Laurence
Inkling
Preferably in fantasy! I'm aware that most antiheroes and antiheroines are in comics. How well do you think they work in fantasy?
Wikipedia said:
-
Welcome to the Fantasy Writing Forums. Register Now to join us!
Who Are Your Favourite Anti-Heroes/Heroines?
- Thread starter Laurence
- Start date
Russ
Istar
Elric of Melnibone. Thomas Covenant. Jerry Cornelius.
They work just fine in fantasy.
They work just fine in fantasy.
Tom
Istar
Probably Eugenides from The Queen's Thief series. (He's the eponymous thief.)
Mythopoet
Auror
The first anti-hero was Gilgamesh and mythologies are full of other examples. It's something that's been done over and over since the dawn of storytelling, not something mostly in comics.
I would say that an anti-hero is not just a character who lacks conventional heroic qualities, but are actually the negative version of the hero. They are attempting to accomplish a "good", but the methods that they use are decidedly "evil". Most MCs are neither heroes nor anti-heroes, they're somewhere in between.
Probably my favorite anti-hero (or at least the first one that comes to mind) is Lelouch vi Britannia from the anime series Code Geass. One can understand and empathize with his motivations and the goal he is trying to accomplish, but as time goes on the methods he uses to achieve it become more and more questionable until it is clear that he is sacrificing his own morality, and becoming like his enemies, to reach his goal. I like him because he knows this and accepts it and also understands and accepts the consequences he will have to face for his actions. There is a nobility to him being willing to sacrifice himself in this way to achieve something for other people.
I would say that an anti-hero is not just a character who lacks conventional heroic qualities, but are actually the negative version of the hero. They are attempting to accomplish a "good", but the methods that they use are decidedly "evil". Most MCs are neither heroes nor anti-heroes, they're somewhere in between.
Probably my favorite anti-hero (or at least the first one that comes to mind) is Lelouch vi Britannia from the anime series Code Geass. One can understand and empathize with his motivations and the goal he is trying to accomplish, but as time goes on the methods he uses to achieve it become more and more questionable until it is clear that he is sacrificing his own morality, and becoming like his enemies, to reach his goal. I like him because he knows this and accepts it and also understands and accepts the consequences he will have to face for his actions. There is a nobility to him being willing to sacrifice himself in this way to achieve something for other people.
Feo Takahari
Auror
He might not count, since he's not the central figure, but I have a soft spot for Impmon from Digimon Tamers.
He starts out as something of a pest--rude, mischievous, picking fights all the time . . . but he's so pathetically weak that he never presents a serious threat. He wants to be strong and feared, but due to bad past experiences, he keeps rejecting any chance to join a team and grow stronger as part of a group. While other characters become increasingly powerful, he's left farther and farther behind, trying to improve himself without relying on anyone else.
In desperation, he goes to the villains for power, and they're willing to grant it to him if he'll promise to kill the main characters. He comes back with two guns, a motorcycle, a black leather vest, and attacks that can actually hurt something. He calls himself Beelzemon now, but on the inside, he's the same as always, still obsessed with becoming stronger and reaching a point where no one can hurt him anymore.
There are several other characters who're important in what follows, but there are two you need to know about. One is Jeri, a sweet little girl with massive abandonment issues. She latches onto the idea of a Digimon partner as a companion who will always love her and will never, ever leave her. The other is Leomon, the Digimon who partners with her. His backstory is never fully revealed, but he seems to deeply regret something in his past, and he wants to prevent others from going down the same path.
Beelzemon cuts a pretty impressive figure now, even taking out a fellow villain who thinks this is all crazy. But when he finally has the heroes corned, Leomon has the courage to stand up to him. He takes apart Beelzemon's motivations, tells him that "to have power is not to be strong," and refuses to let him hurt the children . . .
Yeah, Digimon Tamers was pretty messed up. This is what happens when a kids' show is made by someone better known for creepy cyberpunk mindscrews.
He starts out as something of a pest--rude, mischievous, picking fights all the time . . . but he's so pathetically weak that he never presents a serious threat. He wants to be strong and feared, but due to bad past experiences, he keeps rejecting any chance to join a team and grow stronger as part of a group. While other characters become increasingly powerful, he's left farther and farther behind, trying to improve himself without relying on anyone else.
In desperation, he goes to the villains for power, and they're willing to grant it to him if he'll promise to kill the main characters. He comes back with two guns, a motorcycle, a black leather vest, and attacks that can actually hurt something. He calls himself Beelzemon now, but on the inside, he's the same as always, still obsessed with becoming stronger and reaching a point where no one can hurt him anymore.
There are several other characters who're important in what follows, but there are two you need to know about. One is Jeri, a sweet little girl with massive abandonment issues. She latches onto the idea of a Digimon partner as a companion who will always love her and will never, ever leave her. The other is Leomon, the Digimon who partners with her. His backstory is never fully revealed, but he seems to deeply regret something in his past, and he wants to prevent others from going down the same path.
