Antihero Definition Essay
What is an antihero? When first looking at the word, many would determine the word to mean a bad guy or villain. Many decide this because the prefix “anti-” means opposed to or the opposite. The opposite of a hero would be a villain, thus they think this is the definition of the word. The word antihero is more complex than this. The word antihero can be studied through definition, analysis, and examples.
The word antihero is defined as a protagonist who is in one way or another the very opposite of a traditional hero. Instead of being courageous and determined, for instance, an antihero might be timid, hypersensitive, and indecisive to the point of paralysis. Antiheroes are commonly used in literature and today’s media. Now that the fallacy …show more content…
that an antihero is a villain is proven untrue, further analysis can take place.
Antiheroes are commonly used in literature and current media because they can provide an interesting story different from a traditional tale. Antiheroes add a unique spin to stories by showing that a hero can have traits such as self-conflict, fear, and acts of aggression. Antiheroes are rapidly gaining in popularity because they are relatable to the everyday person. Debate between viewers and readers can occur based on whether they think these antiheroes are “good guys” or “bad guys.”
The first example of an antihero is Deadpool from the movie Deadpool (Miller, 2016).
Deadpool is a fictional superhero appearing in Marvel comics and a movie. Deadpool is considered an antihero because he has few heroic qualities. Deadpool loves chaos, often uses foul language, and does not mind killing people as long as his task is accomplished. We also see this with another Marvel superhero, the Punisher. In the movie, The Punisher (Hensleigh, 2004), he kills while fighting crime. The Punisher is different from the traditional hero because he kills, but he only kills those who are “guilty.” The last example of antihero is Anakin Skywalker from the Star Wars Prequel Trilogy (Lucas, 1999,2002, & 2005). Anakin is considered an antihero due to his self-conflict, explosive anger, and arrogance. He is considered the chosen one throughout the movies, meaning he is supposed to bring “balance” to the galaxy divided by good and bad, or light and dark. Anakin is much different than the other heroes in the saga because of these attributes, and it ultimately turns him to the dark side. Anakin turns to the dark side because of another non-traditional hero trait, fear. His fear of losing his wife and his lust for power is what turns him into one of the most infamous villains of all time, Darth
Vader.
In conclusion, the word antihero can be studied through definition, analysis, and examples. The word antihero is defined as a protagonist who is in one way or another the very opposite of a traditional hero. Under further analysis, an antihero is commonly used in literature and today’s media because they add an interesting spin to a story. There are many examples of antiheroes, a few of them are Deadpool, Punisher, and Anakin Skywalker.
The word antihero is defined as a protagonist who is in one way or another the very opposite of a traditional hero. Instead of being courageous and determined, for instance, an antihero might be timid, hypersensitive, and indecisive to the point of paralysis. Antiheroes are commonly used in literature and today’s media. Now that the fallacy …show more content…
that an antihero is a villain is proven untrue, further analysis can take place.
Antiheroes are commonly used in literature and current media because they can provide an interesting story different from a traditional tale. Antiheroes add a unique spin to stories by showing that a hero can have traits such as self-conflict, fear, and acts of aggression. Antiheroes are rapidly gaining in popularity because they are relatable to the everyday person. Debate between viewers and readers can occur based on whether they think these antiheroes are “good guys” or “bad guys.”
The first example of an antihero is Deadpool from the movie Deadpool (Miller, 2016).
Deadpool is a fictional superhero appearing in Marvel comics and a movie. Deadpool is considered an antihero because he has few heroic qualities. Deadpool loves chaos, often uses foul language, and does not mind killing people as long as his task is accomplished. We also see this with another Marvel superhero, the Punisher. In the movie, The Punisher (Hensleigh, 2004), he kills while fighting crime. The Punisher is different from the traditional hero because he kills, but he only kills those who are “guilty.” The last example of antihero is Anakin Skywalker from the Star Wars Prequel Trilogy (Lucas, 1999,2002, & 2005). Anakin is considered an antihero due to his self-conflict, explosive anger, and arrogance. He is considered the chosen one throughout the movies, meaning he is supposed to bring “balance” to the galaxy divided by good and bad, or light and dark. Anakin is much different than the other heroes in the saga because of these attributes, and it ultimately turns him to the dark side. Anakin turns to the dark side because of another non-traditional hero trait, fear. His fear of losing his wife and his lust for power is what turns him into one of the most infamous villains of all time, Darth
Vader.
In conclusion, the word antihero can be studied through definition, analysis, and examples. The word antihero is defined as a protagonist who is in one way or another the very opposite of a traditional hero. Under further analysis, an antihero is commonly used in literature and today’s media because they add an interesting spin to a story. There are many examples of antiheroes, a few of them are Deadpool, Punisher, and Anakin Skywalker.