Lucifer is the protagonist of biblical epic Paradise Lost. In this story, the angel Lucifer rebels against God, whom he describes as a tyrannical, evil despot. He is cast out of heaven, and builds an army of fellow rebel angels who seek to overthrow God. Though they eventually fail, Lucifer’s struggle and motive is a timeless moment in literary history. Much like the titan Prometheus, Lucifer disobeys higher power; In this situation, however, Lucifer does this out of a belief in his own inherent power, and argues that it is “Better to reign in hell, than to serve in heaven.” This marks a shift away from the concept that God is all knowing and all powerful, and posits instead that Lucifer’s character spawns a whole new tradition of heroes who do not follow the noble, holy path of moral virtue.

This new anti hero is a very popular trope in modern pop culture; some notable examples are the characters from gangster movies. Take the film Goodfellas, for example. The protagonist, Henry Hill, is a smart, handsome man who is well-respected amongst his peers. However, he is heavily involved in the mob, and commits heinous crimes on a constant basis. While he may have some admirable qualities, such as his brotherhood with his fellow mobsters and his hard-working attitude, he also cheats on his wife and abuses his status to benefit himself.

Another example of an anti-hero would be Trevor Phillips from the video game Grand Theft Auto 5. Trevor is essentially a psychopath, regularly engaging in brutal murders of often innocent people. In many ways, he is a reflection of the way many people play the video game; going on bloody rampages, running over civilians for the fun of it, killing cops, blowing up vehicles, and causing pointless mayhem.