The Rise of the Antihero: Between Good and Evil
It’s me. Hi. I’m (probably) not the problem—but antiheroes are, and we love them just the same.
At least once in your life, you’ve probably experienced cheering for a character in a show or movie for doing something you would find questionable in real life. Such characters are known as antiheroes, protagonists that defy the typical “noble hero” trope—rather than having a strong sense of ethics, they are morally gray and oftentimes do the right thing for the wrong reasons. However, no matter how many laws they break or shady decisions they make, we find ourselves rooting for them again and again. But why exactly is that?
To be able to understand why, it’s also important to know the origin of such characters. The popularity of the antihero is not a recent development; they’ve existed for almost as long as the classic hero has. Even back in ancient times, while not labeled as such, they existed in literature. For example, Odysseus from The Odyssey fits the description—the compromise of his ideals in order to reach his goal and return home places him solidly in the category. In recent years, the antihero has also seen a surge in popularity, with iconic characters such as Deadpool and Loki taking center stage.
Antiheroes are rooted, perhaps, in the acknowledgement that we are flawed. In the need to watch a character that we can relate to, we pull away from the archetypically perfect hero and search for protagonists who make mistakes, rebel against the law, and do what they want to—even if it’s wrong. Antiheroes walk a fine line between good and evil, but their moral ambiguity and complexities are what make them seem more realistic than a protagonist who can do no wrong.
Their charm also relies heavily on our understanding of why they do what they do; one of the archetypal marks of an antihero is a sympathizable backstory. In fact, some studios have remade classic stories to focus on telling the villain’s story. Prime examples of this are the movies Maleficent and Cruella. In the latter, Cruella de Vil is portrayed as an initially innocent girl whose unfortunate circumstances change her into a villain, making her seem much more humane. Audience members can empathize with her struggles and understand why she turned evil. In fact, some find the appeal of antiheroes to be the way they rebel against the government or oppressive figures in ways that people can’t do in real life.
Nevertheless, antiheroes aren’t all misunderstood protagonists or harmless revolutionaries, however much they may seem so. More often than not, people have a tendency to romanticize antiheroes without recognizing that what may seem cute or amusing in the media would actually translate badly into real life. Such characters aren’t inherently bad, but whenever we consume such content, we must remember that it’s simply that—content. It does not and should not be reflected in our lives.
Ultimately, antiheroes draw us in because they challenge the traditional perception of right and wrong, revealing how circumstance can shape the person you become. They give us an opportunity to explore what it means to be a flawed human being, and perhaps it is the celebration of that depth that makes such characters so endearing.