Beelzemon cuts a pretty impressive figure now, even taking out a fellow villain who thinks this is all crazy. But when he finally has the heroes corned, Leomon has the courage to stand up to him. He takes apart Beelzemon's motivations, tells him that "to have power is not to be strong," and refuses to let him hurt the children . . .
. . . And Beelzemon rips a freaking hole in Leomon's chest. First main character death in the entire franchise.
One of the other main characters flips the hell out, nearly gets the entire group killed, and eventually beats the stuffing out of Beelzemon. Jeri stops him from killing him, sobbing that she doesn't want anyone else dying because of her. Having his life spared by someone who had every reason to want him dead forces Beelzemon to think about what he's done, and he goes back and reconciles with the people who'd hurt him in the first place.
Jeri is in a very bad place emotionally, and this makes her a prime target for the central villain. It kidnaps her and emotionally tortures her for weeks on end by showing her distorted images of her worst memories, using her despair to heighten its powers. When the others go to rescue her, Beelzemon is alongside them, eager to atone for what he's done.
In the middle of a pitched battle, Beelzemon finds the . . . egg? Chrysalis? I don't even know what you'd call it . . . that Jeri is being held captive in, and batters the outside to try and force his way in. In desperation, he calls out for someone to give him the strength he needs, then busts a small hole with Leomon's signature attack. But being reminded of Leomon by the creature who killed him confuses and frightens Jeri, and she refuses to grab Beelzemon's hand even as the hole grows smaller and smaller.
Then the homing attack that's been chasing another character for the whole scene hits Beelzemon in the back, and he starts falling into an otherwordly goop that destroys anything it touches. All the while, he begs the others to forget about him, to let him fall, because they have to save Jeri.
They save him, of course, because this show isn't that mean. In one of the last scenes of the final episode, he tries to apologize to Jeri before he has to return home, and she finally forgives him.
One of the other main characters flips the hell out, nearly gets the entire group killed, and eventually beats the stuffing out of Beelzemon. Jeri stops him from killing him, sobbing that she doesn't want anyone else dying because of her. Having his life spared by someone who had every reason to want him dead forces Beelzemon to think about what he's done, and he goes back and reconciles with the people who'd hurt him in the first place.
Jeri is in a very bad place emotionally, and this makes her a prime target for the central villain. It kidnaps her and emotionally tortures her for weeks on end by showing her distorted images of her worst memories, using her despair to heighten its powers. When the others go to rescue her, Beelzemon is alongside them, eager to atone for what he's done.
In the middle of a pitched battle, Beelzemon finds the . . . egg? Chrysalis? I don't even know what you'd call it . . . that Jeri is being held captive in, and batters the outside to try and force his way in. In desperation, he calls out for someone to give him the strength he needs, then busts a small hole with Leomon's signature attack. But being reminded of Leomon by the creature who killed him confuses and frightens Jeri, and she refuses to grab Beelzemon's hand even as the hole grows smaller and smaller.
Then the homing attack that's been chasing another character for the whole scene hits Beelzemon in the back, and he starts falling into an otherwordly goop that destroys anything it touches. All the while, he begs the others to forget about him, to let him fall, because they have to save Jeri.
They save him, of course, because this show isn't that mean. In one of the last scenes of the final episode, he tries to apologize to Jeri before he has to return home, and she finally forgives him.
Yeah, Digimon Tamers was pretty messed up. This is what happens when a kids' show is made by someone better known for creepy cyberpunk mindscrews.
Last edited:
MineOwnKing
Maester
There is a difference between anti-hero and tragic-hero.
A tragic-hero is one that makes a fatal mistake.
I agree with Russ that Elric is an excellent example.
A little less known is Corum: The Prince in the Scarlet Robe, another anti-hero of Moorcock.
Corum is also a good fit because he lacks the traditional qualities of a hero.
The Corum stories are written so poorly it's almost a torture to read them, but I found something about Corum that appealed to me and so I was hooked into reading further.
A tragic-hero is one that makes a fatal mistake.
I agree with Russ that Elric is an excellent example.
A little less known is Corum: The Prince in the Scarlet Robe, another anti-hero of Moorcock.
Corum is also a good fit because he lacks the traditional qualities of a hero.
The Corum stories are written so poorly it's almost a torture to read them, but I found something about Corum that appealed to me and so I was hooked into reading further.
WooHooMan
Auror
I don't see any video game characters here so I'll mention some video game antiheroes I like.
Garrett from the Thief series is great. He just wants to get shit done and get paid. No questioning morality or tragic backstories or grand agendas - he's great in his simplicity and has a lot of charisma.
He's a very "less is more" character. I can't even really summarize what makes him great; 99% of his appeal is in execution.
