Credits: Mayuri R

                                            

 

From Gabbar Singh to Thanos, villains or anti-heroes have been an integral part of our lives. As key players in helping move the story forward, they have the greatest impact on it. The greater the villain, the better the story. Even though this statement still holds, perspectives on the villain have drastically changed over the years. Initially the thought of a challenging and evil competitor who could not be defeated unless the hero took charge, made most of us root for the hero just to see him succeed. However, in recent times, the anti-heroes seem to be the ones we cheer on. The more these fictional beings are despised in their society, the deeper and more relatable they seem to people of the real world.

 

Curious about what makes someone side with our not-so-stereotypical heroes, The Carmel Beat interviewed a few people for their take on this change of perception. To explain the psychology behind this mystery, Ms. Aabharna, a psychology professor at Mount Carmel College, threw light on our desire for relatability in recent times. She feels that, Anti-heroes have now been placed in a gray area, where the line between good and evil is blurred which is what is essentially what humans embody as well. Heroes are figures that people consider superior to themselves, someone who is fair and who always follows the path of justice. However, in the age where morality has become so subjective, all they tend to look for is someone who resembles them in some way or the other.

 

Take Joker, for instance, in ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ and various DC comics involving his character. He is portrayed as a psychopath who is out for blood and likes toying with innocent lives. However, in 2019 when the movie ‘Joker’ was released, the world got an in-depth insight into his origin story. The suffering he went through is not something foreign in the real world. Most humans have been victims to various wrongdoings and this connection made people see Joker in a completely different light. His ways suddenly seem to make more sense.

 

Just like Joker, there are so many anti-heroes who have been shunned from society and made outcasts. Going back in time, Bertha Mason from Jane Eyre falls victim to Rochester’s way after their marriage and  her character gets narrowed down to a psychotic woman who needs to be locked up before she can cause harm. Initially viewed as someone who brought chaos and violence along with her, she is now being seen as the real victim of the story.

 

Nidhi Hegde, a Kannada film actress, says that a villain drives the story towards a certain plot. “Before a villain comes along, the hero does not have a goal to pursue and that makes him a pretty ordinary character”, she said.

 

Another reason why the anti-heroes are receiving so much love is that some of the qualities they have are not very unattainable, unlike heroes who are always placed on a pedestal. Harini Chand (name changed), a student from Bangalore speaks about how they enjoyed Severus Snape’s character in the series Harry Potter because of “the fact that as a spy, he is pretty much friendless and constantly on guard, but still manages to maintain his strong character.” Snape is strong despite everything and that’s what gives us folks hope.

 

Aarushi Nema, a student from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, roots for Ryomen Sukuna, the antagonist of one of 2021’s most popular anime, Jujustu Kaisen. Aarushi says she likes Sukuna, who is always wreaking havoc in the protagonist’s life, because of “his confidence that seems to be present even when he isn’t at his full capacity, how he trusts the process even when things aren’t going his way and his ability to turn situations around in his favor. These are all qualities that help humans grow and the fact that he is not superior to us makes us feel like he is one of us”.

 

And why do most people like Loki from the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Anisha Patri, a student from Hyderabad, explains, “Loki is a very likeable character because of his people skills and character arc”. The way his character seems to redeem himself resonates with the people watching his backstory. It humanizes him and makes it hard for people not to like him.

The concept of an anti-hero is slowly making its way to the forefront of stories. There’s Cassie in Promising Young Woman, Holden Caulfield from The Catcher in the Rye, Heathcliff and Catherine Earnshaw from Wuthering Heights, and even Gru from Despicable Me! These stories are loved despite the main character having a seemingly repulsive personality. This is because villains are not bound by conventions, their flaws make them who they are, and freedom is something that most people would like to have.