An antihero typically exhibits one of the "Dark Triad" personality traits, which include narcissism, psychopathy, and Machiavellianism.[7]
editThere is a controversy over what exactly defines an antihero. Merriam Webster defines an antihero as "someone who lacks heroic qualities", yet scholars typically have differing ideas on what constitutes as an antihero. Some scholars refer to the "Racinian" antihero, who is defined by several factors. The first being that they are doomed to fail before their adventure begins. The second constitutes the blame of that failure on everyone but themselves. Thirdly, they offer a critique of social morals and reality.[8] To other scholars, an antihero is inherently a hero from a specific point of view, and a villain from another.[9] This idea is further backed by the addition of character alignments, which are commonly displayed by role-playing games.
editJonason, Peter K.; Webster, Gregory D.; Schmitt, David P.; Li, Norman P.; Crysel, Laura (2012). "The Antihero in Popular Culture: Life History Theory and the Dark Triad Personality Traits". Review of General Psychology. 16 (2): 192–199. doi:10.1037/a0027914. ISSN 1089-2680.
Kennedy, Theresa Varney (2014). "'No Exit' in Racine's Phèdre: The Making of the Anti-Hero". The French Review. 88 (1): 165–178. doi:10.1353/tfr.2014.0114. ISSN 2329-7131.
Klapp, Orrin E. (September 1948). "The Creation of Popular Heroes". American Journal of Sociology. 54 (2): 135–141. doi:10.1086/220292. ISSN 0002-9602.