How to Write a Himbo Character

Have you ever heard the term, ‘himbo’ and wondered what it means? A himbo is a male-identifying character who is hot, kind, and dumb (muscles are optional). The term was created in the late 80s and is a play on the words, ‘him’ and ‘bimbo’. Himbos can be fun additions to stories no matter the genre. Here’s some tips on creating loveable himbos.

Don’t forget the holy trinity of himbo.

First, the most important thing to do when creating a himbo is to involve all the necessary ingredients. This man must be hot, kind, and dumb. The hotness can vary from super cute to scorching, but his kindness needs to be certain. Himbos aren’t snarky or rude. They’re almost always sweet to everyone around them, even the villains if they’re not paying attention. Which leads to their last trait, their lack of intelligence. Himbos do silly things not to be funny or chaotic, but because they truly don’t know any better. What they lack in intelligence they usually make up for in heart. Often himbos are written with high emotional intelligence and little book smarts. Now that we’ve got the basics down, let’s move on to his hobbies.

Give your himbo a hobby.

Himbos can be fun to add to your story, but it’s best to give them a certain area of expertise or else they’ll only be a hot mannequin. We’ve all watched or read stories where there’s a hot person who does nothing but be pretty. That’s no fun. Yes, himbos must be dumb, but they can have a certain skill that they excel at, like baking or certain sports (nothing with a ton of rules à la cricket). Extra points if you find a way to give him a skill that’s either necessary to the story or critical during certain scenes. A great example of this is Jason Mendoza from The Good Place. Jason is a himbo from Florida with a passion for dancing. Most the time, he creates chaos for the characters around him, but on a few occasions, Jason’s skills at dancing or knowledge of how to work with others (he led a 60-person dance crew) helped him or others. Letting your himbo have a skill will help him connect with other characters. Now that your himbo has skills, let’s give him a friend.

Give your himbo a friend.

Himbos are great for many reasons but allowing them to play with others usually makes for fun scenes to write and read. Alone, himbos aren’t that entertaining, but pair them with a buddy and things can go great. Put a friend in your himbo’s life that either complements or contrasts them. There can never be too many himbos. Maybe your himbo is on a team of himbos. Think Thor and Korg from the latest Thor movies. Taika Waititi made a bold choice of changing Chris Hemsworth’s Thor from the Shakespearean hero in the first movie to a total himbo for Thor: Ragnarok. Ever since then, Thor has been coupled up with the least and most incompetent people including Korg. Now this does beg the question, is Korg a himbo? Only if you count rocks as sexy (don’t yuck someone’s yum!). Or, your himbo can have a friend with a personality nearly opposite their own, like Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy in Pride & Prejudice. Where Bingley is kind, soft, and down for a country party, Darcy is stoic, distant, and aloof. They pair well since Darcy brings the levelheadedness and Bingley the cinnamon roll sweetness. Or, if you don’t want to create another major character, simply give them an animal sidekick like Hercules and his Pegasus in Hercules. So, your himbo has a hobby and friends. Now, you let them run free and create chaos.

Put your himbo in the best/worst scenario.

Himbos are great for creating scenes with the best payoff, be it dramatic or comedic. Need someone for the villain to capture and interrogate? Your himbo can give the dumbest answers known to man, infuriating the villain, and making readers laugh to tears. Is your hero trapped in a closet/high-tech vault and needs someone to break them out? Send your himbo, with butter covered fingers and their animal sidekick to help. Need to distract a guard/substitute teacher? Your himbo can stand up and make an impassioned speech about a WWF wrestling match from the 90s or chat their ear off about why cats are aliens sent from the stars to control us all. Himbos can be equal parts hilarious and irritating in all the finest ways. They cause chaos but always with the best intentions, which is oh-so-fun to write and read. Himbos are a delight to create and can add much needed levity to your story. Their sweet natures and pure hearts (not to mention great looks) make them beloved of readers all over. Now, go forth and create the himbo of your book’s dreams.