For years, a hero had to be good but then we all realized, other people had stories to tell as well that could be just as compelling. An anti-hero is the person who saves the day, but they may have a less than savoury way of doing it. They are deeply flawed, conflicted, and often have a cloudy moral compass but that’s what makes them realistic, complex, and even likeable. Antiheroes are ambiguous protagonists and complex characters who have a dark side. Despite a flawed exterior, a history of bad decisions, and even a questionable moral code, an antihero is ultimately guided by good intentions. Here is the list of our favourite top 10 Tv Anti heroes.
1. Devi Vishwakumar- “Never Have I ever”
Devi Vishwakumar (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan) is one of the great anti-heroines of the teen comedy-drama genre and the second season of Never Have I Ever. There is always this lingering knowledge that Devi knows she is making the harder choice, but she is doing it because manipulation comes more naturally than being genuine. She is always eager to apologize and will go above and beyond. Still, that never stops her from just making the right call at the beginning. She is told that “dating” both Ben and Paxton would hurt them. Nevertheless, she still justifies her actions.
2. Damon Salvatore- “The Vampire Diaries”
There’s actually been some debate over whether Damon Salvatore (played by Ian Somerhalder) is an anti-hero or villain on The Vampire Diaries. But the Damon we meet in season one—a ruthless, manipulative vampire with a thousand-years old unrequited love and vendetta against his brother—is not the Damon we know by the end of the series—a human who has tried to make amends and sacrifice himself to save that same brother and the town of Mystic Falls from burning in literal hell.
Out of everyone in The Vampire Diaries, Damon Salvatore is both the most popular and the most controversial character. There are fans who think Damon didn’t deserve redemption and others who believe he had incredible character development.
3. Walter white- “Breaking Bad”
Walter White is arguably TV’s greatest antihero. However, not everyone agrees with the decisions he made on the show. As Breaking Bad’s protagonist, Walter “Walt” White was portrayed as the ordinary man who was forced to adopt desperate measures by desperate times. Most fans adored him because of his ability to think on his feet and his being so good at his craft. The general consensus was (and still largely is) that Walt was one of the best TV characters of all time.
However, a couple of fans refused to board the “Walter White is a genius” train. There are also those who feel Walt was indeed a genius but should have made different choices on some occasions.
4. Arya Stark- “Game of thrones”
If there’s a Stark that can be considered an antihero, the innocent child-turned-assassin Arya it is.
It’s easy to root for this lone wolf and fighter given the grim events in her journey. Her friendly nature and loyalty to family is balanced with a cold streak and unshakable desire for vengeance. This duality makes her a memorable antihero, especially as she continues to grow both physically and mentally. Over time, she becomes battle-hardened by her trials with the Faceless Men and elsewhere.
Seemed extremely bad at the game in season 7 until it turned out she’s probably better than everyone else ever at it when she cut Littlefinger’s throat.
5. Marty Byrde – “Ozark”
Ozark is about the Byrde family who are forced to move to the Ozarks after dad and husband Marty Byrde (played by Jason Bateman) gets involved with the Navarro Cartel with a dodgy money-making scheme. Though Marty Byrde is involved with some sordid ordeals and commits some disgraceful actions, Bateman brings a strong sense of likability to the role. Even if viewers are disgusted by some of the things that Marty does and find themselves critical of his decisions, Marty is still a character that viewers want to see succeed in the end.
6. Dexter Morgan – “Dexter”
The drama, based on a character created by author Jeff Lindsay, just made sure that Dexter, for all his very obvious faults, wasn’t the worst guy in the room.
Sure, he was a cold-blooded killer, but we learned fast that he had a code, stamped into him by his police officer foster father Harry who had realised early that Dexter was a monster in the making.
He was good looking and charming, but not too much, so we knew he wasn’t a Brad Pitt-style leading man with the world at his feet. He was also quirky and a bit shy, but no wallflower. When he wasn’t enjoying the Miami sun and helping solve crimes, Dexter was a serial killer, hunting his victims remorselessly and murdering them in the most horrific ways imaginable. So sure, he might be a killer, but he was a killer on our side.
7. Thomas Shelby ( Tommy) – “Peaky blinders”
Tommy is a class A anti-hero, one in a long line of modern television. Murphy’s troubled Thomas (Tommy to those that know) is at the heart of the drama, the leader of the Brummy gang, he is shaped by his experiences in the first world war and is determined to lead the Shelby’s to success.
From the beginning of the first episode we are introduced to Tommy as someone in power, and we can feel his dark undertone. He is sharply dressed and greeted by everyone he passes, constantly maintaining a menacing stillness to his physicality. From the beginning of the first episode we are introduced to Tommy as someone in power, and we can feel his dark undertone. He is sharply dressed and greeted by everyone he passes, constantly maintaining a menacing stillness to his physicality.
He’s got demons and he’s emotionally crippled, but he wants to do the right thing, and to do the right thing, sometimes you have to be as bad as the people above you.
8. Jessica- “Jessica Jones”
The show Jessica Jones and lead character, created by Melissa Rosenberg, are based off of the relatively unknown Marvel character by the same name. Jessica Jones, for her part, is a former superhero who opens a detective agency after a tragic end to her superhero career. Jones, in particular, is rough around the edges. With a dry sense of humor and a sarcastic wit, she is showing the world a kind of woman who is human and complicated and sometimes downright difficult to like.
9. Michael Scofield – “Prison Break”
In the show Prison Break, Michael Scofield will do whatever it takes to keep the people around him safe. Michael Scofield played a huge part in helping his brother and other prisoners escape from prison. Everyone on this earth would make some good and bad decisions at least once in their life. Just because someone makes a bad decision, doesn’t mean they are a bad person.
Michael has Low Latent inhibition, a psychological condition in which the person sees the world as pieces, rather than mere objects. This allows Michael to create plans and make complex and very deliberate decisions rapidly.
10. Chapman – “ Orange is the New Black”
Piper Chapman as an antihero, and perhaps the very first of her kind. Piper is set up with an intentional dichotomy that moves her into the antihero conversation. As the fish out of water, she’s crafted as the relatable point of entry, but, much like how it’s hard to feel sympathy for Hannah Horvath and her white girl problems, Piper is easily detestable. She’s the milquetoast centre of a show with a wealth of deep, colourful characters, and her holier-than-thou attitude is often hard to take.
(Image: HBO)