No matter what film or television show you watch, there will always be a hero and villain. The two roles coexist alongside each other because you can’t have one without the other. But what happens when the audience begins to root for the villain? Thus the “anti-hero” is born. Some of the world’s favorite characters stem from this trope. Whether your favorite is Tony Soprano, Batman, Walter White, or one of my favorite families, the Roys from the HBO show Succession, the plot is nothing without these characters. 

It’s essential to start with what the anti-hero even is. The definition of the anti-hero is simply a central character in a storyline that has the same characteristics of a hero, but the wrong reasons often drive them. They will do all the right things but for their benefit or reasoning, while a traditional hero would do noble things for the sake of good. A classic hero is brave, kind, driven, and confident. An anti-hero is most likely the opposite; they often have a vague sense of morals to add to their traits. The anti-hero will most likely be the most cynical with a sense of humor that is different from the rest, which marks them as a black sheep of some kind.

I also believe that the anti-hero is more complex due to all of these things. Often the regular hero gets tiresome to watch; how many times can Superman save the day? The anti-hero and even the villain grow from their stories and the choices they make. They also challenge what it means to be a good or bad person. Traditional protagonists are essential for every plot, but there is an exceptional quality that the anti-hero brings that gives a breath of originality. 

To me, the anti-hero is someone more relatable. So often, our human nature is to try and do the right thing, but as a whole, humans rarely do. But instead of understanding that we grow and make mistakes, we strive for perfection and put down what is considered wrong before even examining the other side. As we grow older, that is an important quality to keep in mind, so we don’t drive ourselves insane looking for perfection. The anti-hero goes against all norms and pushes the boundaries of what the world perceives as good and evil. Because if you see their actions as wrong, someone else could see them as justified in every way. But that is the remarkable thing about people: everything is subjective, we don’t all agree on everything. The anti-hero is a reflection of who we all are, oddities and all.