The Anti-Hero

An archetype is a universal symbol, it is something that would be recognized all across the globe. Created by the minds of humans, and adopted by the minds of others, these reoccurring symbols always find their way into literature, films, and life in general. A very common archetype that shows up everywhere is the anti hero.

An anti hero is defined as one who does not fit the typical mold of a hero. The definition of an anti hero doesn't give it justice, an anti hero is much more than a hero who doesn't follow the hero guidelines. The anti hero is character specific, that means the anti hero is character's interpretation of a hero. So for example a non heroic character when put in the hero's role, becomes that characters interpretation of a hero, and thus the anti hero is born.
In the film Terminator the chaotic killer robot played by Arnold Schwarzenegger was sent back in time from human versus terminator war. Arnold's mission was to kill the soon to be mother of a  boy, this boy was John Conner, the future leader of the human resistance, that would later defeat the robots and reconquer earth.   Although the tables turn in Terminator II, Schwarzenegger is no longer trying to kill Conner he is there to protect him from other terminators also sent back in time.
Set up in the perfect anti hero position, Schwarzenegger protects Conner by any means necessary no matter what the cost. Archetypes show up any and every where, some people even say they are part of human instinct to know heroes villains. Yet one thing is for certain they are one of literatures mysteries that can be traced back all the way to the times of the Ancient Greek and beyond.