Rorschach from Watchmen
I’m not 100% sure Rorschach is the best example. He might be more cynical than pessimistic, but it’s been a while since I saw the movie or read the graphic novel. I asked a friend if he knew of a pessimistic hero and this is what we came up with. Rorschach might be more cynical and jaded than ‘everything is hopeless’. Then again, that might be too extreme. Pessimism is to look on the bad side of things and I believe he does mention or hint at what they’re doing is an unending path.
Anyway, this makes me wonder if you can have a pessimistic hero. One who is still pushing ahead or possibly being dragged along. They feel like they’re going to lose the battle or never find what they’re looking forward. Every cloud will rain and there’s nothing you can do about it, so stop smiling. The glass is half empty and I’m pretty sure that isn’t water. Just a miserable, negative ray of gloom.
I can see this mentality wearing on a reader and author a lot. To keep a person like this throughout a book would cause some friction because you’d be hard pressed to believe others would deal with them. Even worse if the story ends and they’re still claiming things are bad. So this is a good starting point for a character evolution or even the ending for an optimistic hero. Though you’d have to figure out why a pessimist would try to do something they either hated or didn’t believe in. Again, this is the very watered down and extreme type of pessimism that I’m working with. Plenty of people have negative outlooks and still carry on because that’s what you do.
An interesting aspect to this character type and his/her partner the Optimistic Hero is audience reaction. People love to see a smiling, shiny hero get the positive outlook knocked out of them. I’ve seen people who thoroughly enjoy this character arc and get angry if the hero maintains their original optimism. Now I don’t hear as many people cheering when the Pessimistic Hero is moved to the middle or other side. Perhaps if he’s connected to the audience and his happy outlook is seen as a reward, you’ll get a big reaction. The odd thing is that many will want the story to continue so this new positive mentality gets crushed. I should probably stop spending time on Internet comment sections, but it does seem like people enjoy to see their heroes fall into the darkness. Which is where the pessimistic hero starts.
Anyway, are there any pessimistic/negative heroes that you can think of? What made you love or hate them?
Legends of Windemere 
I can’t think of a single one. Most are more anti-hero or vigilante types. They have a bit of grouchiness, and an occasional pessimistic line. They never seem to set up camp there.
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Maybe the thought that all is lost or things suck doesn’t mix with any heroic action. Like you said, many characters will have the occasional line of pessimism. Yet they never stay there and most times that’s done as a witty comment.
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It would be quite the challenge to make one into a hero, or even a main character absent heroism.
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I’m sure there’s some type of story that could work with that. Though it does seem better suited for a supporting character.
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It’s not exactly the same, but Mel Gibson made a conspiracy theory movie years ago. He was a whacko, but he was right. It’s close.
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Conspiracy Theory I think was the title. Or something like that. I remember him biting Patrick Stewart’s nose at one point.
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Gibson turned in some good performances over the years. Now I want to find it and watch it.
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Think I’ve seen it at my local library. Hard to remember the last big, great movie of Gibson. He seems to have vanished or stayed under the radar. Then again, I’ve yet to see how he did as the bad guy in Expendables 3.
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He went a bit off the deep end, and then it became fashionable to bash him. I still like his body of work.
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He definitely seems to be avoided or only doing small projects these days. The latter might not be a bad thing though.
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I think that mindset would be interesting for a character starting out on a journey before they gain hope or accept their hero role.
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Good point. It’s a mentality that one would have to eventually grow out of or simply quit the story.
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It’s like Iron Man. He’s kind of a douche in the first half of the movie but learns to be … a more likable jerk by the end.
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A story arc so beloved that they did it 5 times. 😛 Seriously, somebody needs to get Tony to remember his lessons from one adventure to another. Smartest man seems to have a memory problem.
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Haha!
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Perhaps I should read more Grimdark – I’m sure there will be plenty of such characters there!
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That name alone makes me think you’re right. 🙂
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When I was shopping for editors, one girl told me that my main character was terribly unlikable and she didn’t think she could stay with her for a whole book. The lady is going through a most difficult time, is needy and unstable, always looking at the cup half full, but she grows to have confidence in herself and her curse becomes a gift at the end, even though the outcome isn’t wonderful for her. I like her and know she is a lot stronger than first perceived, but I can see how an early reader might be put off by her initial representation. Too bad.
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It is a shame when a reader gives up on a character so quickly. Though I can see why some people wouldn’t want to deal with a depressing or negative character. Could hit too close to home or they don’t see the person’s trials as being worth such a dour mood. Then again, I know people who hate characters that are always happy. To each their own, I guess.
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For me, it’s not much different than reading a coming of age story to see a character evolve throughout the story. I find it rather appealing.
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Makes sense. Not like a real person ever stops evolving too. We all go up and down in our lives.
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Would Deadpool fall in this category?
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Probably not. He’s fairly optimistic.
