--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think, generally, the flawed anti-hero…" description: "\"I think, generally, the flawed anti-hero is much more interesting than the normal hero, and that's really what we're talking about here as it relates t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1fa/tod-goldberg-17468_anti-hero_i-think-generally-the-flawed-anti-hero-i_40201.jpg" --- # I think, generally, the flawed anti-hero is much more… ![“I think, generally, the flawed anti-hero is much more interesting than the normal hero, and that's really what we're talking about here as it relates to outlaws or renegades.” quote by Tod Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1fa/tod-goldberg-17468_anti-hero_i-think-generally-the-flawed-anti-hero-i_40201.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1fa/tod-goldberg-17468_anti-hero_i-think-generally-the-flawed-anti-hero-i_40201.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1fa/tod-goldberg-17468_anti-hero_i-think-generally-the-flawed-anti-hero-i_40201.jpg) > “I think, generally, the flawed anti-hero is much more interesting than the normal hero, and that's really what we're talking about here as it relates to outlaws or renegades.” [Tod Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tod-goldberg/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The statement argues that characters who break rules or operate outside societal norms are more compelling than conventional heroes because their moral ambiguity creates tension and depth. **In simple terms:** Anti‑heroes are more intriguing than traditional heroes. Key Takeaway Complexity beats simplicity. Themes Moral ambiguity Character depth Rebellion Narrative tension Heroic archetypes Mood Reflective Intriguing Provocative Type Observational Philosophical When to use this quote - Storytelling workshops - Character design sessions - Creative writing classes - Film script analysis Key Concepts Flawed protagonist Outlaw motif Psychological conflict Practical Applications - Developing nuanced protagonists - Exploring anti‑hero narratives Questions to Reflect On - What makes a flawed character resonate with audiences? - How does moral ambiguity affect audience empathy? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Anti hero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anti-hero/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Hero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hero/) [Outlaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/outlaw/) [Renegades](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/renegades/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [It's always more fun to be an anti-hero. They're more interesting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-grant/it-s-always-more-fun-to-be-an-anti-hero-they-re-more-interesting/) [Hugh Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-grant/) > [I think people want to see a hero. It's interesting that with everything that goes on now from shootings to everything, as time goes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-rel-howery/i-think-people-want-to-see-a-hero-it-s-interesting-that-with/) [Lil Rel Howery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-rel-howery/) > [I believe the most intricate plot won't matter much to readers if they don't care about the characters, especially in a series. So I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-abbott/i-believe-the-most-intricate-plot-won-t-matter-much-to-readers-if/) [Jeff Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-abbott/) > [The rise of the anti-hero can be traced to a litany of social reasons. Post World War I, for instance, saw the blooming of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tod-goldberg/the-rise-of-the-anti-hero-can-be-traced-to-a-litany-of-social-reasons/) [Tod Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tod-goldberg/) > [J.J. Abrams is an all-time hero of mine, really lovely to be working with him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-serkis/j-j-abrams-is-an-all-time-hero-of-mine-really-lovely-to-be-working/) [Andy Serkis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-serkis/) > [Wayne was my hero. He really loved doing Mickey Mouse and was very proud that he did it 32 years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russi-taylor/wayne-was-my-hero-he-really-loved-doing-mickey-mouse-and-was-very/) [Russi Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russi-taylor/) > [I would rather portray the hero if it's a really great film. All my favorite fictional film characters are heroes, such as in 'The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-jackson/i-would-rather-portray-the-hero-if-it-s-a-really-great-film-all-my/) [Jonathan Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-jackson/) > [Am I a hero? I really can't say, but yes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-scott/am-i-a-hero-i-really-can-t-say-but-yes/) [Michael Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-scott/) > [It is true that in America I've become a national hero, but really I was a hopeless case, that was all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-crisp/it-is-true-that-in-america-i-ve-become-a-national-hero-but-really-i/) [Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/) > [Greatest American Hero, I really dug that as a kid, because it had an alienation to it, where he was given a gift and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhys-darby/greatest-american-hero-i-really-dug-that-as-a-kid-because-it-had-an/) [Rhys Darby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhys-darby/) > [I take being a hero really seriously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-hart/i-take-being-a-hero-really-seriously/) [Bret Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-hart/) > [It's a fun world to exist in, and I relish doing those movies as much as I do the smaller ones. They're always immense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-pegg/it-s-a-fun-world-to-exist-in-and-i-relish-doing-those-movies-as-much/) [Simon Pegg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-pegg/) > [“Yeah, I guess you're right," he said, squeezing. "Maybe