Vigilantes and rogues

From Dirty Harry to John Rambo: 10 anti-heroes that defy the definition

For every knight in shining armor, there’s always an antihero hiding in the shadows: These characters are definitively do-gooders, but they usually lean towards a grayer sense of morality. Think about it: While Superman is brightly dressed, friendly, and warm, Batman works at night, fighting the underbelly with his very once sense of ruthless justice. In that regard, we have selected 10 of the most intimidating, dangerous, and morally ambiguous characters from films, shows, and comic books. These fighters of justice might sometimes be on the wrong side of the law, but that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy their adventures. Enjoy!

Image: Erik Mclean

We’ll start with someone who many believe to be the quintessential comic-book antihero. Wolverine is the code name of Logan, a mutant superhero from the world of Marvel Comics. His mutant powers give him the ability to heal from wounds. Not only that, thanks to his healing his body was infused with Adamantium, a fictional metal known for its indestructibility.

One of the key aspects of Logan is his wild and animalistic personality: Troubled by amnesia, Logan’s past is a mystery that keeps him at arm's length from his own humanity. This makes him prone to entering a feral and berserker state which makes him extremely dangerous to his enemies.

Image: Priscilla Du Preez 🇨🇦

The Wild West is the perfect environment for antiheroes: A place where morality and societal norms were often ignored. Sergio Leone’s "Dollars Trilogy" introduced the world to one of the most iconic antiheroes produced by the Western genre: The Man with No Name, played by Clint Eastwood in all 3 films.

Sometimes known as "Blondie" or "Joe", Eastwood’s character is instantly recognizable by 3 characteristics: His poncho, his fondness for cigarillos, and the fact that he seldom speaks. Not only that, but this man is an expert gunslinger, who should be feared by anyone that dares to stand in his path.

Image: Sajjad Ahmadi

Gotham City’s masked protector is known by many names, like the Dark Knight or the Caped Crusader. However, when Bruce Wayne chose the name he would take for his fight against crime, he adopted the symbol of the animal he feared the most, in the hope that he would inspire the same fear in criminals. And with that, Batman was born.

Batman’s origin story has become a classic at this point: Billionaire Bruce Wayne becomes determined to rid his city of evil after witnessing his parent's murder when he was a young boy. For years, Bruce trained endlessly in order to reach peak physical and mental performance and fight crime from the shadows.

Image: Shai Pal

John Carpenter is known as an absolute master of horror, but that doesn’t mean he can make an incredible action film. Case in point: The amazing 1981 science-fiction film Escape from New York, centered around the roguish Snake Plissken, portrayed by Kurt Russell.

In this dystopian film, Manhattan has become a massive maximum-security prison. After the President of the United States is kidnapped, former war hero turned criminal Snake Plissken is tasked with rescuing the Commander-in-Chief, for which he will be granted his freedom.

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Martin Scorsese’s 1976 film Taxi Driver introduced the world to the amazing talent of Robert DeNiro, who played Travis Bickle, the main character of this film. Travis is a Vietnam war veteran troubled with insomnia, who takes a job as a late-night taxi driver to make a living.

DeNiro’s superb performance makes Travis almost seem like a real person: His troubled mind and paranoia paint him as the tortured human being he is. Throughout the film, Travis often decides to walk his own path of morality, turning his back on the society that seemingly abandoned him.

Image: Nejc Soklič

It stands to reason that Clint Eastwood, a man known for his ability to play tough characters, made it twice to this list. The 1971 film Dirty Harry follows Detective Harry Callahan and the vigilante ways he employs to catch a serial killer known as Scorpio.

What sets Dirty Harry apart is how easily he chooses to cross professional boundaries to get the bad guys: This is the exact definition of what makes an antihero. Eastwood’s wonderful performance of this tough-as-nails detective truly cemented him as a pop culture icon.

Image: Michael Waddle

Just like Travis Bickle, John Rambo is a lonely and troubled Vietnam war veteran: Rambo’s first film, based on the novel First Blood, shows him making his way to a small Washington town in order to meet a former comrade. However, after the local sheriff mistreats him and throws him in jail, Rambo becomes an unstoppable killing machine, guided by both his own moral code and his frail mental health.

After the success of First Blood in 1982, Rambo was featured in several sequels that saw him fight for freedom all around the world. Thankfully, the last two movies gave John a much-deserved home in which to grow old.

Image: Michael Waddle

Who says that antiheroes can’t be fun? Cousins Bo and Luke Duke are the main characters of this 70s comedy series, which shows their adventures in a small Georgia town. Thanks to "General Lee," their loyal Dodge Charger, Bo and Luke wreak havoc in their hometown, often foiling the plans of their corrupt town sheriff.

