What is an anti-hero? Can this be my main character?
Using an anti-hero as your central character (or protagonist as they say in the English biz) would be great. In fact, I bet a lot of writers use anti-heroes without even knowing it.
I wonder if there's anti-villains too
The term anti-hero is a bit misleading because it's not exactly the opposite of a hero. That would be a villain, antagonist, or other bad guy who does bad things so the hero can be heroic. In case you've forgotten, all heroes need a villain. Otherwise, they'd be boring.
Want to watch a movie where Spiderman jumps around buildings for two hours? No, we want to see Mary Jane in the rain with her hard ... er ... we want a villain like the Green Goblin or Doc Oc so Spidey has someone (or something) to struggle against.
If it's not a villain, what is it? First off, what are heroes in literature? Yes, they're the main character. The plot almost always revolves around them in some way. Other characters may get their own subplots or chapters, but one or two characters usually remain the focus of a story or novel.
Why Batman is more cool than Superman
But heroes are more than just the center of attention. They are heroic. They stand up for the little guy and fight the good fight. They are honest, brave, and strong phsyically as well as mentally. Think of a Obi Won Kenobi or Captain Picard; when it comes down to it, they're good people who do good things. That's a hero.
And that's also a little boring and cliche. Just a little! I'm not attacking Star Wars or Star Trek, so don't get the costume your mother made for you in a bunch. But c'mon, how often do people that nice really exist? Ever meet somebody who was close to perfect? These days, people into literature of any genre don't like total heroes. They seem too good.
That's where the anti-hero comes in. These are the main characters, or protagonists, who don't have the usual heroic qualities and characteristics. Instead of honest, brave, and strong, these people are dishonest, cowardly, and weak.
Yet they get the same results as heroes; they save the world, defeat the villains, etc. Deep down inside, they're heroes. But they seem more realistic and believable because they're full of flaws and faults, just like real people.
The cure for anti-heroism is a Scooby Snack
If your still confused, think of Shaggy and Scooby Doo. They hate solving mysteries. All they want to do is eat. They run away and hide all the time, and they have to be bribed to help out. Not exactly hero material, are they?
Yet they always manage to solve the mystery and do the right thing. When push comes to shove, they're good people. But if there's no pushing or shoving, they're eating pizza. That's an anti-hero.
So by all means, use one for your protagonist. It will make your main character, and hence your plot, more believable. Just don't make the anti-hero too screwed up. Shaggy would never shove Velma down a flight of stairs. Anti-heroes are still heroes deep down. If you make them too nasty, then readers won't want to see what happens next. Even Han Solo, an anti-hero if I ever saw one, came back to help Luke take on the Death Star.
Make your anti-hero layered. Surface layers are bad but not evil, and the deeper layers are good but hard to see with the surface layers blocking the view. Now get out there and create an anti-hero. Just don't put one next to a regular hero. They'll explode and destroy your PC.
Think you got a good question? Prove it. Click here, fanboy.
|