playful elvish ones, and the elves offer valuable historical insight with backstory to the weapons the party gathered from the troll encounter.

Goblins are a recurring enemy within the story that the hero and party must continue to face, fight, and run from. The goblins present consistent challenges that force Bilbo to face fear and learn and adapt, not only to survive but to save his friends.

Step Seven: “Approach to the Inmost Cave”

7. Approach to the Inmost Cave

The approach to the inmost cave of the Hero’s Journey is the tense quiet before the storm; it’s the part of the story right before the hero faces their greatest fear, and it can be positioned in a few different ways. By now, the hero has overcome obstacles, setbacks, and tests, gained and lost allies and enemies, and has transformed in some way from the original protagonist first introduced in the ordinary world.

The moment when the hero approaches the inmost cave can be a moment of reflection, reorganization, and rekindling of morale. It presents an opportunity for the main characters of the story to come together in a moment of empathy for losses along the journey; a moment of planning and plotting next steps; an opportunity for the mentor to teach a final lesson to the hero; or a moment for the hero to sit quietly and reflect upon surmounting the challenge they have been journeying toward for the length of their adventure.

The “cave” may or may not be a physical place where the ultimate ordeal and conflict will occur. The approach represents the momentary period where the hero assumes their final preparation for the overall challenge that must be overcome. It’s a time for the hero and their allies, as well as the reader, to pause and reflect on the events of the story that have already occurred, and to consider the internal and external growth and transformation of the hero.

Having gained physical and/or emotional strength and fortitude through their trials and tests, learned more rules about the special world, found and lost allies and friends, is the hero prepared to face danger and their ultimate foe? Reflection, tension, and anticipation are the key elements of crafting the approach to the cave.

Step Seven example

The approach to the cave in The Hobbit occurs as the party enters the tunnel of the Lonely Mountain. The tunnel is the access point to the ultimate goal—Thorin’s familial treasure, as well as the ultimate test—the formidable dragon Smaug. During this part of the story, the party must hide, plot, and plan their approach to the final conflict. It’s at this time that Bilbo realizes he must go alone to scout out and face the dragon.

8. The Ordeal

The ordeal is the foreshadowed conflict that the hero must face, and represents the midpoint of the story. While the ordeal is the ultimate conflict that the hero knows they must overcome, it’s a false climax to the complete story—there’s still much ground to cover in the journey, and the hero will still be tested after completing this, the greatest challenge. In writing the ordeal phase of the Hero’s Journey, the writer should craft this as if it actually were the climax to the tale, even though it isn’t.

The first act, and the beginning of the second act, have built up to the ordeal with characterization and the transformation of the hero through their overcoming tests and trials. This growth—both internal and external—has all occurred to set the hero up to handle this major ordeal.

As this stage commences, the hero is typically faced with fresh challenges to make the ordeal even more difficult than they previously conceived. This may include additional setbacks for the hero, the hero’s realization that they were misinformed about the gravity of the situation, or additional conflicts that make the ordeal seem insurmountable.

These setbacks cause the hero to confront their greatest fears and build tension for both the hero and the reader, as they both question if the hero will ultimately succeed or fail. In an epic fantasy tale, this may mean a life-or-death moment for the hero, or experiencing death through the loss of an important ally or the mentor. In a romance, it may be the moment of crisis where a relationship ends or a partner reveals their dark side or true self, causing the hero great strife.

This is the rock-bottom moment for the hero, where they lose hope, courage, and faith. At this point, even though the hero has already crossed the threshold, this part of the story shows how the hero has changed in such a way that they can never return to their original self: even if they return to the ordinary world, they’ll never be the same; their perception of the world has been modified forever.

Choosing to endure against all odds and costs to face the ordeal represents the loss of the hero’s original self from the ordinary world, and a huge internal transformation occurs within the hero as they must rise and continue forth to complete their journey and do what they set out to do from the beginning.

The ordeal may also be positioned as an introduction to the greater villain through a trial with a shadow villain, where the hero realizes that the greatest conflict is unveiled as something else, still yet to come. In these instances, the hero may fail, or barely succeed, but must learn a crucial lesson and be metaphorically resurrected through their failure to rise again and overcome the greater challenge.

Step Eight example

Bilbo must now face his ultimate challenge: burgle the treasure from the dragon. This is the challenge that was set forth from the beginning, as it’s his purpose as the party’s 14th member, the burglar, anointed by Gandalf, the mentor. Additional conflicts arise as Bilbo realizes that he must face the dragon alone, and in doing so, must rely on all of the skills and gifts in the form of talismans and tokens he has gained throughout the adventure.

During the ordeal, Bilbo uses the courage he has gained by surmounting the story’s previous trials; he’s bolstered by his loyalty to the group and relies upon the skills and tools he has earned in previous trials. Much as he outwitted Gollum in the cave, Bilbo now uses his wit as well as his magical ring to defeat Smaug in a game of riddles, which ultimately leads Smaug out of the lair so that Bilbo can complete what he was set out to do—steal the treasure.

Step Nine: “Reward”

The reward of the Hero’s Journey is a moment of triumph, celebration, or change as the hero achieves their first major victory. This is a moment of reflection for both the reader and the hero, to take a breath to contemplate and acknowledge the growth, development, and transformation that has occurred so far.

The reward is the boon that the hero learns, is granted, or steals, that will be crucial to facing the true climax of the story that is yet to come. The reward may be a physical object, special knowledge, or reconciliation of some sort, but it’s always a thing that allows for some form of celebration or replenishment and provides the drive to succeed before the journey continues.

Note that the reward may not always be overtly positive—it may also be a double-edged sword that could harm them physically or spiritually. This type of reward typically triggers yet another internal transformation within the hero, one that grants them the knowledge and personal drive to complete the journey and face their remaining challenges.

From the reward, the hero is no longer externally driven to complete the journey, but has evolved to take on the onus of doing so.

Examples of rewards may include:

A weapon, elixir, or object that will be necessary to complete the quest.

Special knowledge, or a personal transformation to use against a foe.

An eye-opening experience that provides deep insight and fundamentally changes the hero and their position within the story and world.

Reconciliation with another character, or with themselves.

No matter what the reward is, the hero should experience some emotional or spiritual revelation and a semblance of inner peace or personal resolve to continue the journey. Even if the reward is not overtly positive, the hero and the reader deserve a moment of celebration for facing the great challenge they set out to overcome.

Step Nine example

Bilbo defeats the dragon at a battle of wits and riddles, and now receives his reward. He keeps the gifts he has earned, both the dagger and the gold ring. He is also granted his slice of the treasure, and the Lonely Mountain is returned to Thorin. The party at large is rewarded for completing the quest and challenge they set out to do.

However, Tolkien writes the reward to be more complex than it first appears. The party remains trapped and hungry within the Mountain as events unfold outside of it. Laketown has been attacked by Smaug, and the defenders will want compensation for the damage to their homes and for their having to kill the dragon. Bilbo discovers, and then hides, the Arkenstone (a symbolic double edged reward) to protect it from Thorin’s selfishness and greed.

Step Ten: “The Road Back”

10. The Road Back

The road back in the Hero’s Journey is the beginning of the third act, and represents a turning point within the story. The hero must recommit to the journey, alongside the new stakes and challenges that have arisen from the completion of the original goal.

The road back presents roadblocks—new and unforeseen challenges to the hero that they must now face on their journey back to the ordinary world. The trials aren’t over yet, and the stakes are raised just enough to keep the story compelling before the final and ultimate conflict—the hero’s resurrection—is revealed in the middle of the third act.

The hero has overcome their greatest challenge in the Ordeal and they aren’t the same person they were when they started. This stage of the story often sees the hero making a choice, or reflecting on their transformed state compared to their state at the start of the journey.

The writer’s purpose in the third act is not to eclipse the upcoming and final conflict, but to up the stakes, show the true risk of the final climax, and to reflect on what it will take for the hero to ultimately prevail. The road back should offer a glimmer of hope—the light at the end of the tunnel—and should let the reader know the dramatic finale is about to arrive.

Step Ten example

What was once a journey to steal treasure and slay a dragon has developed new complications. Our hero, Bilbo, must now use all of the powers granted in his personal transformation, as well as the gifts and rewards he earned on the quest, to complete the final stages of the journey.

This is the crisis moment of The Hobbit ; the armies of Laketown are prepared for battle to claim their reward for killing Smaug; the fearless leader of their party, Thorin, has lost reason and succumbed to greed; and Bilbo makes a crucial choice based his personal growth: he gives the Arkenstone to the king as a bargaining chip for peace. Bilbo also briefly reconnects with the mentor, Gandalf, who warns him of the unpleasant times ahead, but comforts Bilbo by saying that things may yet turn out for the best. Bilbo then loyally returns to his friends, the party of dwarves, to stand alongside them in the final battle.

11. Resurrection

The resurrection stage of the Hero’s Journey is the final climax of the story, and the heart of the third act. By now the hero has experienced internal and external transformation and a loss of innocence, coming out with newfound knowledge. They’re fully rooted in the special world, know its rules, and have made choices that underline this new understanding.

The hero must now overcome the final crisis of their external quest. In an epic fantasy tale, this may be the last battle of light versus darkness, good versus evil, a cumulation of fabulous forces. In a thriller, the hero might ultimately face their own morality as they approach the killer. In a drama or romance, the final and pivotal encounter in a relationship occurs and the hero puts their morality ahead of their immediate desires.

The stakes are the highest they’ve ever been, and the hero must often choose to make a sacrifice. The sacrifice may occur as a metaphoric or symbolic death of the self in some way; letting go of a relationship, title, or mental/emotional image of the self that a hero once used as a critical aspect of their identity, or perhaps even a metaphoric physical death—getting knocked out or incapacitated, losing a limb, etc.

Through whatever the great sacrifice is, be it loss or a metaphoric death, the hero will experience a form of resurrection, purification, or internal cleansing that is their final internal transformation.

In this stage, the hero’s character arc comes to an end, and balance is restored to the world. The theme of the story is fully fleshed out and the hero, having reached some form of self-actualization, is forever changed. Both the reader and the hero experience catharsis—the relief, insight, peace, closure, and purging of fear that had once held the hero back from their final transformation.

Step Eleven example

All the armies have gathered, and the final battle takes place. Just before the battle commences, Bilbo tells Thorin that it was he who gave the Arkenstone to the city of men and offers to sacrifice his reward of gold for taking the stone. Gandalf, the mentor, arrives, standing beside Bilbo and his decision. Bilbo is shunned by Thorin and is asked to leave the party for his betrayal.

Bilbo experiences a symbolic death when he’s knocked out by a stone. Upon awakening, Bilbo is brought to a dying Thorin, who forgives him of his betrayal, and acknowledges that Bilbo’s actions were truly the right thing to do. The theme of the story is fully unveiled: that bravery and courage comes in all sizes and forms, and that greed and gold are less worthy than a life rich in experiences and relationships.

Step Twelve: “Return with the Elixir”

12. Return with the Elixir

The elixir in the Hero’s Journey is the final reward the hero brings with them on their return, bridging their two worlds. It’s a reward hard earned through the various relationships, tests, and growth the hero has experienced along their journey. The “elixir” can be a magical potion, treasure, or object, but it can also be intangible—love, wisdom, knowledge, or experience.

The return is key to the circular nature of the Hero’s Journey. It offers a resolution to both the reader and the hero, and a comparison of their growth from when the journey began.

Without the return, the story would have a linear nature, a beginning and an end. In bringing the self-actualized hero home to the ordinary world, the character arc is completed, and the changes they’ve undergone through the journey are solidified. They’ve overcome the unknown, and though they’re returning home, they can no longer resume their old life because of their new insight and experiences.

Step Twelve example

The small yet mighty hero Bilbo is accompanied on his journey home by his mentor Gandalf, as well as the allies he gathered along his journey. He returns with many rewards—his dagger, his golden ring, and his 1/14th split of the treasure—yet his greatest rewards are his experience and the friends he has made along the way. Upon entering the Shire Bilbo sings a song of adventure, and the mentor Gandalf remarks, “My dear Bilbo! Something is the matter with you, you are not the hobbit you were.”

