Avengers: Infinity War has become a sensational hit, breaking box office records all over. While the reviews of the movie have been largely positive, critics of the film point out issues that detract from its effectiveness. I had a few issues with the movie, but overall, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I was particularly surprised by one aspect of the film I didn’t think I would enjoy—Thanos. Thanos, the biggest, baddest villain of the Marvel universe, takes a dramatic turn from his role in the comics to become a more sympathetic character in the MCU. In fact, from a literary perspective, Thanos actually fits into the mold of a traditional hero archetype.

That’s right, I said it. Thanos is a hero. If you look at his character arc, he falls well within the typical stages of a hero on a quest.

(Note: I’m looking at this from a purely literary perspective, not my own moral compass.)

The Call and Refusal

Typically, every hero’s journey begins with the hero’s call to an adventure, which the hero aptly refuses. Thanos’s call comes in the form of the archetypal Herald, which in his case isn’t even a character. The inciting incident for Thanos’s journey is the news that his home planet can no longer sustain life for the population. His people will die if someone doesn’t do something about it. Thanos is called when he has the idea that will save them: kill half of the population at random. His idea is obviously not a popular one, and he is labeled a mad Titan. Interestingly enough, Thanos doesn’t really fight the decision. Unlike a lot of traditional hero characters, Thanos isn’t really the one who refuses the call, his call is refused for him. He has the method that will save his people, but they won’t go for it. He concedes and allows events to unfold.

Eventually, he does cross the threshold and accept his journey when his people all die. Thanos is thrust from his home and pushed into his quest for the Infinity Stones. Why the Infinity Stones? This is an important fact in establishing him as the hero. The Infinity Stones will allow him to complete his task in a way that will allow it to be completely random and, here’s the key, without unnecessary violence. While Thanos may seem like a violent character, there is a lot he does to keep the violence to a minimum.

Obstacles and the Magic Weapon

Throughout the hero’s journey, the hero must overcome obstacles that work to prevent him from achieving his goal. Clearly, Thanos’s quest will draw a lot of opposition from… well, everybody. Obviously, no planet is going to willingly give up half of their population. They aren’t going to be as willing as Thanos because they haven’t had the experiences he has. Essentially, the rest of the universe is naive to the truth that Thanos understands. So Thanos encounters opposition everywhere he goes. Everyone fights against him, so he is tested and has to overcome each obstacle on his quest to gather the Infinity Stones. His physical strength is tested everywhere he goes whenever he gets close to any stone. His emotional and psychological strength is tested when he has to decide whether or not to sacrifice his adopted daughter, Gamora.

Speaking of the Infinity Stones, most heroes gain a magical weapon that helps them overcome their greatest obstacle. Luke Skywalker has the Force. Harry Potter has his wand. Thanos has the Infinity Gauntlet. Once Thanos completes the gauntlet, he gains absolute power over all of existence. He has a magical weapon that will allow him to overcome any opposition he could possibly face. And what does he do with it? That’s where the final details to the hero character come in.

New Wisdom and Restoring Harmony

By the end of every hero’s journey, the hero has undergone significant change and gained some new wisdom about life. Additionally, the hero restores harmony to his home. This is where Thanos’s journey becomes really interesting. What wisdom does Thanos possess? How does he restore harmony? Thanos understands where the universe is heading. He understands, unlike others, that when a population goes unchecked, it will destroy itself.

This is the part I find interesting. Thanos has supreme power, yet he still holds true to his conviction of killing half of the populations at random. In fact, by using the Infinity Gauntlet, he ensures that his convictions are upheld. There is no unnecessary bloodshed at that point. Think about it. Thanos, at any point in the film, could have used any of the individual stones to kill any of the Avengers at any moment. The fact that he held back speaks a lot to his ideology. If you look, the only characters that Thanos kills are ones necessary to complete his quest. Gamora he must sacrifice to obtain the Soul Stone; Vision to obtain the Mind Stone. Heimdall’s death seems to be more a part of Thanos’s half rule as he’s already on the ground with the rest of the half of the Asgardians who have perished. Loki is trickier to rationalize, but perhaps Thanos has just grown tired of dealing with Loki’s ambiguous allegience. Thanos only uses the Infinity Stones minimally and doesn’t actual kill anyone with them.

All in all, Thanos does eventually restore harmony. For him, harmony is balance, and that balance is achieved with the snap of a finger. We can further see the harmony restored at the very end when Thanos is shown sitting and watching the sunset, a peaceful calm on his face. For him, peace has been restored, and his purpose accomplished. No more, no less.

Whether you like it or not, Thanos fits into the mold of a traditional hero archetype. Aside from the moral implications of his actions (which is a different topic for another day), Thanos completes his quest and comes full circle. Unfortunately, the rest of the universe is on the other side of that cosmic coin.