Farlander
Clone Trooper
posted 04-03-15 02:55 PM
EDT (US)
588 / 1043
There's this thing, it's called 'word definition'. If you google it for anti-hero, you'll notice that it always lists that it's the protagonist, central character, main character of the story, because that's what you have to be to be an anti-hero - the protagonist. Because in the most simple terms, an anti-hero is a protagonist who lacks qualities of the traditional heroes.
In short, this means that Ventress is NOT an anti-hero in The Clone Wars. However, she CAN be an anti-hero, if she's the protagonist of the story she's in.
I'm not sure what archetype Ventress corresponds to, as I don't remember enough of TCW (and I stopped watching at some point), but I think she's the Shapeshifter due to her changing loyalties and roles in the story.
Farlander
Clone Trooper
posted 04-03-15 06:14 PM
EDT (US)
596 / 1043
Adding to what Zaarin has said, since anti-hero is a character who doesn't possess the qualities of a hero (just for clarification, hero as a character archetype), if we extend it to all characters, then like at least half of the characters of every story are anti-heroes.
So if Ventress is an anti-hero, then so is Palpatine, so is Darth Maul, so is Grievous, so is the cowardly Clone Trooper #534, so is that Senator who is too afraid to help, so is that bartender who likes to take money to provide life-saving information, etc. etc. etc.
Hero (as in character archetype and role in the story) and anti-hero are definitions limited to protagonists for a reason.
Shifter
Clone Trooper
posted 04-03-15 06:18 PM
EDT (US)
599 / 1043
Well to me hero, villain, and anti-hero defines what a character is regardless if they are the main character in the story or not.
If the character is defined as a hero, villain, or anti-hero when they are the main character they are still a hero, villain or an anti-hero when they are not the main character, if that isn't the case to you guys then what are they to you when they are not the main characters?
Be specific.