Top 5 Wednesday: Favorite Top 5 Anti-Heroes

This weeks topic is a fun one. I really had to do some thinking about who I wanted to pick as my Top 5 Favorite Anti-Heroes. To be an anti-hero, one kind of has to toe a fine line, they have to be slightly despicable while at the same time heroic. Anti-Heroes to me, are heroes with internal demons that they must fight against. Anti-Heroes could start off a book or series as a villian, but eventually find a way to redeem themselves. I don't have a set definition for Anit-Heroes, but I do find that they can be the most interesting characters. So here are my Top 5 Favorite Anti-Heroes!

Severus Snape

Severus Snape has to be one of the #1 Anti-Heroes. Now people tend to have differing opinions on Snape, whether he is good or bad. I go on the side of Snape being more good then bad. Snape is a tortured soul who feels at fault for killing the only person he ever really loved. He kind of spends the rest of his life trying to atone for his sins. Throughout almost all the books, Harry sees Snape as an enemy and doesn't realize all that Snape has suffered and what he is trying to do in the end. Snape is such a conflicted character and playing both sides in this wizard war has made him more alone than ever. In my mind, Snape is a hero and the suffering he goes through is real. Sure he made mistakes, but he tried to rectify them in the end. If things could be different in the series, I would have loved for Snape to have experienced some real, lasting happiness in life.

Victor

Victor has to be one of my favorite Anti-Heroes. I know I am mentioning Vicious in a Top 5 Wednesday again, but I will not apologize for loving this book so much. Victor has many questionable traits and his reasoning for trying to become an ExtraOrdinary weren't exactly normal thinking. His power of causing people pain doesn't make him the best example of a hero either. But I just can't help liking Victor and rooting for him. I loved him and his ragtag team of unlikely heroes. Victor is just awesome and that's all I can say.

Caine

Caine is my next pick for favorite anti-hero. Caine starts off the series as a straight up villain. Some of the things he did to the other kids in the FAYZ are straight up despicable. But as the series goes along, Caine kind of grows. At the end, he still doesn't fit the technical hero definition, but he has grown a lot and in some ways has redeemed himself. I think that's why I end up liking series so much, because you can really see the growth of a character. Caine will never be a true hero, but in the end he did redeem himself a little, and that's enough to make him an anit-hero.

John Wayne Cleaver

John Wayne Cleaver is the creepiest anti-hero to make his way onto my list. First off, he's pretty much a diagnosed sociopath. He has fantasies about hurting people and killing people. John Wayne Cleaver is scary! But what makes him an anti-hero is how he fights to do the right thing. No matter how dangerous and creepy John Wayne Cleaver is, I can't help but like and root for him. There is just something about him that draws you in.

Artemis Fowl

Artemis Fowl, one of the most fun criminal masterminds to live on the page. He starts off as an evil, rich genius who has a plan to kidnap a fairy with the hope of fairy gold and magic. This is another one that as the series goes on, his ways start to change. Artemis is a lot of fun and he has the best team around. He's definitely an anti-hero because of his criminal ways but good heart.

So that's it for my Top 5 Favorite Anti-Heroes. Who are your slightly messed up but still heroic characters? Tell me in the comments below. And if you want to join in the Top 5 Wednesday fun, you totally should. There is a new fun topic every Wednesday. Here's the link to all the Top 5 Wednesday-ers so you should check them out. Happy Wednesday!