How To Make A Compelling Anti-Hero Protagonist In Your Manga Story

Summary

The video script discusses the creation of compelling anti-hero characters in comic, manga, or webtoon projects. An anti-hero is a complex character type that lacks traditional heroic qualities, often exhibiting selfishness, paranoia, and relentlessness. Popular examples include Light Yagami from Death Note and Lelouch Vi Britannia from Code Geass. The video emphasizes the importance of internal conflict, moral ambiguity, and the character's journey towards redemption. It outlines different types of anti-heroes, such as the classic anti-hero, the knight in sour armor, the pragmatic anti-hero, the unscrupulous anti-hero, and the hero in name only. The script provides tips for writing anti-heroes, including creating a complex character with internal struggles, distinguishing them from antagonists, using foil characters to highlight their flaws, and establishing a clear moral compass. The video also promotes Skillshare as a platform for learning and creativity, featuring a class on creating manga with Clip Studio Paint.

Takeaways

• 🎨 Creating an anti-hero character involves inverting the traits of a traditional hero and adding complexity, such as cynicism and internal conflict.
• 🌟 Anti-heroes often lack the moral purity of traditional heroes but still strive towards goals similar to those of a hero, despite their flaws.
• 🧐 Anti-heroes can be more relatable to readers because they embody the idea that no one is perfect and everyone has redeeming qualities.
• 📚 There are different types of anti-heroes, including the classic anti-hero, the knight in sour armor, the pragmatic anti-hero, the unscrupulous anti-hero, and the hero in name only.
• 🚫 Anti-heroes should not be confused with antagonists; they may have questionable methods but are not as evil as the main villain.
• 💭 Developing an anti-hero's backstory is crucial to understanding their motivations and internal struggles, which should be revealed gradually.
• 🤔 Anti-heroes should have a clear moral compass, with a set of values and lines they won't cross, leading them to do what is right most of the time.
• 💡 Foil characters and supporting characters can be used to highlight the vulnerabilities and flaws of an anti-hero, allowing readers to empathize with them despite their actions.
• 🌈 Skillshare is recommended for learning new skills, including those related to creating comics and manga, with classes taught by professionals like Now Mosa Matsuda.
• 🌟 Skillshare's classes are ad-free and offer a variety of subjects, from creative arts to career-focused courses, with subtitles available in multiple languages.
• 📈 Skillshare can be a valuable resource for aspiring comic artists, manga artists, or webtoon artists to improve their artwork and storytelling abilities.

Q & A

What is an anti-hero character typically defined by?

An anti-hero character is typically defined by their lack of traditional heroic qualities, such as being selfish, paranoid, and relentless, often embodying behaviors expected from a villain.

What are some examples of popular anti-hero characters from anime?

Examples of popular anti-hero characters from anime include Light Yagami from Death Note, Eren Jaeger from Attack on Titan, and Lelouch vi Britannia from Code Geass.

How does Skillshare support the creation of comics and manga?

Skillshare provides online classes focused on creating comics and manga, offering resources for improving artwork and storytelling abilities, such as the class 'Draw a Manga with Clip Studio Paint Settings, inking, and essential techniques' by professional Japanese manga artist Masahisa Matsuda.

What are the two main types of anti-heroes?

The two main types of anti-heroes are those who do the right thing but not for the right reasons, and those who do the wrong thing but have sympathetic motives.

Why are anti-heroes considered more realistic than traditional heroes?

Anti-heroes are considered more realistic because they embody the idea that no one is perfect, which resonates with readers who can relate to their moral ambiguity and character flaws.

What are the four types of anti-heroes mentioned in the script?

The four types of anti-heroes mentioned are the classic anti-hero, the knight in sour armor, the pragmatic anti-hero, and the unscrupulous anti-hero.

How can internal conflict be used to develop an anti-hero character?

Internal conflict can be used to develop an anti-hero character by creating an eternal struggle that drives their actions, revealing their backstory, and showing how they became the person they are today.

Why is it important to establish a clear moral compass for an anti-hero?

Establishing a clear moral compass for an anti-hero is important because it helps to distinguish them from the main antagonist and shows that they can tell the difference between right and wrong, leading them to do what is right most of the time.

How can foil characters and supporting characters be used to highlight the anti-hero's flaws?

