rocky balboa hero's journey

Hero's Journey

Ever notice that every blockbuster movie has the same fundamental pieces? A hero, a journey, some conflicts to muck it all up, a reward, and the hero returning home and everybody applauding his or her swag? Yeah, scholar Joseph Campbell noticed first—in 1949. He wrote The Hero with a Thousand Faces , in which he outlined the 17 stages of a mythological hero's journey.

About half a century later, Christopher Vogler condensed those stages down to 12 in an attempt to show Hollywood how every story ever written should—and, uh, does —follow Campbell's pattern. We're working with those 12 stages, so take a look. (P.S. Want more? We have an entire Online Course devoted to the hero's journey.)

Ordinary World

Many 1970s films spend a long time establishing the world the character lives in, and Rocky is no different. He boxes. He roughs up people who owe money. He attempts to woo Adrian at the pet store. He feeds his turtles. By the time Rocky finally has a plot, we feel like we're living in Philly with him.

Call To Adventure

Being picked to fight the heavyweight champion of the world would be a nightmare for many people, but for Rocky it's a dream come true. He has always wanted an opportunity to prove himself, and Apollo gives him the shot he has always wanted.

Refusal Of The Call

When Jergens tells Rocky he has been selected to fight Apollo, Rocky refuses. Rocky's like a guy who believes anyone he wants to date is out of his league. Rocky doesn't want to date Apollo (although boxers do hug a lot), but he feels Apollo is in another league athletically. Rocky thinks he would be a disappointment as soon as he sets foot in the ring.

Meeting The Mentor

The mentor in this context would be Apollo. Apollo charms Rocky and gets him in front of the press to build up his confidence enough to fight him. The more publicity Rocky gets, the more he wants to succeed at the fight. Not for the fame, but simply to prove that he isn't a bum.

Crossing The Threshold

Rocky doesn't just want to fight Apollo; he wants to win Adrian's heart… and that might be even more nerve-wracking for him than boxing the champ. Crossing the threshold into Adrian's house, and asking her out on a date, almost turns Rocky into a nervous wreck. But he does it, and the two become inseparable.

Tests, Allies, Enemies

Rocky's a bit of a loner. But Adrian supports him, and Paulie provides him with a warehouse full of raw meat to hit. (Yum.)

The physical training isn't that much of a test for the buff brawler. It's the emotional challenge that is much more difficult for Rocky. He'll have to proceed to the next step to conquer that obstacle.

Approach To The Inmost Cave

Rocky confronts his biggest fear during the argument with Mickey in his apartment. During his outburst, Rocky reveals that he's afraid he'll always be a nobody. By acknowledging this, he's able to put aside his grudge against Mickey and team up with him to train for the big fight.

Rocky's intense training and diet regimen—getting up at 4 a.m. and drinking five raw eggs!—is quite an ordeal. But least he gets to do it to some of the best music in film history.

Reward (Seizing The Sword)

Rocky's reward is his own confidence and self-esteem. With the support of Adrian and Mickey (and to a lesser extent, Paulie), Rocky realizes that he doesn't even have to beat Apollo to feel like he's won. He needs to go the distance with the champ, and Rocky feels like he can do it.

The Road Back

Rocky begins and ends with a fight. But the finale fight is totally different from the dingy gym where Rocky fought Spider Rico at the beginning. Rocky may be basically the same person, but his surroundings are completely different. And—aww—he has Adrian by his side.

Resurrection

After being knocked down a few times, Rocky always gets back up, stronger and more determined than before. When he gets off the mat, he knows he can stay up and go the distance with Apollo… and he does.

Return With The Elixir

Even though Rocky doesn't win the championship title, he doesn't care. He's won two things much more important for him—his own self-esteem, and Adrian's love. Rocky doesn't even listen to the verdict of the fight. He yells for Adrian who races into the ring and says she loves him. He loves her too.

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W hy's T his F unny?

How Rocky Turned the Common Man Into a Hero

By jake rossen , the mag | nov 20, 2016.

Sylvester Stallone wasn’t born a leading man. Complications at birth left the son of a hairdresser with nerve damage that slurred his speech and curled his lips into a permanent snarl. His childhood wasn’t easy. His parents fought constantly, and he and his brother slipped in and out of foster care. By high school, they’d moved back in with their mother in Philadelphia, but Stallone’s emotional problems followed him. He struggled academically and was expelled from multiple schools. The arts became his refuge. He spent his free time painting and writing poetry, but his real dream was the silver screen. By the time he was 18, he knew he wanted to act.

Stallone studied drama at the American College of Switzerland and then at the University of Miami, but then abandoned school to pursue a career in New York City. By his mid-twenties, he was getting by on odd jobs like cleaning lion cages and ushering at movie theaters. The bit parts he did manage to land were few and far between. Once, when funds were short, he took a role in an adult film to keep from living in a bus station. When Stallone landed bigger parts, it was because his drooping, stone-chiseled face made him the perfect heavy (Subway Thug No. 1. wasn’t an uncommon credit). By 1975, the 29-year-old actor was desperate for something bigger, so his agent sent him to the L.A. offices of Irwin Winkler and Robert Chartoff, two producers who had a standing deal with United Artists.

The meeting didn’t go as planned. When Winkler and Chartoff met Stallone, they didn’t see a movie star. Dejected, Stallone had his hand on the doorknob when he turned and made one last pitch. “You know,” he said, “I also write.”

The script Stallone turned in was an underdog tale, the story of Rocky, a streetwise palooka who gets an unlikely opportunity to fight the heavyweight champion of the world. But the story of how the film itself got made is even more improbable.

Earlier that same year, a boxer named Chuck Wepner had silenced the world. Pitted 40:1 against the heavily favored Muhammad Ali, Wepner landed a blow that knocked Ali down. Though Ali ultimately knocked out Wepner in the 15th round, Stallone was riveted by those moments in which it seemed like Wepner stood a chance. When he sat down to write a screenplay, it took him just three days to dash it off.

Stallone centered his story around Rocky Balboa, a club boxer plucked from obscurity and eager to go the distance. But Rocky would have the odds stacked against him. Even his trainer, a salty old cynic named Mickey, would write him off—until a once-in-a-lifetime chance to fight against brash champion (and Ali stand-in) Apollo Creed arises.

To ground his story, Stallone drummed up a love interest for Rocky: Adrian, a shy pet store employee. The unlikely romance allowed the film to become as much a character study as a genre slugfest. But when Stallone’s wife, Sasha, read an early draft, she pushed him to sand down his hero’s rough edges even more. In the rewrites, Rocky, who had started out as a violent thug, emerged as a gentle and deceptively wise soul who, in the actor’s words, “was good-natured, even though nature had never been good to him.”

Impressed by the story’s heart, Winkler and Chartoff agreed to produce the film with United Artists, which gave them creative freedom for any picture budgeted under $1.5 million. But the studio balked. A boxing picture and all its trappings—extras, location, and arena shooting—just couldn’t be made for so little money. And with a nobody in the lead role, the flick seemed doomed to box office failure. Chartoff and Winkler countered by offering to make the movie for less than a million, promising to cover any overages out of pocket, and the producers sent the studio a print of Stallone’s recent independent film, The Lords of Flatbush , to seal the deal. With no one in the screening room to recognize him, the executives assumed handsome costar Perry King was the young nobody who had written the script.

Fine, they said. Go make your boxing movie.

The small budget meant that the production team had to get creative. Interiors were shot in L.A., since a full 28-day shoot in Philadelphia was too pricey. Instead, the team spent less than a week on location, quietly shooting exteriors using a nonunion crew. Driving around in a nondescript van, director John Avildsen would spot an interesting locale—a portside ship, a food market—and usher Stallone out to jog, sometimes for miles, while he rolled film. It wasn’t long before the actor gave up smoking.

The slim budget was evident everywhere. Stallone’s wardrobe was plucked from his own closet. His wife worked as the set photographer. But it was more than that— the movie’s finances also meant that the director had to be choosy about how many shots to film. A crucial scene where Rocky confesses his fears about the fight to Adrian (played by Talia Shire) was almost cut before Stallone begged the producers to give him just one take. The scene became the film’s emotional spine.

When the director proposed shooting a date between Rocky and Adrian at an ice rink, the producers laughed. A rink full of extras, combined with the costs of filming all the takes, seemed risky. But when Stallone convinced them of the scene’s worth, they wrote around it. In the movie, Rocky pays off a manager to let the duo skate in an empty rink. The result was easier to shoot and made for a beautiful metaphor: a clumsy dance between two misfits, each holding the other up.

But improvisation wasn’t always an option. For Rocky’s climactic bout with Creed, Stallone and actor Carl Weathers rehearsed five hours a day for a week. Though both were incredible physical specimens, neither had ever boxed and their earliest attempts were exhausting. (Ironically, only Burt Young, cast as Rocky’s sad-sack pal Paulie, had any actual ring experience: He was 14–0 as a pro.) When the director saw their first sparring efforts, he told Stallone to go home and write out the beats. Stallone returned with 14 pages of lefts, rights, counters, and hooks, all delivered using camera-friendly gloves too small to be legal in a real prizefight. As they practiced, Avildsen circled them with an 8mm camera, recording them to point out their weaknesses. He even zoomed in on Stallone’s waistline to remind him he needed to shape up.

Studying all that footage paid off. The fight was shot in front of 4,000 restless extras, corralled with the promise of a free chicken dinner. In the original ending, Rocky walks off with Adrian backstage. But composer Bill Conti’s score was so soaring that the director decided to reshoot the finale, despite having run out of funds. The producers paid for the overage themselves, allowing for the unforgettable final scene: Rocky in the ring, with Adrian fighting through the crowd to reach him, her hat pulled off by a crew member using fishing wire. The image freezes with Rocky embracing her— stopping at what Stallone later called the pinnacle of Rocky’s life. It was the perfect crescendo to an emotional journey—not only for Rocky, but for his alter ego.

The parallels between the actor’s story and Rocky’s were not lost on United Artists’ marketing strategist, Gabe Sumner. A clever publicist, Sumner knew he had quite the task in front of him: selling an old-fashioned boxing movie starring a nobody. Rocky ’s competition at the box office didn’t make it any easier. Late 1976 was filled with blockbusters, and Stallone’s hero had to battle with King Kong , a new Dirty Harry sequel, and Carrie for ticket sales.

To compete, Sumner turned up the volume on Stallone’s shaggy-dog story. He sold the narrative about Stallone, a self-made actor-writer who had scraped and clawed his way to the top, as irresistibly American. And he bent the facts a little, too. In Sumner’s version, studio execs offered Stallone hundreds of thousands of dollars to keep the script if they could cast a bankable movie star in the role. The impoverished actor, despite having a pregnant wife and just $106 in the bank, stood his ground. He hitchhiked to auditions. He had to sell his dog. But Stallone wasn’t a sellout, and this was his one chance to break through. The truth, Sumner later admitted, was that the studio had never met Stallone. None of it mattered, though—this was Madison Avenue mythmaking at its best.

The marketing strategy struck a chord. The actor’s tale so perfectly mirrored his onscreen role that the film received significant attention from both the media and audiences. And as word of mouth spread, Rocky became the highest-grossing picture of 1976, earning more than $117 million at the box office (the average ticket price at the time was just over $2). Audiences were equally captivated by the soundtrack. “Gonna Fly Now,” Conti’s trumpet-heavy theme, which accompanied Rocky’s training montage, moved more than 500,000 units.

Though some critics, including The New York Times’ reviewer, panned the flick for its sentimentality, most media embraced it. " Rocky KOs Hollywood," crowed a Newsweek cover. The Academy agreed. At the 1977 Academy Awards, Rocky became the first sports film to win Best Picture, beating out heavy hitters Network , All the President’s Men , and Taxi Driver . Frank Capra and Charlie Chaplin wrote Stallone congratulatory letters. He became a bona fide movie star, anointed by two Hollywood legends who had built their careers making heroes of the common man.

Today, Rocky's boxing trunks hang in the Smithsonian. Wedding ceremonies have been held at his statue near Philadelphia’s Museum of Art. Fans still run up the adjacent steps, mimicking his sprint to glory. As for Stallone, he was inducted into the Boxing Hall of Fame in 2011, making him the only actor ever to receive the honor. In his vision of a gentle slugger searching for an opportunity to shine despite the longest odds, Stallone crafted a story that continues to resonate with millions of moviegoers: It’s the American dream played out at 24 frames per second.

When Sumner’s publicity exaggerations were discovered in 2006, few seemed to care. Perhaps that’s because as a character, Rocky did more than go toe-to-toe with Apollo Creed. At a time when Taxi Driver ’s sociopathic antihero Travis Bickle preyed on audience fears and Network played to the bleak pessimism of a struggling nation, Rocky reminded the country what it means to hope. As Sylvester Stallone once said, “If I say it, you won’t believe it. But when Rocky said it, it was the truth.”

The Entire 'Rocky' Story Finally Explained

In the pantheon of inspirational sports movies, it's no secret that the "Rocky" franchise stands head-and-shoulders above the rest. The story of an intrepid southpaw from Philadelphia, the series follows Rocky Balboa across nine installments, and over the years, it's become one of the most beloved franchises in film history.

After all, Rocky is the perpetual underdog who overcomes any obstacle in his path, whether he's jogging up a lot of stairs, battling cancer, or knocking out some pretty heinous opponents. In every film, he proves his grit, determination, and rock-solid jaw. And since it's been nearly 50 years since the boxer first stepped into the ring against Apollo Creed, it's worth taking a look at Rocky's story from beginning to end. More importantly, it's worth highlighting the friends, family, and loved ones that he's scooped up along the way to his status as a sports movie legend. To help keep track of Balboa's sprawling and epic journey, here's a rundown of his entire story.

Rocky gets his shot

When viewers are introduced to Rocky Balboa in 1975, he's a far cry from the legendary champ fans know and love today (even if his wardrobe hasn't changed one bit). He's a fighter, sure. However, he makes ends meet as a collector for a local loan shark. But when the U.S. Bicentennial comes about, Rocky is thrust into the spotlight, meeting the characters that will shape his life for years to come.

He's pulled out of obscurity by heavyweight champion Apollo Creed , who may loom as large over the franchise as Balboa himself. Creed's opponent backs out of a planned fight, so the showboating boxer offers Rocky a whopping $150,000 to take him on. What he wasn't counting on was Rocky having more heart than anyone else in the game.

Rocky begins an unorthodox training regimen that sees him running up the steps at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, punching the heck out of meat, and guzzling raw eggs. Along the way, he falls in love with Adrian Pennino, while also dealing with her hot-headed brother, Paulie. But despite Paulie's alcoholism and bad attitude, he's Rocky's BFF, and when it comes time for the fight against Apollo, Paulie is sitting ringside, cheering Rocky on.

Rocky also befriends Mickey Goldmill, a tough-as-nails boxing trainer who whips the Italian Stallion into shape with some tough love and even tougher training. Although Rocky ultimately loses the fight, he gets the girl and the respect of the boxing community, which propels him to bigger and better things.

The rematch with Apollo Creed

"Rocky II" opens on New Year's Day, 1976, the same night of the fight from the first film. Creed and Balboa are rushed to the hospital where the champion is surprised to hear that people believe he carried Rocky. Balboa is forced to ignore the champ's cries for a rematch when he learns that fighting again could mean permanent blindness. 

Thanks to his rise to fame, Rocky finally gets a little money to his name. This allows him to propose to Adrian, who reveals she's pregnant shortly after their wedding. Just like that, Rocky is a dad, and Paulie is a weird uncle. 

However, in the second film, we see just how massive Creed's ego really is. Despite offers for more professional fights, he becomes obsessed over hate mail about his match with Rocky. He goads the Stallion into a rematch, which Rocky reluctantly accepts after learning that weddings are expensive and doing commercials isn't half as fulfilling as winning matches.

Mickey, who took a back seat after Rocky retired, understands the health concerns the fighter faces and initially declines to help him train. It's not until Creed's taunts go a bridge too far that he decides to help. And after the birth of his child, Robert, Rocky goes after Creed with renewed vigor. The vicious fight ends with both men getting knocked down, but only Rocky finds his feet before being counted out. Just one year earlier he was fighting Spider Rico in a smoky backroom; now, Rocky is the heavyweight champion of the world.

The story gets rough in Rocky III

Three years after taking the heavyweight championship from Apollo, Rocky's life is pretty different.

Yeah, Adrian, Robert, and Paulie are still around, and Mickey is still working as Rocky's trainer. But after ten successful title defenses, Rocky is rolling in the dough. With money in his pocket, a growing family, and a successful career at his back, Rocky is about to retire when a young, "hungry" fighter named James "Clubber" Lang ( Mr. T ) accuses him of taking easy title fights. 

Mickey reveals that Lang is right about his fights being handpicked, prompting the champion to accept Lang's challenge. However, as Mickey feared, fame has made Balboa lose his edge. Before their big fight, Lang confronts Rocky backstage and shoves Mickey, causing the old man to have a heart attack. Furious and distracted by his trainer's condition, Rocky loses the championship fight in the second round. However, he lies to Mickey about the outcome, and the boxing trainer dies peacefully backstage.

You'd think the death of a main character would be big enough for a single film, but "Rocky III" also marks the turn of Apollo Creed from an antagonist to best friend. After witnessing the loss to Clubber, Creed takes Rocky to L.A. and, along with trainer Tony "Duke" Evers, teaches him to fight using a more Muhammad Ali-style of boxing . After Apollo helps him shake off the depression of losing Mickey, Rocky finds the eye of the tiger and defeats Lang in a 1982 rematch. The film ends with Rocky and Apollo solidifying their friendship with a friendly sparring match.

Rocky's Cold War

In 1985, a Russian boxer named Ivan Drago is given unlimited resources by the Soviet Union to prove that his athleticism is unparalleled by any American. This obviously doesn't sit well with Apollo Creed, whose two biggest trademarks are patriotism and egomania. 

So the two fight in an exhibition that results in the highly trained Russian killing Creed in the ring. It's one of the more devastating moments in the franchise as Rocky feels immense guilt for not throwing in the towel, despite Creed's last words being a warning not to do so. 

