ヒーロー

Japanese

Etymology

Borrowed from English hero.

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) ヒーロー [híꜜìròò] (Atamadaka – [1])
• IPA^(key): [çiːɾo̞ː]

Noun

ヒーロー • (hīrō) 

1. a hero (person of great bravery)
   • 1997 July 9, Kazuki Takahashi, “遊闘(バトル)23(にじゅうさん)　アメリカン・ヒーロー〈後(こう)編(へん)〉 [Battle 23: American Hero ‹Last Chapter›]”, in [遊](ゆう)☆[戯](ぎ)☆[王](おう) [King of Games], volume 3 (fiction), Tokyo: Shueisha, →ISBN, page 81:

     友(とも)也(や)…パパは間(ま)違(ちが)っていたよ……このマスクに隠(かく)れていた…友(とも)達(だち)のために傷(きず)ついた顔(かお)こそが本(ほん)当(とう)のヒーローの顔(かお)だったんだね…

     Tomoya… papa wa machigatte ita yo…… Kono masuku ni kakurete ita… tomodachi no tame ni kizutsuita kao koso ga hontō no hīrō no kao datta n da ne…

     Tomoya… I was wrong…… Under this mask… the face that took a beating for friends, was the true face of a hero…

   • 2009 August 24 [2006 November 7], Naoyuki Kageyama, “Ｇ(ジー)Ｘ(エックス)－２(ツー)　その名(な)は万(まん)城(じょう)目(め)‼ [GX-2: That Name is Manjōme!!]”, in [遊](ゆう)☆[戯](ぎ)☆[王](おう)[Ｇ](ジー)[Ｘ](エックス) [King of Games GX], 22nd edition, volume 1 (fiction), Tokyo, →ISBN, page 49:

     Ｅ(エレメンタル)・ＨＥＲＯ(ヒーロー) エアーマンを攻(こう)撃(げき)表(ひょう)示(じ)で召(しょう)喚(かん)‼

     Erementaru Hīrō Eāman o Kōgeki Hyōji de shōkan‼

     I summon Elemental HERO Airman in Attack Mode!!

   • 2013 April 7 [2012 December 9], ONE with Murata, Yusuke, “１(いち)撃(げき)目(め)　一(いち)撃(げき) [1st Hit: One Hit]”, in [ONEPUNCH-MAN](【ワンパンマン】) [One-Punch Man], 6th edition, volume 1 (fiction), Tokyo: Shueisha, →ISBN, pages 17–19:

     何(なに)者(もの)だお前(まえ)は

     Nanimono da omae wa

     Who the hell are you?

     趣(しゅ)味(み)でヒーローをやっている者(もの)だ

     Shumi de hīrō o yatte iru mono da

     Just a guy who does hero stuff as a hobby

     なんだその適(てき)当(とう)な設(せっ)定(てい)は…

     Nan da sono tekitō na settei wa…

     What a half-assed setup…

   • 2016, ライフ イズ ストレンジ [Life Is Strange], spoken by Chloe Price (Lynn), Square Enix, via Dontnod Entertainment:

     マックスはあたしのヒーローだ

     Makkusu wa atashi no hīrō da

     You’re my hero, Max

2. a hero (main protagonist)

Usage notes

• In the sense of "protagonist", this word generally refers to male characters. ヒロイン (hiroin) is used for female protagonists instead.

See also

• 英(えい)雄(ゆう) (eiyū)
• 勇(ゆう)者(しゃ) (yūsha)
• 主(しゅ)人(じん)公(こう) (shujinkō)
• ヒロイン (hiroin)