Economic troubles and distrust in institutions have led to this shift. Walter White’s journey from teacher to meth kingpin in Breaking Bad resonated during the 2008 crisis, showing how desperation can lead to choices9. Travis Bickle’s story in Taxi Driver captured the post-Vietnam disillusionment9. We are so captivated by their actions that when they shift into a villainous role, we are left wondering how we were able to sympathize with them in the first place. Although typically thought of as a villain in the Batman saga, the 2019 origin story adaptation of the classic DC comic, Joker, showcases the static character in a new light. Even when they give the audience reasons to distrust them or question their intentions, their motivations are showcased in a way that viewers can easily empathize with.
That can result in fandom infighting when some fans revise the character to turn them into less of a villain or demand a redemption arc that might not be forthcoming. One of the reasons may be in the way these fictional characters are written—or drawn, in the case of that famous Jessica Rabbit quote. Villains are usually complex, with detailed often tragic backstories. “Moral ambiguity humanizes characters, but audiences also crave growth,” note analysts tracking post-peak antihero demand26.
When we dive into stories featuring villains or morally ambiguous characters, we’re not necessarily agreeing with their actions. I found this interesting because fantasy settings are unconstrained by the moral demands of the real world, so they give people an opportunity to explore what it would be like to be a vastly different person. In practice though, people may not stray too far from their actual personality inclinations even in fantasy. That is, people high in agreeableness tend to have fantasies about characters who are noble and help others, while those with darker inclinations are more willing to imagine transgressing social taboos. So, why are we so fascinated by these morally grey characters?
How Religion Shapes Psychological Perspectives Across Cultures
In one version, the story suggests the character’s reasons are selfish while in the other version the negative actions are motivated by altruism, a positive property. In the TV series Dexter, the main character – a forensics specialist by day and a serial killer by night – hunts down murderers who have slipped through the cracks of the justice system. The show aired for almost a decade garnering millions of fans who were fascinated by dark comedy plots, the carnage and ambiguous morals. What about a meth dealer like Walter White from Breaking Bad or Tony Soprano, the gangster from HBO’s The Sopranos? According to research made by Mina Tsay-Vogel and colleagues at Boston University’s College of Communication (COM) what makes us like these anti-heroes is directly related to how we feel about ourselves.
Vic Mackey, the morally ambiguous cop from “The Shield,” operates in a gray area of the law. His willingness to bend and break the rules to achieve his version of justice makes him a despicable anti-hero. Yet, his dedication to his team and his complex motivations make him a compelling character. Walter’s descent into darkness is marked by a series of morally questionable decisions.
Why Do Antiheroes Appeal to People With Dark Traits?
Works like Kafka’s Metamorphosis (1915) and Camus’s The Stranger (1942) made antiheroes even more complex8. By the 1950s, American antiheroes like Fight Club’s Tyler Durden reflected post-war disillusion8. In order to understand why audiences love watching anti-heroes on screen, we need to dig into the psychology underlying how we understand other people’s behavior.
These leads have distinct and notable flaws, but their character traits are primarily caused by motivations the audience can understand and justify. Complex characters like anti-heroes are typically high in at least one Audience Perception trait. Audience Perception traits are the overall judgements an audience will make about a particular character’s personality. Anti-hero characters like Walt and Dexter raise the bar high for character transformation.
This ruthless ambition makes him a fascinating character to watch. Frank’s rise to power is marked by a series of calculated moves and betrayals, as described by Fair Observer. His ability to manipulate those around him and exploit their weaknesses is both impressive and chilling. This Machiavellian approach to politics makes him a fascinating character to watch. Dexter Morgan, the blood-spatter analyst with a dark secret, is a unique anti-hero, as outlined in this Medium article.
The id is the selfish part of us that just wants to have fun and doesn't care about what other people think. The ego is the part of us that tries to balance the id and the superego. The superego is the part of us that tells us what's right and wrong and makes us feel guilty when we do something bad. But the one concept that bleeds into our anti-hero analysis is the id, ego, and superego. These are three parts of our personality that fight with each other all the time.
Sure, we might think of ourselves as highly ethical people, but Freud cautions us not to be so sure. Given the right circumstances, we could all be capable of terrible deeds because the "immoral" parts of ourselves are always there under the surface, even if we pretend they don't exist. Narcissists get a physiological jolt when talking about themselves—especially when sharing stories of admiration, a new study reveals. Narcissistic people were more honest after receiving a specific ethical warning, according to a new study exploring how to prevent moral rationalizations. Heroes, the darlings of virtue, were admired across the board but weren’t relatable to those with darker traits.
responses to “Trope Tuesday: The Morally Gray Antihero – Why We Love Them”
Tony’s charisma and vulnerability make him a character that viewers can’t help but root for, despite his many flaws. Shows like “Breaking Bad” and “Mad Men” have complex characters that make us feel for them. Over 60% of viewers like characters with flaws like pride and self-doubt28.
Writers focus more on the characters’ inner struggles than on simple good vs. evil battles. Shows like Breaking Bad’s Walter White show natura quiz this shift, mixing ambition with moral decline19. Today, storytelling trends focus on characters who are not purely good or evil.