Wanting revenge, Rocky challenges Drago to a fight, which he only accepts on the condition that it takes place in Russia. A grieving Balboa is accompanied by Paulie and Duke, who reveals he raised Apollo and feels like he lost a son. Together, they train in very simple, grounded ways compared to Drago's regimen of high-tech machines and steroids. Over time, Duke solidifies himself as one of Rocky's best trainers, constantly encouraging him to feel "no pain" against the Russian and to "chop him down." 

Adrian watches as her husband wins over the hostile Soviet crowd. Eventually, the Italian Stallion knocks Drago out in the 15th round, right in front of the Soviet premier. He then offers a now-famous speech about finding peace between the rival nations. And with that, Rocky has perhaps his greatest victory under his belt, but at the cost of his best friend.

Rocky fights a young Gunn

Most of Rocky's battles until this point have been physical and in the ring. "Rocky V" breaks the mold and finds the champion struggling with retirement and fatherhood. Being a dad is especially hard now that Robert Balboa is a teenager. Making things even more complicated, Rocky and Adrian return from Russia only to find out that their finances have been mismanaged, and the family no longer has the glitz and glamour they once enjoyed. Plus, Rocky learns that he's got a major brain injury, forcing him to lay down the gloves.

So Rocky reopens Mickey's gym and lives vicariously through a young up-and-comer named Tommy Gunn. The fulfillment he gets out of training Gunn causes Rocky to neglect his real son. As a result, Robert ends up on the wrong side of the tracks and starts spiraling out of control. 

It's up to Adrian and Paulie to ground Rocky and show him what's important. His wife reminds him that any boxer could've stood against Ivan Drago, but it was Rocky's unique spirit that allowed him to win. After a stunning betrayal by Gunn, Rocky focuses on fatherhood and wins back the affection of his son. Things culminate in a brutal street fight with Tommy after he punches Paulie in the face. However, the real heroes of this movie are the people in Rocky's orbit. Although Adrian and Robert have been in the franchise for a while, it isn't until Rocky V that their full impact on his life is really shown.

Rocky comes back for one more round

After beating Tommy Gunn, Rocky disappears from the boxing world for quite a while. And in " Rocky Balboa ," we find the fighter in his late 50s, retired and running an Italian restaurant. However, the biggest change in his life is the death of his beloved wife, Adrian, four years prior due to cancer.

The grieving former champion spends his time regaling patrons with stories of his glory days and losing focus on his relationship with his son. Fortunately, all that changes after ESPN broadcasts a computer-simulated fight between an in-his-prime Rocky and the new heavyweight champion, Mason "The Line" Dixon. After the simulated fight inspires Rocky to get back into boxing, Dixon's promoters smell an opportunity to pit the two against each other in a charity exhibition in Las Vegas. (Yeah, that brain damage from Rocky V just kind of disappears.)

With the help of Duke and his renewed relationship with Robert, Rocky goes toe-to-toe with Dixon and, thanks to his strength training, is able to go the distance with the younger fighter. In the end, the bout goes to a split decision. As Rocky leaves the arena, Dixon is declared the winner, but Rocky takes the real victory, having renewed his confidence in himself and having proved to the world that he's still got it.

It's Creed's story now

" Creed " initially takes the audience back to 1998, where Adonis "Donnie" Johnson learns that he's the product of an extramarital affair between his mom and Apollo Creed. Mary Anne, Apollo's wife, agrees to take in the troubled youth and raise him. Cut to 2015, when Adonis is ready to follow in his dad's footsteps and become a boxer. However, when no one will train him, he goes to Philadelphia to seek out Rocky. 

Much like Rocky was picked from obscurity by Apollo, Adonis is picked by the current champion, "Pretty" Ricky Conlan, as his last fight before a prison sentence. While Creed and Rocky train for the match, Balboa reveals he's been diagnosed with the one opponent he can't beat through grit or punches: non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

At first, Rocky refuses to seek treatment, but Adonis encourages him, saying he won't fight unless Rocky fights. So the Italian Stallion decides to battle his cancer as young Creed faces the champion in Liverpool. Adonis, with his new love Bianca, trains hard for the fight, and the bout ends up mirroring his dad's first match with Balboa. Creed is grossly outmatched, but he simply refuses to go down. He receives blow-after-blow from the stronger fighter, but gets more licks in than anyone would've thought thanks to some inspirational ringside words from Rocky. Just like his new mentor, he loses the match but ends up winning the respect of the crowd and the boxing community. 

More than anything, Adonis comes to terms with himself and his father's legacy, and he gives a sense of purpose and meaning to Rocky's life.

Like father, like son

After bringing the son of his greatest opponent into the world of boxing, Rocky's other great opponent returns with a scary challenger. In 2018, three years after Adonis' loss from the first film, he's become a champion, with Rocky and Bianca at his side (special shout-out to "Little Duke," as well). But just when Adonis' career is taking off, Ivan Drago returns with his kid, Viktor, to challenge him. 

This is an especially personal bout for both Adonis and Rocky, as Drago killed Apollo in the ring, and his son doesn't seem any more merciful. Following a similar arc to "Rocky III," "Creed II" sees an unfocused Adonis lose to the fiercer contender, only to spend the movie preparing for a rematch. Meanwhile, Rocky is able to confront Drago decades after defeating him in Moscow. It turns out those years haven't been kind to Drago, who was ostracized from Russia after losing so horribly. 

Ironically, Drago ends up throwing in the towel on his son's fight after learning that he's been trying to win over fair-weather friends for decades. His sacrifice inspires Rocky to reconcile with his estranged son a nd meet his grandchild for the first time, while Adonis begins a new stage of his life with Bianca and their newborn daughter Amara.

Adonis must face the demons of his past

The career of Adonis comes full-circle in "Creed III;" he avenges his loss to "Pretty" Ricky Conlan from the first film and announces his retirement. Three years later, Donnie is doing pretty well for himself as a promoter (including working with one-time nemesis Viktor Drago), a loving husband and father, and overall pillar of his community. But just when Adonis feels like he has put the past behind him, it comes calling once again in the form of Damian "Dame" Anderson (Jonathan Majors), an old friend from the days when he was just an angry street kid. 

Dame had his own dreams of boxing glory, cut short when he was sent to prison in 2002 after a violent altercation involving teenage Adonis (who ran away when the cops showed up) and the man who abused them in foster care years before. Two decades after all that, Dame is out on parole and hungrier than ever. He leans on his old friend to give him a shot at the heavyweight crown.

After Drago is injured under suspicious circumstances just days before a title match, Dame gets his chance as a last-minute substitute. He defeats champ Felix Chavez (real-life boxer Jose Benavidez) in a nasty, brutal fight, but his conduct in and out of the ring doesn't sit well with Adonis. Racked with guilt over their shared history, and concerned that Dame will tarnish his legacy, Donnie comes out of retirement to challenge his old friend. He doesn't have Rocky in his corner this time, but with the help of Little Duke, Viktor Drago, and his family, Adonis builds himself back up better than ever to put Dame on the canvas once and for all.

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Rocky Balboa

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Robert "Rocky" Balboa Sr. is the titular main protagonist of the Rocky  film series and the deuteragonist of the Creed spin-off series.

He was portrayed by Sylvester Stallone, who also played John Rambo in Rambo , Weaver in Antz , Marion Cobretti in Cobra , John Spartan in Demolition Man , Barney Ross in The Expendables , Joey Bomowski in Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot! , Gabe Walker in Cliffhanger , Jake Malloy in D-Tox, Stakar Ogord in MCU's Guardians of the Galaxy films, and King Shark in The Suicide Squad .

• 1.1 Early life
• 1.3 Rocky II
• 1.4 Rocky III
• 1.5 Rocky IV
• 1.6 Rocky V
• 1.7 Rocky Balboa
• 1.9 Creed II
• 2 Personal life
• 3 Boxing style
• 4 Reception
• 5 Navigation

Biography [ ]

Early life [ ].

Robert "Rocky" Balboa born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on June 6, 1945 (the same year Sylvester Stallone's actual birth date). He was the only child in a Roman Catholic Italian-American family. During the scene in which Rocky takes Adrianna "Adrian" Pennino skating on Thanksgiving, he tells her, "Yeah – My ol' man who was never the sharpest told me – I weren't born with much brain so I better use my body." This encouraged him to take up boxing. He trained very hard so he could grow up to be like his idol Rocky Marciano. Unable to live on the small pay of club fights, and being unable to find work anywhere else, Rocky got a job as a collector for Tony Gazzo, the local loan shark, just to make ends meet. By late 1975, Rocky had fought in 64 fights, winning 44 (38 KO'S) and losing 20. Rocky was proud that he never had his nose broken in a professional fight (but eventually broke his nose in his first fight against Apollo Creed). His nickname is "The Italian Stallion", spawning from his Italian-American heritage.

The film begins in 1975, in the slums of the Kensington section of Philadelphia, three nights before Thanksgiving. Rocky Balboa is fighting Spider Rico in a local boxing ring called the Cambria Fight Club (nicknamed "The Bucket of Blood") inside a chapel. In the second round, Rico hits Balboa with a headbutt, leaving a gash on his forehead. Enraged, Rocky delivers a vicious barrage of punches, knocking Rico out. The next day, Rocky stops by the local pet store and tries to talk to the shy pet-shop worker Adrian Pennino, younger sister of his friend Paulie. Adrian was very shy though and was scared of Rocky's tough appearance. Afterwards, Rocky goes to collect a loan for his boss Tony Gazzo. Even though the client didn't have all the money, Rocky didn't break his thumb, even though Gazzo ordered him to do so. Later, Rocky stops by the local boxing gym and finds that he lost his locker to a contender. Unknown to him, the gym's owner and grizzled former boxer, Mickey Goldmill, doesn't hate him, but instead always considered Rocky's potential to be better than his effort. When Rocky leaves for home that night, he sees a young girl named Marie, hanging around a bad crowd and walks her home. On the way, Rocky lectures her about staying away from the wrong people. However, once they get to her house she tells Rocky "Screw you, creep'o." Rocky walks home, frustrated how nothing is going right in his life.

Balboa gets his big break when the undisputed World Heavyweight Champion Apollo Creed decides that he wants to give an unknown fighter a chance to fight for the title after his intended challenger Mac Lee Green broke his hand while training. Creed was told no other contender was available for a fight on Jan. 1, which was only weeks away. The First of January had to be the day due to Philadelphia celebrating the Bicentennial on that day in 1976, it was inferred by Creed, with the accompanying worldwide audience. Creed chooses Rocky because he likes Balboa's nickname, 'The Italian Stallion'.

After getting picked by Apollo, Balboa reunites with his estranged trainer, Mickey Goldmill, who convinces Balboa that he can help get him prepared for this fight. Mickey reveals that his career never got anywhere either because he didn't have a manager and he didn't want the same thing to happen to Rocky. At the same time, Balboa begins dating Adrian. Rocky helped Adrian to become more self-confident and stand up for herself. Rocky confides in Adrian before the fight that though he figured he wouldn't win, he wanted to at least "go the distance."

On January 1, 1976 at the Philadelphia Spectrum, Balboa fights Creed, who didn't take the fight seriously during training. In the first round, Rocky knocks Creed down, the first time he had ever been knocked down in his career and Creed breaks Rocky's nose, also for the first time in his career. Creed soon realizes that although Balboa doesn't have his skill, he could deliver crippling, sledge-hammer like punches and was stubbornly determined to keep fighting. The fight becomes a long and grueling battle for both men. Rocky was almost knocked out in the 14th round, but managed to get up. The 15th round finally began and Rocky managed to pummel Creed until the bell rang. Although Creed wins the fight by a split decision, it was the first time an opponent has lasted the full 15 rounds against him. Both men, battered beyond belief, agree that there would be no rematch. Rocky was fine with this as he only wanted to go the distance with Creed. After the match, Adrian climbed into the ring and embraced Rocky saying, "I love you!"

Rocky II [ ]

After the match, Creed changed his mind and wanted a re-match under the stress of being humiliated by the press for failing to beat Balboa convincingly, as well as his own knowledge that he didn't give his best in the fight. Creed demanded a rematch with Balboa, stating that he would fight him 'anywhere, any place, anytime' to prove to the world that Balboa's feat was merely a fluke. Rocky initially refuses and marries Adrian who convinces him to live outside boxing. However, Rocky, a grade-school drop-out, soon realized he had no skills beyond fighting, and in fact could barely read. The money he made in the first fight was soon frittered away so Adrian took up her part-time job in the pet store. Despite her objections, after Apollo insulted Rocky on national television and the newspaper, he agreed to the rematch. Without Adrian's support, however, Rocky was greatly discouraged and could not draw any concentration into his training whatsoever leaving Mick frustrated and worried. The now pregnant Adrian went into premature labor due to over stress and slipped into a coma after giving birth to Robert. When Adrian came out of the coma, she promised her full support to Rocky. Together, Mickey and Rocky trained hard, focusing on Rocky's speed and improving his right-handed punching (Rocky being a southpaw). At the same time, the angry Apollo also focused on his training, taking this match much more seriously than the first fight. The re-match was set for Thanksgiving '76. The grueling battle was another 15-round war with both Balboa and Creed falling to the canvas after Balboa landed a succession of left hands. Referee Lou Fillipo exercised his 10-count to the limit and as both Creed and Balboa struggled to make it to their feet, Creed crumbled back down in exhaustion. Rocky was able to get up, from sheer determination and beat the 10-count, winning the rematch by knockout, thus becoming heavyweight champion of the world.

Rocky III [ ]

Over the next three years, Rocky successfully defended his title in 10 consecutive defenses against various contenders, amassing fortune and worldwide fame in the process. In addition, Rocky also fought an exhibition bout against the World Heavyweight Wrestling Champion " Thunderclips " ( Hulk Hogan ) to a draw. However, in 1981, Rocky was challenged by intense and hungry newcomer Clubber Lang who has risen to the top of the rankings . Rocky had some issues with his trainer Mickey Goldmill due to his revelation of having faced "hand-picked" challengers that were "good fighters, but not 'killers'" which Lang was. Mickey insisted that he would quit as Balboa's manager if he chose to fight Lang, but Rocky convinced him to train him for one last match. However, just like Apollo in the first film, Rocky didn't put his heart into the training, reinforcing Mickey's belief that Rocky had become too comfortable (or "civilized") as champion. Lang shoved Mickey out of the way during a violent exchange of words with Balboa moment before the match, sending the elderly trainer into cardiac arrest, which threw Rocky, outmatched and undertrained, completely off his game. As a result, Rocky was brutalized by Lang and knocked out in the second round, losing his title; and adding to his defeat, Mick dies of a heart attack after the match, devastating Rocky. Despairing and lost, Rocky was met by Apollo Creed , who told Balboa that when they fought, he won because he was hungry. He had the 'fire' Apollo no longer had, and the former champion convinced Rocky that he needed to get his fire ("the eye of the tiger") back. Along with his old trainer Tony "Duke" Evers, Apollo offered to train Rocky for a rematch against Lang, taking Balboa to L.A where he first trained to get Rocky "back to basics. After a while Rocky managed to purge his doubts and get his fire back. Fighting with a style very reminiscent of Creed's own boxing technique mixed with his own style, Rocky won the second match with Lang by KO, dodging and absorbing Lang's best blows and still standing, regaining his world heavyweight title. After the fight, Rocky and Apollo were last seen alone in Mickey's Gym, Creed taking his "payment" for his training services: one last rematch, just the two of them, no spectators. This fight was only a sparring session between two new friends.

Rocky IV [ ]

In 1985, Apollo Creed comes out of retirement and agrees to fight Soviet World Amateur Champion and Olympic Gold Medalist-turned-professional fighter Ivan Drago in Las Vegas with Rocky Balboa and Tony "Duke" Evers in his corner. Creed, past his prime but in the best shape of his retirement, again not taking his opponent seriously, was brutally beaten by the massive Drago in the first round but begged Rocky not to stop the fight. In the second round, Creed continued to be beaten by Drago, falling limp in the ring and succumbing to his injuries. Feeling responsible for Apollo's death, Balboa sets up a match with Drago, which was held on Christmas Day in Moscow. Rocky had to surrender his World Heavyweight Championship title to accept this bout. With Evers assuming the role as his new trainer, Balboa trained hard using old-school methods within the mountainous terrain of Krasnoyarsk, Siberia, while Drago was shown being trained with state-of-the-art equipment and chemical (most likely, anabolic steroid) enhancement.

During the fight, Drago dominated the early moments of the match, but in the second round, Balboa caught Drago with a haymaker to the eye and cut him. The fight continued in a bloody back-and-forth battle, with the Soviet crowd who had originally rooted for Drago began cheering for Balboa while Drago's handler became increasingly upset over his inability to finish the smaller American. In the end, Rocky's superior stamina and determination to win persevered and he defeated the colossal Russian in the fifteenth round. After the fight, Rocky gave an impassioned thank you speech to the crowd which received a standing ovation both from the crowd and the politicians in attendance, effectively ending the Cold War by catalyzing the thaw in relations that would occur between the United States and USSR. Rocky then retires due to damage suffered from the fight.

Rocky V [ ]

After the bout with Drago, Rocky realizes while he is showering that he has sustained some type of injury from the fight. His hands tremble relentlessly and he tells Adrian he is tired and just wants to go home, but accidentally addresses her as Mickey. Upon return to the United States (in a Soviet airplane), his press conference is interrupted by promoter George Washington Duke and Union Cane . They challenge him to a title fight called "Lettin' it Go in Tokyo." Rocky hints at retirement and leaves without accepting the challenge. Balboa’s doctor, Presley Jensen, discovers that Rocky has apparently suffered brain damage, caused by extremely heavy blows to the head, and so he decides to retire. He then loses his fortune after his brother-in-law Paulie mistakenly had Rocky sign away power of attorney to their accountant, who subsequently embezzled Rocky's money in a housing deal gone bad.

