Writers of fantasy, I which I include all the great myths of nations and religions, have long followed the formula of one person being a hero fighting against great odds. I for one can see the attraction of this kind of bravery but as with everything else human beings do, it is rather an odd idea to raise one person above everyone else. It is an old adage from the Napoleonic times that to put a man into the line of fire, there were at least three people supplying him. I don’t know what the numbers are today but I do know this – bravery rests with the moment but the fighter’s chances rest with the entire army.
You place the bravest human being facing a thousands men by themselves and they will die very quickly. You increase the numbers fighting on their side from a few all the way up to parity and you increase the chances of their surviving and that’s the point – you increase their chances.
I would never take away the heroics but I would like to see people put it into perspective and understand that heroism without support is very short lived and rarely the stuff of myths.