Hero vs. Legend — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman — Updated on October 28, 2023
A hero is someone admired for courage or noble qualities, while a legend is a famous person or story often enveloped in myth.
Difference Between Hero and Legend
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
A hero is typically a person admired for their courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities. Legends, while they can be about heroes, are stories or people that have become famous over time, often blurring the line between fact and fiction.
Heroes are often associated with specific acts of bravery or moral strength, while legends are more about the lasting fame or mythic qualities surrounding a person or tale. Heroes can become legends, but not all legends are about heroes.
In discussing heroes, the focus is on their actions, character, and impact on others. Legends, however, are often about the larger-than-life aspect, the way stories grow and become part of cultural folklore.
Heroes can be everyday individuals who perform extraordinary acts, while legends tend to be historical or mythical figures whose stories have been passed down through generations.
While a hero's actions are rooted in reality, legends often contain fantastical or exaggerated elements, adding to their mystique and enduring appeal.
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Comparison Chart
Definition
An individual admired for bravery and virtues
A famous story or person, often with mythic qualities
Basis
Specific actions or qualities
Long-lasting fame and storytelling
Reality
Rooted in real actions or character
May contain fantastical or exaggerated elements
Time Frame
Can be contemporary or historical
Often historical, with stories passed down
Role
Inspires through example or sacrifice
Entertains, teaches, or becomes a cultural touchstone
Compare with Definitions
Hero
Someone admired for courage.
The firefighter was hailed as a hero for saving the child.
Legend
A traditional story popularly regarded as historical.
The legend of King Arthur fascinates people worldwide.
Hero
The central character in a story.
The hero in the novel embarks on a challenging journey.
Legend
A story handed down from the past.
The local legend speaks of a hidden treasure in the mountains.
Hero
A person who is greatly admired or revered.
The scientist was considered a hero for her groundbreaking research.
Legend
A famous or notorious person.
The musician was a legend in the world of jazz.
Hero
Someone who saves others from danger.
The lifeguard became a hero after rescuing the swimmers.
Legend
A story symbolizing moral or spiritual truths.
The legend of the phoenix represents rebirth and renewal.
Hero
A person admired for their noble qualities.
She was a hero to many for her charitable work.
Legend
A legend is a genre of folklore that consists of a narrative featuring human actions perceived or believed both by teller and listeners to have taken place within human history. Narratives in this genre may demonstrate human values, and possess certain qualities that give the tale verisimilitude.
Hero
A hero (heroine in its feminine form) is a real person or a main fictional character who, in the face of danger, combats adversity through feats of ingenuity, courage, or strength. Like other formerly solely gender-specific terms (like actor), hero is often used to refer to any gender, though heroine only refers to women.
Legend
An unverified story handed down from earlier times, especially one popularly believed to be historical.
Hero
A priestess of Aphrodite beloved by Leander.
Legend
A body or collection of such stories.
Hero
A person noted for feats of courage or nobility of purpose, especially one who has risked or sacrificed one's life
Soldiers and nurses who were heroes in an unpopular war.
Legend
See urban legend.
Hero
A person noted for special achievement in a particular field
The heroes of medicine.
Legend
One that inspires legends or achieves legendary fame
She is a legend in her own time.
Hero
The principal character in a novel, poem, or dramatic presentation.
Legend
An inscription or title on an object, such as a coin.
Hero
In mythology and legend, an individual, often a man of divine ancestry, who is endowed with great courage and strength, celebrated for bold exploits, and favored by the gods.
Legend
An explanatory caption accompanying an illustration.
Hero
See submarine sandwich.
Legend
An explanatory table or list of the symbols appearing on a map or chart.
Hero
Somebody who possesses great bravery and carries out extraordinary or noble deeds.
Legend
An unrealistic story depicting past events.
Hero
A role model.
Legend
A story of unknown origin describing plausible but extraordinary past events.
The legend of Troy was discovered to have a historical basis.
Hero
The protagonist in a work of fiction.
Legend
A plausible story set in the historical past, but whose historicity is uncertain.
The legend of Robin Hood
Hero
(poker) The current player, especially an hypothetical player for example and didactic purposes. Compare: any opponent player. Not to be confused with a weak call against a supposed bluff.
Let's discuss how to play if the hero has KK, and there's an ace on board.
Legend
A story in which a kernel of truth is embellished to an unlikely degree.
The 1984 Rose Bowl prank has spawned many legends. Here's the real story.
Hero
(US) A large sandwich made from meats and cheeses; a hero sandwich.