His only remaining asset is the now closed Mickey's Gym, which had been willed by Mickey to Robert, Rocky's son. Rocky and the family are forced to return to the old neighborhood, moving back into Adrian and Paulie's old house in South Philadelphia. He reopens Mickey's Gym as a means of income while Adrian returns to work at the pet store, where she was employed when she first met Rocky. Rocky asks Adrian, "Did we ever leave this place?" Though retired from boxing himself, Balboa starts training an up-and-coming fighter, Tommy Gunn . Tommy slowly becomes an excellent fighter, but suffers some from being constantly put in Rocky's shadow; he is nicknamed "Rocky's Robot" by the media. Tommy is wooed by seedy promoter George Washington Duke and leaves Rocky after an argument about whether Balboa is holding him back. At the same time, Robert also has problems adjusting to the new, less-than-lavish lifestyle his family is now leading, and by his father's emotional distance. After a while, Rocky realizes the damage he is doing to his relationship with his son, and he makes amends.

Tommy wins the World Heavyweight title from Union Cane in 1988. However, he is ridiculed in the press—since he had never fought a "real contender," he is not regarded as a real champion or heir to the belt. This motivates Tommy, with prodding from Duke, to publicly challenge Rocky to a fight. Balboa initially declines, but when the hot-tempered Tommy punches Paulie, Rocky accepts, telling Tommy his ring is in the alley right outside. The two engage in a street brawl which quickly gets the attention of the locals, the police (who allow the fight to continue), and the media. In the end, Rocky defeats his protege, then punches Duke (who had obnoxiously threatened to sue if Rocky touches him), telling him "Sue me for what?" Rocky and his son run up the Philadelphia Museum of Art stairs the next day, where Rocky gives him a valuable possession of Mickey Goldmill's that had been passed on to him by Rocky Marciano himself. The two make up for the tensions of the past few years and head in to the museum together.

Rocky Balboa [ ]

In 1995, sometime after the events of Rocky V , Rocky opens up a restaurant called 'Adrian's', named after his wife who, on January 11, 2002, dies of ovarian cancer. Rocky is no longer broke and doing better than he was now. After her funeral, Rocky visits her graveside every day and each year on the anniversary of her death, he takes a tour of the old places where their relationship began and blossomed: the pet shop, now closed, where Adrian worked, the site of the former ice skating rink where they had their first date, and Rocky's old apartment where they fell in love. Rocky's son who, unlike his father, goes by Robert and struggles as a mid-level corporate employee, grows farther apart from his family over the years, and only reluctantly joins Rocky to commemorate the anniversaries of his mother's passing.

In 2006, ESPN’s program Then And Now features a computer animation about a simulated fight between Rocky (in his prime), and the current champion, Mason "The Line" Dixon. The fight simulated Rocky winning by knockout in the 13th round, which stirred up a great deal of discussion about the result if such a fight ever occurred. Inspired by the simulation and feeling he still has some issues to deal with ("stuff in the basement"), Rocky (who is now 59 years old) decides to return to the ring, and applies for a boxing license. Though Rocky passes the required physical with flying colors, the Licensing Committee denies his license citing his advanced age and their moral duty to protect him from himself. Rocky responds to this with an impassioned speech of his own, however, and they change their minds and give him his license.

The brain damage suffered in Rocky V is not addressed in this film, but in interviews, Stallone has said that the storyline explanation would have been that Rocky's brain damage was within the normal range for boxers. When tested for brain damage in Rocky V, Rocky was suffering the effects of a severe concussion as a result of the Drago fight, but he never sought a second or more informed opinion because he intended to retire anyway.

Rocky's intentions were originally just to compete in small, local fights for fun and charity, but with the publicity of Rocky's return right on the heels of the embarrassing computer simulation, Mason Dixon's promoters convince Rocky to face The Champ in an exhibition bout in Las Vegas. Originally also against fighting an aged Balboa, Dixon recognizes the opportunity to fight a legend, and hopes to end all prognosticating about who would win as well as contentions that he has never had a truly great opponent or memorable match. In the press, commentators dismiss Rocky's chances and the merits of the fight, assuming that it will be one-sided due to Rocky's age despite their original excitement with Rocky's return to the ring and their doubts regarding Dixon's ability.

As news of the bout spreads, Robert begins to feel more pressure from being Rocky's son and makes an effort to discourage Rocky from fighting, blaming his own personal failings on his father's celebrity shadow, but Rocky rebukes him with some profound advice: to succeed in life, "it ain't about how hard you hit; it's about how hard you can get hit, and keep moving forward," and that blaming others won't help him. The day after this argument, father and son meet over Adrian's grave and reconcile, which is when Robert announces that he has quit his job to be at Rocky's ringside. Rocky also reunites with his old trainer, Duke, and both men quickly realize that age and arthritis have sapped Rocky of any speed he once possessed. They decide to focus on his one major remaining weapon: power.

When the fight finally begins, it appears to go as lopsided as everyone predicted with Dixon's speed allowing him to punish Rocky at will. However, the champion soon realizes Rocky will not go down and that the old man "has bricks in his gloves". The tide turns when Dixon injures his hand while punching Rocky. This evens the playing field and allows Rocky to mount an offense. In the end, the two fighters go the distance with Dixon winning by split decision (Dixon wins in the theatrical release, Balboa wins in an alternate ending. Dixon is finally recognized as being a warrior for fighting through every round and Rocky proves to the world that he is no joke, mirroring the ending of the first Rocky. The two fighters embrace in the ring after the decision is announced with Dixon whispering to Rocky "You're a crazy old man."

After the fight Rocky visits Adrian's grave and puts flowers on top telling her, "Yo, Adrian, we did it", which is a play on the second Rocky movie's line, "Yo, Adrian, I did it!". Rocky is last seen walking away from the grave and waving goodbye one last time.

Since Rocky's last fight, Paulie has died in 2012. In addition, his statue has been re-installed at the Philadelphia Museum of Art at the bottom of the steps. Three years later, Rocky is visited at Adrian's by Adonis Johnson Creed - Apollo's illegitimate son, who grew up without him following his loss and death against Drago. Adonis asks Rocky to consider training him, but is reluctant to come back to the sport of boxing after suffering severe brain trauma, training another boxer and making a comeback nine years before. Days after his initial offer, Adonis stops by the restaurant to ask Rocky for exercises to help his prowess, and recommends him to his friend, Pete Sporino (Ritchie Coster), who currently run's Mighty Mick's Gym. After deep thought, Rocky finally agrees to takes Adonis as his student.

Wanting to train in the old-school style, Adonis moves in with Rocky, staying in Paulie's room. While Adonis notices an old picture of Rocky and his son, Robert (an actual picture of Sylvester Stallone and a young Sage Stallone), Rocky reveals that Robert had moved to Vancouver with his girlfriend because of the difficulties he faced trying to be independent in Philadelphia, but does check on his father now and then. Pete, who initially wanted Rocky to be a part of his son, Leo's (Gabriel Rosado) team, challenges Adonis to a fight his son, in which Rocky shows reluctance again, but then both agree. Instead of training at Mighty Mick's Gym, Rocky takes Adonis to train at Front Street Gym, where he surprises Adonis with a corner team and apparel. Before the fight, Pete pulls Rocky aside to address the rumors of Adonis being Apollo's son, which Rocky confirms and tells him that he should not speak of it to anyone else. After Adonis' win, the media heavily publicized the story of Apollo's infidelity, which catches the eye of Tommy Holiday (Graham McTavish), who is looking for the final person to fight his trainee, light-heavyweight champion "Pretty" Ricky Conlan (Tony Bellew). While training, Rocky suddenly grows weak, vomits, and collapses in the gym. After doing a string of test ordered by the doctors at the emergency room, Rocky is diagnosed with an early case of non-Hodgkins lymphoma, making him confront his own mortality; the deadliest fight he's ever been in. At first, Rocky was hesitant to the option of chemotherapy as he remembers the pain Adrian experienced as she underwent treatment for ovarian cancer.

After a bitter argument with the former heavyweight champion, Adonis, greatly impacted by his coach's diagnosis, makes a pact with Rocky that they would fight their battles together, as Adonis prepares for his bout with "Pretty" Ricky Conlan and as Rocky undergoes treatment. As Adonis moves on in training, the effects of treatment begin to weaken Rocky, and because of this, Adonis acts as a caregiver to Rocky while helping him get up and go to the restroom and uses the medical facility to his advantage; shadowboxing in the corridors and running up the stairs, passing doctors and nurses. With the fight taking place in Liverpool, a calm Rocky teaches Adonis the hysterics that would ensue during the pre-fright press conference when Ricky Conlan tries to play mind games, and later helps in Bianca surprising Adonis at his hotel room. During the fight, Balboa stands in Adonis' corner along with Bianca. Before the final round, Rocky grows concerned about the injuries that Adonis' had sustained and tells him he's stopping the fight. However, Adonis wants to prove that he is "not a mistake", which emotionally impacts Rocky. He, then, tells Adonis that he wishes he had the chance to thank Apollo when Mickey died but it doesn't match his appreciation of Adonis' tenacity that motivated him in his battle against his illness and tells him that he loves him.

The film concludes with Adonis taking a frail, but improving, Rocky back to the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, in which he says is his "most favorite place." Both look toward the Philadelphia skyline, remaining positive about their futures.

Creed II [ ]

Ivan Drago, the former Soviet boxer who killed Adonis' father, Apollo Creed, in the ring thirty-three years earlier, sees an opportunity to regain lost glory after his 1985 loss to Rocky Balboa: assisted by promoter Buddy Marcelle, Ivan pits his son, Viktor Drago, against Adonis. When Rocky refuses to support Adonis' decision to accept Viktor's challenge, Adonis leaves for Los Angeles.

Mary Anne reaches out to Rocky, who reconciles with Adonis and agrees to train him for a rematch against Viktor, who is suffering torturous physical tests by his father. Bianca gives birth to a daughter, Amara, and Rocky is named her godfather. Rocky and Little Duke retrain Adonis in a decrepit location in the California desert, focusing on fighting from within and training Adonis's body to absorb the heavy impact he will receive from Viktor in the ring.

In Moscow, the rematch is considerably more balanced as a more controlled and focused Adonis exchanges equal blows with Viktor. Since Viktor is accustomed to winning by knockout, his fights have never lasted beyond the fourth round, which Adonis uses to his advantage as he endures Viktor's punishment, even after his ribs are broken. In the tenth round, Adonis unleashes sequence after sequence of effective blows and knocks Viktor down twice. With Viktor exhausted, cornered receiving multiple strikes without defending himself, but unwilling to go down, Ivan throws in the towel, conceding the fight to Adonis to protect his son.

As Bianca enters the ring to celebrate with Adonis and Little Duke, Rocky recuses himself, telling Adonis "it's your time", and takes a seat to watch them from outside the ring. Rocky travels to Vancouver to make peace with his own estranged son, Robert, and meets his grandson Logan for the first time, noting how much he looks like Adrian.

Personal life [ ]

Balboa resides in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and married Adriana "Adrian" Pennino in 1976 during Rocky II . They were married for 26 years. The two have a son, Robert "Rocky" Balboa, Jr., who unlike his father goes by Robert. He was born in 1976. As evidenced by conversations with his priest Father Carmine, Rocky understands Italian very well; however, it is unknown whether or not he speaks the language because his responses are in English. Balboa was a humble man with great heart of forgiving others on their mistakes.

After Adrian's death in 2002, Rocky and his brother-in-law Paulie live together for a short time, then Paulie moves in with an unnamed girlfriend. Now living completely alone again, Rocky cannot come to terms with present-day living and constantly thinks about the past. With the help of Paulie and reunited long-time acquaintance Marie, Rocky begins to move on with his life and in the process restores his relationship with his only child, his son Robert. Rocky's relationship with Marie is established as platonic in the film, but a hint of a romantic interest is revealed with a kiss on the lips the night before the last fight of his life.

Boxing style [ ]

Rocky Balboa fights as a southpaw (left-handed). In the second film, against Apollo Creed, he comes out "orthodox" and switches back to southpaw late in the last round. The real reason for this is Sylvester Stallone tore his pectoral muscles in training, but the idea was probably taken from the great left-handed boxer "Marvelous" Marvin Hagler who would sometimes come out orthodox to confuse opponents.

Reception [ ]

Rocky Balboa was named the 7th greatest movie hero by the American Film Institute on their  100 Years... 100 Heroes and Villains  list. Additionally, he was ranked #34 on Empire Magazine's compilation of  The 100 Greatest Movie Characters . Premiere  magazine ranked Rocky Balboa #64 on their list of  The 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time .

The Rocky character is immortalised by a bronze statue erected near the Rocky Steps in Philadelphia recalling the famous scene from the original  Rocky  movie.

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A Rocky (Hero’s) Journey

Emily Kelly , Editor | April 15, 2021

Rocky’s heroic journey in the movie happens slowly but surely, as he demonstrates courage and persistence. Rocky Balboa starts the movie as a small-time boxer, fighting in little venues in churches. It is obvious to the audience Rocky has some talent and heart, and he knows how to fight. At this point his journey has not yet begun, but it is clear what Rocky’s strengths and weaknesses are: the viewer can analyze that he is strong and has a lot of guts and heart, but his footwork isn’t great and he doesn’t have much technique. After Rocky wins the fight, the audience boos him, demonstrating how his community doesn’t love him yet. We then get a glimpse of Rocky outside of the ring; he lives in a small, run-down apartment, and it is obvious he needs as much money as he can get. This is a common starting point for heroes, as they often start out without a huge mansion or a wealthy background so they can be more relatable. The audience finds out that Rocky is the muscle for a loan shark named Tony Gazzo. This puts Rocky in a unique position compared to other heroes, because Rocky really isn’t a great person. He roughs people up for money even though he doesn’t like it. Most heroes aren’t put in a position where they aren’t a good person so they can survive like in the way that Rocky is, and this is what makes Rocky’s journey unique.

The wise old man that helps Rocky complete his journey is Mickey Goldmill. Mickey is the person who owns the gym that Rocky has been training at. However, Mickey never really cared about Rocky until after Rocky took the fight with Apollo. This is because he thinks that Rocky is wasting his talent fighting opponents not as skilled as he is. This changes once Rocky agrees to fight Apollo, so Mickey heads over to Rocky’s apartment to try and convince Rocky to let him train him. Mickey then tells Rocky that he used to be a fighter back in his prime. This experience is one of the pros that Mickey brings to the table. His fighting experience helps Rocky learn different situations and obtain some of Mickey’s knowledge. However, this knowledge is almost never transferred to Rocky because Rocky initially declines Mickey as his trainer. Rocky thinks that Mickey never helped him in the 6 years prior to his fight, and questions his need for Mickey’s help in the present. Just a few minutes later however, Rocky accepts Mickey as his trainer. This initial decline of help from a wise old man is common among heroes, as heroes often bite off more than they can chew. In preparation for the fight, Mickey gives Rocky drills to improve his footwork and strength, advice on how to better his boxing technique, and exercises to increase his stamina. This aid from Mickey is what helps Rocky be able to go all 15 rounds with Apollo. Mickey is also with Rocky during the match with Apollo, and gives him advice on where to strike along with emotional support. Mickey’s support and advice is a key factor into Rocky improving inside the ring.

Apollo Creed was the opposition or villain to Rocky. Creed is the boxing heavyweight champion of the world, and a superstar, too.  Creed is not a traditional villain as he doesn’t hate or despise Rocky. Apollo gives Rocky a shot at the title, because he knows people will love the underdog story, and that he will make money off of what he thinks will be an easy win. Apollo is virtually the opposite of Rocky in almost every way. In this film Apollo is not hardworking, as he is more focused on money than actually training for the fight. On the other hand, Rocky could not care any less about the money; he works and trains hard for the fight, just so he can achieve respect. Apollo is also extremely cocky and boisterous, while Rocky is very humble and quiet. The final parallel between the characters is that Apollo begins the film at his peak and prime in terms of success. Meanwhile, Rocky begins the film at a low point in his life, as he is broke, unliked, and has little success. However, just because Apollo is the opposite of Rocky, this doesn’t mean he isn’t a great boxer. Apollo Creed is feared within the boxing community and is viewed as a legend. He can backup all of his style and flashiness by winning fights. Rocky taking this fight shows just how courageous he truly is, as Apollo has never even been knocked down before. Just before the final fight, the two fighters have their ringwalks. Rocky simply walks out with his crew in a regular boxing robe. Apollo on the other hand, comes out in style and excessive flamboyancy. During the fight, Apollo is shocked at the punishment Rocky is taking and the persistence he demonstrates as he continues to fight. As soon as the fight ends, Apollo states that there will be no rematch. While Creed does ultimately win the fight, this prior statement can be analyzed as Apollo being somewhat humbled by Rocky, and now partially fears that if they ever fought again, Rocky would be victorious.

The romantic partner of Rocky is Adrian. Adrian is an extremely shy and quiet girl who works at a pet store near Rocky and the sister of Rocky’s best friend Paulie. The audience of the movie quickly realizes that Rocky is way more interested in her than she is interested in him. However, this could just be due to her quietness. Nevertheless, after a bit of arguing with Paulie about her being a loser, Adrian agrees to go on a date with Rocky, having low expectations. They go to an ice skating rink on Thanksgiving for their first date. Unfortunately for them, the rink is about to close early because of the holiday hours, so the couple only have 10 minutes on the ice. This scene on the ice tells the viewer a little bit about Adrian. For example, Adrian says that her mother said she didn’t have much of a body, so she must develop her brain. The viewer can assume that her relationship with her family is very strained, as it doesn’t sound like Adrian had the nicest mom, and it has been shown already that she and Paulie argue often. After this date Adrian goes back to Rocky’s apartment. The two share dialogue, and then have their first kiss together. This kiss marks the beginning of a serious relationship between Rocky and Adrian, and an underlying love story within the film. Adrian motivates Rocky both inside and outside of the ring to become a better hero. She motivates him to do his best and achieve his goals in the ring, while making him a better person outside of the ring. Adrian grows much more comfortable with Rocky and he finds someone with whom he can share his fears, secrets, and feelings. She is the person that Rocky tells his fear and feelings about the fight to. Their relationship grew so strong that, as soon as Rocky finished the 15th round, he began calling for Adrian and ignoring all the reporters. Their relationship is the most important thing that makes Rocky turn his life around.

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The Hero’s Journey, Rocky 4 and Character Development

To understand the  hero’s journey , you first need to remember that every story that has ever been told can be analyzed and divided into several blocks. By breaking up a story into its components, you understand the  structure of that story . Although there are no rules per se to define what a story structure should be like, and writers have the leeway to create structures as complex or as simple as they could be, there are still several story structures that have worked well and  stood the test of time .

