IT'S A BIRD, IT'S A PLANE, NO...IT'S AN AFRICAN KID HERO: THE TYPE OF HERO ARCHETYPES FOR AFRICAN KIDS ANIMATION THAT OFFER MORE TO ANIMATION

When we think of heroes in animation, we often picture the same familiar formula, which includes,
A young character gains powers, defeats a villain, saves the world, with a few jokes and explosions along the way.

It's a story kids everywhere enjoy, but then lets focus the lens a bit sharper and out the stories into Africa. It then raises a deeper question:
What kind of heroes are African kids learning to admire, and are they the ones they truly need?

As a niche in animation, kids animation, grips the world, almost to any audience. You can find adults sitting with their toddlers, enjoy great singalongs, but when it comes to Africa, the types of stories and character take a slight change and shape towards the audience.

Like it is often noted, African animation, is growing and often like any growth, there's a "turbulent" phase when things aren't accurately defined, and that is where we find the place of kids animation in the African world.

With African children growing up in a continent full of challenges and possibilities, the kind of heroes we put on screen matters more than ever. These characters shape how kids view strength, purpose, identity and their place in the world.

Additionally, in the animation world, this is a bigger step and revolutionary move, that can define a lot for the stories that go forward across the animation community.

Let’s rethink what makes a hero, African-style.

The Problem With the One-Size-Fits-All Hero

Mainstream media has conditioned us to think heroes must be, exceptionally powerful, lone warrior, morally flawless, chosen by destiny or often solving problems through force.

But African societies, both traditionally and today, often value community, wisdom, humility, and resilience just as much as physical power. Therefore, this puts the place of kids animation on a pivotal moment, when trying to bring more to the lore of superheroes, especially from an Africa lens, and how it can drape the stories which will be animated for kids, locally and internationally.

The main problem, pun intended, is the mainstream that often forces African animation creators to shift towards, keeping up with the market in the animation world, than create authentic shows which serve local markets, but risk the possible returns.

All that said and done, for African kids animation, what now becomes the focus to help kids grow with, influence the animation world, and force African animation creators to look clearly, and critically, at how they shape stories to serve their local audience. So do we keep copying hero types that don’t reflect the values our kids actually live and learn or develop this growing voice through the waded waters of the animation world?

5 Hero Types African Kids Need to See More Of

The Everyday Hero

In many of the animation shows or series that feature, heroes, they have always been about the grand gestures, but not too much in terms of being the average and everyday person just trying to make their community a  better place. Not every hero needs to save the world. Some just make life better one small act at a time.  Some of these shows are focused on simple problems that don't focus on the grand stuff, but simple thins to learn from one person to another.

Examples include:

- A boy who defends a new classmate from bullying

- A girl who finds a way to help her mom’s market stall succeed

- A child who stands up to a dishonest adult, respectfully but bravely

Why it matters:
African kids need to see that courage isn’t always loud. Sometimes it’s just about doing the right thing, even when no one is watching.

However, mostly, when it comes to Africa, this will reflect the need for characters that emphasize the communal and collective responsibility that African communities involve.

This also reflects traditional storytelling, where the smallest person in the village often changes everything

The Creative Problem-Solver

We need more heroes who use brains over brawn , especially in communities where creativity and innovation are survival tools. In animation, we have seen examples such as Jimmy Neutron and Dexter's Laboratory, as the creative problem solvers who come in work their knowledge in tech and abilities in innovation. 

Now, let us flip is in terms of African animation, where we have examples of this in Super Sema. However, the larger picture by involving and creating characters, who are able to be the creative problem solver, often addresses concerns, both from a animation and cultural perspective.

