Summary
The word “antihero” is used to describe many characters these days, but the term doesn’t just mean someone with a bad attitude, problematic views, or a traumatic past. The antihero is the main character of a story who seems to lack the qualities or be the total opposite of a typical hero, either in physical appearance or general philosophy of life.
Sometimes it’s difficult to tell the difference between the anti-hero and the villain, and the lines between the two are often blurred. Anti-heroes can also have a character arc and become the hero of the story, while others never learn and continue their questionable but not quite evil ways.
Lazy, selfish, noisy, and not exactly the sharpest knife in the drawer, Homer Simpson is the living embodiment of the Baby Boomer stereotype who managed to fall into a nice job after high school and spent the next 30 years raising a family on that same salary. What makes his character so endearing, and often a herodespite his lesser qualities, is that he makes the right choices for this family when it matters.
It can’t be easy to work a dull, pointless job for decades, but Homer does it for his little girl Maggie. When he had to choose between an air conditioner for himself or a saxophone for his daughter, he bought Lisa the sax. Homer may not be a conventional hero, with his gluttony and his slothful nature, but he’s one of television’s most iconic antiheroes.
Catwoman brought the antihero trope into the spotlight when she first appeared as Batman’s friendly enemy in the 1960s television series. Since then, she’s experienced several incidents in a variety of mediums, including video games and movies. Her character started as and continues to be a textbook example of an antihero.
Powerful enough to act alone, but also willing to switch sides depending on what she needs, Catwoman’s motivation stems from her lack of trust and focus on selfish motives. She can be motivated to do the right thing. She’s often portrayed as a “cat burglar,” which is partly where she gets her name, and her status as a thief puts her in a moral gray area common for antiheroes.
The Sopranosis the crime drama that started the second golden age of television, and its success was partly due to the anti-hero protagonistand head of the family, so to speak, Tony Soprano. It follows the protagonist to an unlikely place: a therapist’s office, where the audience learns that a life of crime, murder, and family drama can have a downside.
Unlike some other plotlines that star antiheroes, there’s no redemption arc or positive change in Tony Soprano’s future. Unlike other famous mafia antiheroes from movies, like Henry Hill, Tony Soprano isn’t the type of mafia don to rat out his fellow mobsters. Although his specific fate is uncertain, it’s clear that it isn’t a happy one.
Mystique could be the most popular character intheX-Menfranchisewho isn’t one of Xavier’s students, nor is she aligned with the group that gives the series its name. She’s one of the prominent members of the Brotherhood, the opposing group led by Magneto. But like most antiheroes, her alliances aren’t fixed.
Her mutant powers are all about shape-changing, which allows her to take any disguise for any purpose, a power that’s perfect for any antihero. Mystique has been both a hero and villain throughout the extensive X-Men franchise, but her portrayal in the early shows and comics is less sympathetic than her appearances in the movies.
Archie Bunker is the character that inspired other famous patriarchs, but few of them walked such a fine line between being a loving fatherwith sincerely good intentionsand a hateful jerk who relied on bigotry and stereotypes to guide him through life. The show was a product of its time, taking place in a working-class American household during the Civil Rights era. Most of the dialogue consisted of Archie butting heads with his much more progressive son-in-law, who he affectionately nicknamed “Meathead.”
It’s unclear whether a character like Archie Bunker would work now. What was funny for kids in the 1960s isn’t as funny for adults in 2025, and Archie’s blatant sexism, racism, and adoration of right-wing political figures are too real to be funny in the present day. It’s still worth noting, however, that almost every television anti-hero, from Homer Simpson to Al Bundy, takes inspiration from Archie Bunker.
When Harley Quinn first appeared inBatman: The Animated Seriesshe was primarily cast in a supporting role as Joker’s girlfriend. Since then, her character has become more popular and has appeared in various parts of the franchise, including several shows and movies that include plotlines and stories completely independent of the Joker.
Harley seems to be a villain at first, constantly at the side of the villainous Joker despite his physical and emotional abuse. However, puts herself firmly into the role of an antihero when she leaves him and takes her own side. She’s gradually been evolving into a more likable character with sympathetic motives.
Walter isn’t an anti-hero at the beginning ofBreaking Bad, but his character arc is also one of the most interesting in television history. One of the reasonshis status as an antiherois so iconic is that he didn’t start that way. His transformation from humble teacher to ruthless drug kingpin is the real point of the story.
Tony Soprano was always bad and stayed that way, and after a while, viewers got used to the idea that he would never be redeemed. But Walter White’s descent from suburban nobody into a hardened criminal is painful to watch. By the time the show concludes, he might just have crossed the line into a full-blown villain.