The Story Structure

Some of these story structures are so natural that many writers who are not even aware of their existence use them in their plots naturally. One of the most basic story structures is the one that organizes a story simply into its  beginning, middle, and end . If you want to know how old this structure is, consider that in the third century BC, Aristotle wrote that “a whole [story] is what has a beginning and middle and end.”

Aristotle described these parts of the story as follows: “A beginning is that which is not itself necessarily after anything else, and which has naturally something else after it. An end is that which is naturally after something itself, either as its necessary or usual consequent and with nothing else after it. And a middle, that which is by nature after one thing and has also another after it.”

Millennia later, in 1949, American Professor of Literature Joseph Campbell published a book titled  The Hero with a Thousand Faces . In this book, Campbell proposes a theory about the  archetypal hero’s journey , which appears very common among many mythologies around the world.

Campbell used the word  monomyth  to identify this journey, common to many heroes, a term he borrowed from a book written by James Joyce,  Finnegans Wake , published in 1939. Together with other researchers, Campbell was able to apply his monomyth theory to people’s lives, such as Jesus Christ, Moses, and Buddha.

Although no hero’s journey is the same, and each has its own individuality, the overarching structure of that journey is very similar. And although it’s tempting to take the most well-known heroic journeys from real life and literature and break down their specifics, Campbell was interested in those elements that were common. He was looking for a pattern.

So, the hero is not just a character, but a type, and, more specifically, an archetype. Many philosophers and psychologists studied the archetype and gave their own definitions. Plato and Jung, for example, produced many works in this area. In the context of how Campbell looked at it, an archetype is a set of ideas, images, and specific behavior patterns.

Think about Frodo or Luke Skywalker. Although very different, you will find many similarities if you break down their journey, although their specific contexts are vastly unrelated.

What is the Hero’s Journey?

But what is the hero’s journey besides a pure structure in which we generate the plot? The most important part of the journey is related to what it does to the hero. The journey is the process of transformation that the hero goes through. At the beginning of the story, we find the hero in his current state, seemingly unaware of being a hero at all.

Later in the podcast we will relate to how the hero’s journey can relate to team building and organizational development. This is where we will bring in the experience TJ has in teaching college students to become young outdoor leaders and how an outdoor trip, much like the one TJ is leading next month can be used as a back drop for the Hero’s journey.  

As the hero proceeds on the journey, he sets out on a path of self-discovery and self-creation. The hero grows throughout the journey and completes a full circle, which represents one stage of growth. He goes through trials and tribulations, and in the end, they are a changed person with an elevated understanding of the world and about themselves.

Campbell uses 17 steps to describe the hero’s journey and we will use the story of Rocky IV to showcase how this process is used and the ultimate example of character development.

One thing to notice is that the hero’s journey always starts in the ordinary or everyday world; we can think of it as the known world.

In Rocky IV this is seen as the birthday party for Paulie, the time spent with his son and the washing of the cars in the driveway. Rocky feels he has everything he needs and doesn’t need to fight again.

As the adventure commences, the hero steps into the unknown or the  special  world. Once the adventure completes, the hero, now a changed man, steps back into the everyday world, but of course, nothing is the same anymore.

Also, you can now see the parallel between the three-act structure and Campbell’s three-step approach to the hero’s journey.

Let’s take a deep dive into the details behind each of these steps.

As explained above, the beginning of the story finds the hero in his regular, everyday world. Nothing seems out of the ordinary at first. But, soon enough, the hero gets the first push into his journey. However, the hero is not too eager to jump into the new adventure, and he seems at first tethered to his ordinary world. But somewhere along the way, someone or something will appear that will change the hero’s mind and propel him along on his path.

The Call to Adventure

This is the first event that signals to our hero that something is about to change. Either a person arrives, or an event occurs that tells our hero that they must step out of their ordinary world and that something extraordinary is about to begin.

Early in the movie we see the interplay of the relationship that Rocky has with Apollo. When Apollo fights Drago and ultimately dies, Rocky is called to avenge his friend and mentor’s death at the hands of Drago and Russia itself.

Tj where do you see this call to adventure in your work with students in the outdoors?

Hold on to that, we are going to come back to this later in the show…

Refusal of the Call

Because at the beginning of the story, the hero doesn’t see him or herself as a hero, they resist the temptation to leap out on the journey that has been presented. They are very well anchored to their ordinary world, and they don’t want anything to change.

In every Rocky movie he is the ultimate underdog. The movies are literally set within this parable where he refuses to fight under the pretense of, he must stay at home, or because of his love for Adrian or later his family and even the death of Mick.

Meeting the Mentor  

Because the hero is an ordinary person at the beginning of the story, it is often the case that they require some support from an outside force. This could be another person or some supra-natural entity. They usually serve as a coach or mentor and help propel the hero on their journey.

In the earliest Rocky movies Mick was Rocky’s mentor. This later became Apollo and in some ways Paulie. These father-figure mentors keep Rocky steady on his way.

Crossing the First Threshold

This is the place of no return. This is the point where the hero has gone too far already, and there is no turning back. The hero must embrace the unknown as they have decided to move forward and leave the ordinary world behind. It’s not necessarily the point at which the hero realizes that he must or should go through an internal change, but the point in which the hero has decided that they must do something to change the status quo.

In Rocky IV this is the death of Apollo and the scene of Rocky holding him in his lap. He knows that he must carry the torch, not only for Apollo, but also for Rocky’s son and on a much grander scale, the entire USA.

Belly of the Whale

Being inside the belly of the whale is the hero’s first signal that the journey is perilous. It’s also the point at which the hero realizes that the adventure he’s set out on will require a personal transformation to be successful.

This can easily be seen when Rocky and his team arrive in Russia and the unforbidden airport and the attaché’s that are called to be his over-seers while in country.

They can no longer be the same ordinary person from the familiar, ordinary world. While in the belly of the whale, the hero must fight his first fight. There might be a setback that fires the hero up or even a small victory that increases their confidence.

Before the break we learned how our Hero sets out on his quest and has a journey that he must partake. Let’s jump back into it with the second part of the journey, the…

Once the hero has passed the point of no return, he has taken solid steps into the unknown world. Now he is committed to the adventure and is all in. This is the middle of the story, where the hero will face his trials, begin his transformation, and, eventually, gain his reward.

The road of trials

Once the hero is committed to the journey ahead, they must prove their worthiness along the way.

In the case of Rocky this is his traveling to Russia and all it’s oppression and to begin training. He must pass several tests before he can face the big enemy. He of course becomes stronger and identifies inner strength that will come in handy in his fight with Drago.

The Meeting with the Goddess

This is a metaphorical way of saying that the hero gets some tools that will help him on his journey. These might be actual objects that the hero will need, other people who join them, or even information. A glimpse into the future or past or some other kind of vision qualifies because it gives the hero something that he needs to complete his journey.

In Rocky IV you see this in his training and with his team that has travelled with him. Of course, the final piece is the literally meeting of the goddess when Adrian travels to meet up with him.

Woman as Temptress

Here the woman is presented as a metaphor for temptation. In reality, it can be anything that would tempt the hero to abandon their journey. It’s usually some kind of pleasure or need that the hero might have, which could sway them from their path. This is an important step because the weakness in the face of temptation humanizes the hero and gives them dimension. Resisting the temptation shows the hero’s character and connects the readers to them.

Going back to before Rocky travels to Russia this is portrayed as the 1980s excess. It can be seen in his drive in the Ferrari and him knowing that a decision must be made.

Atonement with the Father

Every hero has something or someone that exercises control over their powers. In more traditional storytelling, for a male hero, that person is his father. But if we generalize, this is whatever the hero, male or female, must face and defeat. Whatever kind of entity this is, it holds immense power, and the hero must put up a valiant fight to conquer it. This is not necessarily an external enemy but an internal struggle the hero must face to discover who they truly are.

This is first seen in Rocky with the interplay between Apollo and Rock. Apollo is seen as the father-figure in the relationship. The ultimate teacher.

In Rocky this is the yin and yang parable…the us against them. The Uncle Sam of the United Sates and the battle to defeat Mother Russia.

The Eureka! This is the hero’s light-bulb moment. It’s the point where the hero achieves a superior level of understanding, and from here on in, they will continue the journey with a new perspective on things.

This is when Rocky decides that he must avenge for Apollos death at the hands of Drago. He knows that even though he is the ultimate underdog, the hero will prevail.

The ultimate boon

This is the story’s climax when the hero achieves their goal-the final Holy Grail he’s been after. It’s the moment that all the previous moments have led up to, and he has become successful. He has won and has defeated whatever he had set to defeat (whether a villain or something else)

This is the fight and all its glory. Of course, this is seen in every Rocky film but with the 1980s excess and the stark contrast between what happened in Vegas with Apollo’s lead up to the lead up and eventual return to glory in Russia.

III. Return

Once the adventure is complete, the hero-now a changed man-returns to the ordinary world, wielding his reward.

Refusal of Return

The journey to the ultimate boon was exhausting, and we usually find our hero at this point depleted, on the one hand, but filled with passion on the other. The hero will now experience doubts about their desire to return to the ordinary world. The fear of returning to the ordinary and becoming an ordinary person once more is real. Combined with the exhaustion of the journey so far, the hero might have second thoughts about going back.

In Rocky 4 this occurs right after the end of the fight. The trials and tribulations of a hard-fought battle and even the full-circle climax of Drago becoming more of a hero in his own fight and refusing to fight for his homeland but except for himself.

The magic flight

Many a time, once the hero reaches his final goal of capturing the ultimate boon, they must return this reward into the ordinary world. Often, this journey back is also an adventure of its own, especially if the quest object has been guarded heavily. Often, supernatural powers help the hero on their return to the ordinary world, especially if the story’s focus was getting the ultimate boon rather than returning it.

Rescue from without

In other instances, the return journey is the bigger part of the story. In this case, the hero must have powerful allies on his way back to the ordinary world. Magic or other types of powers will be at their aid, and those will be particularly important since the hero might be injured after the long journey.

The crossing of the return threshold

Once the hero has passed the point of no return to the ordinary world, he must retain all the knowledge and wisdom accumulated during the journey. Not only will he bring in the boon in whichever form it may take, but he himself is changed and will enter the world as a new person.

Master of two worlds

This step emphasizes that the hero was able to perform in both the outer and inner worlds. Although he can only occupy one world at a time, he has mastered both. Therefore, he is a superior person, very different from the one at the story’s beginning.

Freedom to live

Finally, once he has conquered both worlds and returned to the inner world enlightened, the hero has shed his fear of death and, therefore, earned the freedom to live in the present.

Let’s bring this full circle. TJ, how can we use this hero’s journey story as a part of character development in a leadership context?

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The Hero's Journey in Cinema Using Rocky As an Example

The 1976 film Rocky, is a great example of the hero’s journey. Any one of the six films would serve as a great example, but I will focus on the first of the series.

• Ordinary World – Sylvester Stalline plays Rocky Balboa, a sub-par boxer and loan collector in a bad area of Philadelphia. He boxes from week to week for hardly more than change. He works for a local loan shark as a collector due to his physique. He is a good-hearted and gentle person. Rocky is an average guy, living in a crummy apartment, doing his best to make it through the day to day.

• Call to adventure – When Heavyweight Boxing Champion Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) looks for a promotion for a big fight, he comes up with an idea to give a no name local fighter a shot at the title. He looks through a registry and hand-picks Rocky because of his nick name, “the Italian Stallion”.

• Refusal of the call – Rocky has no trainer, is out of shape, and virtually no chance of winning. He doesn’t even want the fight. He questions his own drive and manhood.

• Meeting with the mentor – Trainer Mickey (Burgess Meredith), begs to help train Rocky. He sees a champion in him, and makes him work hard to get in shape physically and mentally for the fight. The old man lives vicariously through the revived fighter Balboa.

• Crossing the first threshold – Rocky has to get over his fear before he can train. He has to find the fire to fight. To gain speed Rocky trains by trying to catch a chicken. He endured rugged training and his own mental struggle.

• Tests, allies, enemies – The Rocky series is know for the emotional and adrenaline filled training montages. Rocky tries to winover Pet Shop worker Adrian (Talia Shire), and she becomes his biggest inspiration. His friend Paulie is with him through it all, though usually not the most positive influence. Apollo Creed mocks Balboa and guarantees a win. Rocky trains in a meat locker punching hanging slabs of beef.

• Approach to the inmost cave – Rocky visits the ring the night before the fight. He notices that his trunks are the wrong color in the advertisement. The employee asks him, “Is it really going to matter”.

• Ordeal – The fight goes the distance, 15 rounds. Both fighters endure brutal punishment and are pushed to the limit.

• Rewards – The fight is a draw, Rocky receives national press.

• The road back – Rocky is put into the hospital for a long time to recover.

• Resurrection – The rematch takes place/

• Return with the elixir – Rocky wins the Heavyweight title.

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Uncovering the Inspiring Journey of Rocky Balboa: Triumphs, Traits, and Relationships

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Rocky Balboa, the iconic character created and portrayed by Sylvester Stallone, has become a symbol of determination, perseverance, and triumph in the face of adversity. Over the course of seven films, Rocky’s journey has been an inspiration to millions of fans around the world. In this comprehensive analysis, we delve into the life and success of Rocky Balboa, examining his personality, relationships, and achievements that have made him such an enduring cultural figure.

Humility and Determination

Kindness and compassion, loyalty and dedication, adrian: the love of his life, mickey: the mentor and friend, apollo creed: the rival turned friend, paulie: the brotherly bond, the original underdog story: rocky (1976), the rematch: rocky ii (1979), the battle against the odds: rocky iii (1982), the cold war showdown: rocky iv (1985).

• Redemption and Rebirth: Rocky V (1990) and Rocky Balboa (2006)

Passing the Torch: Creed (2015)

1. winning isn’t everything, 2. embrace challenges and learn from failure, 3. surround yourself with supportive people, 4. stay true to yourself, 5. inspire others and pass on wisdom, personality: the heart of a champion.

At the core of Rocky Balboa’s personality lies his humility and determination. Despite his limited education and rough upbringing, Rocky remains grounded and focused on his goals. He is willing to face insurmountable odds, push himself beyond his limits, and never give up in pursuit of his dreams.

Rocky Balboa’s kindness and compassion are evident in his interactions with those around him. He treats people with respect and empathy, even when they may not deserve it. He does not judge others based on their appearance or background, demonstrating his open-mindedness and understanding.

Rocky’s loyalty and dedication to his friends and family are unwavering. He stands by those he cares about, even when it is not easy, and is willing to make personal sacrifices for their well-being. This devotion extends to his relationships, both personal and professional, and is a key aspect of his character.

Relationships: The Bonds That Shape Rocky

The relationship between Rocky and Adrian, played by Talia Shire, is central to the story of the Rocky films. Their love story is one of mutual support, trust, and understanding. Adrian’s shy and introverted nature contrasts with Rocky’s outgoing and tough exterior, creating a balance that allows both characters to grow and change throughout their journey together.

Mickey, portrayed by Burgess Meredith, serves as Rocky’s trainer and mentor, guiding him throughout his boxing career. The bond between Rocky and Mickey is one of mutual respect and admiration, as they both recognize the potential in each other and work together to achieve greatness. Mickey’s guidance and wisdom help shape Rocky into the champion he becomes, and their relationship is a testament to the impact a dedicated mentor can have on one’s life.

The relationship between Rocky and Apollo Creed, played by Carl Weathers, evolves over the course of the series. Initially rivals, their mutual respect and admiration eventually lead to a strong friendship. Apollo’s competitive nature pushes Rocky to reach new heights, and their alliance in later films demonstrates the power of sportsmanship and camaraderie.

Paulie, played by Burt Young, is Adrian’s brother and Rocky’s close friend. Although their relationship is often tumultuous, their brotherly bond remains strong throughout the series. Paulie’s loyalty to Rocky and his sister is unwavering, and his character serves as a reminder of the importance of family and the bonds we form with those closest to us.

Achievements: The Legacy of Rocky Balboa

The first film in the series, Rocky, introduced audiences to the titular character and his inspiring journey from an unknown, struggling boxer to a contender for the world heavyweight championship. The film won three Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and established Rocky Balboa as a symbol of hope and perseverance.

In Rocky II, Rocky faces off against Apollo Creed once again, this time emerging victorious and becoming the world heavyweight champion. The film highlights Rocky’s growth as a character, as he grapples with the pressures of fame and success while staying true to his humble roots.

Rocky III sees the titular character face his toughest challenge yet, as he takes on the brutal and ruthless Clubber Lang, played by Mr. T. In this installment, Rocky loses his title, his coach, and his confidence, but with the help of Apollo Creed, he regains his fighting spirit and reclaims his championship.

Arguably the most iconic film in the series, Rocky IV pits Rocky against Soviet boxer Ivan Drago, played by Dolph Lundgren. In a battle that symbolizes the tensions of the Cold War , Rocky’s victory serves as a message of hope and unity in a divided world.

Redemption and Rebirth: Rocky V (1990 ) and Rocky Balboa (2006)

Rocky V sees the titular character face the consequences of his career, dealing with financial struggles and the challenges of mentoring a young boxer. While the film received mixed reviews, it serves as a reminder of the importance of staying true to oneself and the power of redemption.

In Rocky Balboa, the character returns to the ring one last time, in a bout that showcases his enduring spirit and determination. The film serves as a fitting conclusion to the character’s journey, demonstrating that age is no barrier to dreams and aspirations.

Creed marks a new chapter in the Rocky saga, as the character takes on a mentorship role for Adonis Creed, the son of his former rival and friend, Apollo. The film highlights the importance of passing on wisdom and experience to the next generation and demonstrates that the spirit of Rocky Balboa lives on in those he inspires.

• Life Lessons from Rocky Balboa

Rocky’s journey teaches us that success is not always measured by victory, but by the effort and determination one puts into their pursuit. In the first film, Rocky loses the fight against Apollo Creed, but his unwavering spirit and dedication make him a true champion.