From an animation perspective, an African kid hero who is a creative problem solver, addresses the relatability aspect of kids being curious and tinkering with everything they find, plus helps add a fresh look at the character through an African lens. Culturally, it helps inclusion of African kids looking to be inspired by tech and STEM fields, helping them believe that they are valid in this space. Additionally, the use of cultural divinities and local traditional methods, help keep African kids close to their heritage. Examples include:

- A tech-savvy kid who builds gadgets from scrap

- A group of kids who solve everyday problems using local knowledge

- A girl who paints murals to unite a divided neighborhood

Why it matters:
This kind of hero reflects real African resilience, solving problems with limited resources and a lot of ingenuity.

It also encourages critical thinking, STEM curiosity, and imagination

The Culture Keeper

Africa is rich in history, tradition, language, and spirituality. In many cases, in animation, there is a rare chance that you find characters who are linked towards being centered around keeping culture, and being focused on being absorbed cultural practices and values.

This presents a good chance for African animation to be a revolutionary in the space in which, kids are centered around their culture. Kids animation, would benefit a lot from having characters that explore this, more so, from an African lens and showcasing the range of culture for African kids and the world at large.

In addition, this also helps African kids, be strongly linked to their heritage, and show kids that African heritage is something to be proud of, and embraced. Kids deserve heroes who embrace that, not run from it. Examples include:

- A boy who protects a sacred site from destruction

- A girl who learns to speak her grandfather’s language to unlock ancient wisdom

- Siblings who must reenact a folktale to save their village

Why it matters:
In a world pushing Western ideals, this hero reminds kids, that, your roots are powerful. Your past is worth protecting.

This helps preserve identity and fosters pride in heritage.

The Flawed-but-Growing Hero

Not every hero has to be perfect. In fact, kids learn more from characters who make mistakes and grow. Kids are notoriously known for being obnoxious and causing unnecessary troubles and clumsiness, from which they gain their lessons. When it comes to Africa, this traits are important and often used as ways to teach young kids by their elders who guide them through the ups and downs of becoming a better person.

The saying, "It takes a village to raise a child", is often taken almost literally, in this sense, and the heroes born of this, helps showcase, aspects of resilience, perseverance and triumph. Examples include:

- A kid who lies, faces consequences, and learns to take responsibility

- A jealous friend who almost ruins a plan, then makes it right

- A lazy boy who learns discipline through a challenge

Why it matters:
It teaches kids that failure is part of growth. You don’t have to be perfect to be good. You just have to be willing to learn.

This builds emotional intelligence, forgiveness, and real self-worth

The Team Player

Too often, animation glorifies the “solo hero” trope. African culture often celebrates collective effort over individual triumph. In addition, in animation, they are not too many African kid superhero groups as have been seen in mainstream animation. This not to got towards, abiding by mainstream trends, but to be able to showcase the collective heroism in African tradition, and bring a fresh take towards, superhero teams to kids animation.  Examples include:

- A neighborhood football team that saves their field from being sold

- Siblings with different talents who must work together to succeed

- A story where every kid in a class helps solve a shared problem

Why it matters:
African children grow up in community settings. Animation should show that real strength comes from unity, not just uniqueness.

This also encourages cooperation, empathy, and leadership.

Why Hero Types Matter

The heroes kids admire become mirrors and maps, which essentially means, it forms, mirrors of who they are and maps for who they can become

If we only give them super-powered fighters, we teach them that only the “strongest” matter.

But if we show them many kinds of strength, we give them space to find their own.

What African Animation Can Do Differently

We have the opportunity and responsibility, to define heroism on our own terms.

That means, we can let grandmothers be heroes too, make space for quiet kids, shy kids, gentle kids to lead, writing conflict that’s resolved through wisdom, not just action and allow cultural context to shape what “heroism” looks like

Because African stories don’t need to copy the Marvel formula. They can build something even richer, rooted in the values our children live by every day.

Conclusion

African kids don’t need heroes with superpowers.
They need heroes with purpose.
They need to see bravery in kindness, strength in empathy, and power in teamwork.

And when they do, they’ll stop waiting for a savior, and start believing that they already are one.

Who were your childhood heroes? And what kind of hero do you think African kids need most today? Drop a comment, your story might inspire someone else’s animation.