The Dukes of Hazzard was known for its action, comedy, and exhilarating narrative: Week after week, millions of Americans turned to their TVs to see what sort of troubles the "Duke Boys" had gotten themselves into.

Image: Etienne Martin

Al Pacino’s wonderful performance in the 1975 crime drama Dog Day Afternoon is truly something else: For many critics, this movie is Pacino’s greatest role, which is saying something considering that he is often regarded as one of the greatest actors of his generation.

This film follows a failed 1972 robbery led by Sonny Wortzik, a bank robber who takes the entire building hostage. Pacino, who plays Wortzik, was able to superbly portray a layer of anguish and humanity to this extremely nuanced character.

Image: Andres Siimon

We’ll end this article with a bit of a controversial take. Up until now, we have mostly focused on antiheroes known for their brawns, their savagery, or their fighting skills. However, a point should be made that Charles Kane, the billionaire protagonist of Orson Welles's masterpiece Citizen Kane, has many of the feats that make a good antihero.

For starters, Kane’s morality seems to be guided by one defining factor: Greed. Kane is a character who covets status, power, and wealth: The movie follows him from his early childhood through his botched political career. However, by the end of the film, Kane turns into an almost irredeemable character into someone seeking his own lost innocence, which tortures him untill his last breath.

Corporate expressions

Office jargon that annoys everyone: Are you guilty of these?

Image: Trent Erwin

Are there workplace expressions that get on your nerves? Many people confess to being exasperated by formal euphemisms that have become classics of office communication. We’ve gathered a few of the most commonly complained-about phrases and the thoughts people have said they provoke in them. Let’s see: Have you been using these expressions?

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Translation: "We are going to have to address this problem sometime soon, but let’s not do it right now." Sometimes it’s a dodge, sometimes procrastination, and sometimes it genuinely postpones an issue until further details are available. Which brings us to the next piece of office jargon…

Image: Markus Winkler

Aren’t we all moving parts in the big machines that our jobs have become? This expression is often used to make a project sound complex and dynamic, highlighting everything that needs to fall into place to accomplish a goal. But more often than not, all of those "moving parts" would rather spend more time moving and less time in meetings!

Image: Kenny Eliason

Ah, yes, nothing says it quite like this expression: "I’m nervous about your ability to handle this project entirely unsupervised, so I will need to check in on your progress soon." Or at least, that’s what a lot of people hear behind it!

Image: Duy Le Duc

On the surface, it’s a helpful phrase about tackling the easy wins first. But a lot of people agree it has become a bit overused. It’s also not very encouraging when a lot of our tasks are referred to as "low-hanging fruit"!

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This term originated in IT departments, referring to a system’s ability to handle simultaneous tasks. It wasn’t long until the term began being applied to people. Now, workers can be asked if they have the "bandwidth" to take on further responsibilities.

Image: Krsto Jevtic

This line is often regarded as the number-one passive-aggressive interjection. "Per my last email" is the office worker’s battle cry, wielded after someone continues to ignore a request or has overlooked important information already shared. It’s polite on the surface, but you can feel the underlying frustration.

Image: Ben Robbins

A favorite for smoothing over mistakes without admitting fault. "Going forward, we’ll make sure the invoices go out on time" translates to: "Oops, we forgot again, but let’s pretend this is a new chapter." It can also appear in the form of a request: "Let’s hope this doesn’t happen again going forward."

Image: Emily Reimer

People tend to fear this word. It may be because it often serves as a euphemism for "dynamics that can’t be escaped within this team." Of course, very good teams can develop excellent synergy. But if the term keeps coming up as an impossible standard to reach, it can become frustrating.

Image: Luca Bravo

Those are the magic words everyone wants to hear after a long virtual meeting. "Let’s take it offline" sounds like music to tired ears after four hours of awkward Zoom exchanges. It also means: "We’ll deal with this later, at a time when we can both take our sweet time replying to each other."

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This phrase is meant to encourage efficiency, but it often reminds everyone that they’ve been stuck in the same workflow since 2003. It’s the last thing you want to hear if you are an inventive worker with concrete suggestions for new systems that might be better.

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This term can feel vague and impersonal. It refers to people who might be interested in a situation or outcome, but it often sounds inflated. Couldn’t we just say "the people affected" instead?

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It might be intimidating when you are asked to "ideate." Do they mean they want you to think? Why not simply use that word? A clearer alternative would be "come up with ideas" or "brainstorm," another corporate classic.

Image: Craig Adderley

This expression originates from the 1950s ad agencies. It means "let’s see what the higher-ups think" or "test the idea before committing." To many, it sounds outdated, overly formal, and somewhat intimidating.