There is a lot of competition for TV’s handiest hero with the 21st century alone already bringing in some iconic hero characters. The 21st century has ushered in a new era of television that some have claimed is the golden age of the medium. Shows like The Sopranos and Breaking Bad were more willing to take risks with their storytelling and the characters they featured. This led to a trend of television protagonists that could be considered villains. But as compelling as these characters are, there are many fans who still want to cheer for the good guys.
The best TV heroes of the past couple of decades have delivered those kinds of inspiring characters who can save the day, but a lot of them also exemplify this new era of television with flaws that make them all more relatable and interesting. Some were grounded and realistic as they dealt with the struggles of the real world. Others exist in fantasy worlds where the dangers they face are on a grander scale. However, each of these characters has made an impact on the landscape of modern television thanks to their effective heroics.
10 John Luther – Luther (2010-2019)
Played By Idris Elba
Though Idris Elba found his breakout role in The Wire as a villain, he became a star thanks to his heroic turn in Luther. The British crime series followed the titular detective who is brilliant at investigating twisted murder cases as well as getting himself into trouble. Luther is one of those characters who walks a fine line between hero and villain. He is willing to work outside the law and break rules, but he always has the best of intentions. He cares about those close to him and wants to help, even though he can get in his own way.
With the series beginning with Luther allowing a murderer to fall to his death, it certainly suggests the character might not be the hero of the story. However, Luther proves many times over that he is willing to put himself in danger to save lives. He even has compassion for some of the people he is hunting, going unarmed to meet a cop killer with the hopes of convincing the young man that he has been manipulated. His recklessness can be frustrating at times, but his determination saves lives.
He is a character audiences still love to follow as the 2023 Netflix Luther movie became one of the streamer’s biggest hits.
9 June Osbourne – The Handmaid’s Tale (2017-Present)
Played By Elisabeth Moss
Based on the iconic novel by Margaret Atwood, The Handmaid’s Tale is a chilling dystopian story about a future where women are forced into servitude to produce children for rich men in power. June Osborne is one of these women who had everything taken from her and was forced into this life as a slave. Her journey throughout the series is harrowing and disturbing, with June being subjected to unimaginable abuses. However, she is a beacon of strength in this dark world.
The show offers a grounded and nuanced look at a hero. For much of The Handmaid’s Tale, June is not in a position to fight back. She is scared, traumatized, and heartbroken. However, the show never depicts those as weaknesses but rather they give context to the bravery June has to muster in herself to keep moving forward. At first, June’s actions are subtle moves to regain some of her power, such as refusing to participate in the stoning of a fellow Handmaid. However, over the course of the series, she ignites a rebellion and fights back, proving herself the ultimate survivor.
8 Coach Taylor – Friday Night Lights (2006-2011)
Played By Kyle Chandler
While Coach Taylor does not battle evil or take on villains, he is a grounded hero who shows the power of being a positive influence on young people and a loving family man. The sports drama Friday Night Lights takes place in a small Texas town where life revolves around high school football. As the young players deal with the immense pressure of their position, Coach Taylor provides a strong and caring figure for them to follow.
Taylor himself is faced with a lot of expectations from the town, but he always puts the well-being of his players first. He is tough and driven, but he is also understanding. His battle cry of “Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose,” becomes the theme of the entire series, that winning is not everything so long as you are taking the right steps to get there.
The ending of Friday Night Lights features a particularly touching moment where Taylor takes a moment to tell a player who doesn’t have a father in his life that he is proud of him. Taylor is the kind of mann who understands what that can mean to a young man like that, while he himself truly feels the pride for his athlete who has dedicated himself to the team and to being a better person.
7 Angela Abar – Watchmen (2019)
Played By Regina King
HBO’s limited series Watchmen is a follow-up to Alan Moore’s groundbreaking graphic novel. While some of the famous characters from that story return, there are also some great new characters, including Angela Abar. Existing in a world in which costumed vigilantes have become outlawed, Angela works as a police officer while hiding her own identity as the masked Sister Midnight.
While the show is set in an alternate universe, Angela makes for a hero perfectly suited to the 21st century. Though she is a dedicated police officer with a strong sense of justice, when she senses corruption within her ranks and even among those who she considers friends, she shows no fear of working to take it apart.
The show becomes a timely exploration of how the powerful wield their power. Though Angela is outmatched by some of the other characters in the show, she is an example of how power in the hands of a good person can save the world.
6 Jack Bauer – 24 (2001-2010)
Played By Kiefer Sutherland
24 came onto the screen with the inventive premise of having each episode of the action thriller depict one real-time hour in a day in which the heroic Jack Bauer must save the day. In that sense, Jack is perhaps the TV hero who is put through the most over the course of the series. The first season of the show deals with Jack having his teenage daughter kidnapped while trying to thwart an attempted assassination of a presidential candidate, showing the kind of hectic days he would have for the next nine seasons.
The relentless and determined government agent puts his life on the line day after day, saving the world from one threat to another. He sacrifices so much in order to save the world, seeing his wife and many friends killed while losing touch with his own humanity at various points. His drive can sometimes push him to do terrible things, including torturing many people, but he would sacrifice himself without thinking if it meant he saved lives.
