Shojo Hero Traits
Basic Traits
A character must at least meet 4 of the basic traits to be classified as a Shojo Hero:
- Heroic/Honorable: A Shojo Hero accomplishes a noble and extraordinary deed and/or display a high sense of honor.
- Kind/Gentle: A Shojo Hero is nice to everyone around them, even their enemies.
- Bubbly: A Shojo Hero is rather energetic, though not necessarily to the point of hyperactivity.
- Compassionate: A Shojo Hero has a high sense of empathy and can feel the feelings of others.
- Clumsy: A Shojo Hero tends to be awkward with how they move.
- Socially Awkward: A Shojo Hero tends to embarrass oneself when interacting with others.
- Naive/Absent-Minded: Though not as unintelligent as its shonen counterpart, a Shojo Hero is ignorant to everyday experiences and/or doesn't always pay attention.
- Has a Crush on Someone: A Shojo Hero has romantic feelings for another character.
- Optimistic: A Shojo Hero maintains a positive outlook on life.
- Innocent: A Shojo Hero is hard to corrupt in terms of morals.
Bonus Traits
- Believes in the Power of Friendship/Love: A Shojo Hero gains their strength from how much she loves her crushes/lovers, family and/or friends.
- Possesses Plot Armor: A Shojo Hero survives through dangerous situations in their respective stories because they are essential to the plot.
- Has a Sweet Tooth: A Shojo Hero likes to eat sweet-tasting food (i.e. cake, ice cream, cookies, etc.)
- Wears Bright Colors: A Shojo Hero wears clothes with bright colors.
- Pigtails/Bob-Cuts/Buns/Long-Hair: A Shojo Hero wears their hair in either pigtails, bob-cuts, buns or just having hair going long past their waist.
- Unnatural Hair Color: The color of a Shojo Hero's hair is uncommon among the conventional.
- Insecure: A Shojo Hero has low self-esteem.
- Is a Crybaby: A Shojo Hero is prone to crying a lot, sometimes for no serious reason.
- Pacifistic: Unlike a typical Shonen Hero, who like to fight worthy opponents for thrills, a Shojo Hero typically prefer to solve problems without using violence.
- Has an Idol: A Shojo Hero has another character to look up to and aspire to.
- Calls Out Attacks: A Shojo Hero calls out their attacking moves before using them against their opponents.
- (NOTE: Bold and italicize the attacks the characters shout out.)
- Magical: A Shojo Hero has magical powers.
- Is a Cutie: A Shojo Hero possesses characteristics that makes them come off as cute, especially to young girls.
Categories
Special Categories That Can Fit
- Shonen Heroes: If a Shojo Hero has several qualities associated with the Shonen Hero archetype, they may qualify.
Categories That Never Fit:
List of categories and traits that contrasts with Shojo Hero.
- Fake Tragic: Heroes who have genuine tragedies but have severe corrupting factors that go far past it (e.g. heinousness, criminal acts, sociopathy, grey-zoned acts) can never count as a Shojo Hero.
- Faux Redemption/Beyond Redemption: If a Shojo Hero becomes a villain, they must always redeem themselves.
- Near Pure Evil: Too much of full-scale villains to count.
- Pure Evil: Same reasons as NPE's
- Rapists: Unless they show remorse which is extremely rare and unlikely, they are too repulsive, cruel, dark and vile to fit.
- Totalitarians: In general, totalitarianism is considered the opposite of what a Shonen Hero stands for, in fact, many shonen heroes are known for toppling oppressive dictatorships in their stories.