I just came across a great article on Writer’s Digest: Defining and Developing Your Anti-Hero.

Although I didn’t purposely fashion one of my MCs into an anti-hero, I believe that’s what he is. He fits every one of these characteristics from the article.

Anti-heroes:

• are not role models, although we secretly would like to kick ass like they do.
• can be selfish and essentially bad people who occasionally are good.
• are sometimes unglamorous and unattractive in character as well as in appearance.
• can be motivated by self-interest and self-preservation, but there is usually a line anti-heroes won’t cross, which sets them apart from villains.
• often have motives that are complicated and range from revenge to honor.
• forced to choose between right and wrong, will sometimes choose wrong because it’s easier.
• can play both sides with good guys and bad guys, profiting from both.
• can sometimes be coerced to help underdogs, children, or weaker characters, and they sometimes do so voluntarily.
• can embody unattractive traits and behaviors, such as sexist and racist attitudes, and violent reactions when wronged.
• can show little or no remorse for bad behaviors.
• are usually a mess of contradictions.

Since this wasn’t intentional, I remember feeling uneasy when writing some of his thoughts early on, before I knew him well. I wanted to like my MC. I don’t want him to have these thoughts. In my first edit, I paused on a particular sexist remark he makes about my heroine, and I almost cut it out. I didn’t want him to be a bad guy! But he is, and he’s so much better because of it.

Now I feel the need to make him even worse.

Another interesting concept is the Byronic hero. Characteristics of a Byronic hero (according to Wikipedia):

• a strong sense of arrogance
• high level of intelligence and perception
• cunning and able to adapt
• suffering from an unnamed crime
• a troubled past
• sophisticated and educated
• self-critical and introspective
• mysterious, magnetic and charismatic
• struggling with integrity
• power of seduction and sexual attraction
• social and sexual dominance
• emotional conflicts, bipolar tendencies, or moodiness
• a distaste for social institutions and norms
• being an exile, an outcast, or an outlaw
• disrespect of rank and privilege
• jaded, world-weary
• cynicism
• self-destructive behavior

My MC possesses most of these – he’s definitely not self-critical, introspective, or charismatic (the latter maybe to my heroine, but she has a good excuse).

So, what is the difference between an anti-hero and a Byronic hero?