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I read Watchmen and found it brilliant. But I looked at the whole thing as pessimistic. As for an ongoing pessimistic hero, Batman isn’t the cheeriest hero. He doesn’t trust anyone and basically sees everyone as flawed. Yet he keeps fighting crime.
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This is getting interesting. It seems a lot of people see pessimism in heroes as being dark, broody, or violent. Not so much that they feel like what they’re doing is all for nothing or that the worst will always happen. Maybe you can’t push a hero all the way to that side without them losing the title.
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I read a book where the hero was a horrible alcoholic. Little by little he seemed to grasp his ill ways and slowly improved throughout the story. He was still a grouchy guy, but you wanted to cheer him on his journey to recovery. He did eventually solve the murder, once he was sober. 😀
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Interesting. I’ve noticed that alcoholism is a very common hurdle for heroes. Wonder why that is.
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Maybe because it is so prevalent. It also seems like an addiction that is portrayed as being able to “get over.” I think it is all about the balance between good and evil.
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True. Fiction seems to make it the easiest one to get over. Very strange there.
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It’s been a while since I read it, but I loved the character in Sir Apropos of Nothing…the back page describes the main character Apropos as a ‘rogue, a rascal, a scoundrel and a cheat…and those are his good points’. I love how he circumvents the clean-cut, should-be hero and takes over the story. Again, it’s been a while since I read this, but I never forgot how much I appreciated his biting and snide humor throughout the story. A book for the bad side in all of us.
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I have that in my library somewhere and vaguely remember reading it. I’ll have to look for it.
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I can’t think of one. I would think a pessimistic character would be a pain. Wait. I just thought of Captain Ahab in Moby Dick. That guy was a downer from the get go. I didn’t like him a lot either.
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Been a while since I read that. Thought he was more crazy than a downer. He did think he’d catch that white whale, didn’t he?
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Yeah, I guess you are right. Okay I can’t think of one.
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Maybe a narrator who talks about how things will fail? Some kind of first person tale.
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It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..wait. That sounds pretty balenced.
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It was the worst of times and anybody who said otherwise obviously had a lobotomy.
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True. Um, what was I saying?
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Not sure. Was it about pizza?
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Oh Yeah. I like green pepper and bacon on mine.
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Considering the holiday that just started, this is a dangerous conversation for me. 🙂
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I retract the bacon.
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I’m trying to think of heroes who are predominantly pessimistic, and I can’t think of any! I can think of sarcastic, narcissistic, grumpy and egotistical ones, but other than that I’m drawing a blank! It’s an odd one. I’m sure I’d love such a character, if they didn’t overdo it! Perhaps, by definition, a hero is optimistic – just by trying to do good 😀
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Don’t forget the always fun sociopathic and psychopathic types.
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Absolutely, and the downright crazy – like Deadpool. He’s one of my favourites. I’m really looking forward to the movie!
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It should be a lot of fun. Noticing a lot of people are into Deadpool now. I’m still getting used to him being a full-on hero. My comic days had him with his own comic, but still as a big anti-hero/villain.
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I’m not sure Deadpool will ever be a cut and dried hero, but that’s one of the entertaining things about him. That and the way he breaks the fourth wall – love that!
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Just hope it doesn’t get overused in the movie.
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I was going to say Batman, because his worldview is fairly dark. However, he does keep fighting out of a belief that he can make a difference. Even if revenge is equally possible with justice. If he was completely pessimistic, he would probably be killing his villains, and we all know he would never do that.
I also think of Michael Moorcock’s Elric series, which are dark sword & sorcery. No spoilers, but Elric also battles in a setting where evil always seems a step or three ahead. I re-read some of these recently and found myself losing patience with the protagonist, so I think your point about that is right on.
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Yeah. Maybe a pessimistic main character can only make it for a single book. After that the act gets really old.
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Have you ever seen an episode of Everybody Loves Raymond? Raymond is not but the Grim Reaper. Pessimism is everywhere he goes. I thing having a negative character–a main character, no less–would be an interest challenge for the writer looking for something to do. Some have thought having an anti-hero like Tony Soprano would have been a bad thing. But that made the story all the more intriguing to watch while the good guy got his just desserts.
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I always feel weird admitting that I didn’t get into Everybody Loves Raymond. Like it undoes the title of the show. 🙂
You might have a point that doing it for a sitcom is easier. Adding comedy to the pessimism can softening the edges.
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In fantasy I’ve seen a rise in pessimist heroes. Personally, I prefer optimist but we can’t all look on the bright side.
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I haven’t found one yet. The cynical ones are getting rather popular, but none that actually believe they’re doomed. Closest I can think about is Marvin from Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Which ones have you seen because I want to look into those?
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Sanderson and Lawrence both feature rather cynical protagonists in their novels, I think.
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Something about a cynic with a sarcastic wit always makes me enjoy a character. 🙂
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I’m more of an optimistic dork kind of person. LOL. Not a lot of those out there.
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