On the Messianic Hero

The Messianic Hero is a far rarer archetype than either the Human Hero or the Anti-Hero. He is the one who comes down from Heaven to save us all. Common examples would be Superman (sometimes) and Jesus. The mark of the Messianic Hero is a total lack of internal conflict. They are all gold, and there is not a trace of corruption about them. Lacking any form of corruption, they are impervious to all assaults upon them. True they may suffer physical injury occasionally, but nothing can shake their souls. One is reminded somewhat of how Marcus Aurelius said that no man can be injured but by himself.
The Messianic Hero is less common in literature for a few reasons. In the first place, he is much harder to write. It is easy to write a character who is worse than oneself. It is very hard to write one that is better. Because of this, most authors fail in creating a Messianic hero and instead produce a shining machine spouting truisms. Sin is so deeply ingrained into human nature that it is hard to create a sinless character without making him inhuman. Secondly, current fashions in literature make much of dynamic characters. Messianic Heroes can only really change by falling. They may grow, but they cannot really exhibit positive change. Hence the Messianic hero is by nature static. Thirdly, people are less likely to believe in the Messianic Hero without being able to see how he came about. For this reason, he is usually featured as a Human Hero who achieves the status of a Messianic Hero at the end of the story.
It is a common feature of the Messianic Hero that he dies to save his people and is then raised from the dead (see Matrix). He is also commonly the child of a god (Aeneas). He also generally has a deep impact upon the ideas and spirit of the people. He roots out underlying despair, hypocrisy, and cruelty. The end of the heroic journey is often to become a Messianic Hero, just as it is the end of the alchemical one to turn lead into gold.