The final pages of The Hobbit explore Bilbo’s new self in the Shire, and how the community now sees him as a changed hobbit—no longer quite as respectable as he once was, with odd guests who visit from time to time. Bilbo also composes his story “There and Back Again,” a tale of his experiences, underlining his greatest reward—stepping outside of the Shire and into the unknown, then returning home, a changed hobbit.

Books that follow the Hero’s Journey

One of the best ways to become familiar with the plot structure of the Hero’s Journey is to read stories and books that successfully use it to tell a powerful tale. Maybe they’ll inspire you to use the hero’s journey in your own writing!

The Lord of the Rings trilogy by J. R. R. Tolkien.

The Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling.

The Earthsea series by Ursula K. Le Guin.

The Odyssey by Homer.

Siddhartha by Herman Hesse.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.

Writing tips for the Hero’s Journey

Writing a Hero’s Journey story often requires planning beforehand to organize the plot, structure, and events of the story. Here are some tips to use the hero’s journey archetype in a story:

Use a template or note cards to organize and store your ideas. This can assist in ensuring that you tie up any loose ends in the plot, and that the cadence of your story is already outlined before you begin writing.

Use word count goals for writing different sections of your story. This can help you keep pace while you plan and write the first draft. You can always revise, edit, and add in detail at later stages of development, but getting the ideas written without bogging them down with details can assist in preparing your outline, and may perhaps provide additional inspiration and guidance along the way.

Lean into creativity and be flexible with the 12 steps. They don’t need to occur in the exact order we’ve listed above, but that ordering can offer great checkpoint moments for your story.

Invest in characterization and ensure that your main character is balanced with credible strengths and weaknesses. A perfect, pure hero has no room to grow. A one-dimensional villain who relies on the trope of “pure evil” without any motivations for their actions is boring and predictable.

Ensure tension and urgency is woven into the story. An epic tale to the grocery store for baby formula may still be fraught with danger, and the price of failure is a hungry child. Without urgency, tension, and risk, a Hero’s Journey will fall flat.

Be hard on your characters. Give them deep conflicts that truly test their nature, and their mental, physical, and spiritual selves. An easy journey isn’t a memorable one.

Have a balance of scenes that play on both positive and negative emotions and outcomes for the hero to create a compelling plot line that continues to engage your reader. A story that’s relentlessly positive doesn’t provide a pathway for the hero to transform. Likewise, a story that’s nothing but doom, strife, and turmoil, without a light at the end of the tunnel or an opportunity for growth, can make a story feel stagnant and unengaging.

Reward your characters and your reader. Personal transformation and the road to the authentic self may be grueling, but there’s peace or joy at the end of the tunnel. Even if your character doesn’t fully saved the world, they—and the reader—should be rewarded with catharsis, a new perspective, or personal insight at the end of the tale.

Hero’s Journey templates

Download these free templates to help you plan out your Hero’s Journey:

Download the Hero’s Journey template template (docx) Download the Hero’s Journey template template (pdf)

Prompts and practices to help you write your own Hero’s Journey

Use the downloadable template listed below for the following exercises:

Read a book or watch a movie that follows the Hero’s Journey. Use the template to fill in when each step occurs or is completed. Make note of themes and symbols, character arcs, the main plot, and the subplots that drive complexity in the story.

When writing, use a timer set to 2—5 minutes per section to facilitate bursts of creativity. Brainstorm ideas for cadence, plot, and characters within the story. The outline you create can always be modified, but the timer ensures you can get ideas on paper without a commitment; you’re simply jotting down ideas as quickly as you can.

Use the downloadable template above to generate outlines based on the following prompts.

A woman’s estranged mother has died. A friend of the mother arrives at the woman’s home to tell her that her mother has left all her belongings to her daughter, and hands her a letter. The letter details the mother’s life, and the daughter must visit certain places and people to find her mother’s house and all the belongings in it—learning more about her mother’s life, and herself, along the way.

The last tree on earth has fallen, and technology can no longer sustain human life on Earth. An engineer, having long ago received alien radio signals from a tower in their backyard, has dedicated their life to building a spaceship in their garage. The time has come to launch, and the engineer must select a group of allies to bring with them to the stars, on a search for a new life, a new home, and “the others” out there in the universe.

A detective is given a new case: to find a much-talked-about murderer. The twist is, the murderer has sent a letter to the detective agency, quietly outing a homicidal politician who is up for re-election and is a major financial contributor to the police. In the letter, the murderer states that if the politician doesn’t come clean about their crimes, the murderer will kill the politician on the night of the election. The detective must solve the case before the election, and come to terms with their own feelings of justice and morality.

Get feedback on your writing today!

Scribophile is a community of hundreds of thousands of writers from all over the world. Meet beta readers, get feedback on your writing, and become a better writer!

Join now for free

hero's journey essay introduction

Related articles

hero's journey essay introduction

What is Suspense? Definition & Examples in Literature

hero's journey essay introduction

Writing the Rebel Archetype: Fictional Characters Who Make Their Own Rules (with Examples)

hero's journey essay introduction

How to Write a Book Outline for a Nonfiction Book

hero's journey essay introduction

What is a Protagonist? Definition, Examples, and Tools

hero's journey essay introduction

What is the Mentor Archetype? Definition and Examples

hero's journey essay introduction

Story Archetypes: 50+ Plot Archetypes to Craft Your Narrative

Looking to publish? Meet your dream editor, designer and marketer on Reedsy.

Find the perfect editor for your next book

1 million authors trust the professionals on Reedsy. Come meet them.

Guides • Perfecting your Craft

Last updated on Aug 10, 2023

The Hero's Journey: 12 Steps to a Classic Story Structure

The Hero's Journey is a timeless story structure which follows a protagonist on an unforeseen quest, where they face challenges, gain insights, and return home transformed. From Theseus and the Minotaur to The Lion King , so many narratives follow this pattern that it’s become ingrained into our cultural DNA. 

In this post, we'll show you how to make this classic plot structure work for you — and if you’re pressed for time, download our cheat sheet below for everything you need to know.

FREE RESOURCE

FREE RESOURCE

Hero's Journey Template

Plot your character's journey with our step-by-step template.

What is the Hero’s Journey?

The Hero's Journey, also known as the monomyth, is a story structure where a hero goes on a quest or adventure to achieve a goal, and has to overcome obstacles and fears, before ultimately returning home transformed.

This narrative arc has been present in various forms across cultures for centuries, if not longer, but gained popularity through Joseph Campbell's mythology book, The Hero with a Thousand Faces . While Campbell identified 17 story beats in his monomyth definition, this post will concentrate on a 12-step framework popularized in 2007 by screenwriter Christopher Vogler in his book The Writer’s Journey .

The 12 Steps of the Hero’s Journey

A circular illustration of the 12 steps of the hero's journey with an adventurous character in the center.

The Hero's Journey is a model for both plot points and character development : as the Hero traverses the world, they'll undergo inner and outer transformation at each stage of the journey. The 12 steps of the hero's journey are: 

  • The Ordinary World. We meet our hero.
  • Call to Adventure. Will they meet the challenge?
  • Refusal of the Call. They resist the adventure.
  • Meeting the Mentor. A teacher arrives.
  • Crossing the First Threshold. The hero leaves their comfort zone.
  • Tests, Allies, Enemies. Making friends and facing roadblocks.
  • Approach to the Inmost Cave. Getting closer to our goal.
  • Ordeal. The hero’s biggest test yet!
  • Reward (Seizing the Sword). Light at the end of the tunnel
  • The Road Back. We aren’t safe yet.
  • Resurrection. The final hurdle is reached.
  • Return with the Elixir. The hero heads home, triumphant.

Believe it or not, this story structure also applies across mediums and genres (and also works when your protagonist is an anti-hero! ). Let's dive into it.

1. Ordinary World

In which we meet our Hero.

The journey has yet to start. Before our Hero discovers a strange new world, we must first understand the status quo: their ordinary, mundane reality.

It’s up to this opening leg to set the stage, introducing the Hero to readers. Importantly, it lets readers identify with the Hero as a “normal” person in a “normal” setting, before the journey begins.

2. Call to Adventure

In which an adventure starts.

The call to adventure is all about booting the Hero out of their comfort zone. In this stage, they are generally confronted with a problem or challenge they can't ignore. This catalyst can take many forms, as Campbell points out in Hero with a Thousand Faces . The Hero can, for instance:

  • Decide to go forth of their own volition;
  • Theseus upon arriving in Athens.
  • Be sent abroad by a benign or malignant agent;
  • Odysseus setting off on his ship in The Odyssey .
  • Stumble upon the adventure as a result of a mere blunder;
  • Dorothy when she’s swept up in a tornado in The Wizard of Oz .
  • Be casually strolling when some passing phenomenon catches the wandering eye and lures one away from the frequented paths of man.
  • Elliot in E.T. upon discovering a lost alien in the tool shed.

The stakes of the adventure and the Hero's goals become clear. The only question: will he rise to the challenge?

Neo in the Matrix answering the phone

3. Refusal of the Call

In which the Hero digs in their feet.

Great, so the Hero’s received their summons. Now they’re all set to be whisked off to defeat evil, right?

Not so fast. The Hero might first refuse the call to action. It’s risky and there are perils — like spiders, trolls, or perhaps a creepy uncle waiting back at Pride Rock . It’s enough to give anyone pause.

In Star Wars , for instance, Luke Skywalker initially refuses to join Obi-Wan on his mission to rescue the princess. It’s only when he discovers that his aunt and uncle have been killed by stormtroopers that he changes his mind.

4. Meeting the Mentor

In which the Hero acquires a personal trainer.

The Hero's decided to go on the adventure — but they’re not ready to spread their wings yet. They're much too inexperienced at this point and we don't want them to do a fabulous belly-flop off the cliff.

Enter the mentor: someone who helps the Hero, so that they don't make a total fool of themselves (or get themselves killed). The mentor provides practical training, profound wisdom, a kick up the posterior, or something abstract like grit and self-confidence.

Harry holding the Marauder's Map with the twins

Wise old wizards seem to like being mentors. But mentors take many forms, from witches to hermits and suburban karate instructors. They might literally give weapons to prepare for the trials ahead, like Q in the James Bond series. Or perhaps the mentor is an object, such as a map. In all cases, they prepare the Hero for the next step.

GET ACCOUNTABILITY

GET ACCOUNTABILITY

Meet writing coaches on Reedsy

Industry insiders can help you hone your craft, finish your draft, and get published.

5. Crossing the First Threshold

In which the Hero enters the other world in earnest.

Now the Hero is ready — and committed — to the journey. This marks the end of the Departure stage and is when the adventure really kicks into the next gear. As Vogler writes: “This is the moment that the balloon goes up, the ship sails, the romance begins, the wagon gets rolling.”

From this point on, there’s no turning back.

Like our Hero, you should think of this stage as a checkpoint for your story. Pause and re-assess your bearings before you continue into unfamiliar territory. Have you:

  • Launched the central conflict? If not, here’s a post on types of conflict to help you out.
  • Established the theme of your book? If not, check out this post that’s all about creating theme and motifs .
  • Made headway into your character development? If not, this character profile template may be useful:

FREE RESOURCE

Reedsy’s Character Profile Template

A story is only as strong as its characters. Fill this out to develop yours.

6. Tests, Allies, Enemies

In which the Hero faces new challenges and gets a squad.

When we step into the Special World, we notice a definite shift. The Hero might be discombobulated by this unfamiliar reality and its new rules. This is generally one of the longest stages in the story , as our protagonist gets to grips with this new world.

This makes a prime hunting ground for the series of tests to pass! Luckily, there are many ways for the Hero to get into trouble:

  • In Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle , Spencer, Bethany, “Fridge,” and Martha get off to a bad start when they bump into a herd of bloodthirsty hippos.
  • In his first few months at Hogwarts, Harry Potter manages to fight a troll, almost fall from a broomstick and die, and get horribly lost in the Forbidden Forest.
  • Marlin and Dory encounter three “reformed” sharks, get shocked by jellyfish, and are swallowed by a blue whale en route to finding Nemo.

The shark scares Marlin and Dory in Finding Nemo

This stage often expands the cast of characters. Once the protagonist is in the Special World, he will meet allies and enemies — or foes that turn out to be friends and vice versa. He will learn a new set of rules from them. Saloons and seedy bars are popular places for these transactions, as Vogler points out (so long as the Hero survives them).

