In Greek mythology, Hector, or Hektor, was a Trojan prince and one of the greatest fighters in the Trojan War, equal to Ajax and surpassed only by Achilles. He was the son of Priam and Hecuba, his younger brother being the less brave Paris (Paris is commonly looked upon as a cowardly lover, who brought on the downfall of the kingdom of Troy over an affair with Helen). With his wife, Andromache, he fathered Astyanax. He had a horse named Lampos and friends named Misenus and Poludamas. His charioteer was Cebriones, his half-brother. In the Iliad, Homer calls him "breaker of horses," largely to maintain the meter of his lines and because Troy in general was known for horse raising. Another epithet applied to him is "of the flashing helmet".

Hector provides a stark contrast for Achilles, who was from first to last a man of war. Hector represents Troy and what it stood for. Some modern scholars have even suggested that he, not Achilles, is the true hero of the Iliad. Hector was fighting not for personal glory, but in defense of his homeland. Hector shares some of the same faults as Achilles, and does have a great amount of pride that proves to be disastrous for the Trojans. Both were their armies' greatest champions, and both serve as the driving force of the morale for their armies.

In the Middle Ages Hector's legend was held so highly that Jean de Longuyon included him as one of the Nine Worthies. In the Divine Comedy Dante sees the shade of Hector with the other noble Roman and Trojan personages in the portion of Limbo reserved for the most virtuous pagans. In the 2004 Hollywood film Troy, the character Hector was played by actor Eric Bana.