In one standout scene, Jack voluntarily flies a nuclear weapon out into the desert to ensure it won’t hurt anyone, knowing it will kill him. Even more of a sacrifice, he allows himself to be painted as a villain by his country so long as he is able to save it in the end.
5 Din Djarin – The Mandalorian (2019-Present)
Played By Pedro Pascal
While the Star Wars television universe has been a little hit-or-miss, The Mandalorian is the clear winner of the bunch, and a lot of that is thanks to its epic hero, Din Djarin, aka Mando. From the first episode, Mando is introduced as an intergalactic gunslinger and bounty hunter who keeps to himself and shows little compassion for those he hunts. However, his tough exterior shows some cracks by the end of the first episode as he refuses to complete a job and saves Grogu.
While Mando can hardly be blamed for having a soft spot for the adorable alien, that proves to only be the first of many good deeds he will do throughout the galaxy. Mando takes a lot of cues from old Western heroes, always traveling around from one place to the next, helping out the occasional stranger. This includes transferring a family of aliens to safety, training a village of oppressed people how to fight back, and always seeking to keep Grogu safe above all else.
He has become one of television’s most beloved and heroic father figures and his paternal adventures will soon be making the transition from the small screen to the big screen in the upcoming movie The Mandalorian & Grogu.
4 Jack Shepard – Lost (2004-2010)
Played By Matthew Fox
It’s interesting to think that Jack Shepard was originally supposed to die in the pilot episode of Lost. That certainly would have been a much different show as his heroic journey became deeply central to the entire story. As soon as he is introduced, Jack takes on that leadership role and does everything he can to save the people he is stranded with. He is a selfless and intelligent man who is able to guide this group of survivors through various threats.
While the island the survivors find themselves on is filled with one strange mystery after another, Jack is often the voice of reason, keeping the focus on survival as a community. He is a man of compassion, and even as a doctor, he is heartbroken when he feels he failed someone, such as the tragic death of Boone in season 1. It is fitting that the finale of Lost ends (during one timeline at least) with Jack dying alone in the jungle as he watches his friends escape the island on a plane. In the end, that’s a sacrifice he is happy to make.
3 Raylan Givens – Justified (2010-2015)
Played By Timothy Olyphant
Raylan Givens is a U.S. Marshal who feels like an Old West cowboy that stepped right into the 21st century. He is another hero who bends the rules as he sees fit and can be frustratingly arrogant at times, but he is also one of the coolest characters in television history. Raylan is an expert quick-draw lawman who never flinches in the face of the bad guys. He always has a clever remark and one-liner ready to throw at his adversaries along with some bullets.
Raylan’s heroics may not seem as grand and selfless as some of the 21st century’s other television heroes, but there is a smoothness and fun to how he saves the day that makes him such a fun character to cheer for. Raylan is the kind of hero who doesn’t break a sweat and seems to enjoy being in a standoff more than anything else. Though he and childhood friend Boyd Crowder are often enemies throughout the series, their odd bond shows the respect Raylan has for people, even if they are on opposing sides of the law.
Audiences could not get enough of the cowboy swagger Raylan brought to the show. Many of those same fans were thrilled to see the character return and find himself in another intense showdown in the sequel series Justified: City Primeval.
2 Jon Snow – Game Of Thrones
Played By Kit Harrington
The world of Westeros was filled with plenty of heroes, villains, and everyone in between. However, as the show went on, it became clear that one character was being positioned as the main hero of the entire story. Jon Snow had a fascinating arc throughout the series, making him a more central figure in this story. As the bastard son of Ned Stark, Jon began the story looking for his place in the world but soon found himself becoming a warrior, leader, and brother in the Night’s Watch.
Though it was eventually revealed that Jon was not actually Ned Stark’s son, he inherited Lord Stark’s sense of honor, duty, and justice. He was always looking out for the outcasts of the world, whether it be rescuing Ghost the direwolf as a pup or sticking up for Samwell Tarly. Jon Snow grew as a hero, taking part in some of the biggest moments in the show and participating in more battles than any other character in the series. He killed a White Walker, flew a dragon, and even came back from the dead.
The final season of Game of Thrones was seen as a misstep by many fans, and there was a lot of criticism about how Jon’s arc in those final episodes was particularly lackluster. However, Jon Snow is still iconic, and he nearly became the only Game of Thrones character to get his own spinoff series.
1 Eleven – Stranger Things (2016-Present)
Played By Millie Bobby Brown
The fact that the best television hero of the 21st century is a child is a testament to how epic of a character Eleven is in Stranger Things. From the first episode of the series, it is clear that Eleven is no ordinary little girl and her superpowers make her a formidable weapon on the side of the heroes as they take on the evil lurking in the Upside Down. However, the true heroics of Eleven lies not in her powers but in her bravery and strength in friendship.
After a traumatic upbringing under the teachings of Dr. Brennan, Eleven is overwhelmed with the kindness and warmth she gets from Mike and his friends. In welcoming her into their inner circle, Eleven sees them as friends who she will protect at all costs. The first season of Stranger Things ends with a display of that friendship as Eleven uses her powers to seemingly sacrifice herself to save her friends. Each season has Eleven struggling with the burden of her powers and the desire to be a normal kid.
Eleven is sure to cement her status as one of the greatest television heroes of all time when she has her final showdown with Vecna in Stranger Things season 5.
