Why is Samson considered a "hero?"
It seems to me that other judges and monarchs--while none were perfect--came closer to deserving hero status.
It almost seems like Samson never wanted the life for himself that his mother was instructed to give him. Like many other male leaders, his brains and wisdom were overcome by other parts of his anatomy. Sure, he killed lots of Philistines, but couldn't he have done that without betraying himself, the Lord, and his Nazarite vow?