by Avery Tingle

Created on: April 16, 2008

Memorable fantasy heroes

The topic sent me to my DVD collection as my mind sorted through memories of epic battles and grand conquests fought on large silver screens, to be relived over and over again in the privacy of my living room. I wondered if I should speak of the more mainstream heroes; Luke Skywalker, whose journey from orphan farm boy to accomplished Jedi Knight is known the world over? Batman, who turned a tragedy into a crusade by becoming a symbol of fear and justice in an oppressed city, to be loved for decades the world over?

No, I chose to run with a much more obscure reference. To me, the most memorable fantasy hero comes from the SNK franchise "Fatal Fury" expertly translated by Masami Obari to the VHS market nearly a decade ago. I would like to tell you about a man named Terry Bogard.

To me, a hero is one who does what is necessary without regard to reward. Terry Bogard's journey to become the best fighter he can is a very plausible and human tale about the trials we must all overcome in order to reach our goals.

This is exemplified perfectly in the second film. Having avenged his father's murder, Terry is becoming complacent and arrogant. His attitude is demonstrated in an early match with a taekwondo master who has come to challenge him. Knowing he can fall back on his ultimate technique, Terry doesn't take the fight seriously, still easily dispatching his opponent.

Later that night Terry encounters a Baron who wants to test the young man, and Terry is completely overpowered.

What follows is Terry's bout with depression that leads to homelessness, drinking, total loss of self-esteem, and random, pointless fights that eventually land him behind bars.

What makes him a hero is the long road to recovery and the acceptance of what must be done. Facing the Baron is not just another fight but a confrontation of fear, one that must be conquered before Terry can go on with his life.

Some may dismiss this as martial-arts anime without a second thought, but Terry Bogard's journey resonated with me. We all face fear at one point in time or another, not all of us are determined not to let it rule us. Terry Bogard, though fictional, is a man determined to become the best there is at what he does, and he does so by overcoming every obstacle that gets in his way. I wish I was that strong.

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