Foil characters and supporting characters can be used to highlight the anti-hero's flaws by showing different sides of the anti-hero, allowing the reader to sympathize with them despite their questionable actions, and emphasizing their redeeming qualities.

What is the first tip for writing an anti-hero character?

The first tip for writing an anti-hero character is to create a complex main character by giving them the exact opposite characteristics of a traditional hero, making them slightly mysterious, and revealing their character bit by bit as the story progresses.

What is the role of an anti-hero in a story?

The role of an anti-hero in a story is to help make the world a better place, despite their flaws and villainous traits, showing that they still possess redeeming qualities and can be a type of hero in their own story.

Outlines

00:00

🎨 Introduction to Anti-Hero Characters

This paragraph introduces the concept of an anti-hero in comic, manga, and webtoon projects. An anti-hero is characterized by a lack of traditional heroic qualities, often embodying villain-like traits such as selfishness and paranoia. Popular examples include Light Yagami from Death Note, Aaron Jaeger from Attack on Titan, and Lelouch Vi Britannia from Code Geass. The video is sponsored by Skillshare, an online learning platform with classes on various subjects, including comic and manga creation. The speaker recommends a specific Skillshare class by professional Japanese manga artist Masahisa Matsuda, which focuses on using Clip Studio Paint for manga creation. The paragraph concludes by emphasizing the relatability of anti-heroes due to their moral ambiguity and the exploration of human flaws through their stories.

05:02

🏰 Types and Characteristics of Anti-Heroes

The second paragraph delves into the different types of anti-heroes and their characteristics. It distinguishes between anti-heroes who do the right thing for the wrong reasons and those who do the wrong thing but with sympathetic motives. The paragraph outlines five types of anti-heroes: the classic anti-hero, who overcomes personal weaknesses; the knight in sour armor, who is morally good but cynical; the pragmatic anti-hero, who is darker and willing to do morally bad things for their goals; the unscrupulous anti-hero, driven by cynicism and vengeance; and the hero by name only, whose motives and values are not inherently good. Each type is exemplified by popular characters from various media. The paragraph also provides tips for writing an anti-hero character, including creating a complex main character with internal conflict, differentiating them from the antagonist, using foil characters to highlight their flaws, and establishing a clear moral compass.

10:03

🎉 Conclusion and Engagement Invitation

In the final paragraph, the speaker concludes the video by encouraging viewers to like, subscribe, and comment with their favorite anti-hero character. They also invite viewers to follow their social media accounts for updates on their creative work. The paragraph ends with a sign-off, indicating the next video will be the next opportunity to engage with the content creator.

Keywords

💡Anti-hero

An anti-hero is a central character in a story who lacks conventional heroic qualities, such as courage or morality, and may exhibit traits more commonly associated with villains. In the video, the concept of the anti-hero is explored as a character type that embodies behaviors like selfishness and paranoia, contrasting with traditional heroes. Examples given include Light Yagami from Death Note and Lelouch Vi Britannia from Code Geass, who despite their flaws, drive the narrative and connect with audiences due to their relatable imperfections.

💡Skillshare

Skillshare is an online learning platform offering thousands of classes across various creative disciplines. It is mentioned in the video as a sponsor and is recommended for classes focused on creating comics and manga, which are relevant to the video's audience interested in character development. The video emphasizes Skillshare's value in helping individuals improve their artistic skills and explore their creativity.

💡Manga

Manga refers to Japanese comic books or graphic novels, which are a significant part of Japanese culture and a popular form of entertainment worldwide. In the context of the video, manga is one of the mediums through which compelling anti-hero characters can be created and appreciated. The video discusses how Skillshare classes can help improve manga artwork and storytelling abilities.

💡Character Development

Character development is the process of creating and evolving characters in a narrative to make them more complex and relatable. The video emphasizes the importance of developing anti-heroes with depth, including their flaws and redeeming qualities, to make them compelling and relatable to readers. It suggests techniques such as creating internal conflict and using foil characters to highlight the anti-hero's characteristics.

💡Moral Ambiguity

Moral ambiguity refers to the quality of a character or situation that is not clearly good or evil, right or wrong. The video discusses how anti-heroes often exist in a morally gray area, sometimes doing the right thing for the wrong reasons or the wrong thing for sympathetic motives, which makes them more realistic and relatable to readers.

💡Internal Conflict

Internal conflict is a struggle within a character's own mind, typically between opposing ideas, morals, or desires. The video suggests that creating an internal conflict for the anti-hero is crucial as it drives their actions and adds depth to their character. It is what makes the anti-hero's journey compelling and relatable.