there's a little bit of a hero in me after all. But... really, Cress. Only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marissa-meyer/yeah-i-guess-you-re-right-he-said-squeezing-maybe-there-s-a-little/) [Marissa Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marissa-meyer/) > [I went to film school so I have a writing and directing background, and I think a lot of the material I'm interested in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-mcbride/i-went-to-film-school-so-i-have-a-writing-and-directing-background/) [Danny McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-mcbride/) > [“A grim expression came over Syah’s face. “The colt you speak of lost its mother during a storm. If this stallion was that colt,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-raver/a-grim-expression-came-over-syah-s-face-the-colt-you-speak-of-lost/) Danielle Raver ## More by Tod Goldberg > [I found myself thinking a lot about my own spirituality. What it means to be Jewish, what it means to forgive, what it means…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tod-goldberg/i-found-myself-thinking-a-lot-about-my-own-spirituality-what-it-means/) [Tod Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tod-goldberg/) > [I think my philosophy has evolved over the years. I started teaching almost 15 years ago and I've learned that how one student learns…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tod-goldberg/i-think-my-philosophy-has-evolved-over-the-years-i-started-teaching/) [Tod Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tod-goldberg/) > [We understand a person with problems, someone who is wrong about a lot of things in his or her life, who makes messes. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tod-goldberg/we-understand-a-person-with-problems-someone-who-is-wrong-about-a-lot/) [Tod Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tod-goldberg/) > [You don't see Los Angeles erecting a museum dedicated to the birth place of the Crips and the Bloods and the Mexican Mafia, with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tod-goldberg/you-don-t-see-los-angeles-erecting-a-museum-dedicated-to-the-birth/) [Tod Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tod-goldberg/) > [“The danger of drawing parallels is that some things are always inequalities.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tod-goldberg/the-danger-of-drawing-parallels-is-that-some-things-are-always/) [Tod Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tod-goldberg/) > [We like the idea of a guy who gets away with it ("it" in this case being a variety of things: murder, robbery, general…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tod-goldberg/we-like-the-idea-of-a-guy-who-gets-away-with-it-it-in-this-case-being/) [Tod Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tod-goldberg/) > [“Sam took another sip of the pruno. It went down smoother this time, possibly because he no longer had feeling in his extremities.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tod-goldberg/sam-took-another-sip-of-the-pruno-it-went-down-smoother-this-time/) [Tod Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tod-goldberg/) > [So for a long time, I did a lot of freelance writing in addition to writing fiction and such - I was a food…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tod-goldberg/so-for-a-long-time-i-did-a-lot-of-freelance-writing-in-addition-to/) [Tod Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tod-goldberg/) > [The fact is, though, what I think we really like is Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, Robert De Niro and James Gandolfini. We like what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tod-goldberg/the-fact-is-though-what-i-think-we-really-like-is-marlon-brando-al/) [Tod Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tod-goldberg/) > [“I think you two forgot how to love each other, and that’s just like poison. Worst thing you can do is forgot how to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tod-goldberg/i-think-you-two-forgot-how-to-love-each-other-and-that-s-just-like/) [Tod Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tod-goldberg/) > [It's an unusual way to write a crime novel, to have these lingering, fairly large story points, but it's something I knew I had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tod-goldberg/it-s-an-unusual-way-to-write-a-crime-novel-to-have-these-lingering/) [Tod Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tod-goldberg/) > [There's an old, private cemetery here in Palm Springs, where I live, just down the street from the airport, that belongs to one of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tod-goldberg/there-s-an-old-private-cemetery-here-in-palm-springs-where-i-live/) [Tod Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tod-goldberg/) > [I was thinking a lot about the aftermath of bad choices, how people deal with the trauma of having survived trauma, if that makes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tod-goldberg/i-was-thinking-a-lot-about-the-aftermath-of-bad-choices-how-people/) [Tod Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tod-goldberg/) > [My god, people are selling their work and people are reading it! The horror! That MFA programs have to advertise that they'll let you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tod-goldberg/my-god-people-are-selling-their-work-and-people-are-reading-it-the/) [Tod Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tod-goldberg/) > [“I think that there are reasons people fall in love over and over again. It’s that feeling that someone wants to always help you.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tod-goldberg/i-think-that-there-are-reasons-people-fall-in-love-over-and-over/) [Tod Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tod-goldberg/) [Explore all 37 Tod Goldberg quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tod-goldberg/) ## More Anti hero quotes > [“A grim expression came over Syah’s face. “The colt you speak of lost its mother during a storm. If this stallion was that colt,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-raver/a-grim-expression-came-over-syah-s-face-the-colt-you-speak-of-lost/) Danielle Raver > [I went to film school so I have a writing and directing background, and I think a lot of the material I'm interested in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-mcbride/i-went-to-film-school-so-i-have-a-writing-and-directing-background/) [Danny McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-mcbride/) > [I don't think the Hulk is a superhero. He's the first Marvel character who is a tragic monster. Really an anti-hero.