You might ask what the difference is between the classic hero and the classic antihero. Let’s start with a basic definition:
A hero is a person who is admired for their courage, good qualities, or remarkable actions, especially someone who helps or protects others despite difficulty or danger.
An antihero is a main character who lacks the traditional qualities of a hero but is still the central character or someone the audience may root for.
To better differentiate between a hero and an antihero, let’s compare Kamado Tanjiro and Goblin Slayer.
Tanjiro is a hero because he consistently chooses kindness despite the cruel world that surrounds him. As he slaughters demons, he still finds compassion for them. His motivation is still guided by his need to protect others. He is guided by the love of his sister, Nezuko. Despite the constant obstacles thrown in front of him, he perseveres. He repeatedly gets knocked down, and yet he gets back up and fights. He finds the intestinal fortitude to keep marching forward despite being discouraged and beaten down. He trains harder, he learns from his mistakes, and he becomes a stronger version of himself. He doesn’t allow hatred to overcome him and he doesn’t allow revenge to swallow him whole. What makes him a hero isn’t that he is perfect. It’s that he is imperfect. He isn’t fearless or the strongest person in the room. He shows fear, he shows he can work harder than the next person, he suffers, and yet, he still shows us that you can choose to do what’s right despite your own suffering.
Goblin Slayer is the perfect example of an antihero because he doesn’t embody typical heroic qualities. Goblin Slayer dedicates his life to the protection of people from goblins, but he doesn’t do it out of the goodness of his heart. In contrast, Tanjiro does dedicate his life to protecting people out of the goodness of his heart. Goblin Slayer kills without hesitation and with extreme violence while Tanjiro maintains compassion for his enemies. Goblin Slayer is emotionally detached while Tanjiro tries to understand others. Goblin Slayer has issues with others and works alone while Tanjiro works with well with others. Goblin Slayer doesn’t care about fighting fair by using traps and any means necessary while Tanjiro fights with heroic ideals. Despite all of this, Goblin Slayer still repeatedly puts himself in the line of danger for others to protect them making him a perfect example of an antihero.
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