how to write complex and RELATABLE anti-heroes (with story examples)
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- čas přidán 29. 05. 2023
- We often hear the phrase, "Anti-heroes are too good to be 'bad' but too bad to be 'good.'" But there's more to these broody, dark, and irresistible characters. In fact, some pretty distinct features go into crafting an unforgettable (and completely lovable) anti-hero. So if you're writing a character somewhere between a hero and a villain... grab a notebook, and let's get into some tips and examples that will help you make your anti-hero SHINE!
Be sure to check out our episode about FLAWED HEROES: • How to write a FLAWED ...
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ok guys... FAVORITE ANTIHERO. GO! ✨
Favorite antihero by far is Jade Star from my own book, The Scar Came from Destiny. She's not by any means a traditional anti-hero. Nothing about her is pointedly dark; she acts pretty lighthearted and even friendly. She is... for the most part. She's not above manipulating others to serve her own ends. She can be rather opportunistic, rolling with the punches and always looking for ways to stack the deck in her favor. She'll do other people favors, especially when she feels indebted. She has a strong sense of justice and a strict honor code against taking another life. She might not be a pickpocket at all, had the dice fallen differently. Something must have happened...
Lestat from The Vampire Chronicles.
Kaz Brekker from Six of Crows
Reality is stranger than fiction. I can't help but think of world leaders jumping into wars that do ultimately hurt others, so who are the heroes in that situation? I would say no one. For that reason I'll go with the Colombian hitman Alejandro from Sicario. In wars everyone has to eventually pick a side.
Kaz Brekker in Shadow and Bone
Unpopular take, but Gale from The Hunger Games. When I first started reading the books, I was 18 and thought he was SO hot. I actually only read the last two books this year, finished the third yesterday and I realized, Gale was kind of an anti hero. Almost everything he did was either motivated by winning Katniss over or getting revenge on the Capitol. He only was happy with Katniss when she parroted what he was thinking or feeling and any independent thought on her part was disregarded or used against her. BUT at the same time, you could relate to his conflicts as his entire world was ripped apart when Katniss was taken to The Games and he had lost his father in the past and now was losing her. BUT instead of looking out for her and her emotional needs when she returned, he got jealous of her relationships and friends, disregarded her opinions and (*spoiler!) indirectly helped kill her sister, all motivated from a place of self satisfaction and insecurity but still, you could see where he was coming from and understand his feelings. I would argue he wasn't a villian but he wasn't a hero either.
Loki is such a cool character to me, he’s been the villain, the antihero and the hero. And he’s been an amazing character as each one.
For me, the best anti-hero is Londo Mollari from Babylon 5. He goes to some VERY dark places, manages to pull himself back, but still has to suffer the consequences.
Great character! Londo’s arc was impressive and also mirrored by Garibaldi’s slip from hero to villain.
Speaking of "Anti Hero becoming a Villain" I think each transition from one category to another is really cool.
"Villain into Hero"
"Hero into Villain" "
Anti Hero into Villain or Hero"
Each process is fascinating to watch.
I've always had a soft spot for anti-heroes. They tend to be my favourite characters, and I identify with the way they feel (not always the way they act).
Growing up, Vegeta, from the moment he enters the story, completely captivated me. He goes through the best charatcer arch I've ever witnessed. From being an insufferable cocky evil villain, intent on destroying the earth for his own amusement, to a badass, but still flawed hero sacrificing himself for his family and rival, knowing full well he will suffer in the after life. Giving up his mist prized possession, his pride.
Theres so many times he fucks up massively, and its so satisfying watching how each mistake and consequence changes him.
Watching him realise that giving Cell an opportunity to become perfect, because he wanted to show off his new power and not wanting to dominate him as imperfect (something his pride would never allow him to do), it directly led to the death of his son. And when he goes beserk and tries to attack Cell for his crime, he just makes it worse again. It's the beginning of the end for his villain era, it destroys his world-view of himself, his values and of what he thinks he deserves. He completely flounders after this, and he has to build himself back up from an ego destruction.
It just so perfectly describes going through a serious mental health disorder, and realising you were the problem all along (majority of the issue because of how you react to your trauma). You have to realise your reactions have been wrong, and so has your perception of reality. It's very painful to go through, and watching Vegeta go through it was so revealing and entertaining.
I can't think of a more perfect antihero than Frank Castle AKA The Punisher.
Artemis Entreri from the Drizzt series is a great example of a villain transitioning into an antihero. Jarlaxle sort of rides the line between antihero and antivillain. Great characters.