Legend
A fabricated backstory for a spy, with associated documents and records.
According to his legend, he once worked for the Red Cross, spreading humanitarian aid in Africa.
Hero
The product chosen from several candidates to be photographed, as in food advertising, or with props used in a movie.
Legend
A person related to a legend or legends.
Hero
(web design) The eye-catching top portion of a web page, sometimes including a hero image; the portion above the fold.
Legend
A leading protagonist in a historical legend.
Achilles is a legend in Greek culture.
Hero
An illustrious man, supposed to be exalted, after death, to a place among the gods; a demigod, as Hercules.
Legend
A person with legend-like qualities, such as extraordinary accomplishment.
Michael Jordan stands as a legend in basketball.
Hero
A man of distinguished valor or enterprise in danger, or fortitude in suffering; a prominent or central personage in any remarkable action or event; hence, a great or illustrious person.
Each man is a hero and oracle to somebody.
Legend
A key to the symbols and color codes on a map, chart, etc.
According to the legend on the map, that building is a school.
Hero
The principal personage in a poem, story, and the like, or the person who has the principal share in the transactions related; as Achilles in the Iliad, Ulysses in the Odyssey, and Æneas in the Æneid.
The shining quality of an epic hero.
Hero worship exists, has existed, and will forever exist, universally among mankind.
Legend
An inscription, motto, or title, especially one surrounding the field in a medal or coin, or placed upon a heraldic shield or beneath an engraving or illustration.
Hero
A man distinguished by exceptional courage and nobility and strength;
RAF pilots were the heroes of the Battle of Britain
Legend
A musical composition set to a poetical story.
Hero
The principal character in a play or movie or novel or poem
Legend
(naval) The design and specification of a vessel.
Hero
Someone who fights for a cause
Legend
To tell or narrate; to recount.
Hero
Greek mathematician and inventor who devised a way to determine the area of a triangle and who described various mechanical devices (first century)
Legend
That which is appointed to be read; especially, a chronicle or register of the lives of saints, formerly read at matins, and in the refectories of religious houses.
Hero
(classical mythology) a being of great strength and courage celebrated for bold exploits; often the offspring of a mortal and a god
Legend
A story respecting saints; especially, one of a marvelous nature.
Hero
(Greek mythology) priestess of Aphrodite who killed herself when her lover Leander drowned while trying to swim the Hellespont to see her
Legend
Any wonderful story coming down from the past, but not verifiable by historical record; a myth; a fable.
And in this legend all that glorious deed
Read, whilst you arm you.
Hero
A large sandwich made of a long crusty roll split lengthwise and filled with meats and cheese (and tomato and onion and lettuce and condiments); different names are used in different sections of the United States
Legend
An inscription, motto, or title, esp. one surrounding the field in a medal or coin, or placed upon an heraldic shield or beneath an engraving or illustration.
Legend
To tell or narrate, as a legend.
Legend
A story about mythical or supernatural beings or events
Legend
Brief description accompanying an illustration
Legend
A person or thing whose existence is historical but has mythic qualities.
Robin Hood is a legend blending history and folklore.
Common Curiosities
Is the term 'hero' gender-specific?
No, the term 'hero' can refer to individuals of any gender.
Can a hero become a legend?
Yes, heroes can become legends if their stories are passed down and gain mythical status.
Do legends always contain supernatural elements?
Not always, but many legends do incorporate fantastical or exaggerated features.
Can a hero be a regular person?
Absolutely. Heroes can be everyday people who perform extraordinary acts.
Is every famous person a legend?
Not necessarily. Legends usually have an enduring and mythic quality beyond mere fame.
Are legends important culturally?
Yes, legends often play an important role in cultural identity and values.
Are all legends based on real people?
Not necessarily. Some legends are entirely fictional or have very loose connections to historical figures.
Can legends change over time?
Yes, legends often evolve as they are retold through generations.
Can fictional characters be heroes?
Yes, fictional characters can be portrayed as heroes in stories or movies.
Do legends have to be ancient?
No, while many are ancient, new legends can emerge over time.
Are heroes always morally good?
Heroes are generally viewed as having noble qualities, but interpretations of heroism can vary.
Can legends be based on true events?
Yes, some legends start from a kernel of truth but are often embellished over time.
Can a hero be flawed?
Yes, heroes can have flaws, and sometimes their struggles add to their heroism.
Can someone be a hero without recognition?
Yes, heroism doesn't depend on recognition; it's about actions and character.
Is a hero always victorious?
Not necessarily. Sometimes heroism is found in effort or sacrifice, regardless of the outcome.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
