Rise of the Anti-Hero
In American entertainment, one can see popular heroes like Deadpool who while very funny also raise some serious questions about the nature of mortality. Deadpool, The Punisher and so many more heroes have always been an archetypal oddity but if people stopped for second and asked why that it is that we all are so attracted and drawn to these gray characters, there are numerous more that push that boundary even more.
These are the heroes in anime and manga that will make you feel bad for rooting for them, that will make you cringe, that are simply...animalistic. Rarely showing their soft spots, they appear to be brutal killing machines hell bent on just one thing. Strap in, it's time for things to get dark.
Looking first at genres that we usually see this kind of protagonist in, we can better understand what it means/takes to be a anti-hero. Primarily the best genre to find these kind stories is the more mature adult formats, like Seinen or even the subgenre of Horror. But as of late (starting late last year) one can now even find Anti-heroes in Shounen. (Check the links here and email me if you need more)
Now if you don't know, shounen dark heroes are really really rare, usually hidden away deep in the archives of many numerous sites. Lucky for you I'll make it easy to find since I've already went and found a lot of them already. Lets start with the most recent, My Hero Academia (if haven't read my previous post referencing about My Hero Academia then check it out here).
The character that I'm really talking about is Bokugou, a explosive foul mouth who dreams of toppling the number one hero while being a brutal hero. Even when you first meet him you find him bullying the weak, picking on people (Also look at Tokyo Ghoul)
wields the massive Dragon Slayer sword and is called the Black Swordsman, hunting god's apostles and living only for revenge against his old best friend, Griffith.
Guts is the kind of man who faces off against demons with a smile and was born from blood of his mother and raised on the war torn battlefields as a mercenary.
The kind of man who lives for the bloodshed and yet has happen the worse happen to him. As you get to know him you'll discover that he is actually very smart, passionate, loyal, and eventually comes to reveal that he lives this life cause it has become all he has ever known.
Now as I dived deeper and deeper into these kinds of abysmal men of pragmatic brutality, this next series struck a chord with me just like Berserk did. I'm talking about Hellsing, a dark tale about vampires and the master hunter who pursues them.
More specifically Alucard, the hell hound of Hellsing. A vampire himself, he is an ancient vampire who is bond into service of the house of Hellsing, working against his own kind in their total eradication. As the story goes along you discover so much more about his motives, his past, and just who he really is (no spoilers here!).
These are the heroes in anime and manga that will make you feel bad for rooting for them, that will make you cringe, that are simply...animalistic. Rarely showing their soft spots, they appear to be brutal killing machines hell bent on just one thing. Strap in, it's time for things to get dark.
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| Bokugou who controls explosions! |
Now if you don't know, shounen dark heroes are really really rare, usually hidden away deep in the archives of many numerous sites. Lucky for you I'll make it easy to find since I've already went and found a lot of them already. Lets start with the most recent, My Hero Academia (if haven't read my previous post referencing about My Hero Academia then check it out here).
The character that I'm really talking about is Bokugou, a explosive foul mouth who dreams of toppling the number one hero while being a brutal hero. Even when you first meet him you find him bullying the weak, picking on people (Also look at Tokyo Ghoul)
"You'll regret making a fool of me! I'll freaking kill you! I'm taking the first to end all firsts! There's no point in winning against some half-assed punk! No point if I can't do better than Deku! So if you're not trying to win, get the hell outta my face! Why're you even here, you bastard?!"Now lets get more to the point, the biggest example of a Anti-hero, Guts from Berserk. A man who
wields the massive Dragon Slayer sword and is called the Black Swordsman, hunting god's apostles and living only for revenge against his old best friend, Griffith.
"Look around you carefully. Strain your eyes at the darkness around us... At the darkness around me. You said anywhere but here. This is where, here, at the border. Gathered by the winds. Those who have met their final destiny hanging between jealousy and regret. Those who failed, swept together here. You say it doesn't matter where. If you follow me, this is where you'll go. This is your eden."
The Dragonslayer
Guts is the kind of man who faces off against demons with a smile and was born from blood of his mother and raised on the war torn battlefields as a mercenary.
The kind of man who lives for the bloodshed and yet has happen the worse happen to him. As you get to know him you'll discover that he is actually very smart, passionate, loyal, and eventually comes to reveal that he lives this life cause it has become all he has ever known.
Now as I dived deeper and deeper into these kinds of abysmal men of pragmatic brutality, this next series struck a chord with me just like Berserk did. I'm talking about Hellsing, a dark tale about vampires and the master hunter who pursues them.
More specifically Alucard, the hell hound of Hellsing. A vampire himself, he is an ancient vampire who is bond into service of the house of Hellsing, working against his own kind in their total eradication. As the story goes along you discover so much more about his motives, his past, and just who he really is (no spoilers here!).
Not sold yet? This is just a minuscule taste of the kind of heroes I present! You have no idea how big this kind of hero gets! Ranging anywhere from the simple Like Kaneki from Tokyo Ghoul, to Thorfin from Vinland Saga. Its all about your personal tastes so take your time and explore the genres! See also see these links:"Come on, get up! Attack me! You've only suffered the loss of your legs! Summon up your familiars! Transform your body! Heal your severed legs and stand! The evening is still so young. Come on, hurry, hurry, hurry! Pull yourself together - the fun has just begun! Come on! HURRY!"
That should keep you busy, until next time~
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