Profile Guide

What is an Antihero?

Often antiheroes get easily confused with villains. In this chapter we're going to explain what an antihero actually is and talk about the difference between antiheroes and villains.

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So, what is an antihero?

The word antihero comes from Greek. The prefix "anti" means "against" and the word "hero" means a "protector or defender."

An antihero is the protagonist of a story who doesn't have the traditional personality traits of a typical hero such as bravery, honesty or morality. Rather they are complex characters who are cynical, defy laws and standard morals, have internal struggles and show little to no remorse for bad actions. Antiheroes typically have good intentions, but their method to achieve their results is questionable and often wrong. They break all norms and operate by their own rules. However, despite all of these attributes they are still liked by people.

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There are different types of antiheroes that can be found in fiction:

The pragmatic rebel:

The pragmatic antihero is a realist whose morals are good (for the most part). They don't hesitate to do anything for the good, even if it means to get rid of the bad guys. They cross all lines for the greater good.

The unscrupulous antihero:

This is the antihero whose morals fall into a grey zone. Although they have good intentions, they are actually driven more out of self-interest rather than the greater good. Their actions are often caused by past traumas and inner conflicts. They do anything to reach their goals, even while enjoying the dark side sometimes.

The heroic villain:

This kind of antihero borders on being a villain, but his bad behavior actually benefits the society.

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The purpose of an antihero is to show true human nature, because real people are flawed and sometimes have trouble making moral decisions. Antiheroes help illustrate areas of confusing ethical reasonings in society.

"We've all got both light and dark inside us. What matters is the part we choose to act on" is a well known quote by Sirius Black from the Harry Potter series. This pretty much sums up the antihero, a character who has both good and bad qualities, but often chooses to act badly to support the good.

The main difference between an antihero and a villain is that a villain only has bad intentions and no boundaries when it comes to their methods. However, antiheroes do have a line they aren't willing to cross and ultimately work for the greater good.

We hope this chapter helped you to get a better idea of the definition of an antihero.