#NewsBytesExplainer: Anti-hero v/s antagonist—what's the central difference?
What's the story
Protagonists are usually the most frequently dissected aspect of a film and are lauded for anchoring a venture and setting an example for the audience.
While their importance in a cinematic offering can't be overstated, an antagonist's role is equally imperative; even well-made films run the risk of falling flat without layered villains.
There's also the anti-hero somewhere in between.
So, what's the difference?
Antagonist
Antagonists are reasons behind 'primary source of conflict'
As per Nashville Film Institute, "An antagonist is a villain—an evil man in the story who is often working for wicked reasons to ruin the hero."
"While villains can be protagonists, they are antagonists when they are not the main character of the story but rather the primary source of conflict for the main characters."
Simply put, they trigger an adverse chain of incidents.
Information
Types of antagonists, primary examples
There are several types of antagonists: the villain, conflict creator, forces of nature, secondary antagonist, and internal antagonist (for example, when protagonists turn into obsessed psychopaths). Classic examples include Lord Voldemort, Sauron, Darth Vader, Norman Bates, Hans Gruber, and The Wicked Witch of the West.
Anti-hero
Anti-heroes often feel 'rejected by society,' have their own interests
An anti-hero, on the other hand, is someone who isn't entirely black or white—they are simply gray—teetering on the edge of ethics and morality.
"He feels rejected by society and veers down a self-destructive path that results in isolation or death," notes StudioBinder.
They usually "do the right thing but in the wrong way," "take matters into their own hands," and "are broken heroes."
Anti-hero examples
Who's your favorite anti-hero?
Anti-heroes are broadly categorized into five types.
These are the classical anti-hero, the "Disney" anti-hero, the pragmatic anti-hero, the unscrupulous anti-hero, and "the hero in name only."
Some classic Hollywood examples include Mr. Darcy, Walter White, Tony Montana, Han Solo, Dexter Morgan, and Patrick Bateman.
Thus, we may not root for them completely because of questionable ethics, but it's impossible to hate them, too.
Indian villains
Who is your favorite Indian villain of all time?
A quintessential Bollywood masala film is incomplete without a villain who sends a chill down our spine and snatches our sleep away!
Amrish Puri in Mr. India, Ashutosh Rana in Sangharsh, Amjad Khan in Sholay, Danny Denzongpa in Agneepath, Sanjay Dutt in Agneepath's 2012 remake, Mouni Roy in Brahmastra, and Ranjeet Bedi in numerous '70s and '80s movies are some striking examples.
Indian anti-heroes
Do you know who was India's first anti-hero?
In its illustrious legacy spanning over a century, Hindi cinema has given us some memorable anti-heroes that will be remembered for years to come.
However, the 1943 film Kismet, starring Ashok Kumar, is touted as the "first anti-hero movie" of Bollywood.
Some other flawed protagonists, or anti-heroes, include Shahid Kapoor in Haider, Manoj Bajpayee in Gangs of Wasseypur, and Saif Ali Khan in Omkara.