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ang-lee/i-don-t-think-the-hulk-is-a-superhero-he-s-the-first-marvel-character/) [Ang Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ang-lee/) > [Perhaps some of the appeal of the dangerous-but-yummy paranormal anti-hero lies in his scorn for societal expectations. Yes, women have come a long way,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeaniene-frost/perhaps-some-of-the-appeal-of-the-dangerous-but-yummy-paranormal-anti/) [Jeaniene Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeaniene-frost/) > [“What were you doing with her?” The words burst from my lips. Before I can take them back, he stares at me. I stare…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-jayne/what-were-you-doing-with-her-the-words-burst-from-my-lips-before-i/) L. Jayne > [The great thing about Burgess's work is the dichotomy of making the hero or anti-hero an immoral man. And that's what makes it interesting.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-mcdowell/the-great-thing-about-burgess-s-work-is-the-dichotomy-of-making-the/) [Malcolm McDowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-mcdowell/) > [I'm always attracted to anti-hero roles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-dinklage/i-m-always-attracted-to-anti-hero-roles/) [Peter Dinklage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-dinklage/) > [It's always more fun to be an anti-hero. They're more interesting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-grant/it-s-always-more-fun-to-be-an-anti-hero-they-re-more-interesting/) [Hugh Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-grant/) > [“A novel requires a hero, and here there's a deliberate collection of all the traits for an anti-hero”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dostoyevsky-fyodor/a-novel-requires-a-hero-and-here-there-s-a-deliberate-collection-of/) [Dostoyevsky, Fyodor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dostoyevsky-fyodor/) > [“The Punisher: If there are no consequences to your mistakes...you have no reason...not to make them...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-van-lente/the-punisher-if-there-are-no-consequences-to-your-mistakes-you-have/) [Fred Van Lente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-van-lente/) > [Look, we're in the time of the anti-hero.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-norris/look-we-re-in-the-time-of-the-anti-hero/) [Dean Norris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-norris/) > [The range of Shakespeare's characters is just enormous. Each one of them, whether it's a man or woman, prince or pauper, hero or anti…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kunal-kapoor/the-range-of-shakespeare-s-characters-is-just-enormous-each-one-of/) [Kunal Kapoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kunal-kapoor/) > [I think it's doubly important, now that we see so many people failing. When the norm is an anti-hero, there's a serious loss when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brendan-gleeson/i-think-it-s-doubly-important-now-that-we-see-so-many-people-failing/) [Brendan Gleeson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brendan-gleeson/) > [“While gently pushing her towards the dressing room, Lazarus ventured, "Can I ask you something kind of personal?" Pulling her shirt over her head…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-noelle-long/while-gently-pushing-her-towards-the-dressing-room-lazarus-ventured/) [Shannon Noelle Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-noelle-long/) > [I think that it's possible to have someone who is an anti-hero, who does tear hearts out and break necks, and you can still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-morgan/i-think-that-it-s-possible-to-have-someone-who-is-an-anti-hero-who/) [Joseph Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-morgan/) [Browse all 49 Anti hero quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anti-hero/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I think, generally, the flawed anti-hero is much more interesting than the normal hero, and that's really what we're talking about here as it relates to outlaws or renegades.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Tod Goldberg" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tod-goldberg/i-think-generally-the-flawed-anti-hero-is-much-more-interesting-than/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Anti hero" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tod-goldberg/i-think-generally-the-flawed-anti-hero-is-much-more-interesting-than/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1fa/tod-goldberg-17468_anti-hero_i-think-generally-the-flawed-anti-hero-i_40201.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1fa/tod-goldberg-17468_anti-hero_i-think-generally-the-flawed-anti-hero-i_40201.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1fa/tod-goldberg-17468_anti-hero_i-think-generally-the-flawed-anti-hero-i_40201.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I think, generally, the flawed anti-hero is much more interesting than the normal hero, and that's really…” — Tod Goldberg", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Tod Goldberg", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tod-goldberg/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I think, generally, the flawed anti-hero...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tod-goldberg/i-think-generally-the-flawed-anti-hero-is-much-more-interesting-than/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tod-goldberg/i-think-generally-the-flawed-anti-hero-is-much-more-interesting-than/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```