Beowulf, the hero of this epic poem, is a warrior like none other before him. The son of the warrior Ecgtheow, Beowulf is "the mightiest man on earth, highborn and powerful." (197-198) Born to the Geat people, he possesses the strength of thirty men in each arm. He is the savior to King Hrothgar and his kingdom. In his time of need, Beowulf helps Hrothgar rid his kingdom of the terrorizing Grendel and Grendel's mother. Beowulf fights the creature known as Grendel with only his bare hands and triumphantly sends the creature fleeing to his death. Over the course of the poem, Beowulf is shown to be the ultimate warrior. He is strong and courageous, the epitome of what a warrior should be. Beowulf brings honor to his king, Hygelac, through all his actions. He is a legend in his own right:

Thus Beowulf bore himself with valor;
he was formidable in battle yet behaved with honor
and took no advantage; never cut down
a comrade who was drunk, kept his temper
and, warrior that he was, watched and controlled
his God-sent strength and his outstanding
natural powers. (2177-2183)