The Black Sheep of Their Narratives: 11 Most Iconic Antiheroes

Heroes are as real as unicorns, but antiheroes are the main characters in every reality. And that actually makes so much more sense. Even the good guy is the bad guy in someone else’s story.

I love antiheroes because they are very clear about their actions, their desires, and their intentions. Absolutely gray characters, yet their choices are so strikingly black and white that it gets frustrating at times! Also, antiheroes are hardly ever able to regulate their emotions—always on one of the opposite ends of the emotional spectrum. Tough babies, that’s how I look at them! How can you not root for them?

In this article, we’ve compiled a list of the most iconic antiheroes who’d overshadow even the most iconic heroes, any day.

The Most Iconic Antiheroes Of All Time

1. Travis Bickle -Taxi Driver

Robert De Niro plays Vietnam War veteran Travis Bickle, who is beaten down by the war, living a miserable life, and unable to connect with anyone around him ever since he returned to society as a civilian. His experiences on the battlefield are dreadful, and so are his psychological scars, which propel him deeper into alienation and paranoia.

Tired of sleepless nights and a lack of purpose in his life, Travis sets out to cleanse the crime and corruption in the city, believing violence is the only effective tool for societal improvement. His PTSD becomes his fuel for violence, weakening his grip on reality as he oscillates between mindless fury and delusions of grandeur, becoming a self-appointed vigilante (in serious need of help). But whatever is said and done, you cannot hate Travis because somehow you realize you want the same things as him–just not in the same way.

2. Lou Bloom- Nightcrawler

Jake Gyllenhaal’s Lou Bloom lives the anecdote, “Someone’s misery is another person’s gain.” You can’t really blame him for his ambitions: a petty thief who wants to climb up the social ladder by adapting to a more substantial livelihood. In a competitive world, his lack of empathy is both chilling and relatable. In his pursuit of breaking news (and money), Lou soon begins tampering with the truth for that perfect shot in his news footage.

His sociopathic detachment from the misery of others, which he consistently justifies as professionalism in a profession that rewards sensationalism over integrity, makes you think whether it is just him or his actions are a reflection of the broader degeneration of societal values.

3. Tyler Durden- Fight Club

A volatile personality, Tyler’s (Brad Pitt) outlook towards society is very similar to that of Travis Bickle’s, only Tyler nurtures an added love for mayhem. The man is charismatic, headstrong, and can manipulate anybody into doing just about anything. He literally united the entire country under one ideal without even existing—take notes, dear world leaders! Tyler is so many things that we aspire to be! Or maybe it's just me because I’ve always had a thing for bad boys.

4. Jules Winnfield and Vincent Vega- Pulp Fiction

It’s not right to discriminate against people based on their job and judge them when they’re the best at what they do. So what if they’re assassins? Plus, I think our profession is like a magic wand: it chooses us and not the other way around. Jules (Samuel L. Jackson) and Vincent (John Travolta) are the most ordinary people when they leave their guns and assignments back home.

They do not mean harm to others. Although they do kill a lot, they’re just doing their job, and it’s nothing personal. That’s what sets them apart from an antagonist.

5. Tony Montana- Scarface

Al Pacino’s Tony is despicable in many ways, but he embodies the American dream. He lives his life on the edge of morality, as if he thrives in chaos more than he does in calm. His journey shows us the corrupting effects of power and unchecked ambition. On one hand, his drive will inspire you, but on the other, his obsessive quest for power will scar you, as you see him fall into his own grave—the one that he dug up with his own hands.

6. Light Yagami- Death Note

In my opinion, Death Note is extremely overrated: the makers started with an interesting premise, but then couldn’t control its weight. But I have always loved Light’s arc, wishing that they had etched it out slightly better because the scope is endless. Light Yagami is a high-functioning and charismatic high school student who stumbles upon a notebook that gives him the power to exterminate anybody at will.

Drunk with power, the young man begins a purge campaign, killing people whom he deems as a menace to society, right under the nose of his detective father. Light begins playing God, bending morals to justify his sense of justice, but what is particularly magnetic is his razor-sharp intellect, effortlessly outwitting everyone around him, without breaking a single sweat.

7. Deadpool- Marvel Universe

A superhero with an unconventional sense of morality, irreverent attitude, and chaotic heroism, Deadpool won hearts with his dark sense of humor and twisted sense of justice. He isn’t out there to save lives per se, but to use his powers for his own gain. If that comes to someone’s help, yep, you can count on him. But on a regular day, he won’t really go out of his way for you, unlike other superheroes who live to serve their duties.

That being said, he is one of those who would die with a smile for those he cared about. Struggling with his identity and morality (considering his superhero life was forced upon him at an emotional price), he is indeed incorrigible, but it is extremely hard to hate him.

8. Thelma and Louise- Thelma & Louise

These two women became the icons of female empowerment when Thelma and Louise was released back in 1991 and continue to be iconic movie characters even three decades later. The two friends embarked on a journey that women can only dream of even today—a weekend road trip, leaving behind all their responsibilities, completely unaccounted for. They’re not perfect and literally make a mess out of their short getaway, and perhaps that’s what makes them such endearing and unforgettable antiheroes. There’s a bit of Thelma and Louis in each one of us!

9. Analise Keating- How To Get Away With Murder

I wonder what it would be like to live a day in the life of Analise Keating (Viola Davis)? A black woman, who has fought her way through all kinds of discrimination to get to one of the topmost seats on the social ladder — I have too much respect for her to judge her for her wrongdoings. Agreed that she bends the rules to get her way, but none of her acts are actually selfish. Now, if someone wants to shame her for trying to save herself from being convicted for a homicide she did not commit, well, that’s just naive.

10. Walter White- Breaking Bad

One of the most studied and talked about characters ever, Bryan Cranston’s Walter White is the quintessential antihero who, after learning that he is dying from cancer, switches sides to become the bad guy to ensure that his family is well taken care of, long after his death. Before he knows it, his sense of responsibility to provide for his family turns into greed and obsession, as he becomes the number one meth producer in the country, effortlessly outwitting everyone, including his own family.

A high-school chemistry teacher, over-qualified for his job, Walter blurs the line between responsibility and validation as he embarks on his perilous criminal journey, until one day, when he finds himself running for his life with nowhere to go. His journey is proof of how deserving individuals can turn vindictive when they are deprived of opportunities, forced to live a normal life when they were born for great things.

11. Saul Goodman- Better Call Saul

Honestly, this is one such spin-off that I like more than the original. There I said it! To top it all, Bob Odenkirk as Saul is literally the pride of television. Saul is a twisted mind with a kind heart, who slowly loses his innocence and the love of his life, as he navigates the ebbs and flows of life, trying to make a name for himself as a lawyer. A self-made man, who was never selfish in his intentions or actions, even when things were bleak in his life, Saul could kill somebody, and I’d still love him because I know he would never do it if he had a choice.

Which of these antiheroes is your favorite?