The Philosophy of Heroes of Might and Magic.

I also believe that heroes are simply mercenaries (as they were in Might and Magic 1), even in the second Might and Magic game. When I captured Roland's Castle, I bought a couple of his heroes (Kilburn and others). But Roland and Archibald cannot be recruited in the campaigns in any way. The heroes themselves (judging by their descriptions) are completely different in terms of abilities. For example, Archibald is strong in Necromancy, or Christian (an artilleryman, if I'm not mistaken), but we level them up ourselves in the campaigns (there are still some conventions and assumptions), which is why one hero is a demigod according to the scenario (Tarnum, for example), and another is just a simple thief. Therefore, you can figure out for yourself what happened to them when they were defeated: did he run away (the thief), or was he resurrected (Tarnum)? Also, heroes are not just people; they are also djinns, elementals, gnolls, etc. And what do you think, in a one-on-one fight, who would win: a fire elemental or a human or a gnoll? I'm talking about the campaigns; simple scenarios (non-plot-related) are variations on the theme of "what if...": Christian goes and kills Catherine, and so on. Added after 12 minutes

By the way, I didn't even consider the fact that there is also a division among the Lords. It's clear with humans - their society, as mentioned, resembles human society (our medieval one), but what about other races? Do they have a division of Lords into subordinates and those who command?

This raises an interesting question about power relations, which, as you know, are formed by subjects, objects, and power (the relationship between them).
Subjects: Lords. Only Lords. It's doubtful that one being would be subordinate to another (on the other hand, this is quite possible in the fourth game - and in principle, a strong being must, by definition, subordinate the weak).
Objects: Creatures, of course. But, considering the above, Lords can also be objects! And this is quite surprising. This subordination can be seen in the game itself: we choose one hero, leveling him up to the maximum, while the others perform supporting functions.
Power: power is expressed in management and strength (there is something else - I don't remember). Lords manage because they either use force or are stronger. Sometimes management is based on feelings (again, Catherine and her companions).

Of course, there is a division in other races as well: the Barbarians have anarchy with recognition of strength, Inferno has a rigid structure (I don't know how to express it correctly, like a Colony in general), and I think the Cove have democracy (because they created their state after being freed from slavery), and so on. (Here, you shouldn't confuse the plot lines with the game system). A hero is not necessarily a Lord; it is a character who is significant for the plot. He can also be a marginal figure in society