A Hero by Any Other Name Is Still a Hero

Credit: Pixabay

There are two different types of heroes in fiction, the traditional hero and the anti-hero.  

The anti-hero is still a hero but doesn’t follow the rules of the traditional hero.

Superman is an example of the traditional hero. He is almost perfect. He follows the rules and doesn’t take the law into his own hands.

The anti-hero is not perfect. He doesn’t follow the rules and can take the law into his own hands, including killing, if necessary. Anti-heroes are conflicted.

Some of my favorite anti-heroes are Walter White, Dexter, Dead Pool, Batman, Stephen Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd, and Harley Quinn.

What makes Walter White an anti-hero in the series Breaking Bad is his making and dealing methamphetamines to support his pregnant wife and his son who has cerebral palsy. The money he makes from his job as an unappreciated high school science teacher is not enough. He gets to use his talent as a brilliant chemist while enjoying the power and respect of becoming his alter-ego, Heisenberg.

Credit: Amazon

What makes Dexter an anti-hero is the fact that he is a serial killer. Because of his father’s instructions, however, he only kills bad guys. He cares deeply about the lives of innocent people, children, and people he loves.

Dead Pool is an anti-hero created as a superhero by Marvel Comics.  He breaks the law and brutally kills bad guys when he needs to. He is funny and irreverent.

Batman is an anti-hero who is also a superhero. His character is dark and morally gray. He plays by his own rules, unlike his counterpart, Superman.  Batman wants to do the right thing and is devoted to helping people.

AI generated image of Harley Quinn courtesy of Pixabay.

Female anti-heroes are getting their moment to shine, due to the most popular and well-known female anti-hero, Harley Quinn. She went from being the Joker’s psychiatrist and girlfriend to being a knock-out, bad-ass crime fighter who helps the other DC heroes as a member of the Suicide Squad.

On the musical front, Sweeney Todd is thwarted in his attempt to rescue his underage daughter, Joanna, from a corrupt judge who wants to marry her against her will. Because the depraved Judge runs the town, Sweeney is not able to free his daughter legally. So, he must take the law into his own hands, even if it includes murdering the Judge and other corrupt people.

As I have gotten older, I prefer anti-heroes to traditional heroes. I find them more real, human, relatable, and complex. I am not the only one.  Anti-heroes in films and TV shows are more popular than ever.

Who is your favorite traditional or anti-hero? What about them appeals to you?