7. Approach to the Inmost Cave

In which the Hero gets closer to his goal.

This isn’t a physical cave. Instead, the “inmost cave” refers to the most dangerous spot in the other realm — whether that’s the villain’s chambers, the lair of the fearsome dragon, or the Death Star. Almost always, it is where the ultimate goal of the quest is located.

Note that the protagonist hasn’t entered the Inmost Cave just yet. This stage is all about the approach to it. It covers all the prep work that's needed in order to defeat the villain.

In which the Hero faces his biggest test of all thus far.

Of all the tests the Hero has faced, none have made them hit rock bottom — until now. Vogler describes this phase as a “black moment.” Campbell refers to it as the “belly of the whale.” Both indicate some grim news for the Hero.

The protagonist must now confront their greatest fear. If they survive it, they will emerge transformed. This is a critical moment in the story, as Vogler explains that it will “inform every decision that the Hero makes from this point forward.”

The Ordeal is sometimes not the climax of the story. There’s more to come. But you can think of it as the main event of the second act — the one in which the Hero actually earns the title of “Hero.”

9. Reward (Seizing the Sword)

In which the Hero sees light at the end of the tunnel.

Our Hero’s been through a lot. However, the fruits of their labor are now at hand — if they can just reach out and grab them! The “reward” is the object or knowledge the Hero has fought throughout the entire journey to hold.

Once the protagonist has it in their possession, it generally has greater ramifications for the story. Vogler offers a few examples of it in action:

  • Luke rescues Princess Leia and captures the plans of the Death Star — keys to defeating Darth Vader.
  • Dorothy escapes from the Wicked Witch’s castle with the broomstick and the ruby slippers — keys to getting back home.

Luke Sjywalker saves Princess Leila

10. The Road Back

In which the light at the end of the tunnel might be a little further than the Hero thought.

The story's not over just yet, as this phase marks the beginning of Act Three. Now that he's seized the reward, the Hero tries to return to the Ordinary World, but more dangers (inconveniently) arise on the road back from the Inmost Cave.

More precisely, the Hero must deal with the consequences and aftermath of the previous act: the dragon, enraged by the Hero who’s just stolen a treasure from under his nose, starts the hunt. Or perhaps the opposing army gathers to pursue the Hero across a crowded battlefield. All further obstacles for the Hero, who must face them down before they can return home.

11. Resurrection

In which the last test is met.

Here is the true climax of the story. Everything that happened prior to this stage culminates in a crowning test for the Hero, as the Dark Side gets one last chance to triumph over the Hero.

Vogler refers to this as a “final exam” for the Hero — they must be “tested once more to see if they have really learned the lessons of the Ordeal.” It’s in this Final Battle that the protagonist goes through one more “resurrection.” As a result, this is where you’ll get most of your miraculous near-death escapes, à la James Bond's dashing deliverances. If the Hero survives, they can start looking forward to a sweet ending.

12. Return with the Elixir

In which our Hero has a triumphant homecoming.

Finally, the Hero gets to return home. However, they go back a different person than when they started out: they’ve grown and matured as a result of the journey they’ve taken.

But we’ve got to see them bring home the bacon, right? That’s why the protagonist must return with the “Elixir,” or the prize won during the journey, whether that’s an object or knowledge and insight gained.

Of course, it’s possible for a story to end on an Elixir-less note — but then the Hero would be doomed to repeat the entire adventure.

Examples of The Hero’s Journey in Action

To better understand this story template beyond the typical sword-and-sorcery genre, let's analyze three examples, from both screenplay and literature, and examine how they implement each of the twelve steps. 

The 1976 film Rocky is acclaimed as one of the most iconic sports films because of Stallone’s performance and the heroic journey his character embarks on.

Sylvester Stallone as Rocky

  • Ordinary World. Rocky Balboa is a mediocre boxer and loan collector — just doing his best to live day-to-day in a poor part of Philadelphia.
  • Call to Adventure. Heavyweight champ Apollo Creed decides to make a big fight interesting by giving a no-name loser a chance to challenge him. That loser: Rocky Balboa.
  • Refusal of the Call. Rocky says, “Thanks, but no thanks,” given that he has no trainer and is incredibly out of shape.
  • Meeting the Mentor. In steps former boxer Mickey “Mighty Mick” Goldmill, who sees potential in Rocky and starts training him physically and mentally for the fight.
  • Crossing the First Threshold. Rocky crosses the threshold of no return when he accepts the fight on live TV, and 一 in parallel 一 when he crosses the threshold into his love interest Adrian’s house and asks her out on a date.
  • Tests, Allies, Enemies. Rocky continues to try and win Adrian over and maintains a dubious friendship with her brother, Paulie, who provides him with raw meat to train with.
  • Approach to the Inmost Cave. The Inmost Cave in Rocky is Rocky’s own mind. He fears that he’ll never amount to anything — something that he reveals when he butts heads with his trainer, Mickey, in his apartment.
  • Ordeal. The start of the training montage marks the beginning of Rocky’s Ordeal. He pushes through it until he glimpses hope ahead while running up the museum steps.
  • Reward (Seizing the Sword). Rocky's reward is the restoration of his self-belief, as he recognizes he can try to “go the distance” with Apollo Creed and prove he's more than "just another bum from the neighborhood."
  • The Road Back. On New Year's Day, the fight takes place. Rocky capitalizes on Creed's overconfidence to start strong, yet Apollo makes a comeback, resulting in a balanced match.
  • Resurrection. The fight inflicts multiple injuries and pushes both men to the brink of exhaustion, with Rocky being knocked down numerous times. But he consistently rises to his feet, enduring through 15 grueling rounds.
  • Return with the Elixir. Rocky loses the fight — but it doesn’t matter. He’s won back his confidence and he’s got Adrian, who tells him that she loves him.

Moving outside of the ring, let’s see how this story structure holds on a completely different planet and with a character in complete isolation. 

The Martian 

In Andy Weir’s self-published bestseller (better known for its big screen adaptation) we follow astronaut Mark Watney as he endures the challenges of surviving on Mars and working out a way to get back home.

Matt Demon walking

  • The Ordinary World. Botanist Mark and other astronauts are on a mission on Mars to study the planet and gather samples. They live harmoniously in a structure known as "the Hab.”
  • Call to Adventure. The mission is scrapped due to a violent dust storm. As they rush to launch, Mark is flung out of sight and the team believes him to be dead. He is, however, very much alive — stranded on Mars with no way of communicating with anyone back home.
  • Refusal of the Call. With limited supplies and grim odds of survival, Mark concludes that he will likely perish on the desolate planet.
  • Meeting the Mentor. Thanks to his resourcefulness and scientific knowledge he starts to figure out how to survive until the next Mars mission arrives.
  • Crossing the First Threshold. Mark crosses the mental threshold of even trying to survive 一 he successfully creates a greenhouse to cultivate a potato crop, creating a food supply that will last long enough.
  • Tests, Allies, Enemies. Loneliness and other difficulties test his spirit, pushing him to establish contact with Earth and the people at NASA, who devise a plan to help.  
  • Approach to the Inmost Cave. Mark faces starvation once again after an explosion destroys his potato crop.
  • Ordeal. A NASA rocket destined to deliver supplies to Mark disintegrates after liftoff and all hope seems lost.
  • Reward (Seizing the Sword). Mark’s efforts to survive are rewarded with a new possibility to leave the planet. His team 一 now aware that he’s alive 一 defies orders from NASA and heads back to Mars to rescue their comrade.
  • The Road Back. Executing the new plan is immensely difficult 一 Mark has to travel far to locate the spaceship for his escape, and almost dies along the way.
  • Resurrection. Mark is unable to get close enough to his teammates' ship but finds a way to propel himself in empty space towards them, and gets aboard safely.
  • Return with the Elixir. Now a survival instructor for aspiring astronauts, Mark teaches students that space is indifferent and that survival hinges on solving one problem after another, as well as the importance of other people’s help.

Coming back to Earth, let’s now examine a heroine’s journey through the wilderness of the Pacific Crest Trail and her… humanity. 

The memoir Wild narrates the three-month-long hiking adventure of Cheryl Strayed across the Pacific coast, as she grapples with her turbulent past and rediscovers her inner strength.

Reese Witherspoon hiking the PCT

  • The Ordinary World. Cheryl shares her strong bond with her mother who was her strength during a tough childhood with an abusive father.
  • Call to Adventure. As her mother succumbs to lung cancer, Cheryl faces the heart-wrenching reality to confront life's challenges on her own.
  • Refusal of the Call. Cheryl spirals down into a destructive path of substance abuse and infidelity, which leads to hit rock bottom with a divorce and unwanted pregnancy. 
  • Meeting the Mentor. Her best friend Lisa supports her during her darkest time. One day she notices the Pacific Trail guidebook, which gives her hope to find her way back to her inner strength.
  • Crossing the First Threshold. She quits her job, sells her belongings, and visits her mother’s grave before traveling to Mojave, where the trek begins.
  • Tests, Allies, Enemies. Cheryl is tested by her heavy bag, blisters, rattlesnakes, and exhaustion, but many strangers help her along the trail with a warm meal or hiking tips. 
  • Approach to the Inmost Cave. As Cheryl goes through particularly tough and snowy parts of the trail her emotional baggage starts to catch up with her.  
  • Ordeal. She inadvertently drops one of her shoes off a cliff, and the incident unearths the helplessness she's been evading since her mother's passing.
  • Reward (Seizing the Sword). Cheryl soldiers on, trekking an impressive 50 miles in duct-taped sandals before finally securing a new pair of shoes. This small victory amplifies her self-confidence.
  • The Road Back. On the last stretch, she battles thirst, sketchy hunters, and a storm, but more importantly, she revisits her most poignant and painful memories.
  • Resurrection. Cheryl forgives herself for damaging her marriage and her sense of worth, owning up to her mistakes. A pivotal moment happens at Crater Lake, where she lets go of her frustration at her mother for passing away.
  • Return with the Elixir. Cheryl reaches the Bridge of the Gods and completes the trail. She has found her inner strength and determination for life's next steps.

There are countless other stories that could align with this template, but it's not always the perfect fit. So, let's look into when authors should consider it or not.

When should writers use The Hero’s Journey?

3jQDdq8HREc Video Thumb

The Hero’s Journey is just one way to outline a novel and dissect a plot. For more longstanding theories on the topic, you can go this way to read about the ever-popular Three-Act Structure or here to discover Dan Harmon's Story Circle and three more prevalent structures .

So when is it best to use the Hero’s Journey? There are a couple of circumstances which might make this a good choice.

When you need more specific story guidance than simple structures can offer

Simply put, the Hero’s Journey structure is far more detailed and closely defined than other story structure theories. If you want a fairly specific framework for your work than a thee-act structure, the Hero’s Journey can be a great place to start.

Of course, rules are made to be broken . There’s plenty of room to play within the confines of the Hero’s Journey, despite it appearing fairly prescriptive at first glance. Do you want to experiment with an abbreviated “Resurrection” stage, as J.K. Rowling did in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone? Are you more interested in exploring the journey of an anti-hero? It’s all possible.

Once you understand the basics of this universal story structure, you can use and bend it in ways that disrupt reader expectations.

Need more help developing your book? Try this template on for size:

FREE RESOURCE

Get our Book Development Template

Use this template to go from a vague idea to a solid plan for a first draft.

When your focus is on a single protagonist

No matter how sprawling or epic the world you’re writing is, if your story is, at its core, focused on a single character’s journey, then this is a good story structure for you. It’s kind of in the name! If you’re dealing with an entire ensemble, the Hero’s Journey may not give you the scope to explore all of your characters’ plots and subplot — a broader three-act structure may give you more freedom to weave a greater number story threads. ​​

Which story structure is right for you?

Take this quiz and we'll match your story to a structure in minutes!

Whether you're a reader or writer, we hope our guide has helped you understand this universal story arc. Want to know more about story structure? We explain 6 more in our guide — read on!

6 responses

PJ Reece says:

25/07/2018 – 19:41

Nice vid, good intro to story structure. Typically, though, the 'hero's journey' misses the all-important point of the Act II crisis. There, where the hero faces his/her/its existential crisis, they must DIE. The old character is largely destroyed -- which is the absolute pre-condition to 'waking up' to what must be done. It's not more clever thinking; it's not thinking at all. Its SEEING. So many writing texts miss this point. It's tantamount to a religions experience, and nobody grows up without it. STORY STRUCTURE TO DIE FOR examines this dramatic necessity.

