The Antihero

[Timothy Young]

@mark-kamibaya

I would disagree about Balaam and say he is more of a tragic character, starting off seemingly reasonably well, and then going off the deep-end. However, I would be interested to hear why you think he is an anti-hero type.

I would say Joab is closer to an anti-hero. But that is just my opinion

[Anonymous]

@mark-kamibaya That would confuse people to no end. My name and tag already mess the new people up enough.

I like your article theory. It’s a good one.

I totally agree that Anti-hero’s can be redeemed (think Cassian in Rogue one). I absolutely love when that happens.

I’m think I agree with your definition of anti-heros, though I have something a little further to add. I think that if the anti-hero’s motive is good (Cassian from Rogue one), then he’s a general anti-hero. If his method is good, again, he’s a general anti-hero. but if only the end result is good and the anti-hero is still utterly evil, then he’s a true anti-hero with unheroic success. But I digress.

Unheroic success can only work in two instances. 1) if the book is in a series in which the true antihero eventually changes. 2) if it’s a general antihero and not a true antihero. What do you think about this?

This part here, I have thoughts for it. I (hesitantly) think unheroic success can work in not only a series, but in a single book where the True Anti-hero doesn’t change. The Anti-hero can be successful using selfish means. However, the reader should be left with a feeling that something isn’t right. They should know the hero would have been better off if he had changed. They should wish he had changed, because it would have helped him as a person.
And even though he succeeded in his larger goal, he should still have problems on a smaller scale. He’s still messed up on the inside, and this will continue to affect his relationships and his actions. Even though he reached the ultimate goal, not everything worked out in the end. So in a way, it still ends in punishment, but on a smaller scale.
It’s like a negative character arc. The character might still succeed, but on the inside they are still messed up.

[Emma Flournoy]

@Mark-Kamibaya Actually now that you listed them I see I have heard of a few…but only a few. Sherlock Holmes—he’s the only one I know a significant amount about. Batman and Quasimodo I know a little bit about. All those other people, if I’ve heard of them, I don’t remember anything about it. *shrug*

[Mark Kamibaya]

@timothy-young Well, Balaam was actually a pretty nasty dude even from the beginning. His character arc does follow the tragic character more closely, though. And yeah. Joab is definitely a true antihero.

I blog on story and spiritual things at mkami.weebly.com

[Mark Kamibaya]

@winter-rose Your insight on the “unheroic success” character arc is really good. I never thought of it that way. 🙂 Personally, however, I’d see the unheroic success as hard to pull off successfully, but super awesome if done well. Quite a few of my favorite films have unheroic success, so I know it can be done well. A reason why the unheroic success is awesome (if done well) is because it fits under ironic endings which, I believe, are the most pleasing kind of endings. But overall . . . kudos to you for your insight.

I blog on story and spiritual things at mkami.weebly.com

[Mark Kamibaya]

@emma-flournoy Yeah, we generally know more general antiheroes than true antiheroes. Probably because, as Christians, true antiheroes can be potentially harmful to us.

I blog on story and spiritual things at mkami.weebly.com

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