What Makes an Epic Hero? In your opinion, what characteristics makes an epic hero in a story? Is it someone who can defeat many enemies? Or is it someone of great nobility? In the poem Beowulf, Beowulf is the obvious hero in this story. What makes him so great is his “fear nothing” attitude, as well as his nobility and leadership. He has many loyal men that would die for him, because he gives them something to live for, a better life style. So therefore this is what makes Beowulf one of the greatest “hero’s” in literature. To find courage in a person these days is hard to come by. A lot of people are afraid of various things, and to be fearles