The Best Heroes are Anti-heroes!

The "classic hero" embodies strong ethics, morals, values and powers, and is completely and utterly boring and implausible! I much prefer my heroes have some bite to them, hence why Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice, who has the occasional anti-hero moment, is one of my favorite characters. What is it about the anti-hero that makes us root for them when we should be repelled by their actions or personality? Is it because they are terribly flawed people, much like ourselves? 

The anti-hero is a protagonist whose character is contrary to that of the traditional hero, yet typically retains many heroic qualities. They are bad, but not evil. They often fight villains, but not out of a sense of justice. They do it for selfish reasons, for personal gain, for revenge, and they're often amoral and lack positive qualities. The thing that makes anti-heroes interesting and then inevitably redeemable is that they do not make excuses - they just acknowledge said flaws and grow as a person.

Inspired by my recent discovery of the Showtime series Ray Donovan, I decided to come up with a list of my favorite anti-heroes. All of mine, except one, come from television because these characters are the ones that we have been watching for years. It's easier to rate their anti-hero status over time.

Dexter Morgan

Occupation: Forensic blood spatter analyst, Vigilante, Lumberjack
Marital Status: Single / Married / Widower with one son and two stepchildren
Body count: 135 confirmed kills
Why we love him: Of all of the anti-heroes, Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall) is the most unlikely for our loyalties. After all, he's an admitted serial killer and yet, each week we find ourselves rooting for Dexter and applauding his efforts to rid his world of the dregs of society. Thanks to Dexter's father's code, generally, Dexter is only murdering those sick twisted humans who are parasitical. Ultimately though, Dexter kills because he enjoys it. Yes, we know what he is doing is so very, very wrong but we cannot help but admire what he does.

Ray Donovan

Occupation: "Fixer" for a powerful law firm

Marital Status: Married with two children
Body count: Approximately 5 and counting
Why we love him: Originally from South Boston, Ray Donovan (Liev Schreiber) has relocated to Southern California where he "fixes" the problems of celebrities and athletes who are represented by Ray's mentor and boss, Ezra Goldman (Elliot Gould). These fixes run the gamut from getting them out of troubles (like an OD-ed stripper in their beds) or getting rid of their problems (like stalkers). Ray not only fixes the problems of the rich and famous, but he also is the person his brothers turn to when they have problems that need fixing. He is fiercely protective of his family (except his father, whom he loathes) and will do whatever is necessary to protect them, including cold blooded killing. Because of his loyalty to his family, we admire Ray, even when he's doing some not so sweet acts.

Tony Soprano

Occupation: Crime boss, Waste management consultant, Co-owner of Satriale's Meat Market and Bada Bing
Marital Status: Married with two children
Body count: 8 committed by Tony, but he ordered many others
Why we love him: Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini) has a problem - he faints when he has a panic attack, which is troublesome in Tony's occupation as de facto street boss of the DeCavalcante crime family of New Jersey. But it's also why we love Tony. Tony is in the middle of an existential crisis, is brought to tears by the death of a prized racehorse, and is plagued by surreal dreams that suggests the meaninglessness he senses in all the murdering, plundering and screwing that fills his days. Throughout six seasons, Carmella insists, “He’s a good man.” The audience and the mobster’s wife know different, but the thing that makes The Sopranos so compelling is that, in another life, he could have been. Yet, we still root for him to win. According to David Chase, Tony does survive.

James "Sawyer" Ford

Occupation: Con man, police detective
Marital Status: Single / Married / Widowed
Body count: 6 (I think)
Why we love him: In the early episodes of Lost, Sawyer Ford (Josh Halloway) is an asshole and is intentionally written that way. He's a rude, obnoxious narcissist and yet we know there is more to this character. Over the course of his time on the island, we learn more about Sawyer's life and we sympathize with his sad childhood and support his desire to exact revenge on the man who ruined his family. While never turning into a hero, he does mellow as time goes by and becomes slightly less of a douche.

Sherlock Holmes

Occupation: Consulting Detective
Martial Status: Single
Body count: 0
Why we love him: You might ask: Sherlock (Benedict Cumberbatch) is an anti-hero? Yes, he solves crimes. Yes, he prevents murders. Yes, he puts away bad people. But does he do it out of a sense of justice? Because he hates evil people? Or to right a certain wrong? No. He is no hero. Sherlock solves crimes to serve his own self-interests, to inflate his own ego, and so he can feel superior to those around him. Occasionally, he's shown a flicker of heroism (as with his dealings with Irene Adler), but for the most part, he's no more sympathetic to the victims than he is with the murderers; in fact, he tends to have more respect for the killers, with whom he shares more in common. But we love him so!

Han Solo

Occupation: Smuggler, Captain, and General
Marital Status: Single
Body count: 3 that I can remember, probably more
Why we love him: One of my first movie crushes, Han Solo (Harrison Ford) is one of the biggest, best, and earliest of anti-heroes. When we first meet him, he shoots Greedo in the Mos Eisely Cantina and we are immediately enthralled. We know there's more to this man than his sarcastic commentary. He tells Leia point blank that he doesn't hold any beliefs and is only in it for the money, yet in the end, he comes through for his friends. Over the course of the three movies Han moves from anti-hero to hero, which causes him to be ever so slightly duller by the third movie. But with that mischievous smile of his, we forgive him.

Did I miss your favorite anti-hero? Let me know!