↪️ C.T. Cheek replied:

13/11/2019 – 21:01

Okay, but wouldn't the Act II crisis find itself in the Ordeal? The Hero is tested and arguably looses his/her/its past-self for the new one. Typically, the Hero is not fully "reborn" until the Resurrection, in which they defeat the hypothetical dragon and overcome the conflict of the story. It's kind of this process of rebirth beginning in the earlier sections of the Hero's Journey and ending in the Resurrection and affirmed in the Return with the Elixir.

Lexi Mize says:

25/07/2018 – 22:33

Great article. Odd how one can take nearly every story and somewhat plug it into such a pattern.

Bailey Koch says:

11/06/2019 – 02:16

This was totally lit fam!!!!

↪️ Bailey Koch replied:

11/09/2019 – 03:46

where is my dad?

Frank says:

12/04/2020 – 12:40

Great article, thanks! :) But Vogler didn't expand Campbell's theory. Campbell had seventeen stages, not twelve.

Comments are currently closed.

Join a community of over 1 million authors

Reedsy is more than just a blog. Become a member today to discover how we can help you publish a beautiful book.

Bring your stories to life

Our free writing app lets you set writing goals and track your progress, so you can finally write that book!

Reedsy Marketplace UI

1 million authors trust the professionals on Reedsy. Come meet them.

Enter your email or get started with a social account:

Hero’s Journey in the 21st Century Essay

Introduction, the hero’s journey, the relevance of hero’s journey today.

Perhaps most people have heard hero stories before, especially when one is young as they form part of their inspiration. As such, a lonely individual trying to find himself embarks on an unexpected and treacherous journey that promises peril and adventure. During this period, the hero’s character, skill, and strength are tested with the ultimate battle that determines individuals’ resolve as they return home triumphantly. Drawing from Joseph Campbell’s book on the hero who had a thousand faces, Hamby (2019) has incorporated many examples of exemplary individuals through video games, books, and movies in The Hero’s Guidebook . Through the book, he shows the influence the works have on present society. Consequently, questions on the prevalence of such individuals in the 21 st century remain, with the young people having ideas of flawless, staller, and a perfect individual as their hero. As a result, this has led to a major question: do heroes exist in the current era? Against this background, the paper highlights the existence and relevance of such ideas in society.

A hero is an individual who aspires to achieve a specific task against all odds and works persistently to get results for the benefit of other people. Furthermore, they are willing to make a difference; promoting change for the welfare of others despite obstacles. Similarly, numerous incidents indicate how anybody can become a hero depending on the journey such a person follows in life. While highlighting the same, Hamby (2019) reaffirms Campbell’s mystic hero’s journey steps one passes through that are prevalent in the present world. As such, to be deemed a conqueror, one encounters and overcomes various obstacles or stages daily. Consequently, there are three main stages of travel such as departure, initiation, and return. In addition, the journey is an archetypal universal narrative structure found in cultural stories around the world sometimes referred to as monomyth or a single story with variations. Further, coined from numerous interesting literary traditions, the term is synonymous with success stories that follow the same narrative structure regardless of its culture or period.

On one hand, many movies have been produced based on the hero’s journey while on the other hand, their major characters become role models for young people. For instance, in the Star Wars film, Luke Skywalker learns to use the force and power of Jedi, and together with his fried they destroy the death star and rescue Princess Leia. During the initial stage of departure, Skywalker leaves the home planet in Tatooine trying to conquer the Galactic Empire. Further, he undergoes tribulations and trials during initiation along the journey which he overcomes by training with Obi-Wan Kenoi. Despite all that, he destroys death hence attaining his quest (Hamby, 2019). In addition, during the return, he comes back and wins a medal in commemoration of the victory.

Countless stories have been told in different parts of the world with the same theme to the present times. Notwithstanding, the hero’s journey in the 21 st century depicts personal life experiences involving an individual’s unique gift that differs from one another. Furthermore, its relevance to personal heroes’ journey relies on the usefulness of the narrative as a monomyth making it vital for people to recognize its limitations and apply it as a principal storytelling metaphor. As such, it brings meaning to the coexistence of people in their daily life struggles. Although the challenges, trials, and obstacles faced and overcome by individuals in society may seem trivial, such experiences encourage them to do better.

Further, the idea that through persistence and practice one can acquire power and help society resonates with many people in the present world. Perhaps such ideas and actions are exemplified by heroic people such as the armed forces serving in various parts of the world. The armies are not only brave but also, variant by putting themselves in danger to save the lives and human rights of strangers around the globe.

The hero’s journey applies to people’s daily lives and can take place at home, in battle, or anywhere during one’s lifetime. Unlike the original storyline, the individuals can fail on their travels since failure is part of the journey. However, the first step is to acquire a unique personal history, differentiating one another. In addition, the second step involves change which results in self-awareness. Therefore, people are initiated into believing in themselves, and hence they can achieve set goals in life. Third, after performing their duties or doing what they were destined to accomplish, there is triumph returning home.

In conclusion, by looking into their lives people can find hope and courage hence heroes exist in every individual thus the relevance of the story during the 21 st century. Although many might not be perfect and are prone to mistakes, they can all stand for their convictions and make a change in the community. Lastly, the ideas remain relevant in the present since people undergo continuous journeys in form of challenges throughout their lives and aspire to triumph over the obstacles.

Hamby, Z. (2019). The hero’s guidebook: Creating your own hero’s journey . Creative English Teacher Press.

  • Chicago (A-D)
  • Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2023, February 20). Hero’s Journey in the 21st Century. https://ivypanda.com/essays/heros-journey-in-the-21st-century/

"Hero’s Journey in the 21st Century." IvyPanda , 20 Feb. 2023, ivypanda.com/essays/heros-journey-in-the-21st-century/.

IvyPanda . (2023) 'Hero’s Journey in the 21st Century'. 20 February.

IvyPanda . 2023. "Hero’s Journey in the 21st Century." February 20, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/heros-journey-in-the-21st-century/.

1. IvyPanda . "Hero’s Journey in the 21st Century." February 20, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/heros-journey-in-the-21st-century/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Hero’s Journey in the 21st Century." February 20, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/heros-journey-in-the-21st-century/.

  • Gilgamesh: The Hero’s Journey by Joseph Campbell (The Monomyth)
  • Movie Luc Skywalker as an Archetypal Warrior Hero
  • Anakin Skywalker and Borderline Personality Disorder
  • Siddhartha’s Monomyth: Journey to Self-Knowledge
  • "Speckled Trout" by Ron Rash
  • Interweaving Conflict in "Star Wars" Series' Plot
  • Myth Analysis: "Star Wars" and "Tristan and Isolde"
  • Campbell's "The Hero With a Thousand Faces"
  • Stress Among College Students: Causes, Effects and Overcomes
  • “Young Goodman Brown” and “The Alchemist”: Comparison
  • "Waiting for the Barbarians" by J. M. Coetzee
  • The Dismissal of Miss Ruth Brown Book by Robbins
  • Rhetorical Awareness in the First Chapters of “Maus” by Spiegelman
  • The Use of Dark Symbolism in "Othello" and "Paradise Lost"
  • "Bhagavad Gita": The Reading Reflection

An Introduction to The Hero's Journey

From Christopher Vogler's "The Writer's Journey: Mythic Structure"

  • Tips For Adult Students
  • Getting Your Ged

hero's journey essay introduction

  • B.A., English, St. Olaf College

Understanding the hero's journey can make creative writing class, literature class, any English class, easier to ace. Even better, chances are you'll enjoy the class immeasurably more when you understand why the hero's journey structure makes for satisfying stories.

Christopher Vogler's book, "The Writer's Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers," draws from the psychology of Carl Jung and the mythic studies of Joseph Campbell—two excellent and admirable sources.

Jung suggested that the archetypes that appear in all myths and dreams represent the universal aspects of the human mind. Campbell's life work was devoted to sharing the life principles embedded in the structure of stories. He discovered that world hero myths are all basically the same story told in infinitely different ways. Elements of the hero's journey can be found in some of the greatest and oldest stories. There is a good reason they stand the test of time.

Students can use their remarkable theories to understand why stories like The Wizard of Oz , E.T. , and Star Wars are so beloved and so satisfying to watch over and over. Vogler knows because he is a longtime consultant to the movie industry and, specifically, to Disney.

Why It Matters

We'll take the hero's journey apart piece by piece and show you how to use it as a map. In literature class, it will help you understand the stories you read and allow you to contribute more to class discussions about story elements. In creative writing, it will help you write stories that make sense and are satisfying to your reader. That translates into higher grades. If you happen to be interested in writing as a career, you absolutely must understand what makes stories with these elements the most satisfying of all stories.

It's important to remember that the hero's journey is a guideline only. Like grammar, once you know and understand the rules, you can break them. Nobody likes a formula. The hero's journey is not a formula. It gives you the understanding you need to take familiar expectations and turn them on their heads in creative defiance. The values of the hero's journey are what's important: symbols of universal life experience, archetypes.

We'll be looking at common structural elements found universally in myths, fairy tales, dreams, and movies. It's important to realize that "the journey" can be outward to an actual place (think Indiana Jones ), or inward to the mind, the heart, the spirit.

The Archetypes

In upcoming lessons, we'll look at each of Jung's archetypes and each stage of Campbell's hero's journey:

  • Threshold Guardian
  • Shapeshifter

The Stages of the Hero's Journey

Act One (first quarter of the story)

  • The Ordinary World
  • Call to Adventure and the Refusal of the Call
  • Meeting with the Mentor
  • Crossing the First Threshold

Act Two (second and third quarters)

  • Approach to the Inmost Cave
  • The Reward (Seizing the Sword)

Act Three (fourth quarter)

  • The Road Back
  • Resurrection
  • Return with the Elixir
  • The Role of Archetypes in Literature
  • The Hero's Journey: Meeting with the Mentor
  • The Approach to the Inmost Cave in the Hero's Journey
  • The Ordinary World in the Hero's Journey
  • The Ordeal in the Hero's Journey
  • The Reward and the Road Back
  • The Resurrection and Return With the Elixir
  • The Hero's Journey: Refusing The Call to Adventure
  • The Hero's Journey: Crossing the Threshold
  • Ice Breaker Game: The Movie of Your Life
  • What Is Composition? Definition, Types, and Examples
  • Writing a Lead or Lede to an Article
  • How to Succeed in Your Literature Class
  • History of the Quiché Maya
  • Ulysses (Odysseus)
  • Activities and Ideas for Students with an Auditory Learning Style

Logo for Idaho Pressbooks Consortium

Want to create or adapt books like this? Learn more about how Pressbooks supports open publishing practices.

34 Your Hero’s Journey: Telling Stories that Matter

Your hero’s journey: telling stories that matter.

By Liza Long

I teach a popular online course at the College of Western Idaho called “Survey of World Mythology.” [1] Every semester, my students start the course thinking that they are going to learn about Zeus, Hera, and maybe Thor—and in all fairness, Thor is why I initially wanted to teach the course.

About three weeks in, we get to the part where I introduce Jesus as just one of many examples from world religions of the “dying god” archetype, and there’s the delicious sound of young minds being blown. “What? We’re reading Christian scriptures as myths?” Well, yes.

Stories, wherever they come from, have power. Stories can shape our cultures—and our individual stories can shape our values and our sense of meaning in a world that might otherwise feel like pure chaos.

A possibly spurious [2] quote attributed to British novelist John Gardner famously asserts that there are only two basic stories in the entire world: the hero’s journey, and a stranger walks into town.  Today, we’re going to talk about the first kind of story.

In my world mythology class, I spend an entire unit on the hero’s journey. This universal archetype, a story that exists across all world cultures, was described by anthropologist Joseph Campbell in his seminal 1949 work, The Hero with a Thousand Faces. The book heavily influenced George Lucas—so I guess we have Campbell to thank for Star Wars (well, at least the good movies, the ones that you all know as four, five, and six) [3] .

What is it about the hero’s journey that makes it such a powerful story for pretty much every human being?

