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