The Hero’s Journey -
Template of Legends (and for us?)

Our journey begins in the homeworld of the protagonists. Be it the planet Tatooine from Star Wars, or the Shire in the Fellowship of the Ring, it is the place the hero is destined to leave.

Frodo is convinced to leave his hometown, the Shire, on a quest to destroy the One Ring. (Fellowship of the Ring, 1954)

Step 2: Call to Adventure and Refusal of the Call

The hero is tempted by a mysterious call to adventure. Although he may refuse his destiny, he is ultimately motivated to get out of his comfort zone in search of a reward greater than he could ever imagine.

Queen Elsa receives a literal call to adventure in the musical number “Into the Unknown”. (Frozen 2, 2019)

Step 3: Meeting with the Mentor and Crossing the Threshold

The hero never leaves without guidance. The protagonist seeks the advice of someone older and wiser before plunging into the deep dark corners of the unknown.

Jedi Master Obi-wan Kenobi tells tales of Luke Skywalker’s fearless father, inspiring the young man to become a Jedi just like him.
(Star Wars: A New Hope, 1977)

Step 4: Tests, allies and enemies

The life of a hero is full of strife. In the special world, the hero is faced with numerous trials, ranging from avoiding traps and temptations to slaying monsters. During this stage, the hero makes his first friends and foes.

Assisting his master, the Monkey King Sun Wukong and his fellow disciples protect Tang Sangzang from demons on his way towards enlightenment. (Journey to the West, c. 1592)

Step 5: Approaching the inmost cave

The hero, together with his newfound allies, prepares for their first major challenge in the Special World. They build tension and anticipation through a series of challenges or trials before finally getting to the central ordeal. The hero is finally brought to their opponent’s citadel, ready to face his arch-nemesis.

Harry and his friends go past the challenges set by their professors at Hogwarts in protection of the Sorcerer's Stone, leaving Harry facing off against Professor Quirrell, possessed by the spirit of a disembodied Voldemort.
(Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, 1998)

Step 6: The Ordeal (biggest failure)

All the preparations and challenges the hero faced culminate in this moment. The Hero finally meets the arch-villain in a fight where everything is on the line. The Hero may be mauled by the antagonist at first, but personal changes developed throughout his adventures come in handy and he manages to triumph (just!), or at the very least, to survive.

Katniss and Peeta fight off Cato and the mutts at the Cornucopia and Katniss struggles to keep the mortally-injured Peeta alive.
(Hunger Games, 2008)

Step 7: Reward

The Hero gains possession of the treasure he fought for during the Ordeal. It could be a tangible object, a relationship, or even a belief. There might be celebration, but there is always the danger of losing the reward as the dark side re-organizes and prepares to strike again in revenge. Will the apparent victory and prosperity last? It depends on the Hero more than ever.

Neo gains confidence in his abilities and that he really is the One. Morpheus is saved and he and Trinity escape the Matrix. (The Matrix, 1999)

Step 8: The Road Back

The Hero has ostensibly completed his adventure in the Special World and he should return to the ordinary world with his rewards. Variations of this stage may be a “chase scene” in which the hero narrowly escapes the Special World, or a general reluctance on the part of the hero to return to mundane daily life.

Jake goes back to the military base on Pandora which is now under Na’vi control and watches as the human invaders are sent back to Earth while Jake wants to stay behind and become one with the Na’vi inhabitants. (Avatar, 2009)

Step 9: Resurrection (Final battle)

Darkness and evil are encountered one more time as the evil forces muster their strength for one last strike—one that could topple the fragile order the hero has just brought to the world. The stakes are at an all-time high and the hero may be brought to the brink of death. The hero has to use all the lessons learnt on the journey and may be enlightened during the confrontation, allowing them to transcend into a new being with new insights.

Spider-man finally defeats the Green Goblin in an all-out engagement, with the Green Goblin impaled by his own glider after Peter dodged it. (Spider-Man, 2002)

Step 10: Return with Elixir

Completing the final transformation, the Hero returns to the Ordinary World with an Elixir, be it a tangible prize or a new understanding—it could even be love. The circle of the adventure has been closed, and the hero can implement changes in his daily life and use the experience he gained to heal the wounds. This is also the point in the story where all the loose ends must come together; new questions may be raised, but existing ones ought to be resolved in this phase.

Cooper returns to the Solar System back through the wormhole as the Tesseract closes. He even sees his younger self passing through the wormhole for the first time - only that he is now relieved that humanity has been saved by his quantum data and Murph’s work. (Interstellar, 2014)

Step 11: What about us?

Not only is the hero’s journey the backbone of the adventures of our fictional heroes, but also a reflection of our own journeys to success. What will drive you out of your comfort zone? What will you do when you face your darkest hour? Accept the imminent challenge, grab your Excalibur, and set sail for your quest for the ultimate treasure.

The Hero’s Journey - Template of Legends (and for us?)

We adore our heroes. From the patriotic Superman to the strong-willed Frodo Baggins, however big or small, they all seem to have something in common.

How does an average Joe become a life-saver overnight? Let’s find out! This article will reveal the 10 steps of the Hero’s Journey, with some visual examples from stories new and old.

Step 1. Ordinary World