💡Foil Characters

Foil characters are characters who are deliberately contrasted with another to highlight certain qualities or to intensify the impact of the narrative. In the video, the concept is used to suggest that by employing foil characters, an author can emphasize the vulnerabilities and flaws of the anti-hero, allowing readers to sympathize with them despite their questionable actions.

💡Pragmatic Anti-Hero

A pragmatic anti-hero is a type of character who is willing to engage in morally questionable actions to achieve their goals. The video describes this character type as darker than the 'Knight in Sour Armor' and gives the example of Accelerator from A Certain Magical Index, who, despite his willingness to act selfishly, ultimately helps defeat the main antagonist.

💡Unscrupulous Anti-Hero

An unscrupulous anti-hero is a character who is driven by cynicism and a thirst for vengeance, often resorting to violence and showing no mercy. The video uses Sasuke Uchiha from Naruto as an example, noting how his path of vengeance and willingness to betray friends and murder anyone in his way is a characteristic of this type of anti-hero.

💡Hero by Name Only

A hero by name only is an anti-hero who fights on the side of good, but whose motives and values are not inherently good. The video uses Walter White from Breaking Bad as an example, explaining how his criminal activities are justified by a need to provide for his family and rebel against his own mortality, which blurs the line between hero and villain.

💡Moral Compass

A moral compass refers to one's sense of right and wrong, which guides their actions and decisions. The video emphasizes that an anti-hero should have a clear moral compass, with a set of values and boundaries that they won't cross. This is illustrated by the example of Batman, who, despite his unconventional methods, adheres to a moral code of not killing.

Highlights

An anti-hero is a character who lacks the qualities found in a traditional hero and may embody behaviors expected from a villain.

Examples of popular anti-hero characters include Light Yagami from Death Note, Eren Jäeger from Attack on Titan, and Lelouch vi Britannia from Code Geass.

Skillshare is an online learning community offering thousands of classes for creative individuals.

Skillshare has classes focused on creating comics and manga, with resources for improving artwork and storytelling abilities.

The class 'Draw a Manga with Clip Studio Paint Settings, Inking, and Essential Techniques' by Masao Matsuda is recommended for aspiring manga artists.

Anti-heroes are morally gray and are seen as more realistic than traditional heroes because they reflect the imperfections found in real people.

Anti-heroes are often used to explore societal issues, mental health, and the darker aspects of humanity.

There are two main types of anti-heroes: those who do the right thing for the wrong reasons, and those who do the wrong thing but with sympathetic motives.

The point of view of the story determines whether a character is an anti-hero or an anti-villain.

The classic anti-hero is the opposite of a standard hero in traits such as confidence, bravery, and physical capabilities.

The Knight and sour armor type of anti-hero is morally good but cynical and feels they cannot make a significant difference in the world.

Pragmatic anti-heroes are darker, willing to do morally bad things to achieve their goals.

Unscrupulous anti-heroes are cynical and driven by past trauma or a thirst for vengeance.

The hero in name only type of anti-hero fights on the good side but has questionable motives and values.

When writing an anti-hero, create a complex main character with the opposite characteristics of a traditional hero.

Create internal conflict for the anti-hero that drives their actions and reveals their backstory.

Ensure the anti-hero is not as evil as the main antagonist and can justify their actions with good intentions.

Use foil characters and supporting characters to show different aspects of the anti-hero and highlight their redeeming qualities.

Establish a clear moral compass for the anti-hero, with values and lines they won't cross.

The anti-hero should help make the world a better place, even if their methods are unconventional.

Transcripts

foreign

I'm going to show you how to create a

compelling anti-hero character in your

comic manga or webtoon project an

anti-hero is a character who lacks the

qualities found in a traditional hero

for example an anti-hero may have

malicious intentions or lack courage

anti-heroes often embody behaviors you

would expect to see in a villain

character what I mean by this is instead

of being empathetic kind-hearted and

brave an anti-hero may be selfish

paranoid and Relentless examples of

popular anti-hero characters include

layogamy from Death Note Aaron Jaeger

from Attack on Titan and Lelouch V

Britannia from kogias outside of anime

influential anti-hero characters include

Jack Sparrow from the Pirates of the

Caribbean Han Solo from Star Wars and

Deadpool from Marvel Comics before we

really dive into the complexities of

creating a well-written anti-hero let's

first hear a word from today's sponsor

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skillshare skillshare is an online

