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Antiheroes. Our Severus Snapes of books, Dexter Morgans of television and Tyler Durdens of movies. A good antihero crosses moral boundaries and walks in the shadows. Not quite good, not quite evil either. A good antihero can work wonders as an interesting and engaging character and as a thematic device. A bad one can drag down a series thematically and fall flat as a character. The question is, what makes a good antihero different from a bad one?
Spoilers for all shows I discuss here, especially Death Note. Proceed at your own risk.
The Good Side of Gray 6f1q37
An example of a well-executed antihero is Greed of Hunter x Hunter, where Hisoka initially seems to be siding with the villains, the Phantom Troupe, but turns out to be working against them. But he's not working with the heroes either; he's working for himself. One of the most tense encounters in the whole arc is when Kurapika and Hisoka meet to exchange information in episode 45. The reason why it is a tense encounter is that the audience doesn't know what Hisoka's intentions are or what he wants from other characters. He plays the wild card to great effect, and it enhances what would have otherwise been a boring exposition scene. He is truly a gray spot in the story. He seeks only to fulfill his own goals. He is someone the audience roots for even though he lacks traditional hero qualities, making him a perfect example of an antihero.
The Bad Side of Gray z1f
Death Note about justice and the criminal system. A combination of a lack of thematic consistency and an overdone, campy evolution makes Light both a fallen god and a fallen antihero.
So What Does It All Mean? 646t2b
Antiheroes can be some of the strongest and most memorable characters in anime. They haunt our memories long after the story is done because they make us question our morals and blur the lines of good and evil. However, to accomplish this feat, a good antihero must have strong character writing and a logical character progression that doesn't veer into the melodramatic. If the character is meant to serve as a thematic device, the series must have strong, consistent themes that are developed throughout the series. If they are meant to serve as a fun character to watch, they must be an enigma to the viewer. If these conditions are met, you have yourself a strong antihero. Someone who walks the line of good and evil, light and dark, is the most engaging kind of character to watch. A good antihero reminds us of ourselves and there is no higher achievement possible for a character.
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