Over the years, television storytelling has evolved from simple plots to complicated ones. One-sided characters became multifaceted and complex. Conflicts turned from basic to political and societal. These changes in the way writers tell stories sort of adapt to the world we live in. As the industry grows and progresses, and so are these TV characters.
Gone are the days when the protagonists are the good guys and the villains are the pure wicked ones. We now have heroes that possess moral ambiguity and enemies who fight for what is just and right. Here are our best picks for TV characters who are much darker than their foes:
Geralt Of Rivia (The Witcher)
For someone who has to constantly battle demons and evil beings, Geralt has to become one. His abilities are so special because of the way he was brought up and trained. It was not just pure physical and mental training but more than that. They had to break him and tear him apart in order to be born again. He was made and remade to become the best witcher. Indeed, he has more similarities with the otherworldly monsters he slaughters than the humans.
Tommy Shelby (Peaky Blinders)
The proclaimed leader of the Peaky Blinders gang has a life built from the ground up. Tommy came from simply nothing, a poor Romani traveler whose life is best considered a rags-to-riches story. But Tommy is no holy man; he worked from stealing contrabands, dealing with underground crimes, and killing his rivals. He might be a respected man in his time, a World War I veteran, and a good father, but no achievement can conceal the fact that he is a cold-blooded killer.
Will Graham (Hannibal)
Graham works as an FBI profiler who helps study the behaviors and motives of murderers. His methods are quite unique and his use of true empathy makes it even more dangerous. He is silently lulling himself into a state of hypnosis that puts his mind and body at risk. Graham can internalize a serial killer’s thinking and motivation, and recreate the same process of crime by using this fabricated reasoning.
Frank Castle (The Punisher)
The Punisher will always be the face of vengeance. He is purely motivated by fury and his mission to avenge his family’s death, much like a vigilante who satiates himself by putting justice in his hands. Frank Castle is no different from the evil men he kills. There is not one bit of humanity left in his body and by the looks of it, he is filled with so much void despite his anger-filled soul.
Walter White (Breaking Bad)
From a good family man and Chemistry teacher, Walter White was driven by desperation and hopelessness to commit a very heinous crime. He involved himself in drug dealing and other underground business for the sake of money. The show also suggests that he is capable of doing this in the first place and he just needed something to push him into his limits.