Joseph Campbell outlines 17 stages of his monomyth [4] —but we’ll be here all day if we try to get through all of them, and I know some of you have a life outside of class. So I’d like to focus on just three elements of the hero’s journey and consider how these elements apply to the stories we are telling about ourselves in the world, right now:

  • Answering the Call
  • The Belly of the Whale
  • Ultimate Boon/Freedom to Live

Let’s Start with Answering the Call.

Here you are, minding your own business. Maybe you’re working a desk job. Maybe you are surrounded by small children who are continually asking you “why?” and demanding peanut butter and honey sandwiches. Maybe you’re a modern day Jonah, preaching to people who comfortably agree with you, your Facebook friends, your book club group, your liberal or conservative friends.

Suddenly, everything changes. The telephone rings. An email hits your inbox. You see a social media message from a long-lost high school friend.

Campbell says that the call to adventure is:

to a forest, a kingdom underground, beneath the waves, or above the sky, a secret island, lofty mountaintop, or profound dream state; but it is always a place of strangely fluid and polymorphous beings, unimaginable torments, super human deeds, and impossible delight. The hero can go forth of his own volition to accomplish the adventure, as did Theseus when he arrived in his father’s city, Athens, and heard the horrible history of the Minotaur; or he may be carried or sent abroad by some benign or malignant agent as was Odysseus, driven about the Mediterranean by the winds of the angered god, Poseidon. The adventure may begin as a mere blunder… or still again, one may be only casually strolling when some passing phenomenon catches the wandering eye and lures one away from the frequented paths of man.” [5]

When did the call come to you? How did you answer?

If you’re like me, the call has come many times, and I’ve answered in different ways. Sometimes I’ve been like Jonah—Run away! Sometimes I’ve proudly crossed the thresholds and stormed the barricades. But my most important calls have been the last kind Campbell describes—the calling by accident. When an anonymous blog I wrote about parenting a child who had a then undiagnosed mental illness, titled “I Am Adam Lanza’s Mother,” [6] went suddenly viral in 2012, I wanted to run away. But I answered the call. I put my name on the story and told our family’s truth about just how hard it is to raise a child who has mental illness, without a village to support us.

Think for a moment about an accident in your life that in hindsight, changed everything. What truths do you need to tell?

Next, let’s look at the Belly of the Whale.

This idea comes straight from the Judeo-Christian tradition and the story of Jonah and the whale. I think it’s important to remember that, like Jonah, whether or not we accept the call, we can and probably will still end up in the fish’s belly at some point in our lives.

But it’s not as bad as you think. In fact, Campbell describes the image as one of rebirth. He says:

The hero… is swallowed into the unknown and would appear to have died. This popular motif gives emphasis to the lesson that the passage of the threshold is a form of self-annihilation. Instead of passing outward, beyond the confines of the visible world, the hero goes inward, to be born again. [7]

The belly of the whale is where we have to do the hard work that accepting the call requires of us. I suspect that it’s where many of us are right now.

According to NBC News :

Across America today, rates of depression and anxiety are rising dramatically. A 2018 Blue Cross study found that depression diagnosis rates had increased by 33% since 2013—and that’s for people who have health insurance. Our teenagers are especially hard hit, with experts blaming everything from social media to video games to the loss of community. [8]

In the belly of the whale, we are alone, and we feel helpless. Do you feel helpless right now? Does the endless and exhausting news cycle—children in cages, women’s reproductive rights under threat, journalists murdered, migrant caravans—feel overwhelming to you?

I think that collectively, what we’re really experiencing is a cultural belly of the whale. We wanted something different for our country, and for ourselves. We wanted the American Dream, but now we just have to pay the bills, and we are tired.

That’s why we have to learn to write and revise our stories. We’ll be reborn, and we’ll tell the tale. But right now, we may not know what the meaning of this story is, to ourselves, to our communities, or to our nation. Rebirth isn’t easy.

Finally, let’s look at the Ultimate Boon and Freedom to Live.

The ultimate boon is that grand meaning of life that we are searching for—but it may not turn out to be what we think it will be.

In fact, sometimes we don’t know what the meaning is until we sit down later, like Tolkien’s Bilbo Baggins, to tell our story of “There and Back Again.” The act of telling may in itself help us to discover what the story’s point is.

Campbell says:

What the hero seeks through his intercourse with [the gods and goddesses] is therefore not finally themselves, but their grace, i.e., the power of their sustaining substance. This is the miraculous energy of the thunderbolts of Zeus, Yahweh, and the Supreme Buddha, the fertility of the rain of Viracocha, the virtue announced by the bell rung in the Mass at the consecration, and the light of the ultimate illumination of the saint and sage. [9]

Ultimately, I think what the story of Jonah and the Whale tells us is that we can run but we can’t hide from our calling, so we may as well find some ultimate boon in it. For me, that boon is the freedom to live without fear

What are you afraid of?

Whether we admit it or not, first and foremost, the greatest fear for most of us is the fear of death.

Campbell’s hero conquers death by understanding that, as the Latin poet Ovid wrote in his Metamorphoses, “Nothing retains its own form; but Nature, the greater renewer, ever makes up forms from forms…. Nothing perishes in the whole universe; it does but vary and renew its form.’ Thus the next moment is permitted to come to pass.” [10]

In other words, fear not: Death is change, not end. This is the point of most major stories about endings and beginnings, and for the hero, this knowledge is the ultimate freedom.

But now, a warning! We have to be careful how we use our stories.

This impulse to tell stories can be a powerful force for good—but also for evil. As one example, the Nazis were really good at telling stories that gave life meaning—at the expense of 14-year old Anne Frank and six million other innocent people. Stories—especially overly simplified ones–can be dangerous. Don’t think for a minute that it can’t happen here.

In her popular TED talk, “The Danger of a Single Story,” [11] Nigerian author and feminist Chimamanda Ngoze Adichie observes:

The single story creates stereotypes, and the problem with stereotypes is not that they are untrue, but that they are incomplete. They make one story become the only story. . . . The consequence of the single story is this: It robs people of dignity. It makes our recognition of our equal humanity difficult. It emphasizes how we are different rather than how we are similar. [12]

Do you tell yourself stories that contain stereotypes? I know I do.

The Atlantic Monthly’s psychology editor, Julie Beck, makes the same point in her article, “Life’s Stories.” She writes:

The redemption story is American optimism—things will get better!—and American exceptionalism—I can make things better!—and it’s in the water, in the air, and in our heads. This is actually a good thing a lot of the time. Studies have shown that finding a positive meaning in negative events is linked to a more complex sense of self and greater life satisfaction.

The trouble comes when redemption isn’t possible. The redemptive American tale is one of privilege, and for those who can’t control their circumstances, and have little reason to believe things will get better, it can be an illogical and unattainable choice. There are things that happen to people that cannot be redeemed. [13]

In other words, we need to understand that our story is not the only story—and that the stories we hear about others, maybe even about people on the opposite side of the political spectrum, are also not the whole story, or the only story.

Listening to others’ stories, especially stories from marginalized people, is at least as important as telling our own, maybe more—and social media doesn’t make it easy to listen and learn. We have to look for what psychologists refer to as disconfirming information—stories that challenge our assumptions about the way the world works.

This brings me to the last point I want to make.

We Need to Revise and Retell Our Stories

Sometimes we don’t know the meaning of our stories until years later. Sometimes we have to rewrite our old stories to accommodate a new narrative. This task—telling stories that matter—is not accomplished in a single draft. It is, in fact, the work of a lifetime.

Julie Beck notes that how we tell, revise, and retell our stories affects who we are and how we see ourselves. She writes,

In telling the story of how you became who you are, and of who you’re on your way to becoming, the story itself becomes a part of who you are…. Storytelling, then—fictional or nonfictional, realistic or embellished with dragons—is a way of making sense of the world around us. [14]

What are the themes of your hero’s journey? What calls have you answered? Would you answer them differently today?

Finally, if you’ve found the ultimate boon and the freedom to live, congratulations! Also, I’m sorry. Ten years ago, I thought I had everything figured out, too, and I was pretty smug about it. Spoiler alert: I didn’t have it all figured out, and now I enjoy the freedom of not having all the answers.

Fortunately, as Beck says,

A life story is written in chalk, not ink, and it can be changed. Whether it’s with the help of therapy, in the midst of an identity crisis, when you’ve been chasing a roadrunner of foreshadowing towards a tunnel that turns out to be painted on a wall, or slowly, methodically, day by day—like with all stories, there’s power in rewriting. [15]

In the end, there’s no right or wrong story, no best path. There’s your story. How will you answer the call? How will you escape the belly of the whale? What will you tell us about freedom to live when you return from your journey? The story may change 1000 times, and the hero may have 1000 faces, but in the end, your hero’s journey is just that: yours. Tell, retell, and most importantly, live your truth.

[1] I will be teaching ENGL 215: Survey of World Mythology in the spring of 2019 if you’re interested! More information about the course can be found here: https://catalog.cwidaho.cc/course-descriptions/engl/

[2] For a history of this quote and its attribution, see https://quoteinvestigator.com/2015/05/06/two-plots/

[3] For more information on how Campbell influenced Lucas, see this link: https://www.starwars.com/news/mythic-discovery-within-the-inner-reaches-of-outer-space-joseph-campbell-meets-george-lucas-part-i

[4] Here’s a link to the Joseph Campbell Foundation, where an overview of his life and work can be found https://www.jcf.org/

[5] Campbell, Hero with a Thousand Faces , p. 48

[6] Link to the viral essay at The Blue Review here: https://thebluereview.org/i-am-adam-lanzas-mother/ and to my blog here: www.anarchistsoccermom.blogspot.com

[7] Campbell, Hero with a Thousand Faces , p. 77

[8] Statistics on depression from https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/major-depression-rise-among-everyone-new-data-shows-n873146

[9] Campbell, Hero with a Thousand Faces , p. 155

[10] Ovid Metamorphoses , quoted in Campbell, Hero with a Thousand Faces , p. 209

[11] The link to Adichie’s TED talk is here: https://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story   .

[12] The quote was taken from this transcript: https://ngl.cengage.com/21centuryreading/resources/sites/default/files/B3_TG_AT7_0.pdf

[13] Julie Beck’s article, “Life’s Stories,” can be found here: https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2015/08/life-stories-narrative-psychology-redemption-mental-health/400796/

“Your Hero’s Journey” by Liza Long is licensed CC BY 4.0

Your Hero’s Journey: Telling Stories that Matter Copyright © 2020 by Liza Long is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

Share This Book

Hero's Journey

Hero's Journey

About this Interactive

Related resources.

The hero's journey is an ancient story pattern that can be found in texts from thousands of years ago or in newly released Hollywood blockbusters. This interactive tool will provide students with background on the hero's journey and give them a chance to explore several of the journey's key elements. Students can use the tool to record examples from a hero's journey they have read or viewed or to plan out a hero's journey of their own.

  • Calendar Activities
  • Lesson Plans

Observed on the last Monday of May, Memorial Day honors the men and women who died while serving in the United States military. In addition to having celebrations with family and friends, many people visit cemeteries and memorials and place flags on the grave sites of fallen servicemen and women.

Students compare the film versions of The Lord of the Rings and Tolkien's novels. Students then imagine how a scene in a current novel that they are reading would be filmed.

After exploring The Odyssey and a contemporary epic, students choose paired characters from the texts, complete a graphic organizer, and place their characters in hypothetical contemporary situations.

  • Print this resource

Explore Resources by Grade

  • Kindergarten K

How to Teach the Hero’s Journey: Engaging Students with the Monomyth Story Structure

how to teach hero's journey

Looking for advice on how to teach the Hero’s Journey in your secondary ELA class? Between a unit outline, a list of teachable titles, and engaging activities, this post is just what you need to get started.

What defines a hero?

That’s the simple question I love to open with when teaching the Hero’s Journey in secondary ELA. The best part? As students partake in an engaging discussion about their favorite heroes and the qualities that make them so great, they are unknowingly laying the foundation for your lesson. Because what your students might not realize is that all heroes, no matter who they are, where they come from, or what heroic quest they complete, all have something in common.

And that, my teacher friend, is the essence of the Hero’s Journey.

Keep reading to learn more about teaching the Hero’s Journey and my best tips for making it an engaging voyage for your students.

What Is the Hero’s Journey and Why Is It Important?

