Jay Gatsby and James Gatz: Who was the Great Romantic Hero? A romantic hero is one who repudiates the standards and customs put upon them by society,they are spurned by society and positions themselves as an important character in their own lives There are three versions of a romantic hero, the Byronic hero, an antihero, and romantic hero. The type of romantic hero that resides in the novel The Great Gatsby, is a Byronic hero. A Byronic hero is similar to a romantic hero, but exhibits slightly different characteristics; a Byronic hero is described to be arrogant, skeptical, mysterious,charismatic, guileful, etc. Jay Gatsby’s characteristics molds into a stronger, more fitting representation of a romantic hero (Byronic). Jay Gatsby