# 'Best' or most popular personality flaw for a hero or heroine to have? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 26, 2015, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-or-most-popular-personality-flaw-for-a-hero-or-heroine-to-have/741435 "2015-12-26T22:51:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 2\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2016, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-or-most-popular-personality-flaw-for-a-hero-or-heroine-to-have/741435/21 "2016-01-03T00:01:13Z")
> [@Not\_Carlson](#): > > Interesting suggestion. > I’ve never read any of the books, but I’m not sure Flashman counts as a hero. (Maybe a “hero”?) Protagonist, anyway. But someone wanted a coward. He’s one and often comes out of his adventures looking to others like a hero. Aren’t there some Reluctant Heroes who claim to be cowards near the beginning of the story? Can’t remember for sure, maybe Bilbo did this. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2016, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-or-most-popular-personality-flaw-for-a-hero-or-heroine-to-have/741435/22 "2016-01-03T01:42:14Z")
Poul Anderson’s space-epic protagonist, Dominic Flandry, is a coward, and is well aware of it. He sometimes does brave things anyway – one of the hallmarks of a certain kind of cowardice is being more afraid of it being found out than of dying horribly in combat. Flandry is somewhat similar to Flashman…just not as funny. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-or-most-popular-personality-flaw-for-a-hero-or-heroine-to-have/741435.md?page=1)