The Hero’s Journey is a classic narrative pattern that traces the transformative trek of a protagonist from their ordinary world into the unknown. During this journey, the character sets out on some form of adventure, meets mentors along the way, faces various obstacles, and overcomes challenges. In the end, they return home a hero equipped with newfound knowledge, perspective, or a physical object for the greater good.

This archetypal structure is as old as time and can be found in myths, legends, and stories throughout history. However, it’s widely used in modern literature and cinema as well. Luke Skywalker? Hero. Katniss Everdeen? Hero. The same can be said for characters ranging from Harry Potter to Spiderman. The Hero’s Journey can be traced throughout movies like Finding Nemo , The Lion King , The Wizard of Oz , Moana , Frozen , and even Shrek . I mean the list goes on and on.

Why Teach the Hero’s Journey?

By exploring this archetypal pattern, students can recognize and analyze the deeper meaning behind a wide variety of narratives, fostering critical thinking, empathy, and a deeper appreciation for storytelling. However, the importance of The Hero’s Journey extends beyond literature—and that’s really why it’s important.

The Hero’s Journey is a reflection of a universal human experience of growth and self-discovery. (What teenager can’t relate to that?) Therefore, students can apply the monomyth to their own lives. They can take what they learned and use it to see their inner hero as they answer their own calls to adventures, face challenges, conquer their fears, and come out on the other side with newfound insights and knowledge.

It’s this real-life connection that gives the Hero’s Journey its true power and explains why the literary framework has stood the test of time.

What Are the 12 Stages of the Hero’s Journey?

The Hero’s Journey can be broken down into 12 main phases. While not all heroes experience every stage in the same way, it goes a little something like this:

  • The Ordinary World:  An introduction to the protagonist’s everyday life, relationships, and any challenges or limitations they face are first introduced.
  • The Call to Adventure:  The protagonist receives a compelling invitation or challenge that initiates the on the heroic journey.
  • Refusal of the Call:  The protagonist resists the call to adventure due to fear, doubt, or a sense of inadequacy.
  • Meeting the Mentor:  The protagonist encounters a mentor figure who provides guidance, advice, and assistance needed for the journey.
  • Crossing the Threshold:  The protagonist leaves the familiar and ordinary world behind and enters the unknown.
  • Tests, Allies, and Enemies:  The protagonist encounters various obstacles,enemies, and allies that test their will, determination and character.
  • Approach to the Inmost Cave:  The protagonist prepares for a significant challenge or confrontation, symbolizing their innermost fears, doubts, or weaknesses.
  • Ordeal:  The protagonist is pushed to their limits when faced with their greatest challenge, undergoing a transformative experience.
  • Reward:  After overcoming the ordeal, the protagonist is rewarded with something, often knowledge, that empowers them to continue their journey.
  • The Road Back:  The protagonist begins a journey back to the ordinary world.
  • Resurrection:  They face a final challenge, where they must apply everything they have learned and experienced.
  • Return with the Elixir:  The protagonist returns and is reunited with the ordinary world, having been transformed by “the elixir”—an object, knowledge, or insight—for the greater good.

How to Teach the Hero’s Journey

Want to maintain student engagement throughout the trek of teaching the Hero’s Journey? Read through the steps below for an easy-to-follow outline to bring the narrative pattern to life in your classroom.

Step 1: Begin with a Conversation

Before formally introducing the concept, get students thinking (and engaged) with a simple conversation. Consider your essential questions for the unit and let them guide your initial discussion. Have students reflect on the heroes in their lives, asking them to work together to define what makes a hero in the first place. Here are a few questions you can use to get started:

  • What does it mean to be a hero?
  • Who do you consider as heroes in your life?
  • Do all heroes share certain traits?
  • Are heroes born or made?
  • How can an individual change by taking heroic action?
  • Do heroes have responsibilities to themselves? To others? To Society?
  • What draws us to stories about heroes, real or fiction?

Step 2: Introduce the Concept

Next, provide students with a clear definition of the Hero’s Journey and explain its 12 stages. It’s helpful to use visual aids such as diagrams or infographics to help students visualize the structure as a full circle and transformative journey. Additionally, you can incorporate brief videos, like this TED-Ed , to provide an overview of the journey, too.

Step 3: Start with Low-Stakes Application

Once students understand what the Hero’s Journey is, have them work together to think of relevant examples of characters or plotlines that follow the pattern. As a class, create a list of familiar characters in popular movies and books that they believe represent the Hero’s Journey. This is a low-stakes way to get them to start applying the concept. Note: You do not need to dive into deep analysis here. Don’t worry, that comes next.

Step 3: Analyze Examples

Before diving into a more complex text, check for understanding using examples from well-known stories or films. Analyze a popular movie plot, working as a class to identify each stage of the Hero’s Journey. Pause to discuss the significance of key moments and check for comprehension. Encourage students to share their observations and interpretations of the Hero’s Journey along the way.

Strive to incorporate modern examples of the Hero’s Journey that resonate with your students’ interests and experiences. This will heighten student engagement and help them see the relevance of the Hero’s Journey in their own lives.

Step 4: Bring in the Literature

Whether you decide to teach the Hero’s Journey using short stories or a novel, select texts that provide clear examples of the narrative pattern. If this is the first time your students are working with the Hero’s Journey, analyze the selected literature together to ensure understanding along the way. Scaffold the analysis by using a mix of read-alouds, turn and talks, group work, class discussions, comprehension questions, and quick writes. Additionally, have students track the progress of the Hero’s journey in their notes or using a graphic organizer.

Step 5: Apply Student Knowledge

Provide students with various opportunities to apply their knowledge of the Hero’s Journey through writing assignments, creative projects , or group presentations. Start with simple tasks, such as identifying the stages in a short story, and gradually move towards more complex projects, like crafting their own Hero’s Journey narratives or writing a literary analysis essay .

What to Read When Teaching the Hero’s Journey?

Whether you’re looking to pull excerpts or to dive into full-length texts, here are some engaging titles you can use in your secondary classroom when teaching the Hero’s Journey:

● The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien ● Life of Pi by Yann Martel ● To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee ● The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain ● Lord of the Flies by William Golding ● The Odyssey by Homer ● The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho ● The Wizard of Oz by L Frank Baum ● The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins ● The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan ● Holes by Louis Sachar ● Divergent by Veronica Roth ● Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by JK Rowling

On the other hand, if you’re looking for short stories for teaching the Hero’s Journey, read this post here.  

Exciting Activities to Engage Students with the Hero’s Journey

Whether you’re looking for formative check-ins or summative assessments, here are some engaging activities that give your students an opportunity to shine as the Hero in their learning journey:

  • Hero’s Journey Roadmap: Play up the “adventure” element by encouraging students to design a creative roadmap to express the various stages of the Hero’s Journey. Adapt this activity to reflect the 12 stages or the narrative structure in general or map out a specific character’s experience. Either way, encourage students to use images, quotes, and symbols to enhance this visual representation.
  • Everyday Heroes: While we associate the term “hero” with characters from comic books and movies, there are plenty of heroes among us. Therefore, this activity encourages students to take a closer look at the essential question, “What makes a hero?” Have students identify real-life heroes and present what their real-life version of this journey looks like. These figures can include historical figures, athletes, changemakers, activists, or even everyday people in their own community.
  • Hero’s Journey Comparative Analysis: Assign students two texts, characters, or films that follow the Hero’s Journey. The twist? The plotlines should differ in genre, time period, or cultural context. Ask students to write a comparative analysis essay, exploring how the stages are portrayed in each text while highlighting that heroes come in all different shapes and sizes. To set students up for success, encourage them to start with a simple Venn diagram before translating the information into more thorough writing.
  • Hero’s Journey in the Twitterverse : Students these days document everything on social media. So, why not document their learning? After reading a text, have students represent the character’s Hero’s Journey through a series of Tweets (or Instagram posts). Each post should highlight a specific stage in the journey. By the end, students should present 12 posts that showcase the character’s heroic transformation from start to finish. You can have students create dummy accounts or complete the activity using social media post templates.
  • A Multigenre Monomyth: Rather than completing a classic character analysis, challenge students to create a multi-genre representation of a character’s Hero’s Journey. Whether students analyze a hero from a classroom text or from pop culture, have them explore said character’s journey through various genres. Each stage of the Hero’s Journey should be represented and analyzed through a different genre. In the end, they’ll have a multigenre representation of how the character undergoes transformation and overcomes challenges throughout the story.

Examples of genres include poetry, journal entries, abstract recipes, formal analysis, song lyrics, artwork, comic strips, maps, news articles, and more.

  • Create Your Own Hero’s Journey: Encourage students to write their own Hero’s Journey stories. They can create original characters, outline the stages, and craft a compelling narrative that follows the pattern. Students can share their stories with the class or in small groups. As an alternative, have your students create the outline or story map for a short story that would follow the hero’s journey.

The activities above provide diverse ways for students to showcase their understanding of this narrative structure. Whichever activities you choose, your students are sure to showcase creativity, critical thinking, and engagement.

Final Thoughts on Teaching the Hero’s Journey

Before you begin your own heroic journey of teaching this beloved narrative pattern, remember that the Hero’s Journey is about much more than literature itself. Use the Hero’s Journey to engage students in the power of storytelling and self-discovery. Talk about real-world application!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Essay Writing

What is an essay.

Essays are brief, non-fiction compositions that discuss, clarify, argue, or analyze a subject. Students might encounter essay assignments in many school subject such as English, History and Visual Arts, and at any level of school. Components of an essay include an Introduction, Body, and Conclusion.

hero's journey essay introduction

Essay Structure

As mentioned above, essays are composed of several complimentary paragraphs . Within these paragraphs are certain elements, the inclusion of which will further help you to construct the most effective essays possible. Introductions should be composed of a Thesis Statement and a Text Preview , while Body paragraphs, of which there are many should contain a Point , Elaboration , some textual Evidence and a Link to the main idea. Finally the Conclusion , which can by tricky, can include an Affirmation of the Thesis and a Text Closer .

hero's journey essay introduction

A Text is anything we study in English class, for example: films, images, novels and poems, to name few.

hero's journey essay introduction

introduction

An Introduction does exactly what its name implies, it introduces the subject of the essay to readers. But most importantly, it tells readers how you are going to answer the featured question or approach your discussion to the featured topic. A good introduction captures readers' attention, tells them what the essay is about, and provides an outline of what text(s) you will be exploring. The introduction is quite possibly the most important part of an essay, but it can also be the hardest for some writers.

A Thesis Statement is response to the concept/question informed through our study of the topic and it outlines the main idea of the essay. A good thesis statement combines several ideas into just one or two sentences. It also includes the topic of the essay and makes clear what the author's position is in regard to the topic.

For analytical essays , an informative thesis should be declared based on the question or topic that demonstrates your knowledge and understanding. In a discursive essay , a persuasive thesis, or opinion, should be established.

  • Analytical Thesis: To create a great essay, the writer must form a solid introduction with a thesis statement, several complimentary body paragraphs, and an effective conclusion.
  • Discursive Thesis: Essays surrounded around opinions and arguments are so much more fun than informative essays because they are more dynamic, fluid, and teach you a lot about the author.

A Text Preview is a statement about which texts you are going to be analysing in your essay. It could be one to two sentences in length per text you are discussing and it will provide contextual information about the text to inform your readers and to link the texts to the topic.

  • The 1977 film 'Star Wars' created and directed by acclaimed filmmaker George Lucas was expressly crafted with the Hero's Journey concept as a blueprint. As a result the science fiction epic achieved unparalleled success, becoming a pop-culture phenomenon.

hero's journey essay introduction

Body Paragraphs

The Body Paragraphs of an essay include groups of sentences that relate to a specific topic or idea around the main point of the essay. It is important to write and organize two to four full body paragraphs to properly develop your essay.

Before writing you may choose to outline the two to four main arguments that will support your thesis statement. For each of those key ideas, there will be points to drive them home. Elaborating on the key idea, and providing and supporting specific evidence will help develop an effective body paragraph. A good paragraph describes the main point, is full of meaningful evidence, and has crystal clear sentences that avoid universal statements.

Each body paragraph should start with a POINT sentence that establishes the key idea of the paragraph. The ideas for your point sentences should be drawn from your Introduction and these sentences guide you in writing the rest of your paragraph. If you are unsure of how your paragraph is going while you're writing it be sure to refer back to your point sentence to help keep you on topic. For example, take note of the key words in your point sentence as these will help you develop the rest of the sentences in the paragraph.