Throughout the series, Rocky faces numerous setbacks and defeats, but he never gives up. Instead, he learns from his failures and uses them as motivation to push himself even further.

Rocky’s success is, in part, a result of the relationships he forms with those around him. By surrounding himself with people who believe in him and support his dreams, he is able to rise above his circumstances and achieve greatness.

Despite the fame and fortune that comes with his success, Rocky remains humble and grounded. He never forgets where he came from and stays true to his values, even in the face of adversity.

In his later years, Rocky takes on the role of mentor and teacher, passing on his knowledge and experience to a new generation. His legacy lives on through those he inspires, reminding us of the importance of giving back and helping others reach their potential.

In conclusion, the life and success of Rocky Balboa serve as a testament to the power of determination, resilience, and the human spirit. His story has inspired millions and remains a shining example of the strength that lies within us all. As we reflect on Rocky’s journey, we can draw upon the lessons he has taught us and apply them to our own lives, striving to become the best versions of ourselves and leaving a lasting legacy for future generations.

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ROCKY FORUM | The De-Italianization of Rocky Balboa: The Italian Stallion’s Path to Becoming an American Hero

by Guest Author · Published December 10, 2020 · Updated December 18, 2020

Author: Juan Rodríguez Santos  University of Alcalá

If you polled Americans to identify which character in all cinema best represents American values, it is quite likely that many would choose Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone). Without a doubt, the image of Rocky fighting with the colors of the American flag and defeating the Soviet boxer Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren) is already a Hollywood icon. In Rocky Road: The Hero’s Journey of Rocky Balboa Through the “Rocky” Anthology (Salyer Jr. 2009), the author describes Rocky Balboa as one of the greatest heroes the film industry has produced. Rocky is a self-made, hard-working, humble, and disciplined man who, above all else, loves his family and friends. Curiously, this perception of an all-American Rocky Balboa is mostly associated with his depiction in Rocky IV (1985) rather than the Rocky Balboa that appears in the first two installments of the saga. In Rocky (1976) and Rocky II (1979), the character still exhibits many of the heroic qualities outlined above. However, an in-depth analysis of these films reveals significantly different characterizations of Rocky across the same, classic franchise. Several studies have dissected the Rocky saga. Most notably, Hollywood Italians: Dagos, Palookas, Romeos, Wise Guys and Sopranos (Bondanella 2004) explores the influence of Rocky Balboa as a faithful representation of the character of the Italian American boxer in Hollywood. The plot of Rocky centers on the story of Rocky Balboa, a humble boxer of Italian American descent who works for the mafia and is, by chance, named the new contender for the world heavyweight championship. While training hard for his confrontation against the champion Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers), Balboa begins a romantic relationship with Adrian Peninno (Talia Shire), the sister of his best friend Paulie Peninno (Burt Young). Despite losing the match by a split decision, Rocky wins the respect of all by going toe-to-toe with Apollo. In Rocky II , Apollo claims that Rocky was lucky in his previous fight and challenges him to a rematch. At first, Rocky refuses to fight, but, after his marriage to Adrian and the birth of their son, he accepts Apollo’s challenge. In the process, Rocky manages to leave the criminal world and focus permanently on his boxing career. At the climax of the film, Rocky manages to defeat Apollo in agony and becomes the heavyweight champion. In comparison to the first two films, the plot of Rocky III (1982) and Rocky IV differs significantly. Both deemphasize Rocky’s Italian American heritage. While Rocky and Rocky II foreground the Italian Stallion’s roots, the sequels virtually erase them. This phenomenon is evidenced by the development of other Italian Americans in the series, including Adrian and Rocky’s brother-in-law, Paulie. This article aims to demonstrate how the first four Rocky films influenced the construction of a particular image of the Italian American community (i.e., people born in America and of Italian descent). As in all cinematographic analyses, it is important to consider several factors that structure the filmic language, such as the development of the characters, the dialogues, the setting, and the soundtrack. First, it is necessary to understand a series of concepts such as “identity” and “stereotype” that will be discussed frequently in this essay.

“Identity” is a term that encompasses many ideas and definitions. Its form that interest us most is “national identity”, a concept best described by historian Benedict Anderson in Imagined Communities (1991). Anderson argues that identity is a set of imaginary features that define a certain community and its individuals. Thus, a community´s identity is defined by a series of characteristics, customs, or traditions that link similar individuals together. As such, identity is imaginary since it is a mental construction made up of various symbolic elements (Anderson 1991). Performing these elements contribute to the development of a social group’s image, positively or negatively. A stereotype is a perception or image that one has about a certain social group and, generally, it is structured around a series of prejudices (Cavallero and Plasketes 2004)). We will see below that culture, through its various variants such as literature, theater, or cinema, can contribute to the consolidation of the stereotypes about a certain social or ethnic group in the popular imagination. The books Women of the Shadows: Italian American Women, Ethnicity and Racism in American Cinema (Sautman 1994), Gangsters, Fessos, Tricksters, and Sopranos: The Historical Roots of Italian American Stereotype Anxiety (Cavallero and Plasketes 2004), Psychological Perspectives on the Stigmatization of Italian Americans in the American Media (Messina 2004) and Portrayals of Italian Americans in US-Produced Films (Piersanti 2019 among others, inform this article. Each includes studies of how Hollywood cinema helped nurture images of Italian American communities. In the Rocky saga, we can analyze how Italian Americans have been represented per these parameters that appear within Hollywood´s narrative discourses.

Rocky (Avildsen 1976).

In the first film of the series, Rocky is part time boxer who works as a bully for a local mobster named Tony Gazzo (John Spinell) (figure 1). Rocky admits that his own father described him as a brainless brute who must use his strength to assert himself in life: “Yeah, my old man, who was never the sharpest,” Rocky explains, “told me I weren’t born with much brain, so I better use my body” (Avildsen 1976). As a result, Rocky suggests that he remains n the criminal world because he has no alternative. In this way, Rocky Balboa fulfills the profile of a common Hollywood trope: a suburb dwelling Italian American who lacks education (even basic literacy), lives in a marginal environment, and is related to the criminal world (Piersanti 2019, 115). The 1970s film industry nurtured an image of Italian Americans that, regardless of one’s social class, was directly or indirectly associated with the underworld. Such discourse feeds prejudices that affect this community. Like other Italian American characters (e.g., Jake LaMotta in Raging Bull [1980]), Rocky engages in sports to escape from his everyday reality and to ntegrate into the American society by progressing up the social ladder. In fact, Rocky leaves that criminal environment thanks to the call he receives from Apollo Creed to fight. Ultimately, boxing liberates Rocky by entrenching him in American sports culture. The movie’s message emphasizes the idea that America is a land of opportunities. If one delves further into this theme, Rocky’s Italian American heritage influences his selection by Apollo. The champion chooses Balboa as his adversary after learning Rocky’s nickname: the “Italian Stallion”. Apollo believes the match up will make for a good advertising campaign. Rocky’s Italian ancestry is cast as something “exotic” and “different” that sets him apart from other Americans. The nickname “Italian Stallion” encompasses a whole series of concepts and preconceived notions about the Italian American community. For example, it projects an “exuberant masculinity” in which the Italian American man is depicted as a person who constantly shows off his virility, aggressiveness, and physical abilities (DiPaolo 2009). In other films like Who’s That Knocking at My Door? (1967), The Godfather (1972), Raging Bull , or Once upon a time in America (1984), this conception of masculinity is ever-present. The character of Rocky in the saga’s first film is a vivid portrait of an Italian American stereotype. He shares the screen with two other characters, Adrian and Paulie, who are similarly tropified. Adrian is played by actress Talia Shire, who is best known for her role as Connie Corleone in the Godfather trilogy. It is significant that both of Shire´s most iconic roles are two Italian American characters. Adrian and Connie represent classic Hollywood stereotypes of Italian American women. Despite the fact that both character´s personalities are quite different, they share similarities with other female Italian American characters in feature films of this cinematographic era (e.g., Maria di Coco in BloodBrothers [1978], Vickie LaMotta in Raging Bull [1980], or Teresa in Absence of Malice [1981]). In these films, female characters appear as housewives whose lives are linked to male figures, be they fathers, husbands, boyfriends, or brothers. Sometimes, the women are subjected to physical or verbal violence by their male peers. Ultimately, 1970s Hollywood constructs a portrait of weak, submissive Italian American women who lack empowerment. The same characterizations appear in Rocky , with some differences (Sautman 1994, 224). In Rocky , Adrian’s character is a clerk in a small pet store who lives with her brother, Paulie, in a poor Philadelphia neighborhood. The fact that Adrian works outside the home is an anecdotal detail within this cinematographic stage. Usually, female Italian American characters are typically represented as housewives or people linked solely and exclusively to the family environment. However, this does not mean that Adrian defies Hollywood´s persistent portrait of an Italian American woman. In the first film, Adrian is submissive and lives under the influence of her brother, Paulie, who psychologically abuses her:

Adrian: Paulie, please. Paulie: Hey, I want ya outinstamaticly. I’m sicka lookin’ at ya hangin’ around like a friggin’ spider. Go out Live! Do, enjoy life. Adrian: Like you? Paulie: “Don’t get wise with me. I want ya to stop being a loser. (Avildsen 1976)

Her character evolves as she dates Rocky, even going so far as to confront Paulie, who subsequently lets her act freely. However, Adrian’s shy personality is an obvious contrast to Rocky’s gregariousness, a narrative difference that enhances the male image of the Italian American boxer. Paulie is also a clear example of an Italian American stereotype from this cinematographic decade. He is macho, impulsive, has a problem with alcohol, and aspires to work in the criminal world. As the protagonist, Rocky does not have as many negative traits as Paulie, but the latter still exhibits a series of characteristics that conform to cinema´s Italian American tropes. All the Italian American characters in the film are directly or indirectly related to each other. They are members of an independent community and reside in a very limited area (i.e., their neighborhood). In this environment, family, religion, and the mafia become three fundamental pillars by which the entire community is structured. These three pillars are also present in the rest of the cinematographic productions focused on Italian Americans, fueling stereotypes about this group. In Rocky , Italian Americans appear as a closed community that rarely mixes with the rest of society. Beginning with Rocky II , Balboa and his family leave their Philadelphia neighborhood and abandon any contact with their old community. Rocky becomes a successful athlete who appears on television programs and the covers of magazines as an advertising icon. To consumers, the image of Rocky as the “Italian Stallion” is transformed into a model hero who embodies American values.

Figure 2 Rocky II (Stallone 1979).

In a telling scene, Balboa is hired to make an advertisement for an aftershave lotion (figure 2). While filming the commercial, viewers learn that Rocky was hired because of the image promoted, during the first film, by Creed’s team: a tough, violent, and primitive Philadelphia boxer. Rocky is dressed as a caveman who appears locked in a cage like a wild animal. Additionally, members of the film team treat him in a rather derogatory way when Rocky confuses the words of his script. The caveman costume is a clear parody of the macho, illiterate Italian American stereotype developed in the first two films.

Figure 3 Rocky III (Stallone 1982).

In Rocky III, the same scene is repeated, but in a remarkable different way (figure 3). At the beginning of the film, Rocky stars in a credit card advertisement as the famous theme music “Eye of the Tiger” plays. Unlike its prequel, where the boxer was represented in a completely stereotypical way, here Balboa appears dressed in an elegant suit and with the attitude of a successful businessman who has achieved the American dream. Tony Gazzo completely disappears from the saga after Rocky II and, with him, the entire mafia plot that was a major pillar in the first Rocky film. Even the soundtrack plays an important role in this message of transformation of the boxer´s identity (Uvodich 2016). In the first two films, songs by the Italian American musician Bill Conti stand out. However, in Rocky III and Rocky IV , mainstream 1980s rock predominates with songs by bands like Survivor.

Figure 4 Rocky (Avildsen 1976).

The renunciation of Rocky’s Italian identity continues in the boxing ring. In the first film, Rocky faces an Apollo Creed dressed in red, white, and blue to accentuate his American identity against the opposing, foreign “Italian Stallion.” In the fight´s preview, Apollo appears disguised as George Washington and is accompanied by two women representing the Statue of Liberty, further emphasizing the immigrant status of his Italian Americans challenger (figure 4). Before the fight, Apollo highlights Rocky’s Italian ancestry, characterizing the event as a battle between an American boxer against a foreign boxer, effectively minimizing Rocky’s native-born American citizenship. This contrast is heightened when, in the next film, Rocky is massively supported by thousands of Italian Americans who flock to the ring to cheer him on in his fight against Apollo Creed:

Apollo: Don’t matter -That name. The Italian Stallion,’ it’s right on. Who discovered America? An Italian, right? So, man, what could be better than to get it on with one of his ancestors. (Avildsen 1976)

Everything radically changes in Rocky III and Rocky IV when Balboa faces his opponents wearing an imitation of Creed´s patriotic uniform. Unlike his fights against Apollo, Rocky’s entrance is accompanied by the United States Navy who play “Yankee Doodle.” The eighteenth-century song symbolizes American nationhood. However, it acquires an additional meaning in the film when examining Rocky´s transformation. For example, consider the term “macaroni” from the song´s chorus:

Yankee Doodle went to town, A-Riding on a pony; He stuck a feather in his hat, And called it macaroni (“Yankee Doodle”)

The origin of “macaroni” is not at all associated with the Italian people, but a pejorative term that mocked those who dressed in an ostentatious and effeminate way. However, when Apollo in Rocky uses this song as his opening theme, he likely intended to make fun of Rocky’s Italian American ancestry with this same expression. For Creed, “Yankee Doodle” parodied the excessive masculinity that defines the Italian American stereotype. Ironically, it is Rocky who uses this song in the third film to “Americanize” his image and move further away from his Italian roots. We must not forget that Apollo Creed also suffered discrimination as an African American. His persistent manifestation of overt nationalism through his clothing and entrance may also be an attempt to appear integrated within a predominately white American society. It is possible that Rocky Balboa assumes this same attitude to rebuke discrimination against his Italian American identity.

Figure 5 Rocky IV (Stallone 1985).

In Rocky IV , Balboa’s transformation as a protagonist intensifies. Once a tough boxer from the slums of Philadelphia, he is now an American hero preparing to face the Soviet enemy in hostile territory. Rocky’s rebranding is evidenced best by a shift in the American commentators’ tone. In the first film, they constantly emphasize Balboa’s Italian roots. However, they cast Rocky as an ideal American athlete when he squares off against Soviet boxer (figure 5):

Comentator: We’re in Moscow. I’m Barry Tompkins, along with Al Bandiero and this promises to be the most watched event in boxing history. The Iron Horse from America, Rocky Balboa, comes here to the Soviet Union. (Stallone 1985)

Rocky IV was filmed in 1985 at a time marked politically in the United States by President Ronald Reagan´s strong foreign policy against the Soviet Union. His policy directly influenced Hollywood film productions. Movies began addressing the Cold War from an openly anti-communist and anti-Soviet point of view (e.g., Red Dawn [1984], Rambo II [1985], Rambo III [1988], Red Heat [1988], among others). Producers of Rocky IV wanted to promote a more patriotic image of Balboa, effectively omitting most of the elements that defined his Italian American identity. For example, Rocky´s speech following his fight with Drago reaffirms the Reaganist message that the Cold War is a conflict that must end. In Rocky II , the nuance is different, and it is very important to understand the background of the story. Here, the boxer dedicates his entire speech to thanking his supportive family and friends. The message centers the family nucleus as a support on which Italian American society is structured:

Rocky: Yeah, I love yous too. Most of all, I wanna thank God. Except for my kid bein’ born, this is the greatest night in the history of my life. I just wanna say one thing to my wife who’s home: ¡YO, ADRIAN! ¡¡I DID IT!! (Stallone 1979)

Hollywood had fed the negative image of the Italian American as violent, illiterate, a macho, a criminal, and an extremely religious individual to viewers in the 1970s, only to contradict its narrative with the patriotic portraits of the 1980s. That “Americanization” of Balboa in Rocky III and Rocky IV was done by minimizing the Italian influence of the boxer, due to the fact that in this cinematographic stage (years 70-80) the Italian American collective, in general, was represented in a fairly stereotyped way (Luconi 2010). After the end of the Cold War, we see a significant change in the discourse of the film industry that is reflected in the Rocky Balboa saga. In the franchise´s subsequent films, Rocky, after having definitively retired from the world of boxing, returns to his old neighborhood in Philadelphia and reconnects with his community. In Rocky VI, Rocky opens an Italian American restaurant that becomes a representative place for the city. In these films, the image of the Italian American collective has significantly changed. Rocky V , Rocky Balboa , and Creed no longer present the Italian American as an individual who is related to the mafia or illegal activities, but an honest, hard-working member of a tight community. The very image of the Philadelphia neighborhood is different between the first two Rocky films and those of the later films in the series. Thus, in Rocky I and Rocky II , the Balboa neighborhood is gray, dirty, and marginal, a place where criminal activities are normal (figure 6, right). In contrast, the same neighborhood in Rocky V is described as humble and predominated by small businesses with robust local activity (figure 6, left).

Figure 6 Right: Rocky (Avildsen 1976). Left: Creed (Coogler 2015).

From the first film to the last, the neighborhood setting plays a fundamental role in developing the image of an Italian American. In Rocky , Balboa is defined by the bonds he has with his community. He cultivates relationships with his fellow citizens, Adrian and Paulie, works for the gangster Gazzo, prays with the local priest before matches, and is cheered on by dozens of people from his community while training to fight Apollo Creed. The first four films reflect a process of cultural assimilation because Rocky becomes an American icon as he progressively abandons the Italian traditions that defined his own identity. In the first two films, the American society sees Rocky almost as a foreigner, but this perception changes in Rocky III and Rocky IV when the boxer leaves his Philadelphia neighborhood and becomes part of the hegemonic Anglo-American culture. Therefore, the Americanization of Rocky Balboa was based on a process of de-Italianization. These movies are significant examples of how the Hollywood film industry has shaped a rather negative image of the Italian American citizenship in conflict with the hegemonic American values. In the first movies, Italian Americans are represented by a series of cultural traditions and stereotypes that juxtapose them with other United States citizens. However, it must be said that such stereotypes gradually disappear in the most recent Rocky films and others produced by the American industry. Now, Italian Americans are represented in more plural and diverse ways, without reducing them to those prejudices that have been present in previous stages of the history of cinema.

BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCES Anderson, Benedict. 1991. Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origin and Spread of Nationalism . New York: Verso books. Bondanella, Peter. 2004. Hollywood Italians: Dagos, Palookas, Romeos, Wise Guys and Sopranos . London: A&C Black. Cavallero, Jonathan J, and Plasketes, George. 2004. “Gangsters, Fessos, Tricksters, and Sopranos: The Historical Roots of Italian American Stereotype Anxiety.” Journal of Popular Film and Television 32 (2): 50-73. DiPaolo, Marc. 2009. “The dilemma of the Italian American male.” In Pimps, Wimps, Studs, Thugs and Gentlemen: Essays on Media Images of Masculinity , edited by Elwood Watson, 13-39. North Carolina: McFarland and Company, Inc., Publishers. Gardaphé, Fred L. 2006. From Wiseguys to Wise Men: The Gangster and Italian American Masculinities. New York. Routledge. Luconi, Stefano. 2016. “Black Dagoes? Italian Immigrants’ Racial Status in the United States: An Ecological View.” Journal of Transatlantic Studies: Blurring Boundaries: Race and Transatlantic Identities in Culture and Society 14 (2): 188-99. Luconi, Stefano. 2010. “Anti-Italian Prejudice in the United States: Between Ethnic Identity and the Racial Question.” In Mediated Ethnicity: New Italian-American Cinema , edited by Giluana Muscio, Joseph Sciorra, Giovanni Spagnoletti and Anthony Tamburri, 33-44. New York: John D.Calandra Italian- American Institute. http://www.jacquelinereich.com/uploads/2/8/3/2/28324419/2_mediated_ethnicity.pdf. Muscio, Giuliana. 2017. “Italian Americans and Cinema.” In The Routledge History of Italian Americans , edited by William Connell and Stanislao Pugliese, 433-50. New York: Routledge. Messina, Elizabeth G. 2004 “Psychological Perspectives on the Stigmatization of Italian Americans in the American Media.” The Psychotherapy Patient 13 (1): 87-121. Piersanti, Kristina. 2019. “Portrayals of Italian Americans in US-Produced Films.” In Elon Journal of Undergraduate Research in Communications 10 (1): 111-119. https://www.elon.edu/u/academics/communications/journal/wp-content/uploads/sites/153/2019/05/Spring2019Journal.pdf . Salyer Jr., Jeffrey. 2009. Rocky Road: The Hero’s Journey of Rocky Balboa Through the “Rocky” Anthology . Regent University. Sautman, Francesca. 1994. “Women of the Shadows: Italian American Women, Ethnicity and Racism in American Cinema.” Differentia: Review of Italian Thought, 6 (19): 220-246. https://commons.library.stonybrook.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1183&context=differentia. Uvodich, Kevin. 2016. “Anthem of an Italian Stallion.” ESSAI, The College of DuPage Anthology of Academic Writing Across the Curriculum 14 (37): 135-138. https://dc.cod.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1593&context=essai . “Yankee Doodle.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYcy0Y9Hu-A.

VIDEOGRAPHIC REFERENCES Avildsen, John, dir. 1976. Rocky . Beverly Hills, CA: MGM. Stallone, Sylvester, dir. 1979. Rocky II . Beverly Hills, CA: MGM. Stallone, Sylvester, dir. 1982. Rocky III . Beverly Hills, CA: MGM. Stallone, Sylvester, dir. 1985. Rocky IV . Beverly Hills, CA: MGM. Stallone, Sylvester, dir. 1990. Rocky V . Beverly Hills, CA: MGM. Stallone, Sylvester, dir. 2006. Rocky Balboa . Beverly Hills, CA: MGM. Coogler, Ryan dir. 2015. Creed . Beverly Hills, CA: MGM.

SUGGESTED CITATION: Rodríguez Santos, Juan. 2020. “The De-Italianization of Rocky Balboa: The Italian Stallion´s Path to Becoming an American Hero.” PopMeC Research Blog . Published December 10.

AUTHOR BIO Juan Rodríguez Santos is a Historian from the University of Alcalá (UAH) and he obtained a Master’s degree in Strategic Cooperation between Latin America and European Union by the IELAT. Currently, he is doing a doctorate about the Spanish nationalism and populism, focusing on right- wing political discourses. . [email protected]

Cite this blog post Guest Author (2020, December 10). ROCKY FORUM | The De-Italianization of Rocky Balboa: The Italian Stallion’s Path to Becoming an American Hero. PopMeC research blog . Retrieved April 27, 2024, from https://doi.org/10.58079/szef

Tags: cinema ethnicity film

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The Hero's Journey: 12 Steps to a Classic Story Structure

The Hero's Journey is a timeless story structure which follows a protagonist on an unforeseen quest, where they face challenges, gain insights, and return home transformed. From Theseus and the Minotaur to The Lion King , so many narratives follow this pattern that it’s become ingrained into our cultural DNA. 

In this post, we'll show you how to make this classic plot structure work for you — and if you’re pressed for time, download our cheat sheet below for everything you need to know.

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Hero's Journey Template

Plot your character's journey with our step-by-step template.

What is the Hero’s Journey?

The Hero's Journey, also known as the monomyth, is a story structure where a hero goes on a quest or adventure to achieve a goal, and has to overcome obstacles and fears, before ultimately returning home transformed.

This narrative arc has been present in various forms across cultures for centuries, if not longer, but gained popularity through Joseph Campbell's mythology book, The Hero with a Thousand Faces . While Campbell identified 17 story beats in his monomyth definition, this post will concentrate on a 12-step framework popularized in 2007 by screenwriter Christopher Vogler in his book The Writer’s Journey .

The 12 Steps of the Hero’s Journey

The Hero's Journey is a model for both plot points and character development : as the Hero traverses the world, they'll undergo inner and outer transformation at each stage of the journey. The 12 steps of the hero's journey are: 

• The Ordinary World. We meet our hero.
• Call to Adventure. Will they meet the challenge?
• Refusal of the Call. They resist the adventure.
• Meeting the Mentor. A teacher arrives.
• Crossing the First Threshold. The hero leaves their comfort zone.
• Tests, Allies, Enemies. Making friends and facing roadblocks.
• Approach to the Inmost Cave. Getting closer to our goal.
• Ordeal. The hero’s biggest test yet!
• Reward (Seizing the Sword). Light at the end of the tunnel
• The Road Back. We aren’t safe yet.
• Resurrection. The final hurdle is reached.
• Return with the Elixir. The hero heads home, triumphant.

Believe it or not, this story structure also applies across mediums and genres (and also works when your protagonist is an anti-hero! ). Let's dive into it.

1. Ordinary World

In which we meet our Hero.

The journey has yet to start. Before our Hero discovers a strange new world, we must first understand the status quo: their ordinary, mundane reality.

It’s up to this opening leg to set the stage, introducing the Hero to readers. Importantly, it lets readers identify with the Hero as a “normal” person in a “normal” setting, before the journey begins.

2. Call to Adventure

In which an adventure starts.

The call to adventure is all about booting the Hero out of their comfort zone. In this stage, they are generally confronted with a problem or challenge they can't ignore. This catalyst can take many forms, as Campbell points out in Hero with a Thousand Faces . The Hero can, for instance:

• Decide to go forth of their own volition;
• Theseus upon arriving in Athens.
• Be sent abroad by a benign or malignant agent;
• Odysseus setting off on his ship in The Odyssey .
• Stumble upon the adventure as a result of a mere blunder;
• Dorothy when she’s swept up in a tornado in The Wizard of Oz .
• Be casually strolling when some passing phenomenon catches the wandering eye and lures one away from the frequented paths of man.
• Elliot in E.T. upon discovering a lost alien in the tool shed.

The stakes of the adventure and the Hero's goals become clear. The only question: will he rise to the challenge?

3. Refusal of the Call

In which the Hero digs in their feet.

Great, so the Hero’s received their summons. Now they’re all set to be whisked off to defeat evil, right?

Not so fast. The Hero might first refuse the call to action. It’s risky and there are perils — like spiders, trolls, or perhaps a creepy uncle waiting back at Pride Rock . It’s enough to give anyone pause.

In Star Wars , for instance, Luke Skywalker initially refuses to join Obi-Wan on his mission to rescue the princess. It’s only when he discovers that his aunt and uncle have been killed by stormtroopers that he changes his mind.

4. Meeting the Mentor

In which the Hero acquires a personal trainer.

The Hero's decided to go on the adventure — but they’re not ready to spread their wings yet. They're much too inexperienced at this point and we don't want them to do a fabulous belly-flop off the cliff.

Enter the mentor: someone who helps the Hero, so that they don't make a total fool of themselves (or get themselves killed). The mentor provides practical training, profound wisdom, a kick up the posterior, or something abstract like grit and self-confidence.

Wise old wizards seem to like being mentors. But mentors take many forms, from witches to hermits and suburban karate instructors. They might literally give weapons to prepare for the trials ahead, like Q in the James Bond series. Or perhaps the mentor is an object, such as a map. In all cases, they prepare the Hero for the next step.

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5. Crossing the First Threshold

In which the Hero enters the other world in earnest.

Now the Hero is ready — and committed — to the journey. This marks the end of the Departure stage and is when the adventure really kicks into the next gear. As Vogler writes: “This is the moment that the balloon goes up, the ship sails, the romance begins, the wagon gets rolling.”

From this point on, there’s no turning back.

Like our Hero, you should think of this stage as a checkpoint for your story. Pause and re-assess your bearings before you continue into unfamiliar territory. Have you:

• Launched the central conflict? If not, here’s a post on types of conflict to help you out.
• Established the theme of your book? If not, check out this post that’s all about creating theme and motifs .
• Made headway into your character development? If not, this character profile template may be useful:

Reedsy’s Character Profile Template

A story is only as strong as its characters. Fill this out to develop yours.

6. Tests, Allies, Enemies

In which the Hero faces new challenges and gets a squad.

When we step into the Special World, we notice a definite shift. The Hero might be discombobulated by this unfamiliar reality and its new rules. This is generally one of the longest stages in the story , as our protagonist gets to grips with this new world.

This makes a prime hunting ground for the series of tests to pass! Luckily, there are many ways for the Hero to get into trouble:

• In Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle , Spencer, Bethany, “Fridge,” and Martha get off to a bad start when they bump into a herd of bloodthirsty hippos.
• In his first few months at Hogwarts, Harry Potter manages to fight a troll, almost fall from a broomstick and die, and get horribly lost in the Forbidden Forest.
• Marlin and Dory encounter three “reformed” sharks, get shocked by jellyfish, and are swallowed by a blue whale en route to finding Nemo.

This stage often expands the cast of characters. Once the protagonist is in the Special World, he will meet allies and enemies — or foes that turn out to be friends and vice versa. He will learn a new set of rules from them. Saloons and seedy bars are popular places for these transactions, as Vogler points out (so long as the Hero survives them).

7. Approach to the Inmost Cave

In which the Hero gets closer to his goal.

This isn’t a physical cave. Instead, the “inmost cave” refers to the most dangerous spot in the other realm — whether that’s the villain’s chambers, the lair of the fearsome dragon, or the Death Star. Almost always, it is where the ultimate goal of the quest is located.

Note that the protagonist hasn’t entered the Inmost Cave just yet. This stage is all about the approach to it. It covers all the prep work that's needed in order to defeat the villain.

In which the Hero faces his biggest test of all thus far.

Of all the tests the Hero has faced, none have made them hit rock bottom — until now. Vogler describes this phase as a “black moment.” Campbell refers to it as the “belly of the whale.” Both indicate some grim news for the Hero.

The protagonist must now confront their greatest fear. If they survive it, they will emerge transformed. This is a critical moment in the story, as Vogler explains that it will “inform every decision that the Hero makes from this point forward.”

The Ordeal is sometimes not the climax of the story. There’s more to come. But you can think of it as the main event of the second act — the one in which the Hero actually earns the title of “Hero.”

9. Reward (Seizing the Sword)

In which the Hero sees light at the end of the tunnel.

Our Hero’s been through a lot. However, the fruits of their labor are now at hand — if they can just reach out and grab them! The “reward” is the object or knowledge the Hero has fought throughout the entire journey to hold.

Once the protagonist has it in their possession, it generally has greater ramifications for the story. Vogler offers a few examples of it in action:

• Luke rescues Princess Leia and captures the plans of the Death Star — keys to defeating Darth Vader.
• Dorothy escapes from the Wicked Witch’s castle with the broomstick and the ruby slippers — keys to getting back home.

10. The Road Back

In which the light at the end of the tunnel might be a little further than the Hero thought.

The story's not over just yet, as this phase marks the beginning of Act Three. Now that he's seized the reward, the Hero tries to return to the Ordinary World, but more dangers (inconveniently) arise on the road back from the Inmost Cave.

More precisely, the Hero must deal with the consequences and aftermath of the previous act: the dragon, enraged by the Hero who’s just stolen a treasure from under his nose, starts the hunt. Or perhaps the opposing army gathers to pursue the Hero across a crowded battlefield. All further obstacles for the Hero, who must face them down before they can return home.

11. Resurrection

In which the last test is met.

Here is the true climax of the story. Everything that happened prior to this stage culminates in a crowning test for the Hero, as the Dark Side gets one last chance to triumph over the Hero.

Vogler refers to this as a “final exam” for the Hero — they must be “tested once more to see if they have really learned the lessons of the Ordeal.” It’s in this Final Battle that the protagonist goes through one more “resurrection.” As a result, this is where you’ll get most of your miraculous near-death escapes, à la James Bond's dashing deliverances. If the Hero survives, they can start looking forward to a sweet ending.

12. Return with the Elixir

In which our Hero has a triumphant homecoming.

Finally, the Hero gets to return home. However, they go back a different person than when they started out: they’ve grown and matured as a result of the journey they’ve taken.

But we’ve got to see them bring home the bacon, right? That’s why the protagonist must return with the “Elixir,” or the prize won during the journey, whether that’s an object or knowledge and insight gained.

Of course, it’s possible for a story to end on an Elixir-less note — but then the Hero would be doomed to repeat the entire adventure.

Examples of The Hero’s Journey in Action

To better understand this story template beyond the typical sword-and-sorcery genre, let's analyze three examples, from both screenplay and literature, and examine how they implement each of the twelve steps. 

The 1976 film Rocky is acclaimed as one of the most iconic sports films because of Stallone’s performance and the heroic journey his character embarks on.

• Ordinary World. Rocky Balboa is a mediocre boxer and loan collector — just doing his best to live day-to-day in a poor part of Philadelphia.
• Call to Adventure. Heavyweight champ Apollo Creed decides to make a big fight interesting by giving a no-name loser a chance to challenge him. That loser: Rocky Balboa.
• Refusal of the Call. Rocky says, “Thanks, but no thanks,” given that he has no trainer and is incredibly out of shape.
• Meeting the Mentor. In steps former boxer Mickey “Mighty Mick” Goldmill, who sees potential in Rocky and starts training him physically and mentally for the fight.
• Crossing the First Threshold. Rocky crosses the threshold of no return when he accepts the fight on live TV, and 一 in parallel 一 when he crosses the threshold into his love interest Adrian’s house and asks her out on a date.
• Tests, Allies, Enemies. Rocky continues to try and win Adrian over and maintains a dubious friendship with her brother, Paulie, who provides him with raw meat to train with.
• Approach to the Inmost Cave. The Inmost Cave in Rocky is Rocky’s own mind. He fears that he’ll never amount to anything — something that he reveals when he butts heads with his trainer, Mickey, in his apartment.
• Ordeal. The start of the training montage marks the beginning of Rocky’s Ordeal. He pushes through it until he glimpses hope ahead while running up the museum steps.
• Reward (Seizing the Sword). Rocky's reward is the restoration of his self-belief, as he recognizes he can try to “go the distance” with Apollo Creed and prove he's more than "just another bum from the neighborhood."
• The Road Back. On New Year's Day, the fight takes place. Rocky capitalizes on Creed's overconfidence to start strong, yet Apollo makes a comeback, resulting in a balanced match.
• Resurrection. The fight inflicts multiple injuries and pushes both men to the brink of exhaustion, with Rocky being knocked down numerous times. But he consistently rises to his feet, enduring through 15 grueling rounds.
• Return with the Elixir. Rocky loses the fight — but it doesn’t matter. He’s won back his confidence and he’s got Adrian, who tells him that she loves him.

Moving outside of the ring, let’s see how this story structure holds on a completely different planet and with a character in complete isolation. 

The Martian 

In Andy Weir’s self-published bestseller (better known for its big screen adaptation) we follow astronaut Mark Watney as he endures the challenges of surviving on Mars and working out a way to get back home.

• The Ordinary World. Botanist Mark and other astronauts are on a mission on Mars to study the planet and gather samples. They live harmoniously in a structure known as "the Hab.”
• Call to Adventure. The mission is scrapped due to a violent dust storm. As they rush to launch, Mark is flung out of sight and the team believes him to be dead. He is, however, very much alive — stranded on Mars with no way of communicating with anyone back home.
• Refusal of the Call. With limited supplies and grim odds of survival, Mark concludes that he will likely perish on the desolate planet.
• Meeting the Mentor. Thanks to his resourcefulness and scientific knowledge he starts to figure out how to survive until the next Mars mission arrives.
• Crossing the First Threshold. Mark crosses the mental threshold of even trying to survive 一 he successfully creates a greenhouse to cultivate a potato crop, creating a food supply that will last long enough.
• Tests, Allies, Enemies. Loneliness and other difficulties test his spirit, pushing him to establish contact with Earth and the people at NASA, who devise a plan to help.  
• Approach to the Inmost Cave. Mark faces starvation once again after an explosion destroys his potato crop.
• Ordeal. A NASA rocket destined to deliver supplies to Mark disintegrates after liftoff and all hope seems lost.
• Reward (Seizing the Sword). Mark’s efforts to survive are rewarded with a new possibility to leave the planet. His team 一 now aware that he’s alive 一 defies orders from NASA and heads back to Mars to rescue their comrade.
• The Road Back. Executing the new plan is immensely difficult 一 Mark has to travel far to locate the spaceship for his escape, and almost dies along the way.
• Resurrection. Mark is unable to get close enough to his teammates' ship but finds a way to propel himself in empty space towards them, and gets aboard safely.
• Return with the Elixir. Now a survival instructor for aspiring astronauts, Mark teaches students that space is indifferent and that survival hinges on solving one problem after another, as well as the importance of other people’s help.

