Hero Types: Modern Concepts

The Anti-Hero
      The selfless hero is the first form of anti-hero as the direct opposite to the Greek warrior hero. The Greeks would view all of the selfless hero's traits as weakness, yet the selfless hero fulfills the definition and conventions.  The selfless hero's culture also supports the traits.
     That said, we are left still with the concept of an anti-hero. For many, this role is fulfilled by heroes with an amoral code who have no compunction against killing. However, remember that moral codes are but one trait, and not the sole determiner of a hero's status. The Greeks killed their enemies. To not do so was a sign of weakness.
     While characters such as Spawn, Wolverine, and The Punisher go against modern morality, they reflect back to the warrior hero, and this is but one trait, not all of them.
     What, then, is an anti-hero? An anti-hero fulfills the definition and conventions, but has no heroic traits. Rather than courageous, determined, strong, wise, and faithful, the anti-hero is cowardly, gives up, weak, foolish, and unbelieving. Yet, despite all of these impediments to being a hero, the character still manages to fulfill the definition.
     Example: Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever

The Villain
     The villain is not, strictly speaking, solely the opposition to the hero. Instead, many villains hold close similarity to heroes with regard to conventions and traits. The sole determining factor between a hero and a villain is the definition. Where a hero improves his or her society for the better (whether seeking to do so or not), the villain seeks only to improve him or herself, often to the detriment of the society.
     Frequently this puts the villain in opposition to the hero, and makes for an excellent agent of Nemesis. The villain, though, is not dependent on the hero, and may exist in stories of myths independently, with no mention of a hero.  In fact, the force of Nemesis (often acting in concert with the society) can stand between the villain and his or her objectives, just as with a hero.
     Examples: Lex Luthor, Green Goblin.

The Nihilist
     Not all villains are equal. There exists a subset of villains who are not out for their own benefit at the cost to their society, but out to destroy society for whatever reason. These villains want to eliminate their own society, and cannot even claim to be part of another society.
     Examples: Mordred (King Arthur), The Joker, Thanos (Marvel Comics)

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