“We’re the villains you root for in the story.”
From the heyday of William Shakespeare to the affluence of Jay Gatsby, anti-heroes have been enthralling readers for centuries. And it is clear to see why; these characters make for some of the most complex and interesting protagonists for people to follow.
Opposed to typical heroes who are presented as morally righteous, anti-heroes often stray between good and bad and, as such, make for far more relatable individuals to follow. But, what specifically about anti-heroes makes them so popular with readers, and when did this start to happen? Join us here at What We Reading as we put the popularity of anti-heroes under the microscope!
What Is Anti-Hero?
Before we get into why anti-heroes are so popular, we should probably start with what an anti-hero is.
An anti-hero is a flawed main character that lacks typical hero qualities such as courage, bravery, selflessness or morality. Neither good nor bad, they are usually characters that are shown to have deep-running complexities that drive their personality and motives. There are a number of different types of anti-heroes in books, but all of them can be incredibly compelling as a story’s protagonist.
An example of an anti-hero would be Dexter from Jeff Lindsay’s novels, with the forensic technician being shown as a serial killer, but one who only kills other criminals who have escaped justice.
Check out the differences between Protagonists vs Heroes
Why Are Anti-Heroes So Popular?
So, why are anti-heroes so popular? We’ve narrowed it down to three chief reasons:
Relatability
Whilst anti-heroes have always had a place in literature, modern media has had a huge role in influencing their popularity.
After years and years of the same stories of perfect superheroes saving the day with their ‘holier than thou’ morals and motivations, anti-heroes represent a far more relatable alternative. Anti-heroes are able to be presented with the same sorts of personalities, flaws and all, as the majority of their readers. This makes them so much more relatable and, as such, we become far more immersed in their stories.
Writing an empathetic character is one of the most sought-after techniques for writers, and anti-heroes provide one of the most sure-fire strategies for achieving that.
It is an anti-heroe’s complex balance of morality and far more rounded personality compared to traditional good guys that draw readers in. It’s a much more ‘real’ representation of a character, and that is why we can all see ourselves in the shoes of Dexter, Captain Jack Sparrow or Pinkie Brown.
Challenging
Whilst anti-heroes are often more relatable to most readers than a straight-shooting good guy, they are often complex and layered individuals that require a good amount of unpacking to understand. Psychologically complex characters hold readers’ attention far more effectively than basic characters, which is another reason why anti-heroes are so popular.
Known as theory of mind, anti-heroes ask readers to empathise with a different set of morals, principles and desires. They challenge us to see the world through an alternative lens, which can be a hugely rewarding experience for readers who like to deeply immerse themselves in the stories they digest.
Fascination
Finally, anti-heroes give readers a perspective into a life they might have fantasised about, but never lived. From snarky dialogues to blatantly criminal acts, an anti-hero’s disregard for conventional social norms is always going to be an enthralling and fascinating thing to follow.
Anti-heroes act on impulses that most of us would never dream of, though that doesn’t stop us from imagining what it might be like to do so.
As Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde illustrated, we all have ‘dark sides’ that we keep hidden from the outside world. We need to confront some of those desires in order to be at our healthiest, and anti-heroes represent a way of doing this in a way that is safe and legal. Anti-heroes represent the duality of man, with both good and bad traits combining for a fascinating end result.
Check Out These Books Where The Villain Is The Main Character
Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
