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Old 09-24-2006, 11:45 AM   #1
Memnoch
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Let's define anti-hero the way Wikipedia defines it:

In literature and film, an anti-hero has widely come to mean a fictional character who has some characteristics that are antithetical to those of the traditional hero. An anti-hero in today's books and films will perform acts generally deemed "heroic," but will do so with methods, manners, or intentions that may not be heroic.

I've read a few novels with anti-heroes - Martin's ASOIAF series has a number of anti-heroes, such as Jaime Lannister, as does Steven Erikson's Malazan Book of the Fallen series, with Anomander Rake. Michael Moorcock probably came up with one of the earlier ones in Elric. Lestat from Anne Rice is another.

But I think I've found the ultimate - Anasurimbor Kellhus from the Prince of Nothing series by Scott Bakker. The ultimate "end justifies the means" type of character.
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Old 09-26-2006, 03:48 PM   #2
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I can recommend the Chronicles of Thomas Covenant series (2 trilogies) by Stephen R. Donaldson. He is an excellent writer, and the Thomas Covenant character is a good, but maddening anti-hero.

Another of Donaldson's series is called the Gap Cycle (5 books) and are sci-fi. They are also excellent and don't necessarily have a single anti-hero, but 2 characters especially go from hero to villian in opposite directions during the course of the books. It is complex and very well done.
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Old 09-26-2006, 08:28 PM   #3
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David Gemmel's Morningstar, now thats an anti-hero.
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Old 09-26-2006, 08:53 PM   #4
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Niccolo Machiavelli - The Prince

EDIT: While not a novel, it is the thesis of antithesis.

[ 09-26-2006, 08:54 PM: Message edited by: Amphetamine Machine ]
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Old 09-26-2006, 11:24 PM   #5
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For a light-hearted version of an anti-hero, try Villains by Necessity by Eve Forward.

The main character is the last remaining assasin in the world who teams up with a druid, a thief, an evil sorceress and a dark knight to save the world.

It's kind of a spoof of the dragonlance type novels where good heroes have to restore the balance of good and evil, but this time, it's good that has gotten too powerful.
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Old 09-27-2006, 12:22 AM   #6
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Flashman, a character written by George MacDonald Fraser.
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Old 09-27-2006, 08:22 PM   #7
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Oh man, I can't not mention Greg House from House. If he isn't an anti-hero, I don't know who is. Also, Batman was cited as a good example of an anti-hero in a cinema class I had a ways back.
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Old 09-27-2006, 09:11 PM   #8
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Stormbringer.
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Old 10-03-2006, 01:50 PM   #9
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Stormbringer's a sword though, not a character. The character, Elric, is as anti-heroish as they come.
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Old 10-04-2006, 11:22 AM   #10
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<font face="Verdana" size="3" color="#009999">Uther by Jack Whyte was anti/hero come to think of it. There were times in the book were you just loved this king and at points slightly towards the end you felt the hatred that Merlin had for him. At the very end after his death you just felt sorry for the guy as just a victim of circumstance and could actually forgive the guy.</font>

[ 10-04-2006, 11:24 AM: Message edited by: pritchke ]
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