Anti-hero, Part-1

All the recent talk about heroes 'n villains got me to thinking. You can keep your knights-in-shining-armor and your black-hearted bad guys. I'll take the anti-hero every time.

According to most definitions I can find, anti-hero is described as a fictional character whose actions and motives are villainous or questionable. To quote: "Anti-heroes can be awkward, anti-social, alienated, cruel, obnoxious, passive, pitiful, obtuse or just ordinary. An anti-hero lives by his/her own moral compass, striving to define their own values as opposed to those recognized by the society in which they live."

In other words? Just flawed human beings (well, mostly human) tryin' to figure it all out. That's about it. Bad boys 'n girls ... but oh, it's so much more interesting to watch!

Sure Superman will save the day. King Arthur will be chivalrous. John Wayne would bring the cavalry just in the nick of time. Ho-hum. Give me Mad Max any day. Or Spike, who'll get mad and mean and somehow still figure out how to be a hero when the time comes. Capt. Jack Sparrow will be all about self-preservation, fame ' fortune...and he'll still wind up doing the "right thing" when all's said 'n done.

Wolverine. Blade. "V". Spawn. Beatrix Kiddo. Riddick. Xena. The list goes on and on. And so does the definition of anti-hero.

"Qualities normally belonging to villains--amorality, greed, violent tendencies, etc.--are tempered with human traits like confusion and self-hatred. But redemption eventually comes, and it comes through love or friendship or duty or by some other interesting avenue. Noble motives are ultimately pursued by bending or breaking the law in the belief that the ends truly do justify the means."

Ok, ok, not to mention the fact that it's the anti-hero who's usually exceptionally hot.

Anyway, the anti-hero type of character was very popular in "The Tribe." So Part-2 of this blog-subject will move in that direction...and also to our game, where the anti-hero most certainly rules.

-Chyna

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