Introducing the Anti-Hero

In this episode of Scriptease we’re looking at how to introduce anti-heroes in a script by looking at some examples from modern television: Dexter, House of Cards, Killing Eve and Barry. How do we familiarize the audience with an immoral protagonist? What key ideas must we hit in our introduction? How do we foreshadow the anti-heroes arc?

Protagonists are often seen as more boring than their other cast members, so what solutions does the writer have to this problem? One solution is the anti-hero.

Anti-heroes have become commonplace in modern media as an alternative method of escapism. While the hero’s journey resolves with being rewarded for their good deeds, the anti-hero’s journey sees the protagonist undermining commonly held values to achieve their end goal.

Though many anti-heroes exist in the modern TV landscape, they all have subtle nuances that separate them. Their flaws are different, the lengths they’re willing to go to are different and their end goals are different. An introduction to a specific anti-hero should make these differences shine whilst also hooking the audience with the protagonist’s perverse flaw.

Narration provides insight into the anti-hero’s mind, making them more trustworthy and allowing them to share information with the audience that they would never reveal to other characters. The setting an anti-hero inhabits can also establish the vice that they indulge.

Ultimately, an anti-hero is just like any other character: They have desires, obstacles to overcome and flaws that hinder their ability to achieve their desire. The character may be darker, may even appear like an antagonist to another character, but the audience stays invested because their anti-social behavior engages our morbid curiosity.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:

Featured Titles:
Dexter by James Manos Jr.
House of Cards by Beau Willimon
Killing Eve by Phoebe Waller-Bridge
Barry by Bill Hader and Alec Berg

Music: https://www.purple-planet.com and https://www.zapsplat.com