Coming back to Earth, let’s now examine a heroine’s journey through the wilderness of the Pacific Crest Trail and her… humanity. 

The memoir Wild narrates the three-month-long hiking adventure of Cheryl Strayed across the Pacific coast, as she grapples with her turbulent past and rediscovers her inner strength.

• The Ordinary World. Cheryl shares her strong bond with her mother who was her strength during a tough childhood with an abusive father.
• Call to Adventure. As her mother succumbs to lung cancer, Cheryl faces the heart-wrenching reality to confront life's challenges on her own.
• Refusal of the Call. Cheryl spirals down into a destructive path of substance abuse and infidelity, which leads to hit rock bottom with a divorce and unwanted pregnancy. 
• Meeting the Mentor. Her best friend Lisa supports her during her darkest time. One day she notices the Pacific Trail guidebook, which gives her hope to find her way back to her inner strength.
• Crossing the First Threshold. She quits her job, sells her belongings, and visits her mother’s grave before traveling to Mojave, where the trek begins.
• Tests, Allies, Enemies. Cheryl is tested by her heavy bag, blisters, rattlesnakes, and exhaustion, but many strangers help her along the trail with a warm meal or hiking tips. 
• Approach to the Inmost Cave. As Cheryl goes through particularly tough and snowy parts of the trail her emotional baggage starts to catch up with her.  
• Ordeal. She inadvertently drops one of her shoes off a cliff, and the incident unearths the helplessness she's been evading since her mother's passing.
• Reward (Seizing the Sword). Cheryl soldiers on, trekking an impressive 50 miles in duct-taped sandals before finally securing a new pair of shoes. This small victory amplifies her self-confidence.
• The Road Back. On the last stretch, she battles thirst, sketchy hunters, and a storm, but more importantly, she revisits her most poignant and painful memories.
• Resurrection. Cheryl forgives herself for damaging her marriage and her sense of worth, owning up to her mistakes. A pivotal moment happens at Crater Lake, where she lets go of her frustration at her mother for passing away.
• Return with the Elixir. Cheryl reaches the Bridge of the Gods and completes the trail. She has found her inner strength and determination for life's next steps.

There are countless other stories that could align with this template, but it's not always the perfect fit. So, let's look into when authors should consider it or not.

When should writers use The Hero’s Journey?

The Hero’s Journey is just one way to outline a novel and dissect a plot. For more longstanding theories on the topic, you can go this way to read about the ever-popular Three-Act Structure or here to discover Dan Harmon's Story Circle and three more prevalent structures .

So when is it best to use the Hero’s Journey? There are a couple of circumstances which might make this a good choice.

When you need more specific story guidance than simple structures can offer

Simply put, the Hero’s Journey structure is far more detailed and closely defined than other story structure theories. If you want a fairly specific framework for your work than a thee-act structure, the Hero’s Journey can be a great place to start.

Of course, rules are made to be broken . There’s plenty of room to play within the confines of the Hero’s Journey, despite it appearing fairly prescriptive at first glance. Do you want to experiment with an abbreviated “Resurrection” stage, as J.K. Rowling did in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone? Are you more interested in exploring the journey of an anti-hero? It’s all possible.

Once you understand the basics of this universal story structure, you can use and bend it in ways that disrupt reader expectations.

Need more help developing your book? Try this template on for size:

Get our Book Development Template

Use this template to go from a vague idea to a solid plan for a first draft.

When your focus is on a single protagonist

No matter how sprawling or epic the world you’re writing is, if your story is, at its core, focused on a single character’s journey, then this is a good story structure for you. It’s kind of in the name! If you’re dealing with an entire ensemble, the Hero’s Journey may not give you the scope to explore all of your characters’ plots and subplot — a broader three-act structure may give you more freedom to weave a greater number story threads. ​​

Which story structure is right for you?

Take this quiz and we'll match your story to a structure in minutes!

Whether you're a reader or writer, we hope our guide has helped you understand this universal story arc. Want to know more about story structure? We explain 6 more in our guide — read on!

6 responses

PJ Reece says:

25/07/2018 – 19:41

Nice vid, good intro to story structure. Typically, though, the 'hero's journey' misses the all-important point of the Act II crisis. There, where the hero faces his/her/its existential crisis, they must DIE. The old character is largely destroyed -- which is the absolute pre-condition to 'waking up' to what must be done. It's not more clever thinking; it's not thinking at all. Its SEEING. So many writing texts miss this point. It's tantamount to a religions experience, and nobody grows up without it. STORY STRUCTURE TO DIE FOR examines this dramatic necessity.

↪️ C.T. Cheek replied:

13/11/2019 – 21:01

Okay, but wouldn't the Act II crisis find itself in the Ordeal? The Hero is tested and arguably looses his/her/its past-self for the new one. Typically, the Hero is not fully "reborn" until the Resurrection, in which they defeat the hypothetical dragon and overcome the conflict of the story. It's kind of this process of rebirth beginning in the earlier sections of the Hero's Journey and ending in the Resurrection and affirmed in the Return with the Elixir.

Lexi Mize says:

25/07/2018 – 22:33

Great article. Odd how one can take nearly every story and somewhat plug it into such a pattern.

Bailey Koch says:

11/06/2019 – 02:16

This was totally lit fam!!!!

↪️ Bailey Koch replied:

11/09/2019 – 03:46

where is my dad?

Frank says:

12/04/2020 – 12:40

Great article, thanks! :) But Vogler didn't expand Campbell's theory. Campbell had seventeen stages, not twelve.

Comments are currently closed.

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• Mental Health

Want to Give Your Life More Meaning? Think of It As a ‘Hero’s Journey’

Y ou might not think you have much in common with Luke Skywalker, Harry Potter, or Katniss Everdeen. But imagining yourself as the main character of a heroic adventure could help you achieve a more meaningful life.

Research published earlier this year in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology touts the benefits of reframing your life as a Hero’s Journey—a common story structure popularized by the mythologist Joseph Campbell that provides a template for ancient myths and recent blockbusters. In his 1949 book The Hero with a Thousand Faces , Campbell details the structure of the journey, which he describes as a monomyth. In its most elementary form, a hero goes on an adventure, emerges victorious from a defining crisis, and then returns home changed for the better.

“The idea is that there’s a hero of some sort who experiences a change of setting, which could mean being sent off to a magical realm or entering a new thing they’re not used to,” says study author Benjamin A. Rogers, an assistant professor of management and organization at Boston College. “That sets them off on a quest where they encounter friends and mentors, face challenges, and return home to benefit their community with what they’ve learned.”

According to Rogers’ findings, perceiving your life as a Hero’s Journey is associated with psychological benefits such as enhanced well-being, greater life satisfaction, feeling like you’re flourishing, and reduced depression. “The way that people tell their life story shapes how meaningful their lives feel,” he says. “And you don’t have to live a super heroic life or be a person of adventure—virtually anyone can rewrite their story as a Hero’s Journey.”

More From TIME

The human brain is wired for stories, Rogers notes, and we respond to them in powerful ways. Previous research suggests that by the time we’re in our early 20s, most of us have constructed a narrative identity—an internalized and evolving life story—that explains how we became the person we are, and where our life might go in the future. “This is how we've been communicating and understanding ourselves for thousands of years,” he says. Rogers’ research suggests that if people view their own story as following a Hero’s Journey trajectory, it increases meaning regardless of how they initially perceived their lives; even those who thought their lives had little meaning are able to benefit.

While Rogers describes a “re-storying intervention” in his research, some psychologists have used the Hero’s Journey structure as part of their practice for years. Lou Ursa, a licensed psychotherapist in California, attended Pacifica Graduate Institute, which is the only doctoral program in the country focused on mythology. The university even, she notes, houses Campbell’s personal library. As a result, mythology was heavily integrated into her psychology grad program. In addition to reflecting on what the Hero’s Journey means to her personally, she often brings it up with clients. “The way I talk about it is almost like an eagle-eye view versus a snake-eye view of our lives,” she says. “So often we’re just seeing what’s in front of us. I think that connecting with a myth or a story, whether it’s the Hero’s Journey or something else, can help us see the whole picture, especially when we’re feeling lost or stuck.”

As Rogers’ research suggests, changing the way you think about the events of your life can help you move toward a more positive attitude. With that in mind, we asked experts how to start reframing your life story as a Hero’s Journey.

Practice reflective journaling

Campbell described more than a dozen key elements of a Hero’s Journey, seven of which Rogers explored in his research: protagonist, shift, quest, allies, challenge, transformation, and legacy. He says reflecting on these aspects of your story—even if it’s just writing a few sentences down—can be an ideal first step to reframe your circumstances. Rogers offers a handful of prompts that relate back to the seven key elements of a Hero’s Journey. To drill in on “protagonist,” for example, ask yourself: What makes you you ? Spend time reflecting on your identity, personality, and core values. When you turn to “shift,” consider: What change or new experience prompted your journey to become who you are today? Then ponder what challenges stand in your way, and which allies can support or help you in your journey. You can also meditate on the legacy your journey might leave.

Ask yourself who would star in the movie of your life

One way to assess your inner voice is to figure out who would star in a movie about your life, says Nancy Irwin, a clinical psychologist in Los Angeles who employs the Hero’s Journey concept personally and professionally. Doing so can help us “sufficiently dissociate and see ourselves objectively rather than subjectively,” she says. Pay attention to what appeals to you about that person: What traits do they embody that you identify with? You might, for example, admire the person’s passion, resilience, or commitment to excellence. “They inspire us because there’s some quality that we identify with,” Irwin says. “Remember, you chose them because you have that quality yourself.” Keeping that in mind can help you begin to see yourself as the hero of your own story.

Go on more heroic adventures—or just try something new

In classic Hero’s Journey stories, the protagonist starts off afraid and refuses a call to adventure before overcoming his fears and committing to the journey. Think of Odysseus being called to fight the Trojans, but refusing the call because he doesn’t want to leave his family. Or consider Rocky Balboa: When he was given the chance to fight the world’s reigning heavyweight champion, he immediately said no—before ultimately, of course, accepting the challenge. The narrative has proven timeless because it “reflects the values of society,” Rogers says. “We like people who have new experiences and grow from their challenges.” 

He suggests asking yourself: “If I want to have a more meaningful life, what are the kinds of things I could do?” One possible avenue is seeking out novelty, whether that’s as simple as driving a new way home from work or as dramatic as finally selling your car entirely and committing to public transportation.

Be open to redirection

The Hero’s Journey typically starts with a mission, which prompts the protagonist to set off on a quest. “But often the road isn’t linear,” says Kristal DeSantis, a licensed marriage and family therapist in Austin. “There are twists, turns, unexpected obstacles, and side quests that get in the way. The lesson is to be open to possibility.”

That perspective can also help you flip the way you see obstacles. Say you’re going through a tough time: You just got laid off, or you were diagnosed with a chronic illness. Instead of dwelling on how unfortunate these hurdles are, consider them opportunities for growth and learning. Think to yourself: What would Harry do? Reframe the challenges you encounter as a chance to develop resilience and perseverance, and to be the hero of your own story.

When you need a boost, map out where you are on your journey

Once you find a narrative hero you can relate to, keep their journey in mind as you face new challenges. “If you feel stuck or lost, you can look to that story and be like, ‘Which part do I feel like I’m in right now?’” Ursa says. Maybe you’re in the midst of a test that feels so awful that you’ve lost perspective on its overall importance—i.e., the fact that it’s only part of your journey. (See: When Katniss was upset about the costume that Snow forced her to wear—before she then had to go fight off a pack of ferocious wolves to save her life.) Referencing a familiar story “can help you have that eagle-eye view of what might be next for you, or what you should be paying attention to,” Ursa says. “Stories become this map that we can always turn to.” Think of them as reassurance that a new chapter almost certainly awaits.

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Rocky Balboa as the Quintessential Humanistic Archetype for Motivation and Overcoming Universal Obstacles

The collective unconscious as described by Jung delves into symbols and images in which humanity is joined together (Wehr, 1971). Emotions are some of the most practical and realistic examples of the collective unconscious. According to Jung, myth linked humanity to each other; for myth is what is believed by everyone, everywhere, for all time (Campbell & Moyers, 1988). Modern day myth/archetypes, in particular 20th century myth/archetypes were particularly evident in film. The Joseph Campbell Foundation said of his encounters and time in Europe: These encounters would eventually lead him to theorize that all myths are the creative products of the human psyche, that artists are a culture's mythmakers, and that mythologies are creative manifestations of humankind's universal need to explain psychological, social, cosmological, and spiritual realities. ("About Joseph Campbell," 2005)

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Ritske Rensma

The book I wrote on Joseph Campbell's reception of C.G. Jung. Based on my PhD thesis at university of Edinburgh, Religious Studies department, and on archival research done at Joseph Campbell library in Santa Barbara. First chapter available for download. “Going beyond the conventional paralleling of Campbell with Jung, Ritske Rensma argues that Campbell’s view of Jung went through three stages. At first, Campbell granted Jung and Freud equal importance in the understanding of myth. Next, Campbell rejected Jung's view on, especially, the origin of myth in favor of the ethological view espoused by Konrad Lorenz and Niko Tinbergen. Finally, Campbell came to see the overlap between Jung and the ethologists. An original, scholarly approach to Campbell, one that rests substantially on the scrutiny of unpublished material. Strongly recommended.” Robert A. Segal, Sixth Century Chair in Religious Studies, University of Aberdeen, UK

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Jung’s concept of the archetype resonates with Lewis’ understanding of Christianity as the true mythology. While there are undeniable differences between these two concepts, they are similar in their analysis of the same strata of human religious experience. Taken as complimentary views, they result in a deeper understanding of the world as not merely a series of material objects, but also as a series of archetypal patterns which manifest themselves in religious mythology. For both Lewis and Jung, these archetypal patterns (or, more simply, archetypes) originated in God, but the former was much clearer about what sort of God mythology is rooted in. Where the Jungian view provides a psychological foundation for the theory of archetypes, Lewis’ view provides an ontological foundation for the archetypes rooted in the existence of the Judeo-Christian God.

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The AnaChronisT

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If the twentieth century witnessed a "rehabilitation of myth" in literary studies, the upsurge of interest in mythic systems with their ideologies, worldviews, and functional modes is rightly attributed to the work of C. G. Jung, Mircea Eliade, Northrop Frye, and Joseph Campbell. Behind their thousand faces, those thinkers argued, myths carry one message, which reflects the psychic unity of humankind. And because we are becoming more conscious of this unity, we face the need to "tell ourselves" anew and imagine a new mythology apposite to the modern situation. In The Inner Reaches of Outer Space, Joseph Campbell presents this new mythology as one of the whole human race; saying it is relevant to our present knowledge, already implicit among humans as intuitive knowledge, and will be realized in and through art. These postulates are met in and chronologically overlap with the emergence of modern mythopoeic fantasy in Tolkien, Lewis, L'Engle, Le Guin, Alexander...

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Myth and Emotions, José Manuel Losada & Antonella Lipscomb (eds.), Newcastle upon Tyne (United Kingdom), Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2017.

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The identity of the individual always implies a social aspect: its belonging to a group with which it shares desires, fears and beliefs. This is precisely where myth operates, always in accordance with a conscience of identity related to absolute origins and destinies of the individual or of society. Myth proposes particular and collective solutions (compassion, love, peace) to individual or social problems (anger, violence, suffering). In this way, it shapes public spheres of culture where emotional logic precedes other ways of comprehension of the world, namely rational thought. // La identidad del individuo presenta siempre una faceta social: su pertenencia a un grupo con el que comparte deseos, miedos y creencias. Precisamente ahí también incide el mito, siempre de acuerdo con una conciencia de identidad relacionada con el origen o con el destino absolutos del individuo o la sociedad. El mito propone soluciones particulares y colectivas (la compasión, el amor, la paz) a los problemas individuales y sociales (la ira, la violencia, el sufrimiento). Conforma de este modo esferas públicas de cultura en las que la lógica emocional va por delante de otros modos de comprensión del mundo, particularmente del pensamiento racional.

Ted Friedman

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http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Film/RockyBalboa

Film / Rocky Balboa

Edit locked.

"You know all there is to know about fighting, so there's no sense us going down that same old road again. To beat this guy, you need speed - you don't have it. And your knees can't take the pounding, so hard running is out. And you got arthritis in your neck, and you've got calcium deposits on most of your joints, so sparring is out. So, what we'll be calling on is good ol' fashion blunt force trauma. Horsepower. Heavy-duty, cast-iron, piledriving punches that will have to hurt so much they'll rattle his ancestors. Every time you hit him with a shot, it's gotta feel like he tried kissing the express train. Yeah! Let's start building some hurtin' bombs!" — Duke Evers

The one where Rocky returns .

Rocky Balboa (2006), colloquially known as Rocky VI , is the sixth installment in the Rocky franchise that began with the Academy Award -winning Rocky thirty years earlier in 1976. The film is written and directed by Sylvester Stallone , who also stars in a reprisal of his role as the title character.

The film catches up with Rocky Balboa two decades after the events of Rocky V . Having become something of a living landmark in Philadelphia, Rocky runs a small but successful Italian restaurant where he tells old boxing stories to his customers. However, in his private life, Rocky still grieves over the death of his wife Adrian from cancer several years prior , and has an estranged relationship with his son Robert ( Milo Ventimiglia ), who has an unhappy life as a mid-level corporate employee.

Meanwhile in the boxing world, the reigning World Heavyweight Champion, Mason "The Line" Dixon, celebrates an incredible professional career but is frustrated with his public image. A long record of fast and decisive victories has left fans, pundits, and even his closest managers believing that his opponents were weak , feeding into a derogatory perception that Mason is a mediocre champion who couldn't handle a truly powerful adversary . This tension comes to a boiling point when a television show uses a computer simulation to pit a virtual Mason against an in-his-prime Rocky, with the fight ending in Mason's defeat via knockout.

