The 20 Biggest Anti-Heroes and Why We Love Them

3. Emily Rebecca Thorne – Revenge

Played by Emily VanCamp

Confident, fearless Emily. Oh how I love her outfits in Revenge! Emily Thorne is a rich, classy woman seeking revenge for her father. Being a Daddy’s girl, Emily’s ambitions are driven and done for her dad. She’s fake but only toward her enemies. When she loves, she loves hard without second thoughts making her absolutely dangerous to be enemies with. One of her remarkable qualities is that she’s a go-getter. If she wants something, she’ll do whatever it takes to get it.

“When everything you love has been stolen from you… Sometimes all you have left is revenge.”

4. Walter White – Breaking Bad

Played by Bryan Cranston

What does a chemistry teacher at a local high school do when he discovers he has cancer, and can’t afford treatment? Well, he decides to make and supply meth to the underworld of course! The thing is, he makes it so ‘perfect’ that it soon becomes the most sought after drug in the country. He has to keep all this a secret from his wife (who is truly a pain the arse) and his children. This good man gone bad due to his situation – and seeing him bloom from that bumbling unhappy school teacher to a insanely rich drug trafficker – you see that this was what he was always meant to do, and it goes to his head! Each season of Breaking Bad just gets better and better – with a hugely fitting ending. Probably one of the best TV series of all time!

“I did it for me. I liked it. I was good at it. And I was really… I was alive’

5. Nucky Thompson – Boardwalk Empire

Played by Steve Buscemi

Nucky was the eldest child of a poor family. He’s evil but knows his limitations. I like how smart he is and he knows exactly when to give it his all!

“The trick is to live long enough to cash out.”

6. Kenny Powers – Eastbound and Down

Played by Danny McBride

The word “abrasive” might just be the perfect word to describe this character. After jeopardising his own baseball career due to his short temper, poor work ethic, and bloated ego, he becomes a substitute PE teacher. Just when he finally gets back into a minor league, this time, he fakes his own death to win his true love’s heart.

“Remember, there is no ‘I’ in team, but there is a “U’ in c*nt. So don’t be little jealous c*nts, ok?’

7. Daryl Dixon – The Walking Dead

Played by Norman Reedus

Because of his impressive survival skills, like hunting, tracking, and navigation, Daryl Dixon is one of the most important members of his group. However, he can also be impulsive, brazen, and volatile. He used to be a lone wolf but he gradually became part of the group, until he became well-liked and respected.

“One wrong move and you get an arrow in the ass… Just so you know.”

8. Gregory House – House

Played by Hugh Laurie

The character Gregory House, MD, was often described as “a  misanthrope, cynic, narcissist, and curmudgeon,” all of which give us a good idea of why House is such an anti-hero. He is at conflict with his colleagues because of his unorthodox methods and a different kind of rationality. Even if he doesn’t sympathise with his patients, this indifference allows him to solve pathological enigmas.

“If you could reason with religious people, there would be no religious people.”

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