Anti-Heroes: The Rise Of Anti Heroes

The Rise of Anti-Heroes Unlike the epic heroes of Ancient Greece and the tragic heroes of Shakespeare, the anti-hero has only recently gained popularity in film and literature. Traditionally, stories have had two moral extremes expressed by a hero and an evil villain, but in the last century, a new archetype has emerged. The anti-hero falls into a grey area of morality taking characteristics from both heroes and villains. Anti-heroes draw many people because they are realistic, accepting that it’s not likely the average Joe could ever achieve the intelligence of Tony Stark, strength of Captain America, or discipline of Daredevil. Anti-heroes are more relatable than other archetypes because anti-heroes are often riddled with imperfections both physically and psychologically. Other people look up to anti-heroes because of their rebellious nature, and ability to break the rules when needed.
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While characters like Superman, Daredevil, and Captain America usually work with the government and generally obey laws, anti-heroes feel no obligation to do so. Anti-heroes will do whatever they need to solve their problems and act above the law to do what they think is right. Even murder and theft aren’t off limits when the goal is to save your wife, provide for your family, or get revenge on a corrupt mafia family. This “against the system” mentality is inspiring to some people, and in the case of V for Vendetta, sparked an entire revolution. The anti-hero is an interesting archetype, and with its growing popularity in film and television it’s important to understand the differences between archetypical heroes. By design anti-heroes are more relatable and realistic than epic heroes, and don’t create unrealistic standards like traditional super heroes. Anti-heroes show us the human side of a hero, exposing their flaws, imperfections, and