Heroism

D.L. is a hero.

As the characters in Heroes discover their abilities, many of them perform heroic acts of service to others at great personal risk.

Episodic Recurrences

Genesis

• Claire saves a man from a burning train car.
• Nathan attempts to save his brother after he jumps off of a 15-story building.

One Giant Leap

• Audrey and Matt go after Sylar when he has infiltrated the safehouse where Molly is being kept.
• Hiro and Ando save a Japanese schoolgirl.

Hiros

• Matt talks an armed would-be robber into going home.
• Future Hiro risks a rift by going back in time to give Peter the ominous message about how he can "save the world".

Better Halves

• After failing to save the men slaughtered at the poker game, Hiro vows to be a better hero.

Nothing to Hide

• D.L. and Hiro work together to save a woman trapped within a burning car.

Seven Minutes to Midnight

• Despite uncertainties of what the exact consequences will be, Hiro goes back in time to save Charlie.

Homecoming

• Peter goes to the Union Wells High School in Odessa in order to "save the cheerleader".

Six Months Ago

• Aware that he has time traveled too far, Hiro attempts to save Charlie's life anyway.

Fallout

• Faced with the risk that Sylar may be kept around and thus possibly escape, Eden attempts to kill him.
• Hiro, distraught at arriving too late to save the cheerleader, turns his attention to stopping an exploding man.

Noteworthy deeds

Some deeds need not involve notable risk to the person doing them, but still go above and beyond the norm.

Genesis

• Claire runs into a burning train to save a man.
• Nathan flies to save his falling brother.

Don't Look Back

• Matt saves a terrified little girl.

Hiros

• Peter is determined to "save the cheerleader" from a gruesome death.

Nothing to Hide

• Matt convinces Ted to let go of a hostage nurse.

Homecoming

• Claire punches Jackie in defense of an insulted Zach.

Fallout

• Niki turns herself into the police in the fear that Jessica may hurt her husband and her son.

Godsend

• Peter tries to stop Claude from stealing a purse and a cell phone.
• Peter attempts to leave New York City after discovering that he may be the source of the explosion.

Graphic Novel Recurrences

• Nathan flies into a burning building to rescue Sheila who is trapped. (Trial By Fire)
• Despite her previous actions, Claire saves Brody from certain death. (Aftermath)
• Matt arrests an armed robber. (Control)
• Audrey risks life and limb to capture a serial killer. (Turning Point)
• Peter has a vision of himself heroically ridding the world of an evil man. (Super-Heroics)
• Hana's grandmother joined a guerilla-like resistence group to fight the technologically superior Nazi's. (Wireless, Part 1)
• Hana gathers intelligence to save the lives of countless Tanzanians from a microbiological attack. (Wireless, Part 3)

Notes

• Matt hears his wife call him "hero". (Six Months Ago)
• Claire thanks Peter for his heroics, saying, "You're totally my hero." (Fallout)
• Hiro calls Takezo Kensai a hero. (Godsend)
• Nathan tells Peter that he's not meant to save the world. (Godsend)