We call the female protagonist a "heroine." Then, does the heroin originate from the word "heroine?"

Rebecca

Not quite! The drug actually comes from a German word meaning heroic or "strong." The word "heroine," meaning a female protagonist comes from a Greek word meaning "demigoddess." So they're slightly different. Ex: He stopped using heroin a few years ago. Ex: The heroine of this movie is phenomenal.