learning community with thousands of

online classes for anyone who loves

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yourself for my audience I highly

recommend you check out skillshare's

classes focused on creating comics and

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storytelling abilities right now I am

taking the class draw a manga with clip

Studio paint settings inking and

essential techniques by now mosa matsuda

matsuda is a professional Japanese manga

artist based in Kyoto he has published

several manga titles and judged several

manga competitions he is currently a

lecturer from manga universities in

Japan and France in this class I learned

how Japanese manga artists use clip

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step-by-step thank you again skillshare

for continuing to support the creative

Community now let's get back to the

video a Nancy hero is not a villain

character they are characters who lack

all the qualities needed to be a hero

despite sharing similar characteristics

with villains anti-heroes ultimately

given to the goals and desires of a hero

anti-heroes typically have flaws and

disadvantages that make it difficult for

them to succeed but they persevere

through their intelligence and

determination they often lack bravery

nobility and virtue instead they are

usually defined by their aggression

cynicism and other character

imperfections there are so many

protagonist characters who always do the

right thing for the right reasons think

of characters like izaku midoriya from

my hero Academia Naruto Uzumaki from

Naruto and tanjiro kamada from Demon

Slayer an anti-hero is morally gray

meaning they sometimes do the right

thing and do it only sometimes for the

right reasons anti-heroes are seen as

more realistic than other types of

heroes this is because in real life

nobody is perfect readers sometimes find

it easier to relate with anti-heroes

because they embody this idea that no

one is perfect characters who are too

pure-hearted or heroic can come off as

unrealistic and unable to exist in real

life in literature anti-heroes are often

used to explore ideas of what it means

to be human popular themes and anti-hero

stories include societal issues mental

health issues and the darkest inside of

all humans anti-heroes are a popular

literary device that highlight how all

humans have flaws their character arcs

and character development show readers

that you don't need to be perfect to be

a hero in your own story and that

everyone has redeeming qualities there

are two kinds of anti-heroes the first

is anti-heroes who do the right thing

but not for the right reasons these

types of anti-heroes often lack the

characteristics we would expect to find

than a traditional hero think of

characters like scar from Fullmetal

Alchemist Frieza from Dragon Ball super

an accelerator From a Certain Magical

Index the second type is anti-heroes who

do the wrong thing but their motives are

often sympathetic these types of

anti-heroes often lack characteristics

we would expect to find in bad guys

think of characters like Spike Spiegel

from Cowboy Bebop Sasuke Uchiha from

Naruto and stain from my hero Academia

it is important to think about whose

point of view your story is told from if

the character with these traits is the

protagonist in your story then they are

considered an anti-hero if this type of

character with these Trace plays the

role of an antagonist then they are

called an anti-villain for example in

the Dark Knight Batman is a protagonist

while the Joker is the antagonist

however in the movie Joker The Joker Is

the anti-hero because the story is told

through his eyes the first type of

anti-hero is called the classic

anti-hero a standard hero character can

be defined by their confidence bravery

good looks intelligence and fighting

capabilities the classic anti-hero is

the opposite of all of these traits this

type of anti-hero could be self-doubting

fearful anxious and weak stories

featuring this type of anti-hero revolve

around them overcoming this weakness to

resolve the main conflict an example of

a classic anti-hero is Bilbo Baggins

from The Hobbit he is a 50 year old man

who hates adventures during his journey

he discovers his inner courage allowing

him to become more self-assured the

second type of anti-hero is the Knight

and sour armor this type of anti-hero

tends to be morally good they are able

to tell right from wrong but are often

cynical and don't feel that they can

make a real difference in the world the

Knight and sour armor is also known as

the reluctant hero they usually don't

feel any urgency to join the fight

against the villain instead they would

rather continue doing their own thing

these types of characters will

eventually join the fight but only when

they feel like they have something to

gain by helping out an example of a

knight and sour armor is Han Solo from

Star Wars he is a bounty hunter who is

only motivated by his greed the only

reason he agrees to help free Princess

Leia is because Luke Skywalker promises

him a big reward when Han Solo felt that

the Rebel Alliance was doomed he refused

to stay in help in the fight against the

Death Star he eventually has a change of

heart and returns just in time to change

the side of the battle the third type of

anti-hero is the pragmatic anti-hero

