The Anti-Hero In Film Explained. Meaning, Definition, and Examples

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Definition: the anti-hero in movies is a central character who lacks traditional heroic qualities such as idealism or morality but is nonetheless sympathetic and engages the audience, often challenging conventional notions of heroism through flawed yet compelling actions and personality.

That’s the short overall definition of the anti-hero.

But when you start to look more closely, you’ll find that there are, in fact, several different types of anti-heroes, all with their particular meaning and definition.

Hero vs. Anti-Hero

First, here’s a comparison between a hero and an anti-hero.

The prefix “Anti-” means “some “opposed to” or “against something/someone,” so it follows that an anti-hero has all the opposite traits of the hero:

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Different types of anti-heroes

As hinted at in the introduction, anti-heroes are much more nuanced than simply being the hero’s opposite.

Anti-heroes in Westerns and Gangster movies

The Anti-hero in Westerns and gangster movies must overcome obstacles while being anything but courteous, kind, and respectful.

For the hero to win, they must break a few rules and question a few morals.

However, they are sometimes motivated by fame, power, and wealth, occasionally leading to their downfall.

Read more on what makes gangster movies so popular.

For example, Michael Corleone in The Godfather Part I and Part II has no choice but to take over the family business of crime, which makes every courageous decision he makes based on the immoral lifestyle of the gangster.

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The Godfather Part II (1974). Image source: film-grab.com

Young Guns (1988), starring Emilio Estevez as Billy the Kid, is a great example of a Western where we root for the anti-hero.

Billy the Kid is, in many ways, a psycho who shoots first with seemingly no regret while he laughs at his victims.

Still, we can’t help but root for him and his gang – maybe because the “law” of the West behaves just as badly.

The Villain Protagonist

Anti-heroes are morally gray characters that we’re encouraged to root for. 

Villain protagonists, however, are when the main character in a story is a morally reprehensible person all the way through.

Or, to put it bluntly, a villain protagonist is just an a**hole!

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American Psycho (2000). Image source: film-grab.com

American Psycho (2000) follows Patrick Bateman, a handsome investment banker by day and sadistic serial killer by night.

He’s a villain protagonist because he’s telling the story, but unredeemable evil drives his motivations and intentions.

The Coward

The typical film heroes (and many anti-heroes – like Logan and Billy the Kid) possess confidence, bravery, or the ability to fight. 

The coward is fearful, anxious, and lacks any fighting ability.

So, the anti-hero’s quest becomes overcoming these weaknesses to complete their journey.

The coward doesn’t necessarily have questionable morality; they’re just the opposite of the audience’s preconceived idea of heroism.

In Robert Zemeckis’ Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988), we get two cowardly anti-heroes. 

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Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988). Image source: film-grab.com

The first, Eddie Valiant (Bob Hoskins), is haunted by his brother’s death, which makes him refuse to get involved in helping the toons. 

The second is the toon needing help, Roger Rabbit (voiced by Charles Fleischer), who is too afraid to prove his innocence because nobody takes him seriously.

The Reluctant Knight

The reluctant knight is probably the most common in film and television.

This hero is one of the good guys.

They have a sound understanding of right and wrong but want to “stay out of it” if it doesn’t necessarily serve their main goals drives them.

They’re generally resistant to joining the fight against the villain.

This knight in sour armor eventually joins in, but only once, and will personally lose if the outcome doesn’t end up in the hero’s favor.

Star Wars (1977)

Harrison Ford is one of Hollywood’s most popular reluctant knight actors with characters such as Indiana Jones, Rick Deckard from Blade Runner, and Han Solo.

You might like this collection of the best Han Solo quotes.

The shady smuggler joins the adventure for money and saves the day multiple times.

In Logan (2017), the titular character is a seasoned anti-hero, worn out from years of reluctantly saving the day to be forced into another rescue mission he worked so hard to avoid.

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Logan (2017). Image source: film-grab.com

He’s mean, violent, and wants to be anything but the hero.

The Realist

This pragmatic anti-hero is willing to challenge their morality to achieve the goal. 

While other types are hesitant to step up to the plate, the realist is eager to save the day.

The big difference is how they go about winning, which might not always be the most admirable method.

Spoiler Alert. In this scene from Captain America: The Winter Soldier, the film’s central villain chooses the hard-nosed anti-hero Nick Fury to join him using Fury’s pragmatic view of justice and Earth’s protection against him.

See the MCU binge list to revisit all the Marvel movies chronologically.

The Immoral One

The immoral anti-hero is typically cynical, haunted by past trauma with an unquenchable thirst for vengeance. 

This anti-hero has good intentions and motives, but there’s some gray area regarding their morality.

They will save the day, but the big bad boss and everyone else who stands in this anti-hero’s way had it coming.

In the action-packed sequel, John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017), the initial revenge for his dog story is far removed.

Now, he’s just taking out everybody in his path. He doesn’t waste time with anecdotes; he speaks with bullets and dropkicks. 

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John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017). Image source: film-grab.com

If it weren’t for the fact he’s justifiably killing other criminals and assassins, John Wick would be a villain protagonist.

Into martial arts and fight scenes in movies? Check out 20 of the best movie brawls here.

The So-Called Hero

This hero “in name only” claims to fight on the right side, but their motives and intentions are far from good. 

Whether or not they lack morals or are just pure evil is only saved by the idea that “at least they’re not as bad as that other guy.”

One of the only things saving them from being the story’s central villain is that it’s told from their perspective.

Léon: The Professional (1994) introduces the seasoned titular assassin, who begrudgingly accepts to help the tragically orphaned Mathilda get revenge finally,

But this gesture doesn’t erase the fact that he’s a vicious killer with no other redeemable heroic qualities.

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Léon: The Professional (1994). Image source: film-grab.com

Top 10 Anti-Heroes in Film

Here’s a fun little exercise for you. See below if you can label the different types of anti-heroes in WatchMojo.com’s Top 10 Anti-Heroes in Film.

There are some great examples of what we’ve discussed in this article in between. See if you can spot them.

Conclusion

Anti-heroes are popular archetypes in film, television, comic books, and video games. 

Next time you watch your favorite movie, see if you can tell if they’re your average hero or anti-hero. 

Now that you have a good idea of the different types of anti-heroes in film, who is your favorite? Let us know in the comments.


Author

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  • Myke Thompson

    Myke Thompson is a freelance writer, screenwriter, and humorist based out of Los Angeles. When he’s not working on his own projects, he supports other artists as a creative manager in music, art, film, and television.

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