This was soooo helpful! My antagonist/anti hero is rough in the making and this gave me some great ideas to polish her character.
Could y’all do a podcast about the relationship between the protagonist and the antagonist? Is your antagonist right for your protagonist, and vice versa? Thanku SO SO much!!!✨✨✨
I made a template years ago about an anti-hero with a tragic story and a middle life and an ending life. But the middle-to-end life was drafted. I did not include the tragic story or the beginning until I realized if I spell it out from scene to scene what happened my character will be too analyzed and everyone will know what made this person this way.
I made a background story after the ending of the Background of the Characters. Then I presented it to my then-college professor and she was impressed by how much information the short story had in a few chapters then the B.O.C at the very end in the after credits. This is the reason why I really enjoyed Better Call Saul, because his personal background and history with the characters aren't told to us right away. You learn about him and the individual characters from scene to scene. That is how you present a well-rounded and interesting character to new and recent viewers.
One of the few characters that inspired me as a child was Daisy Johnson from Agents of Shield and her then-Coach/Captain Grant Ward. She felt like an outsider, like a rarity in the world of Inhumans. But the had no memory or knowledge of her own backstory. As her story progresses in the comics she finds a real mission, something she can hold onto and be part of a team. But then her teammates start dying and others are outed by the "government" and she is alone again. Daisy is one of the few characters who like many others starts alone and has a team, a family, she is alone, and then she finds a new type of family where her motivations have changed, because of all the trauma she's endured.
Nowadays it feels like many writers are not pursued right away for their imagination and well-executed thought process. I have heard about the writer's strike once again. And movie films have flimsy characters that have no dimension. Writers from all walks of life have a story to tell and wish to do so through books or film, photography or all. But they are not much appreciated. Let's bring back these wonderful men and women. ✍
Another interesting idea is having the Anti Hero negatively affecting the Hero personality wise.
The Vampire diaries has many Anti heroes. Damon Salvatore and Klaus are really more of villans but the writers showed us behind the curtains and revealed their stories and you cant help but understand them enough to maybe love them
I'm only halfway through watching this video, and I LOOOOOOOVE that you two brought up Dmitri from Anastasia because OMGosh, he's one of my favourite characters (anti-heroes) ever. And I have an anti-hero rec if you're interested: Garcia Flynn from the short-lived NBC TV series, Timeless. The series is my favourite ever, and it has questionable writing decisions, but for me the time travel, history, and Garcia Flynn make it worth rewathcing over and over again (except for the final two 'xmas' episodes which were rushed to force an ending after NBC cancelled the series, if you watch Timeless, ignore those, they ruin and destroy everything the writing team created before them). Timeless (Garcia Flynn, and his should've-been enemies-to-lovers, love interest: Lucy Preston) actually got me back to writing (fanfic) after about 9 years off from writing anything fiction. But yeah, I just wanted to cheer on the mention of Dmitri, and couldn't resist recommending Garcia Flynn (since he's my favourite character of all time). As someone who has written fanfic for 26 years, it's nice having your CZcams videos to watch to help me improve my writing, and to motivate me to keep going. Thank you ♥
My personal favorite antihero from a movie is Snake Plissken. He is forced to do the right thing but he'd rather not be bothered. Kurt Russel is a cool guy and portrays him very charmingly.
He served as an inspiration for Solid Snake, my favorite hero from video games. Kojima collected ideas from all the right places. In art, you steal. In fine art, you steal with style. Nothing whatsoever is born ever out of nothing. Which means, immaculate conception is only possible within the realm of religious dogma.
For any of the kdrama fans out there... The character Mu-deok (a.k.a. Naksu) from the series Alchemy of Souls is actually a great example of an anti-hero. Her arc across the 2 seasons is so interesting to watch. She doesn't always have the best intentions behind her actions, (in fact they're usually "bad") but as viewers we root for her so hard!
100% agree with this! i loved her character arc, and wanted her to be okay by the end of s2 :')
Favourite anti hero - Elric of Melnibone (Michael Moorcock)
#Askabbie! I have 5 questions for u
1.Can u make a video on the Ultimate Insta love story structure with a Template for Google Docs?
2.How do I write a character with PTSD in Deep POV?
3.What is the 2nd Plot Point called in the 2nd act of your 3-act story structure?
4.How else can I submit questions to ask Abbie and get better advice on my story if I don't have a Patreon or join your CZcams community without paying for it
5.Can u fix the Plot Twist Case Study video so I can see the story example?
Ok, can an antihero and hero end up together?