Rocky is inspired by the simulation to re-apply for his boxing license so he can tie up the last few loose ends in his life. Although Rocky had only intended to fight in small local events for fun and charity, he is quickly approached by Mason's managers, who want to stage a real version of the simulation as a high-profile charity exhibition match. The film follows both Rocky and Mason as they prepare for the bout: Rocky using it to fulfill his dream of one last great match, and help restore his relationship with Robert; and Mason fighting to earn the respect he is owed from the world through a trial-by-fire from one of boxing's most respected champions.

This film has the examples of:

• The Ace : Dixon is the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world, meaning that he either defeated all the world champions before him and unified the belts or defeated the guy who did it. He's so good that nobody takes him seriously because he doesn't appear to have faced any real challenges.
• Ascended Extra : Lil' Marie (the one who told Rocky "Screw you, creepo!") in the original Rocky makes a return in this film and receives a much bigger part.
• Ascended Fanboy : One of the fight commentators, Max Kellerman of First Take fame, mentioned with some glee that he grew up watching Rocky and never expected to be at one of his matches.
• Back for the Finale : Paulie, Duke, Robert (Rocky Jr.), and even lil' Marie and Spider Rico all reunite with Rocky. If it weren't for certain complications, Clubber Lang and Ivan Drago would have reappeared as well. Carl Weathers wanted to appear as Creed himself, but for obvious reasons , Stallone denied that.
• Bookends : As with the first movie, Rocky didn't win (he lost by split decision), but the point of both matches was that he could go the distance, and he did.
• Mason's trainer delivers a brutal one to him between rounds when he realises (and Mason hasn't) that Rocky is a far more dangerous opponent than anticipated:
• Call-Back : When Rocky meets Little Marie for the first time since the first Rocky movie, a younger woman shows up trying to get Rocky to buy a round of beer for her friends. When Rocky tries to tell said woman that one of her "friends," a rude man a few years shy of being as old as Rocky; is taking advantage of her, she reacts with the same attitude Marie herself used to react. However when the fight between Rocky and Mason is being broadcasted in the bar they hang out in, the woman takes Rocky's warning to heart and tells off the man.
• Rocky's code for male bonding, "home team," returning after originating in V .
• Paulie is missing a tooth that he never did before throughout this film, likely a consequence of being sucker punched by Tommy Gunn.
• Rocky is telling a story about "hearing Mickey whispering in my ear and before I knew it, it was toe-to-toe..." which could be him talking about the Gunn street fight.
• Adrian's Restaurant may be a reference to Rocky (and Tommy Gunn) raving about Adrian's cooking in V .
• Boxing commissioner James Binns, who previously played boxing commissioner James Binns in Rocky V , returns as... boxing commissioner James Binns.
• When Rocky and Rocky Jr. are play fighting after the weigh-in, Rocky laughs "Don't hit me, I'm brittle!" which is one of the last things he says in Rocky V .
• Dare to Be Badass : The "it ain't about how hard you hit" speech is Rocky essentially telling his son to stand up for himself and not let other people and their opinions about him / Rocky bring him down, because he's got what it takes to make whatever he wants out of his life but needs to believe in himself in order to do so.
• Dented Iron : Rocky is a former fighter who keeps himself in quite good shape for a man his age, and he goes through a formidable Training Montage to get ready to face Dixon... and Dixon beats the crap out of him and makes Rocky look like someone who's stepping into a boxing ring for the first time because Dixon is just so much faster and so much younger, while age and injuries have slowed Rocky and taken away the things that made him a great fighter. Only after Dixon injures himself by badly breaking his hand does the fight actually become a real contest.
• Dirty Coward : The guy at Marie's bar antagonizing Rocky and Marie, but the moment Rocky loses his patience and goes after the guy he immediately fully apologizes the moment there's a chance Rocky might actually beat him up.
• Dude, Where's My Respect? : Despite being the current Heavyweight champion and undefeated, Dixon doesn't get any respect from the crowd. He does get it after his fight with Balboa. There's a bit of Truth in Television here. There have been many fighters who didn't get the respect they deserve because the guys around are nowhere near their level. Therefore, it creates the illusion that a dominant champion is only fighting bums. In contrast, Muhammad Ali received platitudes not just because of his tremendous skills, but because of the high level of the other heavyweights around, nearly all of whom he fought and beat.
• Mason spends much of the movie bitter about being disrespected by the general public due to constantly never having gone up against someone who could go the distance with him. After achieving exactly that against Rocky, the crowd finally gives him the respect he deserves.
• Rocky does this before the events of the movie, as it gently retcons some of the harsher elements of Rocky V . Rocky may not be a millionaire anymore, but he's comfortably well-off and has the respect of fans again.
• Fake Shemp : All of Rocky's flashback footage to his fights against Creed used a stand-in for Carl Weathers; while Mr. T & Dolph Lundgren gave their permission for Stallone to use archive footage of them from their movies, Weathers apparently wanted to be in the movie (despite his character dying in Rocky IV ). Stallone refused, so Weathers wouldn't allow his likeness to be used, forcing them to use a lookalike.
• Going Home Again : The film's plot is kickstarted because Mason, The Antagonist , feels like this. He's the Heavy Weight Champion but can't find either respect or a worthy opponent in the ring, and is increasingly disillusioned with the amoral and phoney businessmen surrounding him. So he goes home to his old gym and his old trainer just to find someone who he feels knows him or will talk to him like a normal person.
• Heel–Face Revolving Door : In rewrites to the script, it's fairly clear that the writers didn't know what direction to take Mason Dixon's character. Throughout the movie, he pinballs back and forth between an egotistical athlete looking out for his legacy, to an honest boxer fed up with the chicanery and politics in the boxing promotion world, to a prima donna with no respect whatsoever for Rocky and his accomplishments. Surprisingly, it accidentally develops a very three-dimensional character.
• Invincible Hero : Mason Dixon. The exhibition fight against Rocky goes down largely because Dixon's winning streak against perceived weak opposition has boxing fans bored.
• Jerk with a Heart of Gold : Mason Dixon shows this, particularly towards the end. He's a jerk who only fights weaklings (admittedly not by choice, he doesn't think there's anyone out there who can match him) and has a large ego, but during (and especially after) the fight, he shows the utmost respect for Rocky.
• Lonely at the Top : Mason Dixon is without a doubt the most talented boxer in his generation, but gets no respect from his fans, the media, or even his publicists and managers. He has no real friends or peers other than his entourage and his former manager, whom he was pushed to leave behind as he moved forward.
• The Lost Lenore : Adrian. Even years after her death, Rocky is shown to still be taking the loss very hard. Stallone explains in the behind-the-scenes featurette that Adrian is killed off prior to the movie , because he believed that if Rocky were too content, then there would be little motivation for him to get back in the ring. Adrian’s death provides sufficient grief and rage to motivate his Hero's Journey .
• Newscaster Cameo : The Dixon vs. Balboa computer simulation is aired on ESPN. Although the boxing show ("Then Vs. Now") is fictional, the ESPN graphics are authentic, and the studio panelists (sportswriters Chuck Johnson, Bernard Fernandez, and Bert Sugar; ESPN host Brian Kenny) are playing themselves.
• Oh, Crap! : After Rocky takes a particularly hard fall, he rises with the support of everyone who's backed him (including the memories of both Adrian and Mickey) when he gets up bearing a picture perfect "I'm not done yet" face, Dixon backs up a step with an equally perfect "how the hell did you get up?" look.
• Opposing Sports Team : Dixon is an example of playing with this trope. In-universe, he is seen as such, as his extreme talent has made him an unsympathetic wrecking ball whose fights are never even close - yet put up against Rocky, with a broken hand and completely out of shape, he proves as much a Determinator as the titular underdog and wins the respect of the crowd in doing so.
• Present Absence : Adrian's death is ultimately what drives Rocky's desire to get back into the ring.
• Punny Name : For those who don't get the joke, the Mason-Dixon line was the result of a compromise in 19th century American Politics on where slavery would be legal. South of the line it was legal, north of the line it was not.
• The simulated match between Rocky and Dixon was based on the "Super Fight" between Rocky Marciano and Muhammad Ali.
• Rocky ends up owning a restaurant, like former heavyweight champion Jack Dempsey did.
• The film centers around a retired Rocky who still wants to fight but is simply laughed at by most people due to his age and is called "overrated" by an analyst. He has to fight to get his license, and when he actually gets in his last fight and starts to kick a little ass, his son says "Everyone thought this was a joke, including me. Now nobody's laughing." This could be seen to mirror Sylvester Stallone 's own troubles in his character, as he's grown old and become something of a joke for his cheesy movies to many people, who may have forgotten that he once made a great movie. Rocky's struggle to get his license mirrors Stallone's struggles to get the movie made, and his attempt at making another Rocky movie was seen as a joke by most people until they saw the movie and (mostly) realized it was a good movie.
• Stallone's son not playing Robert Jr. as he had in Rocky V was done to avert this trope. Robert Jr. makes a big deal about how he's only ever had a career because he's Rocky's son, and nobody looks at him as anything else. Stallone did not want audiences to think this of his son, and refused to let him reprise the role. Sage himself said he wouldn't have anything to do with it. "No more Rocky for me" is an exact quote when he spoke of turning the role down.
• Rocky loses the fight by decision
• Rocky loses the fight by KO
• Rocky wins the fight by decision
• Rocky wins the fight by KO
• Second Place Is for Winners : Rocky loses in a split decision to Mason Dixon, but even Dixon seems to acknowledge that Rocky was the real winner of that match.
• Shout-Out : On the DVD commentary, Stallone says he based the idea of Rocky owning a restaurant and spending his time telling old fight stories on former world heavyweight champion Jack Dempsey.
• Simple, yet Awesome : Duke's gameplan for Rocky's training. Since Rocky can no longer match an opponent's speed, and his body's no longer fit for his previous hard-running cardio, then the focus of training and beating Mason is simple: pure, raw power. Duke: Let's start building some hurtin' bombs!
• Soundtrack Dissonance : Rocky entering the ring with Dixon to the jingle of "High Hopes." Paulie: I like Sinatra .
• Too Good for This Sinful Earth : Both Rocky and Paulie feel this way about Adrian. A deleted scene even has Paulie breaking down and saying it should have been him who died. Paulie: [sobbing] Why didn't I die instead of my sister? I miss my sister, Rocky, I miss her! She never hurt nobody, Rocky! Rocky: I know.
• Villain Opening Scene : The first scene shows Mason Dixon effortlessly defeating his opponent and the reporters wondering if there will be a fighter worthy for him.
• Worf Had the Flu : One of the main reasons why Rocky's fight against Mason Dixon doesn't end in a quick Curb-Stomp Battle ; Dixon injures his main hand early in the fight, and has to spend the remaining rounds boxing with his off-hand.
• Worthy Opponent : Mason Dixon, the current champ, is suffering from a lack of this; he's so talented at boxing that he made rising to the championship look easy, and his popularity is suffering because the public won't believe he's not being handfed easy fights when he steamrolls everybody dumb enough to climb into a ring with him. Rocky is a true challenge for him, which he relishes (once he finally realizes how tough Rocky is, that is).

Video Example(s):

Rocky calls his son out.

Rocky tells his son to toughen up if he wants to withstand the blows of life.

Example of: Calling the Young Man Out

Alternative Title(s): Rocky VI

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Rocky Balboa: The Innocent and the Invincible Hero of Low Income Class

• Yildirim Uysal Bursa Uludag University

This study is aiming to scrutinize that how American low income class is represented in Rocky Balboa film series in regards of Rocky Balboa character. It will try to understand the mission which is given to Rocky along the film series by examining the concepts such as the values which Rocky represents, class standing, moving up in social ladder, etc. in the scripts of Rocky movies. The life line of Balboa which we have begun to witness while he was living in a poor neighborhood leads us to the different faces of his life along the six films of series: firstly, the world championship that he got by defeating Apollo Creed, then keeping his belt for a long time and defeating Ivan Drago, then losing all his wealth and has to return to the neighborhood where he was living previously and the last fight that he did during his retirement. The hypothesis of the study is that the films of Balboa series are reflecting the life of American low income class ‘realistic’ with Rocky Balboa’s character, and the hypothesis is going to want to verify it along the study.

Author Biography

Yildirim uysal, bursa uludag university.

Aristoteles. (1987). Poetika. İstanbul: Remzi Kitabevi Yayınları.

Ben Mna, I. (2021). Echoes of Reaganism in Hollywood Blockbuster Movies from the 1980s to the 2010s. Peter Lang International Academic Publishers.

Elmwood, V. A. (1976). “Just Some Bum From the Neighborhood”: The Resolution of Post-Civil Rights Tension and Heavyweight Public Sphere Discourse in Rocky. Film & History: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Film and Television Studies, 35(2), 49-59.

Fiske, J. (2003). İletişim Çalışmalarına Giriş. Ankara: Bilim ve Sanat Yayınları.

Gultekin, G. (2016). “Hollywood Sinemasında Kahramanın Dönüşümü: Rocky Balboa’nın Fiziksel, Psikolojik, Kültürel ve İdeolojik Değişimi”. Selçuk İletişim, 9(3), 299-320.

Hallam, J., & Marshment, M. (2000). Realism and popular cinema. Manchester University Press.

Kabadayi, L. (2013). Film Eleştirisi. Ayrıntı Yayınları.

Kellner, D. (2003). Media Culture: Cultural Studies, Identity and Politics Between the Modern and the Postmodern. Routledge.

https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1867-c1/ch31.htm

Mederson, M. A. (2014). “Rocky” Stallone: The Movie Rocky As Viewed Through A Realism And Existentialism Lens. Communication Arts 665, Professor Jeffrey Smith, May 16, 2014.

Nochlin, L. (1971). Realism. Penguin Books.

Nystrom, D. (2015). “Geç 1970’ler Hollywood İşçi Filmlerinde İşçi Sınıfı Dayanışması ve Diğer Dayanışma Biçimleri”. İşçi Filmleri, Öteki “Sinemalar”. Hazırlayan: Funda Basaran. Yordam Kitap, İstanbul.

Ongen, T. (2006). “Marksist Sınıf Kavramının ve Sınıf Analizinin Ayırt Edici Özellikleri”. 2. Sınıf Çalışmaları Sempozyumu, Türkiye’yi Sınıf Gerçeğiyle Anlamak. Türkiye Sınıf Araştırmaları Merkezi (Tüsam), İstanbul.

Price, J. (2014). Running with Butkus: Animals and Animality in Rocky. Humanimalia, 5(2), 87-114.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/theory-and-psychopathology/201308/the-theory-self- actualization

Ryan, M., & Kellner, D. (1988). Camera politica: The politics and ideology of contemporary Hollywood film. https://publish.iupress.indiana.edu/read/camera- politica/section/3dfbe00e-6278-4b3e-bf2c-b7cf069a25b0#ch4

Ryan, M., - Kellner, D. (2010). Politik Kamera, Çağdaş HoIlywood Sinemasının İdeolojisi ve Politikası. Ayrıntı Yayınları, İstanbul.

Salyer, Jr., Jeffrey L. (2009). Rocky Road: The Hero's Journey Of Rocky Balboa Through The Rocky Anthology. Master Thesis, School of Communication And The Arts, Regent University.

Wood, R. (2003). Hollywood From Vietnam To Reagan …And Beyond. Columbia University Press.

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Hero's Journey: Overcome challenges with Narrative Therapy

You are the hero of your own story. Stories aren't just for kids. In fact, they're critical in many forms of adult therapy, from Narrative Therapy to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy . One of the top therapy apps, LIFE Intelligence covers 9 topics, or Missions, for holistic self, career, and relationship development. The second Mission is about developing self-awareness and understanding where you are in your LIFE story. Only in first understanding the status quo can you then determine where to go next. It focuses on the Hero's Journey , a common narrative arc in epic films or books. The Hero's Journey is really a story of personal growth . It's the journey of how we develop as humans and how we rise to the challenge when we're down. Read on to understand how.

What is the Hero's Journey?

The Hero's Journey was popularized in 1949 by writer Joseph Campbell, who took all the stories we love from mythology and found that they fit a certain arc. We can see this journey in almost any story. Let's take, for example, the film boxing legend Rocky Balboa.

Call to Adventure : The first step of the Hero's Journey is the Call to Adventure. Rocky begins as an ordinary guy, a mediocre boxer. He gets an unexpected challenge - a fight with a star, Apollo Creed. He’s terrified he’s going to get beaten in, so he refuses the call at first, until a mentor, Micky, turns him around. When he decides to take on the challenge, he's finally crossed the threshold.

In the Abyss:  The next step is a tough, grueling journey. Rocky trains hard, getting back into shape with the help of Micky. He has to fight not just physical battles in this stage, but internal ones as well: fears he'll never amount to anything, jeers from people who don't believe in him. This culminates in the bottom of the image you see below, the abyss.

Transformation:  However, Rocky pushes through, and he's able to transform. He gives Apollo the fight of his life, and even though he doesn't win, he comes out of the experience a new man. He's found his mojo. He's gotten the confidence to ask out the woman of his dreams. And he goes on to become an even bigger legend than ever imagined.

What does this have to do with us? LIFE Intelligence teaches us to become our own heroes, to overcome challenges by seeing them as external foes. Consider, for a moment, all the foes you have already defeated. Maybe you've broken a bad habits. Maybe you've gritted through tough assignments. Maybe you've had the courage to leave unhealthy relationships, or stand up tor what you thought was right, even though it was hard.

When you wake up tomorrow, remember the Hero's Journey. Remember that each day, when you wake up, you may meet a call to adventure. Maybe it's a boss handing you a new opportunity. Maybe it's a potential date. All of these may seem uncomfortable at first. And, it's natural to, like Rocky, "refuse the call." It may feel safer to maintain the status quo, and not step outside your comfort zone. But, if you are willing to cross the threshold, your journey to personal growth awaits.

But also be prepared. Once you cross that threshold, things will get tough. It will be grueling, and hard. There will be times when you're down in the abyss, wondering why you ever took on this challenge, and worrying that you'll never emerge. In those hardest, darkest moments, remember that transformation is right around the corner. And know, that whether you win or lose, the transformation is worth the journey.

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