David and Goliath, Gandalf and Saruman, Scar and Mufasa, Pocahontas and that mean pilgrim with the high-maintenance dog: since the beginning of time, there has been a good guy and a bad guy. This character binary has defined a large portion of story telling. We need someone to root for, as well as root against. This archetype is visible in much of today’s entertainment, however, with the incredible success of shows like “House of Cards,” “Breaking Bad,” “Mad Men” and “Dexter,” it seems that the public defies the division between good and evil and embraces the antihero.
    The presence of the antihero is by no means a new phenomenon. Everyone from Shakespeare to Salinger has utilized an imperfect protagonist, but recently, there has been a significant resurgence of the flawed hero. My question is: why? Why is the present population so hungry for an antihero, and why are we so willing to accept them, evil and all?
    Part of this connection comes from skilled writing that allows the audience to form meaningful, intimate relationships with the characters — relationships so strong that we genuinely want the best for the characters, despite being adulterers or narcotics cooks. However, I believe this connection goes far deeper than good writing.
    I feel the reasoning behind humanity’s connection to the antihero is two-fold. The first reason is this: we are comforted by the idea that being flawed still leaves a capacity for good. We observe a power-hungry Walter White (of “Breaking Bad”) place his family at risk, backstab nearly every other character of the show to gain leverage and commit multiple, gruesome murders, but we also see him fight tooth and nail to win back the respect and trust of his former protégé, Jesse Pinkman. We see an arrogant Jamie Lannister (of “A Song of Ice and Fire” and “Game of Thrones”) maim an innocent child, engage in a sexual relationship with one of his relatives and manipulate everyone he comes in contact with in order to retain his stature, but we also see him swallow his pride to protect and befriend Lady Brienne of Tarth. This glimmer of hope provided by the antihero reassures the viewer that, no matter how deplorable their actions may be, at their core, there is some measure of inherent good and morality. Whether this is true is another discussion entirely, but the idea of redemption is certainly uplifting for us inevitably fallible humans.
  The second reason is, quite frankly, we enjoy observing people who are more corrupt than we are. Sure, I may have cheated on my online quiz, but at least I didn’t kill anyone to take over his or her governmental office (I’m looking at you, Mr. Frank Underwood).  It is always encouraging to pass judgment on individuals to make one’s self feel superior, and the fact that these individuals are fictional (thus removing the guilt of passing judgment on an actual person) makes this a win-win.  Plus, if good things can still happen to these sinful deviants in spite of all of their wrongdoings, surely my slight transgressions won’t adversely affect my life in any serious way.
    I believe the antihero’s relevance in today’s culture is a direct result of the reasons listed above. The international turmoil, political polarization and harsh social standards of our present culture provide an ideal environment in which the antihero can thrive. We no longer want someone to root for or root against; we want someone who can do evil but receive atonement. We need someone who can do tremendous wrong but still occasionally find the compassion to fight for the greater good. And, if all else fails, we need someone to compare ourselves to when we feel we are too far gone. So, I thank you, antihero, for providing the world with a sense of empathy, a lesson in forgiveness and, most importantly, a boost in self worth.