Thank you for sharing your knowledge about writing to us🥰🥰🥰
I love you & your sister it’s sooo nice sharing all this stuff with us thank you so much 🖤
SUCH a good video, Kate!! This one is so timely for me. I am currently toying with a story idea where the MC is morally grey, and I've been struggling with how to successfully shape this type of character. This vid has given me SO much clarity and direction. THANK YOU!! 💛✨️
SOOO thrilled this episode could be timely and encouraging, Amy! 🙏💗 I'm sure you will rock that story!!
@@KAEmmons 💜🥰
Fantastic advice!
Oliver Queen in Arrow
Very good 👍🏽
My problem with my Main character in my first story is both the hero and anti-hero struggling with his morals while seeking revenge. In a way you could say the story is about how he *became* a hero alongside a story aiming at redemption and forgiveness
The Mandalorian is a comically exaggerated "anti" hero.
Noticed the last couple episodes aren't up on Spotify yet (podcast app of choice). How often do you update there?
This episode should be up on all platforms, at least it is showing up for me! Let me know if you have any trouble finding it
@@KAEmmons Thanks Kate! Both just popped up on Spotify a couple days ago ❤️
Oh jeez. I'm def going to watch, but the title is the kind of protag i hate reading about lol!
Donald Duck, no question, but you asked
So, for you, an anti-hero is a villain with a conscience? I guess I don't necessarily agree with the distinction. There are many reasons that you may disagree with what a character is doing without labeling them as villain or anti-hero. Is Lizzie from Pride and Prejudice an anti-hero because she is prejudiced against Darcy in a very extreme way just because he personally and unintentionally offended her in the beginning? No. She behaves as all us humans do. She resents him until she learns otherwise. I guess what I'm saying is - the lines are very blurred and really, all characters should be "anti-heros" to some extent.
Really liked the show! Great examples and content.
Mild Danganronpa v3 spoilers
Just yesterday I was watching my bf play Danganronpa v3. And if you know the game, yesterday he played the 5th trial. It's so awesome that the algorithm recommended this video just after that. To me, Kokichi is one of (if not the best) antiheroe I've ever seen.
Edit: I know he might not be the best in reality, but he is to me bc I connect SO MUCH with his experiences, the thought process that led him to get to that point and some other details that are heavy spoilers. I love him, such a good good character
I joined your Patreon today.
thank you so much for your support! 🙏💗 We are so grateful for your presence here in the community
Chance from To Live and Die in L.A.
Wait…your incorporeal character is a Corporal? That can’t be a coincidence. 😂
Thomas Covenant: from The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, by Stephen R. Donaldson.
Do you place Miguel O'Hara from Spiderverse into that categorie ? (If you watched it)
Definitely 😊
Please do Anti-Villains
Patrick Jane from the Mentalist
i think one of the best anti heroes is draco malfoy and snape from harry potter too.
Riddick.
For me , the most complex antihero is Severus Snape from Harry Potter, for his dark and serious background story and the romantic obsession to Lilly that made him to sacrifice his all life to take revenge from Tom Marvolo Hert known as Lord Voldemort for killing her and to protect her child from him , but Doubledore want something else... wanted the death of Harry Potter cause was a Horcrux . But still he did it , gone inside made himself the ultimate antagonist , by killing Doubledore , andvall this from his deep love for Lilly. Even his Patronum was her Patronum... the deer ... The ultimate anti hero. Obsessive characters always steal the show. The irrersistable antihero project now , i think one is James Ford known as Sawyer from Lost tv series and 2nd is Damon Salvatore from The Vampire Diaries. Great irrersistable antiheros both of them.
I love all three of those characters.
Cybervese Megatron from transformers cybervese he is a anti hero
❤❤❤ oh Iove you Beautiful Sisters ❤❤❤❤❤
Would u say someone whose anger for Mages is so great that he kills any mage he comes across an antihero? His daughter and the woman he loved were killed by blood mages. So he dislikes them all regardless if they use blood magic or not.
Who are you talking about?
@@j.e.parker1527 a character in a story I am writing. Wasnt sure if he would be more of an anti-hero or not.
I was wonfering if it was a character from somewhere
Based on the extended video, it sounds like the GF/wife is suffering from something as well since she gets to the point of drinking herself into intoxication then starts berating her partner over perceived shortcomings based on what is shared. It sounds like it would be ideal if she sought out therapy as well or the two of them go into couples' counseling.
Turkish subtitle
Wow anti heroes sound more like narcissists. I am in the process of constructing one on the narcissistic personality model and listening to this video it described my character so well..