A friend and I were kicking around the other night the idea that most people prefer heros who have no idea what they're doing...and don't want to.
Society seems to prefer a reluctant hero. The hero discovers that they do, in fact, have a fate due them different than the rest of the world, and probably spends at least the first book actively fighting that fate, doing their best to remain an individual, in control, etc.
I personally find protagonists who actively face their fates, dive right in, and make the best of their situation far more interesting.
For instance. Rand 'al Thor, Richard Rahl, Owen Deathstalker, Ender, Simon from The Dragonbone Chair, any Piers Anthony hero, McKillip's Morgon of Hed, etc.
All of these characters spend much of their time actively denying who they are and what they will be, until it is too late.
There are a lot of novels which don't concern single main characters. They tend to be more the norm, perhaps. These include series' such as Feist's Midkemia novels, Eddings' fantasy series', McCaffery's Dragon Rider books, Jack McKinney's Robotech novelizations and other books, etc.
And then, on the other side, we have active, willing protagonists. Hiro Protagonist, Kent Montana, Raj Whitehall, Dirk Gently, Corwin and Merlin of Amber, and others like them, who actively seek and create their destinies by their own wills alone.
I myself would much rather follow a character who doesn't turn away from his destiny, no matter how frightening it is. Is this uncommon? | 
