The Life and Journey of an Anti-Hero in Popular Fiction and Movies

It might have happened to us while watching a movie or reading a novel that we are rooting for the anti-hero. We are aware of his questionable deeds and motives, but still, the character's charm and charisma win us over. That is where you get your anti-hero. An anti-hero is everything that your hero is not. He is not a villain but has a gray character. He is more often complex and doesn't have any arch-traditional hero-like characteristics. In this blog, you will read about the various popular anti-hero characters.

Let's Define an Anti-Hero

An anti-hero is simply a guy who is the central character in the story but lacks traditional heroic qualities. He does not stand to morals and convictions or will have reasons to justify his acts. He doesn't act good for others. Rather, he has selfish motives driven by his self-interest and personal want for money and wealth. They are sometimes difficult to understand because of their complex personalities.

Characteristics of an Anti-Hero

The activities of the anti-hero vary from the greater questionable deeds he does for his understandable good deeds or gains. Some of the most notable examples of anti-heroes from pop culture, fiction, and movies are Michael Corleone from “The Godfather,” Tony Soprano from “The Sopranos,” and Travis Bickle from “Taxi Driver.”

Some of the qualities that are evident and similar in all of their behavior are the following:

• Self-Interest: They do not have altruistic motives but are driven by their self-interest.

• Flawed characters: Anti-heroes are flawed because of their past experiences and the traumas they suffered. These contributed to the complexity of the characters.

• Lacking conventional hero traits: They don't have to or don't abide by the solid moral values of the heroes.

• Complex motives: It is not easy to understand their motives. They have complex characters, and so do their motives.

Notable Anti-Hero from Fiction and Movies

• Tony Soprano from The Mafia Boss and the Family Man from “The Sopranos are good examples of an anti-hero. He is somewhere between the characteristics of a villain and a hero. The line is blurry. No doubt, he is a family man who loves his family, but he also commits murders for his gain.

• Rodion Raskolnikov from Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky is an anti-hero. It is one of the most famous novels of the author. But this character in the novel commits a crime to improve his situation and himself. For his behavior, we get to read about his background of being a destitute victim of an unsavory pawnbroker. It's a story about a man who struggles to live with his decisions and confesses his guilt later.

• Carrie White from Carrie by Stephen King now anyone would feel empathetic with the character. She is bullied and not treated well by her mother and others, and she wreaks havoc on the entire town. Throughout her journey, you could feel a connection even after her wrongdoings.

• Hannibal Lecter from The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris is also an example of an anti-hero. Some might understand why he behaves so badly. He is a genius who easily gets bored and can eat people anytime.

• Howard Roark from The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand is also a remarkable anti-hero figure because he thinks that his vision and greatness are more important than making anyone comfortable and happy. His ethics, morality, and debate make him exceptional.

Wrapping Up

It is clear that an anti-hero can be the central character of the theme or story but lies somewhere between the villain and the hero. He works for his self-interests and motives. And his complex personality is sometimes because of his past traumas. Many widely popular examples of anti-heroes exist in movies and fiction books. These popular characters are Hannibal Lecter, Howard Roark, and Carrie. If you like to read books with such gray characters, you should order your books online from various sites such as Shopify. TrueGether is a great Shopify alternative where you can find many such books. Let's enjoy the characters and stories by reading them today.