22 Times King Louis Tomlinson Was the Hero His Adoring Fans Needed

Updated on 12/25/2017 at 8:35 PM

If you'd all be so kind as to indulge me for a bit, I'd like to share a little about one of my favorite people on the planet: Louis Tomlinson, formerly of One Direction and currently a bona fide solo artist. Over the years, the "Miss You" singer has gone from being the one in One Direction who never got any solos to then penning a majority of their hits to now releasing his own music. He's someone who once told The Guardian that he struggled with confidence, but he seems to be finally realizing how ridiculously talented he is — and we, the fans, could not be prouder.

For me, I've sat here for the past six years watching Louis do amazing things like donate millions of dollars to charity and meet sick fans who adore him, and it's these quiet moments of greatness that have made me even more supportive of him and his career. He's someone who is capable of extraordinary things, though his humility would never allow him to get cocky or rest on his laurels.

I can't say I know him personally (please don't remind me), but I feel like I know him just from how closely I've followed his career, and I feel confident in saying he's one to watch in the music scene. If you've resisted the solo music of any of the members of One Direction simply because of their past, I'm sorry to say you're missing out, especially when it comes to Louis. His lyrics are sharp, his melodies are catchy, and his attitude is just nonchalant enough to draw you in. But you know what? It's not a surprise to those of us who have been around awhile.

To celebrate King Louis and all that he's done, I pulled together 22 things that have made him truly the hero we needed, from the little moments with the boys to all of his charity work. For all you other Louies out there, and of course, for Louis himself, this one's for us.

When He Was Grateful For His Time in One Direction

Louis really and truly loves One Direction. He's the only member of the band who still has One Direction in his Twitter bio and has adamantly broadcast his devotion to the group and his gratitude for everything that they accomplished together. When the group decided to take a hiatus in 2015, Louis was actually the most reluctant because he knew what they created was special.

Every Time He Wasn't Afraid to Be Proud of His Bandmates

While many people out there want to pit the members of One Direction against each other now that they've gone solo, the boys don't seem to see things that way. Not only has Louis tweeted his support for the other members, but he's even gone to see Niall play live.

When He Pitched In on the Charity Single For the Grenfell Fire

Several artists took part in recording "Bridge Over Troubled Water" to raise money for the victims of the Grenfell Tower fire that look place in London in June 2017. Louis, of course, didn't hesitate to contribute.

When He Took the Stage Just Days After His Mom Died

Only a few short days after Louis's mom, Johannah Deakin, died from leukemia in 2016, Louis took the X Factor stage in England for his very first solo performance. He performed his collaboration with Steve Aoki, "Just Hold On," in front of a packed house and for millions on TV.

Every Time He Played Sports For Charity

Louis has participated in several charity sports matches, including this one for SoccerAid in 2016 with Niall Horan.

When He Shares Adorable Moments With His Son

It's not often we get a glimpse into Louis's life with his son, Freddie, but the few times he's shared snippets on social media, they have been adorable.

When He Grew Into His Confidence and Became a Star in His Own Right

During his X Factor days, Louis was well-aware that he wasn't getting as many solos or as much screen time as the other boys, but rather than let it get him down, he turned to other avenues to assert himself. He became a pro at songwriting and dealing with everything backstage and behind the scenes. "In the last year of One Direction, I was probably the most confident I ever was," he previously told The Guardian.

Every Time He Posts a Picture Looking Happy and Healthy

Look, I'm convinced you'll never find a celebrity with more protective fans than his. Sure, you'll find us swooning over his attractive face, but more often than not, the chatter among us is more along the lines of, "Is he eating enough? Are people being kind to him? How can we help him?" We all just want the best for him, so sweet Instagram snaps like these really do make our day.

When He Shows Off His Impressive Songwriting Skills

We knew years ago that Louis was a great songwriter; he cowrote a large number of One Direction's songs, and it's so inspiring to see him continue on that path with his own music that we can all connect with. I'm a proud fan over here.

When He Blasted Sick Solo Music Into Our Eardrums

Louis has released four songs since One Direction split, and each one just keeps getting better and better. We're seeing the kind of music that resonates with him, and I think I speak for all the fans when I say we're kinda into it.

When He Shows His Love For Animals

Louis not only shares his sweet moments with his family and friends' dogs on social media, but he's also been known to bond with other animals. I can't say I'm surprised that all the fur babies seem to love him.

When He Encouraged Fans to Move Past the Negativity

Louis has dealt with his fair share of sh*t. Most recently, he fielded some hate from Australian radio presenters, but because Louis is Louis and an obviously wonderful person, he didn't let it faze him. On top of it all, he also encouraged his fans to do the same.

When He's Willing to Be Silly

Remember that one time when Louis sat on James Corden's lap and pretended to be a cat? Well, that might have been one of the best moments of his career. Louis is just about always willing to be silly to get a laugh because he seems to genuinely like making people happy, especially his fans.

When He Showed Off His Close Bond With His Mom

Louis and his mom were very obviously very close. She was by his side every step of the way through his career and neither one was shy about proclaiming their love for the other on social media. They even hosted a charity ball in 2015 for sick children.

When He Took England by Storm as a Solo Artist

In 2017, Louis played at London's Royal Variety show in front of Prince William and Kate Middleton, which might have been his biggest solo outing to date.

When He Showed Up Out of Nowhere to Save the Day

One Direction was nominated at the Brit Awards in 2016 after they went on hiatus. We had no idea if someone was going to show up to receive their award, if they won, but of course, Louis showed up with Liam Payne to save the day when they did.

When He Makes Every One of His Fans Feel Important

Based off of personal knowledge, I can truly say that Louis is a gem and makes his fans feel like he really cares about them. He is constantly tweeting love and gratitude to his fans and makes sure to mention them in almost every interview.

When He's Unapologetically Real

He prefers fast food to fancy dinners, he keeps his childhood friends close at all times, he'd rather be at a dive bar over a posh party, and he has a lot of really dumb tattoos. He's truly just like us!

When He Shows Love to His Family

When Louis's sister, Lottie, had a makeup launch event in 2016, he was there by her side. When he performed on X Factor, his sisters were by his side. When he was touring the world, he had his family there on various tour stops. He and his six siblings are all incredibly close.

Every Single Time He Speaks Up

Being that he's a former boy band member, Louis deals with a lot of garbage. Regardless of it all, Louis always stands up for himself, and I personally admire that.

Literally Any Time He Smiles

OK, not to get too mushy here, but Louis's smile might just be the cure for all the bad things in the world. Ask any of his dedicated fans and they'll probably agree with me.

When We Get Glimpses of His Cute Moments With the Boys

More often than not, you hear about bandmates who end up hating or resenting each other, but I feel pretty confident that the boys of 1D do not feel that way about each other and hopefully never will. Beyond the life-changing experience they went through together, they have always shared a special connection.