this type of anti-hero is darker than

the Knight and sour armor a pragmatic

fancy hero is more ready to spring into

action if they observe any wrongdoings

however they are also more willing to do

morally bad things in order to achieve

their goals an example of a pragmatic

anti-hero is accelerator From a Certain

Magical Index accelerator believes that

people will get what they deserve he can

be unsympathetic and unwilling to show

Mercy while accelerator behaves

selfishly and betrays the main

characters he ultimately steps up to

help defeat the main antagonist towards

the end of the story the next type of

anti-hero is the unscrupulous anti-hero

this type of character is often

extremely cynical their drive to do good

is often skewed by past trauma in their

thirst for vengeance they generally end

up taking down a Despicable villain who

the reader agrees had it coming instead

of bringing his villain to Justice with

his little blood on their hands as

possible the unscrupulous anti-hero can

become vicious and show no mercy

sometimes these characters even enjoy

the acts of violence they commit an

example of an unscrupulous anti-hero is

Sasuke Uchiha from Naruto Sasuke

receives a path of Vengeance in order to

kill his older brother who is

responsible for the murder of his entire

Clan Sasuke is willing to betray his

friends and murder anyone who stands in

his way when Sasuke learns that Danza

played a part in the Uchiha Clan's

Massacre he takes a upon himself to take

him out to the reader Danza was already

portrayed as an antagonist the character

that needed to be handled however many

people probably didn't expect Sasuke to

be the one to do it Sasuke infiltrated

the kage summit was prepared to kill any

national leader who stood in his way

towards the end of the series Sasuke

finally has a change of heart and

returns to the side of good he even

hopes the main characters defeat the

final villain the final type of

anti-hero is the hero and name only this

type of anti-hero fights him a good side

but their motives and values are

definitely not good they might be

emotionless or Sinister but they are

often not as bad as the main villain

anti-heroes like this could be

considered the villain of the story if

it was not told from their perspective

an example of a hero and name only is

Walter White from Breaking Bad for most

of the series Walter tells himself that

his criminal activities are only to

provide for his family the bigger

motivation behind Walter's actions this

is need to rebel against his own

mortality with death looming his moral

boundaries shatter if Breaking Bad have

been told from the Viewpoint of Hank or

Skyler you could easily see Walter as

the antagonist in the series the first

tip for writing an anti-hero character

is to create a complex main character

think about how you would write a

traditional hero and then give your

auntie hero the exact opposite

characteristics if a hero is an idealist

then your anti-hero should be a cynic

make your anti-hero slightly mysterious

and more of their characters revealed

bit by bit as the story progresses a

great anti-hero has flaws just like a

real person despite this you should

highlight a few other redeeming

qualities just because an anti-hero has

villainous traits at the end of the day

they still are a type of hero tip number

two is to create internal conflict your

anti-hero should have an eternal

struggle that drives their actions think

about what events or experiences are the

source of their outlook on life there

has to be a reason your anti-hero turned

out the way that they did as you write

slowly Reveal Your anti-heroes backstory

to show your reader how they became the

person that they are today tip number

three don't confuse your anti-hero with

the antagonist for anti-heroes with

misguided morals the ends justify the

means anti-hero should be able to

explain away the bad things that they do

as the result is ultimately good when

creating an anti-hero it is important to

remember that they are never as evil as

the main antagonist in your story tip

number four is going to be showing

different size of your anti-hero by

using foil characters and supporting

characters you can highlight the

vulnerabilities and flaws of your

anti-hero you need to let your reader

sympathize with the anti-hero fight

their questionable actions it is very

important to highlight these redeeming

qualities tip number five establish a

clear moral compass the best anti-heroes

are those who could tell the difference

between right and wrong and anti-hero

should have a clear set of values and

lines that they won't cross for example

Batman is an iconic anti-hero who saves

the day with unconventional methods in

some instances he will work with the

police or other superheroes other times

he will take matters into his own hands

unlike the traditional superhero Batman

has a rough demeanor and comes from a

wealthy background despite his many

character flaws he lives by a moral code

he never kills people the anti-hero in

your story should have a moral compass

that leads them to do what is right

about 90 of the time remember at the end

of the day it's an anti-hero's job to

help make the world a better place well

that's gonna do it for today's video I

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the next one

[Music]