# Fictional heroes who are overweight

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-heroes-who-are-overweight/946366>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [July 13, 2021, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-heroes-who-are-overweight/946366 "2021-07-13T04:09:26Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 8

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\
**Post date:** [July 22, 2021, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-heroes-who-are-overweight/946366/142 "2021-07-22T01:19:23Z")

</div>

> [@SciFiSam](#):
>
> Thank you, that’s a great article!
> 
> Basically, the summary is:
> 
> In textual evidence, it’s the “bad quarto” that uses the word fat.

I believe you’re mistaken.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\
**Post date:** [July 22, 2021, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-heroes-who-are-overweight/946366/143 "2021-07-22T01:22:23Z")

</div>

Sorry, you’re right, I did misread. The latter quarto is certainly more reliable. Everything else I said stands.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\
**Post date:** [July 22, 2021, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-heroes-who-are-overweight/946366/144 "2021-07-22T14:47:14Z")

</div>

I think Jubal Harshaw (in Heinlein’s **Stranger in a Strange Land** ) is fat, but it’s not entirely clear. He constant berates himself as old and unfit, but that’s an act. One of his secretaries/stenographers talks about “hitting him in his fat stomach”, but, again, that may just be insulting banter.

In any event, I’ve always imagined him as a portly gentleman. It fits.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\
**Post date:** [July 22, 2021, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-heroes-who-are-overweight/946366/145 "2021-07-22T14:48:34Z")

</div>

British barrister Horace Rumpole of the _Rumpole of the Bailey_ series of courtroom tales could stand to lose a few pounds.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\
**Post date:** [July 23, 2021, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-heroes-who-are-overweight/946366/146 "2021-07-23T22:13:08Z")

</div>

I don’t know if Ebenezer Scrooge could be called a hero, but George C. Scott’s rendition from the 1984 **A Christmas Carol** was definitely overweight (especially since Scrooge is supposed to be emaciated as he’s too miserly to even spend his money on himself).

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\
**Post date:** [July 23, 2021, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-heroes-who-are-overweight/946366/147 "2021-07-23T22:25:48Z")

</div>

Frosty the Snowman.

[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fictional-heroes-who-are-overweight/946366.md?page=7)