When reading the story of Achilles, you can immediately see that he doesn't posses the qualities associated with a a hero: self sacrifice and chivalry. Achilles is a great warrior, but he doesn't fit the rest of the hero archetype. He is one of the first examples of anti-heroes in classic literature.
Especially in modern culture, the anti hero is everywhere. Some examples: (Warning, spoilers!)
Chuck Bass, from Gossip Girl
Chuck Bass, the son of the late industrialist Bart Bass is a pleasure seeking slacker in New York City. We are introduced to him as someone who is not just immoral, he doesn't appear to even possess morals. He smokes, drinks heavily and is a womanizer. Later on though, he is revealed to have a heart of gold when falling in love with Blair Waldorf. You end up on his side, even though what he does isn't right in a moral sense, a classic trait of the anti hero.
Damon Salvatore, from the Vampire Diaries
In the Vampire Diaries, Damon is the brother of Stefan Salvatore, the main love interest of the heroine, Elena. At times, he seems like a true monster, killing without much thought and an excess of brutality. On the other hand, his quick wit and charming comments win you over. He is the ultimate hedonist (believing pleasure and keeping yourself happy is one's ultimate concern), but again he seems to have the 'heart of gold' which defines the anti hero from the villain. We see this when it is revealed that he is causing problems for the sake of his long lost true love, Katherine.
James Kirk, from Star Trek (2009)
In this installation of the franchise, James Kirk is more of a rebel, a likeable bad boy. In the end he undergoes a transition from irresponsibility to having others depend on him. Through the road of trials, his personality matures and grows.
Anti heroes seem to end up even more liked than heroes some of the time, probably because we can relate to them more. Infallible heroes/heroines are not people we can connect to. Also, they have a tragic quality to them that makes them excellent romantic heroes. Another commonality to these heroes is that they can transition to a more typical view of a hero- having more of a moral compass. Often, they make this change after 'the road of trials', just before 'descent into the innermost cave', symbolizing spiritual purification before the 'big battle'.
Question: I found a lot of male anti-heroes, and tried to include some unusual ones people may not have thought of; however, I was having trouble thinking of female anti-heroes/anti-heroines. Can anyone think of any?
