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I already rely on you so much, I worry I won't be able to live without you, Eitarou...
"Hetare" (JP) is a term for a character who has a pathetic or incompetent personality. They are either weak-willed, delicate, cowardly, and lack confidence, or are useless and clumsy to the point of being nearly incapable of doing anything by themselves.
Etymology
Meaning of the Term
Hetare (ヘタレ) is a Japanese slang meaning "pathetic (having the capacity to move one to feel pity)" or "incompetent (not having the necessary skills to do something successfully)".
It refers to a person who is weak (弱い), lacks will-power (気力), is timid and easily frightened (臆病), and lacks self-confidence (自信がない), or someone who is incompetent and unable to do anything. It can also refer to those who are self-deprecating and disparage or undervalue themself from their lack of confidence.[1]
Origin
Although the exact origin is unknown it is said to have originated as far back as 2004 from the Kansai region where a person who makes noises like "ahhhhh" or "ehhhhh" (short words or whining that aren't even complaints) at every opportunity is called "hetare" (ヘタレ), which comes from the phrase "he-tare" (屁垂れ), meaning "letting out a fart". This is in reference to the constant sighing and whimpering of a person sounding like a constant stream of them farting from the mouth.[2]
As the term spread throughout the rest of Japan it became used to refer not only to someone who is quick to complain, but weak people in general. This is likely because of its similarity to words such as "hekotareru" (へこたれる), meaning "to be discouraged or give up", and "hetaru" (へたる), meaning "to become less skilled".[1]
History
The first known instance of the term being used in an official media series was the 2004 romance manga Hetare Venus (JP). The series follows Atsuko, a 15-year-old girl who is known as the "godsister" among her peers and is feared by her classmates due to her abnormally tall height. However, despite what everyone thinks of her she is actually fragile to the point of tears and is not good with scary things which cause her to faint. Plus, she's a coward who is too afraid to speak up about her true feelings. Atsuko, with all her faults, falls in love with her classmate Miki. She even volunteers to be a cultural festival committee member because of him, and yet the topic that her class is responsible for is Atsuko's biggest weakness... making a haunted house.[3]
The 2011 gag comedy manga series Hetare Ane (JP) follows the daily lives of Mana Shinomura, a warm and ditzy hetare older sister who relies on her younger brother Eitarou Shinomura. Despite being the older sister, Mana is very short to the point she is sometimes mistaken for an elementary school student. She is a clumsy girl with an innocent personality and is not good at using home appliances and often breaks them. She is also rather forgetful, such as offering to treat her brother to a meal only to realize while trying to pay that she forgot her wallet at home, forcing her brother to have to pay instead. She is skilled at handicrafts, knitting, and sewing, but is not good at cleaning high places due to her short stature. She often relies on her younger brother Eitaro, but she seems to resist it due to her pride as an older sister.[4][5]
The 2021 romance manga series Koisuru Hetare ha Itsumo Bukiyou (JP) follows Takumi, a handsome ikemen high school student, who has a crush on his classmate Mei. Normally, Takumi is a cool guy who is confident and popular with girls, but when it comes to Mei, he becomes a clumsy hetare loser! He is so conscious of her that he can't say "I love you" and gets lost fantasizing about being in love with her, getting too swept away by love to confess his feelings.[6]
Personality
Hetare are characters who have a pathetic personality or are incompetent and useless. Common traits include being weak-willed, timid, easily frightened, lacking confidence and assertiveness, lacking self-esteem, being clumsy, being forgetful, and being nearly incapable of doing anything by themselves.
Character Developement
There is also a pattern in which even a hetare character grows significantly, both physically and mentally, as the story progresses and eventually overcomes difficulties. This can make audiences feel proud of the character for finally overcoming their adversity and make them even more loved, such as if they finally grow the courage to confess their feelings or to stand up for themself.
On the other hand, there are also some hetare characters who are surprisingly popular with audiences even if they don't even show any growth. This is similar to ahonoko (foolish children) and dojikko (clumsy children) who are well-loved despite their shortcomings. In many cases, it just makes the audience love them even more to the point they want to protect them.
Sub-Types of Hetare
There are many different types of hetare characters, but it be divided generally into two types: characters who are always hetare and characters who are sometimes hetare.
Default
Their default state is hetare:
- Delicate: The character has a fundamentally delicate and sensitive personality that is easily hurt.
- Incompetent: The character is incapable of doing anything on their own and always messes everything up. They require constant help from other people to get by.
- Cowardly: The character is weak-willed and easily gives up. This is broadly divided into two types: "those that can do their best for others but are indecisive when it comes to themselves (mainly in love)" and "those that can only think about themselves and abandon or betray others (mainly fighting)". They are the type who can make good things worse or drag down their friends because of their cowardly nature.
Switch
They are sometimes hetare:
- Switched On: The character has a "switch" and when it is turned on they become completely useless and unable to do anything. They are usually normal, but when faced with adversity (such as romantic love or battles) they are mentally shocked and immediately grow timid and start to lack confidence. For example, a person who is normally confident in everything they do, but becomes a bumbling idiot who is clumsy and can't form a coherent sentence in front of their crush.
- Switched Off: The character is normally hetare, but when it counts they are skilled. They are normally weak-willed and not reliable at all, but they will become strong during important decisions. For example, a person who is always scared but when they see someone they care about is in trouble they will save them without thinking.
Differences From Other Archetypes
The archetype shares a lot of similarities with dojikko, characters who are clumsy, but it also has a lot of differences. Namely, not all hetare characters are clumsy. Many are just weak-willed or easily scared, without ever tripping over things. At the same time, not all people who are clumsy are completely useless or weak-willed. Though many characters likely fall under both if they are weak-willed or incompetent and also clumsy.
Similar Japanese Archetypes
- Dojikko: A term for a character who is very clumsy.
- Kiridere: A term for a character that has a serious reliable side when they're working and an unreliable emotional side when they're around their love interest. Characters that have a switch personality where they become hetare only around their love interest are similar to this type.
List of Characters
Gallery
 Mana Shinomura with Eitarou Shinomura from Hetare Ane  Mana Shinomura with Eitarou Shinomura from Hetare Ane .gif "Hina Kubota from Barakamon (2).gif (753 KB)") Hina Kubota from Barakamon  Huohuo from Honkai Star Rail  Mikan Tsumiki from Super Danganronpa 2.5 Komaeda Nagito to Sekai no Hakaimono  Zenitsu Agatsuma from Kimetsu no Yaiba |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 What is Hetare. Pixiv Encyclopedia (2010/07/09).
- ↑ Hetare. Wikipedia JP (2006/02/15).
- ↑ Hetare Venus. Shogakukan (2004/07/13).
- ↑ Hetare Ane. CMOA (2011/01/05).
- ↑ Hetare Ane. Wikipedia JP.
- ↑ Koisuru Hetare ha Itsumo Bukiyou. HorinLoveBooks (2021/06/18).