What do Walter White from Breaking Bad, Loki from the MCU series, and Travis Bickle from Taxi Driver (1976) have in common?
If you said “ridiculously handsome,” correct. But also… each one of the above is an antihero.
If your second response was “they are all villains,” stick around, because this piece is for you. The difference between antiheroes and villains is subtle. Knowing how these character archetypes differ from each other can help you appreciate films more and understand the storytelling choices behind these characters.
Who Is an Antihero?
An antihero is the main character who does not fit the traditional “hero” checklist (hence, anti-hero).
They may be flawed, selfish, and cynical; traits often associated with villains. But they are the ones you secretly root for. They drive the story forward just like a protagonist does.
Unlike a traditional hero, antiheroes break rules and often make questionable choices. Yet, they will have some redeeming qualities, whether it is wit, vulnerability, or loyalty, that a viewer cannot ignore, which keeps audiences invested. But no matter how much you “get them,” an antihero is not role model material. And we will dissect some examples of antiheroes to see why.
Consider Loki. He is manipulative, power-hungry, arrogant, and, of course, mischievous. He has forged a path of destruction on a global (and intergalactic) scale across the Thor films and his own series. Yet, audiences adore him and are drawn to him.
Why? The appeal lies in his contradictions as a character, allowing the audience to break down his character traits and discuss his pros and cons.
Beneath the scheming, there is charm, humor, and moments of reluctant loyalty accompanied by softness. Loki is unpredictable, which makes him exciting to watch, and occasionally, he surprises us by doing the right thing, even if it is for the wrong reasons.
Who Is a Villain?
A villain is a character who directly opposes the hero, embodying the bad to the hero’s “good.” They are the reason you root for the hero.
Clive Barker, a writer and filmmaker, says this about the importance of villains in the horror genre:
Villains are morally corrupt and destructive. They rarely possess qualities that make them likable. Their role in a story is to pursue some form of power at the expense of others. They are driven by personal gain and revenge, rather than the greater good.
Villains are the source of conflict, and they try to use power, manipulation, and violence to get what they want.
Think of Thanos, the character who brings you chills in the Marvel universe.
He believes wiping out half the universe is a “solution” to overpopulation. His conviction is chilling, and you see only his unhinged methods.
Or take Nurse Ratched in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest(1975): calm, composed, and utterly ruthless in maintaining control. Villains like these dismantle (sometimes literally) everyone around them entirely to serve their own ends.
Similarities Between a Villain and an Antihero
It is easy to confuse villains and anti-heroes.
They…
Are violent.
Lie to get what they want.
Try to manipulate.
Further, characters that play anti-heroes and villains often possess a magnetic quality that keeps the audience engaged, as the above examples we covered demonstrate.
Loki plotting to take over Asgard, Walter White building a meth empire, and Norman Bates being… well, psycho in Psycho (1960)….their actions are extreme, but their charisma keeps us hooked.
Villains and antiheroes are also masters of unpredictability. You never quite know if they will take the noble road or burn the bridge entirely.
Whether they are an anti-hero or a villain, they often keep the audience guessing about their next move.
Another key similarity between the two is that they drive the plot in one way or the other. Without Voldemort, Harry Potter’s journey would be like that of any other Hogwarts student; not scintillating enough for seven books. Or without Tony Soprano’s choices, there is no constant tension between family life and mob life. Both archetypes keep the story.
A snippet of the similarities:
They are…
- Aggressive
- Charismatic
- Unpredictable
- Drivers of the plot
Villain vs. Antihero: How Do They Differ?
The most significant difference between the two character archetypes is their intention.
A villain is someone who is not someone you root for, even guiltily. They oppose the hero, and you do not want them to win. They are irredeemable.
Ask yourself: Voldemort is not misunderstood or “kind of understandable,” is he?
Every move he makes is in service of his quest for power and immortality. No hidden moral compass. He is perfectly comfortable going on a killing spree, manipulating those he indoctrinates, or razing entire communities. You wish he would avada kedavra himself.
Severus Snape, by contrast, occupies an ambiguous space in the HP fandom. He is someone you can debate about. Yes, he is cruel and petty, and he goes out of his way to make the lives of students, especially Harry’s, miserable.
But if you are an ardent follower of the books/movies, you will know that his character is not purely villainous.
If you analyze his story, you will find someone whose acts are rooted in grief, pain, loyalty, or sometimes a personal moral code that is not inherently bad, just questionable. Even if you disapprove of what he does, you understand why he does it. There is no blind obsession with power, and towards the end, you find yourself almost sympathizing with him.
The following insight by Robert McKee, a renowned expert in screenwriting, highlights the difference between a villain and an anti-hero in a creative way. While talking about villains in an interview, he says:
That’s what was wrong with Panic Room. The criminals have a conscience. They feel bad. No! In a modern thriller, the psychos do not apologize.
The above quote shows that conscience can be what decides whether a character engaging in wrongdoing is a villain or an anti-hero.
Antihero and Villain: Role In Storytelling
We talked about how both anti-heroes advance the plot. The difference lies in how they do it. While one way is to force the hero to react, the other method is to make questionable choices that create conflict, which is why, often, in many films, there will be a villain as well as an anti-hero.
Let’s go back to the Voldemort and Snape example.
Both are pivotal to the story in “negative” ways, but there is a difference. Voldemort’s presence hangs over Hogwarts every year. You are just waiting for the shoe to drop. Snape’s presence in the story is different; more constant throughout the school year; his sabotage, cryptic warnings, and general pessimism (accompanied by a swish of his cloak) are more frequent, as well as more vague.
They both add obstacles in the story, but in entirely different ways.
To recap:
- Villains and antiheroes differ primarily based on intention and conscience
- Both drive the story, but in different ways
- Villains are more surface-level in terms of their goals, and anti-heroes are nuanced and layered
Antiheroes and Villains: Cannot Love Them, Cannot Live Without Them
Anti-heroes and villains often reward us with the most memorable moments and quotes in films. While the hero may be the character you support, it is the unpredictability of an anti-hero and the ruthlessness of a villain that keeps you hooked. Storytellers rely on both character archetypes to elevate the story.
