The perceived dichotomy between cowardice and heroism plays a major role in Defiant culture in Skyward, and the pressures of those societal views are amplified for Spensa, the daughter of Chaser, the most famous coward of all. However, Spensa’s experience reveals that the definition of cowardice is not as straightforward as the society of “Defiants” would have it seem. Ultimately, she discovers that being a hero has nothing to do with lacking fear; instead, it means being willing to sacrifice oneself for others when it truly matters despite feeling fear.

Chaser’s legacy of cowardice tarnishes Spensa’s own reputation, fueling her to build a persona that projects her own misguided version of heroism, which she has created by imitating the language and posturing of the Earth heroes from Gran-Gran’s stories. Despite Gran-Gran’s insistence that “[a]ll the greatest warriors fight for peace” (21), Spensa believes that “[c]onfidence [is] the soul of heroism” (25), and she internalizes the idea that any kind of worry or fear is tantamount to cowardice.

This concept is so ingrained that when Spensa finally faces the realities of war, she is ashamed of her natural fear and grief and begins to believe that these are evidence of her own cowardice.