So I've basically got the ideal story foundation for myself, most of the planning is done, the world building, story plot for at least 5 arcs, and all the background about the MC and the main companions. What I just realized I don't have is a proper idea of how to make an interesting personality for my Anti-Hero Protagonist! I want him to be calm and stoic, a veteran of the battlefield at a young age, with a few minor quirks.... but that's boring as shit if he doesn't have an actual personality. I've thought about making him sociable but socially awkward given the way he grew up, quiet and distant bystander, pessimistic type, but that's still boring and stiff! TL;DR Can ya'll give me ideas? What are the best personalities for an interesting Anti-Hero? Master mind? Schemer? Bystander? Is there anything original I could use? I don't wanna be cookie cutter... It doesn't have to be limited to novels but Anti-Heroes in entertainment in general.
make him a veteran hard-headed child soldier who fight with rebel at age 4 until the war is over and he go to school for degree or something like that
My suggestion 1) An orphan by choice, as he killed his father when his father stole his money. 2) Deeply scarred by the betrayal, he decided not to trust anyone else. 3) Until a certain chance encounter lead him into trusting one person and that is the protagonist 4) The protagonist doesn't realize it, but his ideals are complete opposite of the antihero's ideals 5) The antihero finds the protagonist's ideals stupid and naive and spends every effort showing the protagonist his error 6) However, no matter how much the antihero beat up the protagonist, he could never bring himself to kill him. 7) As a result, no matter how hostile his actions appeared, he always saved the protagonist from sure death, saying that the protagonist is his to kill and he's simply waiting for the protagonist to mature. 8) The antihero makes a final showdown with the protagonist, eventually being revealed to have one sided feelings of romantic love towards the protagonist. 9) They kissed and in his dying breath, the antihero told the protagonist that he wish he had realized his own feelings sooner. Kyaaaa!!! BL alliance, unite! By the way, Lucifer in Angel Sanctuary is a great anti-hero. He's evil to the core, but his love towards Alexiel ensures that he always does something that benefit Alexiel, eventhough they're enemies through and through. And when he said "You're my woman" I was like kyaaa, that's so cool and I got flutters in the place that make babies.
An anti-hero can be pretty much anything. He just has to ignore the classic "protector" mindset common to heros. For example, the character you describe doors not have to be "boring" with the right setting. The combination of almost childish wonder for "normal" things in contrast to an extremely jaded perspective about physical relations and brutality? Sounds rather interesting to me, think of Jona (I think was jis name) in Jormungandr Edit: why do both the opening post and ai-chan differ between the "anti-hero" and the protagonist? Those can be the same, the opposite of the protagonist or "hero" of a story is the antagonist, not the anti-hero
Reincarnated surgeon that's addicted to cutting stuff open. Experiments on other kids at the orphanage. No one dies, they just get enhanced lol.
An anti-hero? A good, if not overused, basis, is revenge in any shape or form. Often the anti-hero was betrayed in the past, which resulted in him becoming an anti-hero. An acceptable AH would also be a character that was raised in a wrong way, and for example doesn't see anything wrong with killing other people, and doesn't understand why others think it's wrong. They are also often selfish, and only care about themsleves and the people close to them. An alternative is insane/sociopath/mentally scarred character. Examples of what I think are good anti-heroes is Deadpool, Ira of Void Wolf (RRL), or Hajime from Arifureta (only the first few volumes - later on he gets softer and becomes kinda like a tsundere, and Spoiler his reaction to destroy and kill everything when Yue was possessed and abducted by Ehito near the end was quite anti-hero-like
I see antihero as anything central to the story, a sort of protagonist, but not necessarily the only protagonist or even the main protagonist. Lucifer from Angel Sanctuary is one such person. He's been there from the start to the end, sometimes as friend, sometimes as enemy, but the real protagonist is Setsuna Mudou/Alexiel.