I also really like the idea of Guybrush Threepwood from the Monkey Island series being an "antihero". He does lie and steal often and he's mostly motivated by a want for glory and fortune. However, unlike a lot of antiheroes, there's nothing complex or edgy about him. He's really just a huge dork with an ego.
Then there's Kain and his nemesis Raziel from the Legacy of Kain series. I don't even know where to begin with those two. Needless to say, they're great.
Also, it's nice to see some Moorecock love in this thread. He's got some great characters.
Garrett from the Thief series is great. He just wants to get shit done and get paid. No questioning morality or tragic backstories or grand agendas - he's great in his simplicity and has a lot of charisma.
He's a very "less is more" character. I can't even really summarize what makes him great; 99% of his appeal is in execution.
I also really like the idea of Guybrush Threepwood from the Monkey Island series being an "antihero". He does lie and steal often and he's mostly motivated by a want for glory and fortune. However, unlike a lot of antiheroes, there's nothing complex or edgy about him. He's really just a huge dork with an ego.
Then there's Kain and his nemesis Raziel from the Legacy of Kain series. I don't even know where to begin with those two. Needless to say, they're great.
Also, it's nice to see some Moorecock love in this thread. He's got some great characters.
Monzcarro Murcatto - Joe Abercrombie's Best Served Cold
Sandor Clegane (The Hound) - GRRM's A Song of Ice & Fire (Game of Thrones) ***There's several that I'd put forth as an anti-hero, though they may not be considered traditional anti-heroes, and many aren't POV characters.
Walter White - Breaking Bad (Showtime)
Dexter - Dexter (Showtime)
I love deeply flawed characters. Many different types of anti-heroes fit that bill.
Sandor Clegane (The Hound) - GRRM's A Song of Ice & Fire (Game of Thrones) ***There's several that I'd put forth as an anti-hero, though they may not be considered traditional anti-heroes, and many aren't POV characters.
Walter White - Breaking Bad (Showtime)
Dexter - Dexter (Showtime)
I love deeply flawed characters. Many different types of anti-heroes fit that bill.
Ryan_Crown
Troubadour
I must admit this statement makes me very curious. I own the Corum books (bought them because I really enjoyed the Elric stories), but I haven't gotten around to reading them yet.
And I have to agree with Penpilot -- my first thought when it comes to anti-heroes is always the crew of the Serenity.
Russ
Istar
To offer a counter point, I quite like the Corum books and how they are written. But that is a matter of personal taste.
MineOwnKing
Maester
You know, there is a lot of things I liked but some other things are ...meh.
example (spoiler):
His new hand had murdered a kindly and innocent creature!
"Oh, evil thing! Rhalina was right! You have made me a murderer!"
...meh..
example (spoiler):
His new hand had murdered a kindly and innocent creature!
"Oh, evil thing! Rhalina was right! You have made me a murderer!"
...meh..
Miskatonic
Auror
Well, Clint Eastwood's the man with no name character is certainly up there.
psychotick
Auror
Hi,
I like Michael Moorcock's eternal champions too. Corum of the silver hand was good - but conventional. Jerry Cornelius in the other hand was far more interesting. And Elric obviously was cursed.
However favourite antiheroes - the Stainless Steel Rat slippery Jim Degrizz - always. Arther Dent, though I'm not really sure he's a hero of any sort. Thomas Covenant naturally - especially when he's contrasted with a true hero like Saltheart Foamfollower. Lestat de Lioncourt and I'm not even a vampire fan. Anthony Villiers - from Starwell and its sequels.
Cheers, Greg.
I like Michael Moorcock's eternal champions too. Corum of the silver hand was good - but conventional. Jerry Cornelius in the other hand was far more interesting. And Elric obviously was cursed.
However favourite antiheroes - the Stainless Steel Rat slippery Jim Degrizz - always. Arther Dent, though I'm not really sure he's a hero of any sort. Thomas Covenant naturally - especially when he's contrasted with a true hero like Saltheart Foamfollower. Lestat de Lioncourt and I'm not even a vampire fan. Anthony Villiers - from Starwell and its sequels.
Cheers, Greg.
Russ
Istar
How could I forget Harry Harrison's immortal rat! Also the main character of his Deathworld trilogy, the gambler Jason dinAlt would have to be added to my list.
Ryan_Crown
Troubadour
I have to smile at the mention of the Stainless Steel Rat -- my dad always loved that character.
Anyone like Al Swearengen? The foul-mouthed tavern owner / brothel pimp from Deadwood, played by Ian McShane.
Gurkhal
Auror
Don't know if you will, or if I do, count him as an anti-hero but Jaime Lannisters has a special place with me.
- Thread starter
- #19
Laurence
Inkling
Stabbing the mad king in the back was a good shout but it's implied that he's done many a naughty thing...including incest but I don't think incest is an evil act by any stretch; it's just a gross one.
How about shoving a child out a tower window, in an attempt to murder him, to cover up the incest?
Similar threads