Since our first sentence or two is your point sentence, continue with the next sentence by developing the idea from the first this is called the Elaboration . Your elaboration is usually one to two sentences in length and it can be used to expand on your point or to 'set-up' and provide context for our upcoming textual evidence.

The Evidence portion of your Body Paragraph is very important and it is often overlooked by less experienced students. This section is where your quotes and descriptions of texts will be featured and the literary, visual and filmic techniques will be discussed and analysed for effect .

In order to conclude the ideas within your paragraphs and to better maintain the transitions between them, you should end a paragraph using a Link sentence. A link sentence can help to smoothly connect ideas between comparative paragraphs or to end a paragraph with an idea that logically leads to the idea in the next one. Alternatively your Link sentence can connect back to the Point sentence in order to complete your idea and ready the reader for a new idea.

hero's journey essay introduction

A Conclusion is an end or finish of an essay. Often, the conclusion includes an Affirmation of Thesis , a judgment, decision or statement that is reached through the reasoning described throughout your essay and confirms your thesis as given way back in your Introduction . The conclusion is an opportunity to wrap up the essay by reviewing the main points discussed that drives home the point or argument stated in the thesis statement.

The conclusion may also include a Text Closer , a takeaway for the reader, such as a question or thought to take with them after reading. A good conclusion may also invoke a vivid image, include a quotation, or have a call to action for readers.

Essay Question

Introduction

Body Paragraph 1

Body Paragraph 2

Body Paragraph 3

Body Paragraph 4

Body Paragraph 5

Essay Example

How is the Hero’s Journey represented in Shrek?

Author Joseph Campbell described a cyclical pattern which outlines the journey of a hero from an ordinary world, through an extraordinary world, and back again. This stereotypical hero’s journey can be found in many different stories from many different cultures from all around the world. By analysing texts from a range of cultural traditions one can truly appreciate the universal nature of Campbell’s monomyth. The 2001 animated film ‘Shrek’ directed by Andrew Adamson highlights this perfectly as this text draws it’s narrative from European mythological traditions to bring the cycle of the Hero’s journey into the subverted modern context.

The hero’s journey begins in the Ordinary World , a place of comfort to the hero that shows his personal history and heredity. In Shrek , the ‘Ordinary World’ is depicted as a slimy swamp, which suits the unconventional hero, Shrek the Ogre. Shrek’s comfort within his own world is highlighted by a montage set to uplifting music which depicts him enjoying practices one might find disgusting, but he enjoys – such as a close up of him brushing his teeth with Caterpillar slime. Even though the audience would find this hero’s ordinary world to be confronting and extraordinary, to Shrek it is his beloved home.

In the monomyth, the hero travels from the ordinary world into an extraordinary one, which is usually full of danger. This act of moving from one world to another or ‘ Crossing the Threshold ’ is represented in Shrek when the heroes enter the Castle of Duloc. The danger of this transition is represented visually by the juxtaposition of size between the small figures of Shrek and Donkey, emphasised by an upward panning shot revealing the enormous size of the castle. Through this image, the true beginning of Shrek’s dangerous adventure is highlighted.

While travelling along their journey, hero’s usually face many dangerous obstacles . In the film, “Shrek”, there are many obstacles the protagonist must overcome, such as fighting knights, crossing the bridge over a lake of lava and fighting off Robin Hood and his gang. In particular, the scene where Donkey and Shrek cross the bridge over the lava highlights how much danger the hero is in and the intensity of the obstacles he must overcome. This is further reinforced through Donkey’s descriptive dialogue, “Just a little uncomfortable about being on a rickety bridge over a burning lake of lava”. It is in this way that the tests, allies and enemies phase of the Hero’s Journey is highlighted in Shrek .

In the Hero’s Journey, the hero must inevitably encounter The Ordeal , where they must face a deadly challenge. In the case of Shrek , the hero must face a fierce, fire-breathing dragon. The danger of the ordeal is highlighted through an array of immersive camera shots, such as a point of view shot. This shot enables the audience to feel the danger reflected through Shrek’s eye when he is about to be engulfed in flames. It is in this way that the ordeal is represented.

In the hero’s journey the protagonist often meets a character that acts as a mentor and advisor, helping them through their quest. In the film Shrek , the mentor is represented by the character, ‘Donkey’, who challenges the wise and capable stereotype of the mentor. While Donkey may be useless as an adventurer, he helps Shrek in a different way by providing soulful advice. When Donkey tells Shrek “You’re so wrapped up in layers, Onion boy, that you’re afraid of your own feelings”, he is helping him to learn to open his heart by referring to the simile that Shrek himself used earlier in the film. By cleverly reflecting Shrek’s own philosophy, Donkey helps him gain a deeper understanding of himself, enabling the ogre to open up to love and friendship. This shows Donkey to be the mentor.

In conclusion, the film Shrek evidences the timeless nature of the Hero’s journey and its ability to appeal to a wide range of audience throughout the ages and across different kinds of media. Through the portrayal of the unique protagonist and his engaging journey of transformation as he learns to open his heart and experience the love of friendship.

IMP.CENTER

Hero’s Journey Essay | Topics, Examples and Introduction to Hero’s Journey

hero's journey essay introduction

Hero’s Journey Essay: The word saint is characterized as a person mental fortitude of conviction to perform accomplishments that advantage the overall people, goes about like a fighter of goodness and has a selfless soul that urges the person in question to act against evil and protect everyone’s benefit no matter what, in any event, forfeiting his own prosperity or life In spite of the fact that saints can come in any shape and size they are usually found in stories we read, motion pictures we watch, or individuals we turn upward to. We don’t contemplate it much yet even our own life is comprised of many saint’s excursions. We never understand that our difficulties and how we defeat them are by and large what’s going on with a Hero Journey and why we identify with and partake in these accounts to such an extent.

We have various topics based on real-life examples too, to write on hero’s journey. Let us see some example essays in this article.

You can also find more  Essay Writing articles on events, persons, sports, technology and many more.

A Hero’s Life and Journey

Research has revealed many responses to the subsequent inquiry: Evil can be encouraged by dehumanization, dispersion of obligation, acquiescence to power, unreasonable frameworks, bunch pressure, moral withdrawal, and secrecy, to give some examples.

Yet, when we inquire as to why individuals become chivalrous, research doesn’t yet have a reply. It may be the case that saints have more sympathy or compassion; possibly there’s a legend quality; perhaps this is a result of their degrees of oxytocin—research by neuro-economist Paul Zak has shown that this “affection chemical” in the cerebrum improves the probability you’ll exhibit charitableness. We don’t know without a doubt.

I accept that valour is unique in relation to benevolence and sympathy. Throughout the previous five years, my associates and I have been investigating the nature and foundations of courage, concentrating on commendable instances of bravery and looking over a large number of individuals about their decisions to act (or not act) chivalrously. In that time, we’ve come to characterize valour as an action with a few sections.

To start with, it’s acted in support of others out of luck—regardless of whether that is an individual, gathering, or local area—or with regards to specific beliefs. Second, it’s occupied with willfully, even in military settings, as courage stays a demonstration that goes past something needed by military obligation. Third, a courageous demonstration is one performed with acknowledgement of potential dangers and expenses, be they to one’s actual wellbeing or individual standing, in which the entertainer will acknowledge expected penance. At last, it is performed without outside acquire expected at the hour of the demonstration.

Basically, then, at that point, the way to valour is a worry for others out of luck—a worry to protect an ethical reason, knowing there is an individual danger, managed without assumption for remuneration.

Journey to Hero’s Life

Regardless of what your identity is for sure, you do, there are openings for being chivalrous surrounding you. You simply need to think and behave like a saint. Then, at that point whenever the chances come, you will actually want to come through and make all the difference. Here are a few hints you can follow to be a legend and I imagine that these tips helped individuals we call saints today, as Fred Rwigema and Nelson Mandela, among numerous others.

Start the change you need to see

A genuine legend isn’t simply talking. A genuine legend is continually contemplating how they can make a move and help other people. You might be roused to be a saint for a specific reason or issue, or you might attempt to be a legend for somebody out of luck.

Put others before yourself

Ponder others’ requirements prior to considering your own. At the point when you are settling on choices at work or at home, set aside some effort to contemplate what your activities will mean for another person. For instance, in the event that you go home and relax at work, what sort of responsibility will that put on your collaborators?

Be prepared to act when others are aloof

Stand up for a companion, cohort, or colleague you feel is being dealt with unreasonably. Purchase a dinner for the vagrant everybody continues to stroll by in the city. Notice the longshot or the less lucky and give them some assistance.

Perform arbitrary thoughtful gestures

A legend doesn’t simply keep calm when they see wrong being finished. A genuine legend is there to do great whenever, such as: Helping to pay an understudy’s school expenses, Buying food for somebody out of luck and Taking an old neighbour to an arrangement.

Volunteer your time

There are numerous foundations and philanthropic associations the nation over that need volunteers. Basically give a couple of hours every week to help these associations. Continuously assist your neighbour with timing inconvenience, similar to when they are wiped out.

Utilize your ability

To start with, contemplate the things you are acceptable at or the valuable abilities that you have. You can ask your loved ones what they think you dominate at, in the event that you can’t consider anything explicit. They will have a smart thought about your qualities and how you can best use them to help other people. Figure the amount you can help individuals around you utilizing your ability.

Advance the great

Being a legend isn’t just with regards to addressing the entirety of the awful things in life like neediness, disparity, and abuse. It is additionally about attempting to advance and propel the beneficial things in life like cause, thoughtfulness, appreciation and love. Revolting against bad form is significant, yet standing up for harmony is similarly as important.

Contemplate positive things rather than negative ones. Find a sense of contentment as opposed to being at war.

Gain from your own legends

Nobody turns into a legend completely all alone. Ponder individuals in your day to day existence who have behaved like saints. Ponder the occasions when you felt lost or frightened, just to have someone else go along and help you through a difficult stretch? Possibly they were outsiders. Maybe an instructor or relative was there for you when you truly required somebody. Contemplate what they did and how it affected you.

FAQ’s on Hero’s Journey Essay

Question 1. What is the hero’s journey?

Answer: The legend’s excursion is a typical account original, or story layout, that includes a saint who goes on an undertaking, learns an example, wins a triumph with that freshly discovered information, and afterwards gets back changed.

Question 2. What is a hero’s journey in stories?

Answer: In narratology and relative folklore, the legend’s excursion, or the monomyth, is the normal format of stories that include a saint who goes on an undertaking, is successful in an unequivocal emergency and returns home changed or changed.

Essay On Discipline In School | Importance, Advantages and Paragraph on Discipline

Multiculturalism Essay | Multiculturalism and Its Influence and Benefits on Society

Father’s Day Essay | Essay on Fathers Day for Students and Children in English

My Father Essay | Essay On My Father My Role Model for Students and Children

Conversation Between Teacher and Student in English | Simple Conversations Between…

English Conversation Between Doctor and Patient in Four Simple Scenarios

Conversation Between Two Friends After a Long Time, About Pollution and Study

Advantages and Disadvantages Essay Topics for Students, IELTS & Learners

Fixed Exchange Rate Advantages And Disadvantages | What are the Major Advantages And…

Positive Words that Start With F | List of 48 Positive Words Starting With F Pictures…

Advantages And Disadvantages Of Entrepreneurship | What is Entrepreneurship?, Pros…

Comments are closed.

Welcome, Login to your account.

Recover your password.

A password will be e-mailed to you.

Home — Essay Samples — Literature — Books — Hero's Journey

one px

Essays on Hero's Journey

Hero's journey essay topics and outline examples, essay title 1: the hero's journey: unveiling the archetypal narrative structure in myth, literature, and film.

Thesis Statement: This essay explores the hero's journey as a universal narrative archetype, examining its key stages and motifs, its significance in various cultures, and its enduring presence in myth, literature, and contemporary storytelling.

