The Anti-Hero
February 12th 2007 10:13
Today I drove out to Borders in order to pick up a copy of Ratcatcher, a book that Luke recommended on his blog bookclub (Luke, the book is pretty good, not amazing but certainly good) and because of Borders being far more powerful than my puny freewill, I also bought a graphic novel (comic book) and DVD, Constantine. After a quick flip through the comic book and a viewing of the DVD (while I did my ironing) I came to a conclusion. Most of the coolest heroes, are anti-heroes, shadow warriors once touched by darkness. Examples? Easy. Wolverine, Batman, V, Rorshach, Constantine, Waylander, Ghost Rider, Blade, Vampire Hunter D etc etc etc.
But the question I suppose is why? I am not saying that we don't like guys like Superman, but they don't seem to have the same credibility of these other guys. Superman, who can fly, is amazingly strong, smart, nigh invulnerable, can shoot heat from eyes etc etc etc Vs Batman who is merely a gifted human with a few cool toys. I suppose it is because these anti-heroes ask so many questions that we also ask. Why aren't things perfect? Why do bad things happen to good people? They know these things, they have walked into such an area of pain and hurt but walked out, still determined to do the good they know they can do.
It is also I suspect their values that attract us. They are sometimes accused of being grey, but I think that this is far from the truth. Rorshach is a classic example. No compromise, even in the face of armageddon. V, as well says that freedom, justice and liberty are not just words, but are perspectives. I am not going to argue the subjective nature of such a statement, but rather the objective, which is that he believed in absolutes, granted they are absolutes with a context. Which is the charm of the anti-hero. They do not see the grey that others might, they see where black and white are so close together that they blur. But though they blur, they do not mix.
So, who is everyone's favourite anti-heroes?
JZ
But the question I suppose is why? I am not saying that we don't like guys like Superman, but they don't seem to have the same credibility of these other guys. Superman, who can fly, is amazingly strong, smart, nigh invulnerable, can shoot heat from eyes etc etc etc Vs Batman who is merely a gifted human with a few cool toys. I suppose it is because these anti-heroes ask so many questions that we also ask. Why aren't things perfect? Why do bad things happen to good people? They know these things, they have walked into such an area of pain and hurt but walked out, still determined to do the good they know they can do.
It is also I suspect their values that attract us. They are sometimes accused of being grey, but I think that this is far from the truth. Rorshach is a classic example. No compromise, even in the face of armageddon. V, as well says that freedom, justice and liberty are not just words, but are perspectives. I am not going to argue the subjective nature of such a statement, but rather the objective, which is that he believed in absolutes, granted they are absolutes with a context. Which is the charm of the anti-hero. They do not see the grey that others might, they see where black and white are so close together that they blur. But though they blur, they do not mix.
So, who is everyone's favourite anti-heroes?
JZ
| 70 |
| Vote |
Add To: 
Subscribe to this blog
Comment by hewhocutsdown
Squall (Final Fantasy VIII)
V
Lead character in Memento
Max Cohen in Pi
Gambit (X-Men)
Deadpool
Dogbert
Lucifer (comic series)
Eldest girl in 'Til We Have Faces
Mr. Wednesday (American Gods)
.....etc......
Comment by JoshZ
A Simple Christian
Comment by Luke
Book Club
Old Movies
Cane Toad Warrior
I think anti-heroes are easier to identify with too, because nobody's perfect.
'Catcher in the Rye' has a great anti-hero. Actually, is he even an anti-hero? He doesn't really do much that approaches heroism.
Actually, Fitz from Robin Hobb's books is a great anti-hero.
Here's a blog I did on anti-heroes in film - Really Long Link
Comment by JoshZ
A Simple Christian
Yeah, I remember reading that and thinking "I need to see some of these films...."
I guess my idea of the anti-hero is different to yours. I probably wouldn't agree with Goodfellas (I saw some of the movie) on the basis that the guy never really did anything that heroic. Certainly he was potentially a nice guy, but he didn't seem to want to do anything with it.
JZ
Comment by Luke
Book Club
Old Movies
Cane Toad Warrior
I guess I see it as when the writer of something has a protagonist who *isn't* a hero, which makes him or her the opposite of the hero, but as there isn't another proper hero present they're not the villain either, so it makes them the anti--hero.
Comment by Nathan P. Mahney
NerdBlog
The Comic Nerd
Anti-heroes are cooler, and they have an extra-special appeal for teenagers I feel. I'm finding that as I grow up I have a growing fondness for the straight-up action hero, but as a teen it was all about the cool antiheroes. There's a certain appeal about doing the right thing by doing the wrong thing.
Comment by JoshZ
A Simple Christian
Luke:
Interesting idea. I guess for me the reason that I see these guys as anti-heroes is that they are clearly not innocent people. They have had their stuff ups and may not have made up for all of them but they are doing what they can to produce what good they can.
I think that is why I relate to them.
Nathan:
Also interesting. Even now, in my older than teenage days, I am still thinking that Batman, Wolverine etc etc are cooler than guys like Superman. My favourite superhero that isn't an anti hero though is Captain America. Mostly because of who he becomes in the Universe X series and the side of him that you see.
And I agree with your point, there is something interesting about doing the right thing the wrong way. But there is also something about doing the right thing despite being the wrong person.
JZ
Comment by JohnDoe
Film & TV on DVD