These characters are classified as “Villain Protagonists.” They’re different from antiheroes because the author purposefully avoids giving readers a reason to cheer for them. By the end of these books, you’re likely waiting on tenterhooks for the protagonist to be brought to justice. Exceptions include Humbert Humbert from Lolita, Patrick Bateman from American Psycho, and Tom Ripley from The Talented Mr. Readers want to be able to root for the protagonist at least a little bit. How is an anti-hero different from a villain-protagonist?įew books have been successfully written from the perspective of a completely irredeemable, morally reprehensible main character. The morally grey character who opposes them is probably the anti-villain.Ĭheck out our post full of anti-villain examples to learn more. Anti-villains typically have some characteristics we don’t commonly associate with “bad guys.”Īt the end of the day, if you’re not quite sure whether a character is an anti-hero or an anti-villain, ask yourself this: who does the story ask readers to root for? If that character is morally grey, they’re likely the anti-hero.
The anti-villain (or AV) does the wrong thing, but their motives are often noble - or, at least, sympathetic. The anti-hero (or AH) does the right thing, but maybe not for the right reasons - and they lack a lot of the characteristics we’ve come to expect of traditional heroes.
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