The anti-Hero thread about heroic? non-heroes

[Amnot Borg]

Thread is online...

 

I'll be 42 this year. Anti-heroes/heroes weren't ever on my mind all that much as I grew up. Being an army brat, the military was supposed to produce the heroes I respected. Supposed to. I really only respected those like my dad that did what needed doing while other guys with officer rank took the credit. With the health problems he had when he left the army, I learned to very often respect the enlisted man a hell of a lot more than the officers or politicians that put him in danger's path.

 

Anyway. The common definition is someone in a heroic position or role that wouldn't normally be considered a hero because of personal faults of some kind. The modern hero to me is anyone that can see a problem and try to work at getting it fixed without causing more problems as a direct result. I guess that means the anti-hero is anyone is that sees a problem and tries to fix it without getting more involved in it than necessary. Very similar but the essence is the anti-hero is more concerned with personal safety. He might save lives but he's doing it to protect his own while a hero does it because it needs done.

 

As much as I despise Pres. Bush, in many ways he is an anti-hero and not a villain. Dammit.

[Guest c4evap]

I'm a bit older than most of the members of this forum so..................my anti-heros might be a bit different and dated. Here's a small list of my anti-heros from way-back:

 

1. Jack Kerouac

2. Jim Bronson (from "Then Came Bronson tv series)

3. Josh Randall (from Wanted Dead or Alive tv series)

 

Well...I could name others but you get the jist of it. You won't find Tony Soprano anywhere near my list!

 

Definition of an anti-hero? A person with unheroic characteristics that, nevertheless, acts against a social injustice. This is the most accepted one I believe.

 

c4 B)

[Druj]

I think that the term antihero is wider than most would like to admit. In other words, there is a reason that the "anti"-part is there. It isn't just a regular hero who wears leather jackets and talks tough.

[eonfreon]

Hunter S. Thompson is way up there on my list.

Jack Keroac definently.

I'll think of more later.

[MrDad]

There is also a reason the 'hero' part is there, the 'anti' part is merely a modifier.

[motoxjesse]

so would the first Terminator be an antihero??

[Amnot Borg]

so would the first Terminator be an antihero??

 

I don't see how. It wasn't ever trying to help anyone. Unless you count its AI parent SKYNET as a person?

[MrDad]

so would the first Terminator be an antihero??

No, the second and third would be.

[Tenebrae]

More like plain heroes, really.

[MrDad]

They have no 'heroic' qualities. They are killer robots without fear carrying out programming.

[TetsuoShima]

so would the first Terminator be an antihero??

No, the second and third would be.

 

I don't see how they would be anti-heroes... They would definately just be heroes, no 'anti' about them...

[Tenebrae]

They act heroically. They may not FEEL heroic but they throw themselves into the crucible, even sacrifice themselves. Sure, they're reprogrammed killer robots but they're doing all the hero would do.

 

At most they'd be "non-heroes".

[MrDad]

They act heroically. They may not FEEL heroic but they throw themselves into the crucible, even sacrifice themselves. Sure, they're reprogrammed killer robots but they're doing all the hero would do.

 

At most they'd be "non-heroes".

That is exactly what an antihero is. They are heroes but without the stereotypical qualities we associate with them.

[eonfreon]

Basically, "hero" and "antihero' is a personal point of view.

I cited Hunter S. Thompson. To me he was a hero. To others he was an antihero at best. Still others would see him as a hedonist with no redeeming values.

I feel he took many risks and always stood by his values, that makes him a hero in my book.

However, if you don't agree with his values then you might at least concede that he was an antihero and brave enough to poke a stick into the ribs of the status quo.

Then he committed suicide which is an unforgivable sin in many faiths (not mine- but then I outgrew my church a long time ago). To that person he would be unredeemable.

Your values shape your heroic ideals.

Of course, this is with a real person. A fictional character is more straightforward because the writer often gives clues to how we should feel about a character.

[Antipodean]

1. Jack Kerouac

 

 

Nice choice!!! ;)

 

 

Other's I'd include would be 'Blondie', played by Clint Eastwood in "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" (talk about a great movie!)

 

 

and Toshirô Mifune's character 'Kikuchiyo' in Akira Kurasawa's masterpeice, "The Seven Samurai" (if you havn't seen it, do - its one amazing movie.)

 

 

as well as the Assasain, played by Chow Yun Fat in John Woo's classic Hong Kong Action flick, "The Killer".

 

 

and while we're in Hong Kong, I might as well throw in 'Lau Kin Ming', played masterfully by Andy Lau, in the "Infernal Affairs" series of movies. (He's the bloke on the left).