We celebrate several heroes despite them being on the losing side.

Karna lost the war of the Mahabharata.

Hannibal Barca lost the Battle of Cama, and therefore, the Second Punic War.

Rani Lakshmibai did not win against the British. Nor did Bhagat Singh.

The Red Baron was eventually killed, and Germany eventually lost World War 1.

Che Guevara was executed by his enemies and was unsuccessful in spreading the communist revolution.

Milkha Singh, the Flying Sikh, did not win a medal at the 1960 Olympic games.

Yet, we remember all these people as heroes.

We talk about heroic deeds, not heroic results, for heroes are defined by their actions. Not by their results.

A hero is a person who acts in honorouable ways regardless of whether they win or lose. To act in heroic ways, the means are more important than the ends.