Heroes And Anti-Heroes – What’s The Difference?
In this table, we list the differences between heroes and anti-heroes for writers.
We are often asked about the differences between heroes and anti-heroes on our Writers Write course. There are many, including the storytelling truth that heroes need confidants and mentors, while anti-heroes need sidekicks.
TOP TIP: Either a hero or an anti-hero can be the protagonist in a story.
Heroes And Anti-Heroes – What’s The Difference?
The Hero
According to the dictionary a hero is ‘a person who is admired for their courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities’. A fiction hero is a ‘character in a book, play, or film, who is typically identified with good qualities, and with whom the reader is expected to sympathise’.
The Anti-Hero
The anti-hero is ‘a central character in a story, film, or drama who lacks conventional heroic attributes’. These missing attributes include idealism, courage, and morality. Anti-heroes can sometimes do the right thing, but it is usually because it serves their interests to do so.
Anthony Ehlers compiled this list as a guide for aspiring writers.
TOP TIPS:
- If you want to learn how to write a romance, sign up for our online course, This Kiss.
- If you want to learn how to write a book, sign up for our online course.
- Use our Character Creation Kit to create great characters for your stories.
- Five Shortcuts for Creating an Inciting Moment
- Amused – Nine New Muses to Make You Write
- Are you a jester, a priest or a magician? – The Three Things Readers Want
- Is Genre a Straitjacket?
- Give me a break – the Internal Critic strikes back
- Talk Show — How to let your characters tell their story
Read More: Explore the romance writing tag on our website for more posts: Romance Writing
6 thoughts on “Heroes And Anti-Heroes – What’s The Difference?”
Super post! Thank you so much for the succinct characteristics. I will certainly keep this around while writing my second book, which includes one of each of these! Cheers.
http://warriorechidna.blogspot.com
I don’t necessarily agree with this list. Why does the hero have to be “classically handsome or beautiful” ?
I agree with Alison. It is certainly possible to pick a number of traits from the hero side of the chart and apply them to the antihero, and still come out with an excellent antihero, and vice versa. This list works as an outline of stereotypes, but not much more.
Thank you! as a newbie in writing. I really love the helpful hints. I post them over my desk and it helps a lot. If there are any other helpful hints, please post.
What would happen if my character falls under both these categories? Half the time he’s a hero, half the time he’s an anti-hero. What should I think then?
The “hero” doesn’t HAVE to be “classically beautiful or handsome”, they just usually are.
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