Don't make him an edgy killer, how about a guy who follows his own path(Justice), that path being in the grey-area so make him use unorthodox methods but never extremely evil ones.
Uh... He was a Soldier of fortune, recruited age 7 at most. Are you hacking my computer?! Goes to college at like 18 for advanced warfare but lots of things happen inbetween so that wont be until like book 2 or 3. Ai-Chan always has the best stuff, thanks for the help I liked Jormungandr and will admit the soldier of fortune (Mercenary) child soldier aspect was based off of watching that in some ways but mostly cause I didn't want the MC to be a grizzled old man before he started his campaign of conquering his territory in the new world. I think Ai-Chan was using that as an example as the difference between a heroes origin and a protagonist with background info to flesh them out. I got some inspiration so that's how I view it, but I was also thrown off by the BL... As a straight male it was slightly uncomfortable to read but not a big deal. Her fangirl-ing was funny though. I hate the punishers personality in a lot of ways, outside of combat he's just a grizzled old man with issues. I want my MC to have a fairly normal social life but furthest away from conventional hero when in combat. Now based off the original Punisher Movie that came out when I was a kid the combat was impressive and wouldn't mind adding in that demeanor to my MC. The ruthlessness was inspiring but unlike the Punisher my hero is doing everything to protect the people he loves. The Punisher has lost anyone he's cherished so to differences in tactics needed. The punisher has nothing to loose. My MC? Can't go to far, in the open as he has to much to lose.
*calculating every move logicly without emotion *using every thing for his benefit *fake his true nature against people like*dexter* *he hunt and cant be hunted
First if you make a character don't make him too cliche. A person life is not entirely legend so if you want an interesting characters add some reality into their setting. Example: Your anti-hero born in down town and after his parents got killed in a mob fight he was force to become a drug dealer to survive. After getting into a fight at 15 court give him 2 options : first go to prison and second become a soldier. Thats how he go to army and become a veteran but because of how he grown up he don't trust anybody and don't like to interact with them that make him socially awkward but he after retired from duty he find it hard to live in sociality and he need people for somethings. Which is why he start to have some awkward interactions so he could know people better and learn how to control them so they do what he want willingly. Well that kind of setting is good, reason is that it have pros and cons Pros: 1-He is independent most of time. 2-Dont have any sense of morals because of his past. 3-Is a good fighter and soldier. 4-Doesnt like government so good for anti-hero. Cons: 1-have absolutely no experience in interact with girls. 2-Didnt go to high school so he is basically illiterate. 3-The only thing he is good at is fighting and have a little experience in selling drug. Now with them if you write it good you can have a highly intelligence anti-hero that don't have any academic knowledge but is good at field, good at fighting but no friend or comrade. Cruel and hate government ^-^ Edit: Oh right I forgot to say it seems you mistake anti-hero with villain. Anti-hero is someone like dead pool. Have a good goal but will do anything to achieve his goal. Villain is just someone that have a bad goal and do everything to achieve it.
That's what I was planning on with a my own morals, ethics and rationality type theme but that still doesn't give personality just decisions really. It doesn't make him likeable just causes people to think. Like the MC of Ze Tian Ji. He's filled with logic, rationality and convictions but falls into the grey area. How many people didn't like him cause he seemed dull? Not good with names can you tell me the name of the story for reference? ......... That's a dark turn I fear won't be accepted by the public or my will to write. I plan to have his small squad be betrayed by the larger battalion of their Mercenary Corp, trapped and inslaved for a time under alien rule. The MC will have to go on a slaughter campaign I figure would last 2 or so years? I plan to have him use Garilla tactics and such. I think this is sufficient to warp his personality? Or is it lacking? I like the first one and the last but faking his nature is out of the question, recluse is more this MC's style You've really made me think of somethings I've been failing to wrap up. I wanted an anti hero but I never gave him more deviant like behaviors just not good ones. I need to fix that and throw some chaos in the mix.