  • Introduction
  • The Hero's Journey: Defining the Archetypal Structure and Joseph Campbell's Influence
  • Key Stages of the Hero's Journey: Call to Adventure, Trials, Transformation, and Return
  • Cultural Variations: Heroic Narratives in Different Mythologies and Traditions
  • The Hero's Journey in Literature: Classic and Modern Examples
  • From Page to Screen: The Hero's Journey in Contemporary Film and TV
  • Analysis of Modern Heroes: Relatability and Evolution of Archetypes

Essay Title 2: Heroines' Odyssey: Examining the Hero's Journey through a Feminine Lens

Thesis Statement: This essay reevaluates the hero's journey from a feminist perspective, highlighting the journeys of heroines, analyzing their unique challenges, and exploring how the narrative structure can be adapted to empower female protagonists.

  • The Heroine's Journey: Rewriting Archetypal Narratives with a Feminist Lens
  • Female Protagonists: From Damsels in Distress to Empowered Heroes
  • The Call to Adventure: Challenges and Motivations for Heroines
  • Facing the Shadow: Female Antagonists and Inner Transformations
  • Return and Rebirth: Reimagining Endings and Resolutions for Heroines
  • Contemporary Heroines: Examining Iconic Characters and Their Impact

Essay Title 3: The Hero's Journey in Real Life: Personal Growth, Resilience, and Transformation

Thesis Statement: This essay explores the application of the hero's journey to real-life experiences, discussing how individuals undergo personal growth, overcome challenges, and find meaning in their own journeys, drawing inspiration from the archetypal narrative structure.

  • Life as a Journey: The Hero's Path in Everyday Existence
  • The Call to Adventure: Recognizing Challenges and Opportunities
  • Trials and Tribulations: Navigating Difficulties and Gaining Wisdom
  • Transformation and Self-Discovery: The Hero Within
  • Sharing the Elixir: The Power of Personal Narratives and Mentorship
  • Collective Heroes: Social Movements, Activism, and Change

The Hobbit Heros Journey Analysis

5 dynamic working style, communication, reflection/hero’s journey, made-to-order essay as fast as you need it.

Each essay is customized to cater to your unique preferences

+ experts online

Characteristics of Bilbo in The Hobbit

The hero's journey in a disney movie "toy story", coraline and the alchemist: comparing their hero’s journeys, a hero's journey in "the adventures of huckleberry finn" and "the odyssey", let us write you an essay from scratch.

  • 450+ experts on 30 subjects ready to help
  • Custom essay delivered in as few as 3 hours

Hero's Journey: Examples of Joseph Campbell, Jesus and Mary Mackillop

The concept of a hero's journey in american literature, a curious case of heroes on the example of harry potter, heroe's departure, initiation, and return in back to future, get a personalized essay in under 3 hours.

Expert-written essays crafted with your exact needs in mind

What Literary Travelers Can Reveal About Their People, Land, and Culture

The practical role played by the hero's journey structure in the storytelling, hero in the odyssey: the unheroic traits of odysseus in homer's epic, the definition of a hero: lessons from real-life inspirations, analysis of the hero's journey of thanos in the infinity war, the concept of the hero's journey according to campbell's the hero with a thousand faces, personal legend in the alchemist by paulo coelho, the lion king heros journey, personal legend: the alchemist and a race for dreams, personal legend in the alchemist: embracing destiny, what it means to be a hero: hero's journey, what it means to be a hero based on the iliad, hero’s journey: moana movie, odysseus heros journey analysis, relevant topics.

  • Lord of The Flies
  • Thank You Ma Am
  • Catcher in The Rye
  • Frankenstein
  • To Kill a Mockingbird
  • Brave New World
  • Chronicle of a Death Foretold
  • All Summer in a Day
  • American Born Chinese

By clicking “Check Writers’ Offers”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy . We’ll occasionally send you promo and account related email

No need to pay just yet!

We use cookies to personalyze your web-site experience. By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .

  • Instructions Followed To The Letter
  • Deadlines Met At Every Stage
  • Unique And Plagiarism Free

hero's journey essay introduction

IMAGES

  1. 12 Hero's Journey Stages Explained (Free Templates)

    hero's journey essay introduction

  2. Hero's Journey Essay

    hero's journey essay introduction

  3. Writing the Hero’s Journey: Steps, Examples & Archetypes

    hero's journey essay introduction

  4. The Hobbit Hero'S Journey Narrative Essay Example

    hero's journey essay introduction

  5. The Hero's Journey: Understanding the 12 Stages of Adventure

    hero's journey essay introduction

  6. Introduction to the Hero’s Journey Outline

    hero's journey essay introduction

VIDEO

  1. The Hero's Journey

  2. A Hero's Journey! 🔱 #percyjackson #disneyplus #rickriordan #walkerscobell #leahjeffries #viral

  3. Hero's Journey 2020 UPDATE!

  4. MANY OF US ARE BEING CALLED TO FACE A HERO'S JOURNEY IN 2024. WILL YOU ANSWER THE CALL?

  5. The Hero's Journey

  6. 👑The Tragic HERO'S Journey😱

COMMENTS

  1. The Hero's Journey: Step-By-Step Guide with Examples

    The Hero's Journey is a common story structure for modeling both plot points and character development. A protagonist embarks on an adventure into the unknown. They learn lessons, overcome adversity, defeat evil, and return home transformed. Joseph Campbell, a scholar of literature, popularized the monomyth in his influential work The Hero ...

  2. The 12 Steps of the Hero's Journey, WIth Example

    The fundamental steps include: The call to adventure, where the hero is presented with a challenge or opportunity that sets them on their path; the crossing of the threshold, leaving behind the known world and venturing into the unknown; various tests, trials, and allies that help the hero overcome obstacles along the way; a confrontation with ...

  3. What is the Hero's Journey? An introduction with examples

    Joseph John Campbell (March 26, 1904 - October 30, 1987) was an American professor of literature at Sarah Lawrence College who worked in comparative mythology and comparative religion. Campbell's best-known work is his book The Hero with a Thousand Faces (1949), in which he discusses his theory of the journey of the archetypal hero shared ...

  4. Writing 101: What Is the Hero's Journey? 2 Hero's Journey Examples in

    1. Departure. In brief, the hero is living in the so-called "ordinary world" when he receives a call to adventure. Usually, the hero is unsure of following this call—known as the "refusal of the call"—but is then helped by a mentor figure, who gives him counsel and convinces him to follow the call. 2. Initiation.

  5. Writing the Hero's Journey: Steps, Examples & Archetypes

    This ultimate Hero's Journey writing guide will define and explore all quintessential elements of the Hero's Journey—character archetypes, themes, symbolism, the three act structure, as well as 12 stages of the Hero's Journey. We'll even provide a downloadable plot template, tips for writing the Hero's Journey, and writing prompts ...

  6. Hero's Journey Essay

    You can also find more Essay Writing articles on events, persons, sports, technology and many more. A Hero's Life and Journey. Research has revealed many responses to the subsequent inquiry: Evil can be encouraged by dehumanization, dispersion of obligation, acquiescence to power, unreasonable frameworks, bunch pressure, moral withdrawal, and secrecy, to give some examples.

  7. What It Means to Be a Hero: Hero's Journey

    Introduction. The Hero's Journey is a process used to describe the struggle and the journey of a person, whether fictional or real. The journey is a process of finding and maintaining balance and harmony within our lives. As with any process of growth and change, the journey can be confusing, even painful, but it brings opportunities to learn and have a different perspective and a new way of ...

  8. Hero's Journey: Get a Strong Story Structure in 12 Steps

    9. Reward (Seizing the Sword) In which the Hero sees light at the end of the tunnel. Our Hero's been through a lot. However, the fruits of their labor are now at hand — if they can just reach out and grab them! The "reward" is the object or knowledge the Hero has fought throughout the entire journey to hold.

  9. Hero's Journey in the 21st Century

    The Hero's Journey. A hero is an individual who aspires to achieve a specific task against all odds and works persistently to get results for the benefit of other people. Furthermore, they are willing to make a difference; promoting change for the welfare of others despite obstacles. Similarly, numerous incidents indicate how anybody can ...

  10. An Introduction to The Hero's Journey

    The hero's journey is not a formula. It gives you the understanding you need to take familiar expectations and turn them on their heads in creative defiance. The values of the hero's journey are what's important: symbols of universal life experience, archetypes. We'll be looking at common structural elements found universally in myths, fairy ...

  11. The Hero's Journey Free Essay Example

    The movie "Shrek" is an excellent example of Joseph Campbell's Hero's Journey. It has each of the twelve steps that "The Hero's Journey" has. Shrek is the hero whom had to leave his "ordinary world" and go on an adventure. Then, by the end of the movie, he completely changed.

  12. Your Hero's Journey: Telling Stories that Matter

    Julie Beck notes that how we tell, revise, and retell our stories affects who we are and how we see ourselves. She writes, In telling the story of how you became who you are, and of who you're on your way to becoming, the story itself becomes a part of who you are…. Storytelling, then—fictional or nonfictional, realistic or embellished ...

  13. Hero's Journey

    The hero's journey is an ancient story pattern that can be found in texts from thousands of years ago or in newly released Hollywood blockbusters. This interactive tool will provide students with background on the hero's journey and give them a chance to explore several of the journey's key elements. Students can use the tool to record examples ...

  14. Bilbo Baggins

    The hero's journey consists of 12 steps that the hero goes on; venturing between known and unknown worlds. I will briefly discuss the ways in which Bilbo Baggins experienced the hero's journey below. Bilbo's Journey. Step one is the ordinary world. Bilbo Baggins, who is a Hobbit, lives in a warm and comfortable home underground.

  15. Hero's Journey Essay Examples

    The Hero's Journey Essay Over the course of thousands of years, human beings have been at the center of creative activity. ... Introduction: The Timeless Tale of Gilgamesh 'The Epic of Gilgamesh' significantly studied by global scholars since it's discovery in the ruins of the Library of Ashurbanipal in 1853 (Dalley, 2008). It is the ...

  16. The Lion King Heros Journey: [Essay Example], 586 words

    Simba's journey in The Lion King begins with his carefree days as a playful cub, surrounded by the love and protection of his family and friends. However, tragedy strikes when his uncle Scar orchestrates a plot to usurp the throne, leading to Simba's exile and self-imposed isolation. This pivotal moment in the story marks the beginning of Simba ...

  17. Hero's journey

    Illustration of the hero's journey. In narratology and comparative mythology, the hero's journey, also known as the monomyth, is the common template of stories that involve a hero who goes on an adventure, is victorious in a decisive crisis, and comes home changed or transformed.. Earlier figures had proposed similar concepts, including psychoanalyst Otto Rank and amateur anthropologist Lord ...

  18. How to Teach the Hero's Journey

    Step 3: Analyze Examples. Before diving into a more complex text, check for understanding using examples from well-known stories or films. Analyze a popular movie plot, working as a class to identify each stage of the Hero's Journey. Pause to discuss the significance of key moments and check for comprehension.

  19. The Hero's Journey

    Analytical Thesis: To create a great essay, the writer must form a solid introduction with a thesis statement, several complimentary body paragraphs, and an effective conclusion. Discursive Thesis: Essays surrounded around opinions and arguments are so much more fun than informative essays because they are more dynamic, fluid, and teach you a lot about the author.

  20. The Hobbit Heros Journey Analysis: [Essay Example], 1478 words

    The Hero's Journey is a narrative structure that has been utilized in literature and mythology for centuries. It outlines the stages of a hero's adventure, from the call to adventure to the ultimate transformation and return. J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit is a prime example of a hero's journey, as it follows the protagonist, Bilbo Baggins ...

  21. Hero's Journey Essay

    Hero's Journey Essay: The word saint is characterized as a person mental fortitude of conviction to perform accomplishments that advantage the overall people, goes about like a fighter of goodness and has a selfless soul that urges the person in question to act against evil and protect everyone's benefit no matter what, in any event, forfeiting his own prosperity or life In spite of the ...

  22. A Hero's Journey in "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" and "The

    Hero's Journey Essay Outline Introduction. Introduction to the concept of the Hero's Journey in storytelling; Mention of "The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn" and "The Odyssey" as examples; Claim that "The Odyssey" more clearly follows the Hero's Journey template; The Importance of Correct Order.

  23. Essays on Hero's Journey

    1 page / 543 words. The Hero's Journey is a theory discussed in Joseph Campbell's non-fiction book The Hero with a Thousand Faces. At its most basic level, this theory states that most stories and myths are divided into three parts - the hero's Departure,Initiation and Return. In this essay,...