Every story has its antagonists and protagonists, good and evil, and heroes and villains. In S.E. Hinton’s The Outsiders, the whole gang is portrayed as the protagonists, but there is one true hero. Johnny is the most heroic character in The Outsiders because on many occasions he brings himself out of his comfort zone to prove his bravery, selflessness, and loyalty towards not only his friends but strangers in need. Johnny shows qualities of a hero even in what others think is a crime. When Ponyboy gets into an argument with his older brother Darry, he decides to walk to the park and back with Johnny to cool off (52). Shortly after they arrive at the park, the socs they aggravated earlier by picking up their girls came to ‘teach them a lesson’.