2022 was the year of the antihero – there was even a song about it. The trope features complicated and layered characters who tread the lines of heroism and villainy with ease; sometimes, they can be friends, others, foes. Their presence will always complicate things, but they can be the secret ingredient to elevate a project and make it unforgettable.
This year, antiheroes ruled the big and small screens. From fallen heroes like the Scarlet Witch to powerful beings struggling with their identities like Jobu Tupaki, these antiheroes dominated movies and tv shows, with a few ranking as some of the most complex characters in any medium.
10 Christopher Smith / Peacemaker (John Cena)
'Peacemaker' (2022 - )
Leave it to James Gunn to make an unlikely hero of a D-list DC character. Played with hilarious bravado by a never-better John Cena, Peacemaker is the kind of character that be either too fun or too ridiculous. Cena knows this and plays Peacemaker like the last guy at a party, desperately trying to keep the mood from dying.
Desperate to prove himself as a worthy something – hero, villain, something in between – Peacemaker unexpectedly became the DCEU's most complex character. Offbeat superhero TV series don't get any better than Peacemaker, thanks to Gunn's clever writing and Cena's game performance, which elevates a previously forgettable character and turns it into a bonafide star.
9 Marty & Wendy Byrde (Jason Bateman & Laura Linney)
'Ozark' (2017 - 2022)
Netflix's crime drama Ozark reached its inevitable conclusion with a suitably bittersweet ending for the duplicitous Marty and Wendy Byrde. Played by the shockingly Emmy-less – for these roles, anyway – Laura Linney and Jason Bateman, the Byrde marriage was among television's most chaotic and morally reprehensive.
Ozark became one of the highest-rated Netflix shows of 2022, largely because of the explosive duo of Bateman and Linney, who left it all on the line for the show's final season. For years, audiences watched the Byrdes' descent into increasing chaos and cruelty, wondering if they should root for or against the couple. In the end, the Byrdes' new life came at the expense of their humanity.
8 Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke)
'House Of The Dragon' (2022 - )
Arguably the most complex character in House of the Dragon, Olivia Cooke's Alicent Hightower is one of television's most intriguing figures. Coerced into a marriage she didn't want, Alicent makes the most out of her new station while remaining keenly aware of how easy it is for her to lose everything she holds dear.
Cooke's layered, vulnerable performance turns what could be an unsympathetic character into a tragic figure worthy of empathy and understanding. Alicent's actions come from a familiar place for nearly every human being – anger, fear, doubt, self-loathing. Westeros is a cruel place, and Alicent understands how dangerous the game of thrones is. Don't blame her for playing, especially when everyone else around her is.
7 Pearl (Mia Goth)
'Pearl' (2022)
Following her brilliant dual performance in X earlier in the year, Mia Goth reprised the character of Pearl for a spin-off revolving around her origin story. Appropriately titled Pearl, the film explores the character as a young woman with dreams of stardom. As her life unravels, Pearl becomes more unstable and dangerous.
Written by Goth and director Ti West, Pearl is a brilliant showcase for one of cinema's most underrated stars. Goth delivers a performance close to a one-woman show, and the film soars on top of her frail but capable shoulders. Theatrical and raw, Goth's work is a heartbreaking exploration of frustration and anxiety disguised as a gory affair. Pearl is one of 2022's best horror films, and the lead character is a huge star in real life, if not in fiction.
6 Harley Quinn & Poison Ivy (Kaley Cuoco & Lake Bell)
'Harley Quinn' (2019 - )
The superhero genre might be uneven in live-action, but it remains consistently stellar in animation. Look no further than HBO Max's Harley Quinn, which provides one of the most insightful and clever looks into some of DC's most well-known characters.
The show's titular character is an explosion of chaos and energy, treading the light between heroism and villainy with hilarious hesitance. And while season 3 effectively turned Harley into a hero, the choice doesn't come at the expense of her convoluted personality. Meanwhile, her significant other, the decidedly eviler Poison Ivy, remains the deadpan anchor Harley needs to not go over the edge. The show presents a refreshing portrayal of superhero characters, daringly exploring their often messed-up psyches while still having fun with them.
5 Namor (Tenoch Huerta)
'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever' (2022)
Namor is arguably the MCU's first real antihero. Unlike other characters who made some wicked deeds before turning a new leaf, Namor is unpredictable and untrustworthy, making him exceedingly dangerous. Sure, he forms a tepid alliance with Shuri in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, but only because it suits his plans. Namor will have no problem betraying Shuri and Wakanda if it means advancing his agenda.
Played by Tenoch Huerta, one of the biggest breakout stars of 2022, Namor is the breath of fresh air the MCU needed, especially during the uneven Phase 4. And while the character could get the MCU goody-two-shoes treatment in future projects, he remains a fascinating and treacherous figure for now.
4 Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith)
'House Of The Dragon' (2022 - )
The Rogue Prince describes Daemon Targaryen as both man and monster, "made of light and dark in equal parts." House of the Dragon lives up to this description, thanks to Matt Smith's calculating portrayal of the character. Daemon is dashing, impressive and widely admired but also feared and harshly condemned.
Nothing is black or white in the World of Ice and Fire, but Daemon is especially divisive. His actions might seem selfish and cruel to some, yet understandable and logical to others. Yet, this is the man who murdered his wife when he got tired of her and mocked his baby nephew's death hours after it happened. Daemon is mercurial and unreliable, making him a near-perfect antihero.
3 Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen)
'Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness' (2022)
Whether the MCU did a good job portraying the Scarlet Witch's descent into villainy and eventual redemption remains debatable. Many fans think the franchise messed up her story, while others maintain it was a suitable arc that fit her character's journey.
The fact remains that the Scarlet Witch is one of, if not the best, figures in the MCU, largely thanks to Elizabeth Olsen's mastery of the character. Portraying Wanda as a grieving mother trying to recover the life she feels was taken away from her, Olsen imbues each of Wanda's actions with a sense of heartbreak and desperation that are almost palpable. Olsen's work in Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness is nothing short of spectacular and one of the highlights of a hu-hum Phase 4.
2 Saul Goodman (Bob Odenkirk)
'Better Call Saul' (2015 - 2022)
It wouldn't be an overstatement to say Bob Odenkirk gave the best performance on television in 2022. His hectic and brilliant work on Better Call Saul's last season is the stuff of TV dreams, and the Emmys better recognize him for his last round playing the role.
Jimmy McGill/Saul Goodman has always been one of the most complicated characters on television. The show is an origin story, showing his transformation from honest lawyer to corrupt con man, but it never settles for the easy way out. Better Call Saul challenged its lead character to the end, ultimately presenting him with a choice. He might've wanted to live as Saul, but he chose to go down as Jimmy – and what a way to go.
1 Joy Wang / Jobu Tupaki (Stephanie Hsu)
'Everything Everywhere All At Once' (2022)
Omniscience and omnipotence sound much better than they are. Anyone who is everywhere and sees everything will ultimately succumb to the pressure and hopelessness of watching the chaos that is human existence. This is the idea at the center of Everything Everywhere All at Once, the Daniels' brilliant and subversive take on the multiverse.
Stephanie Hsu portrays Jobu Tupaki, an almighty being trying to escape from the burden of her own might. A tour-de-force of a performance, Hsu's portrayal of Jobu Tupaki is the engine that keeps the film running. Jobu is a fragmented character, an all-knowing being looking for purpose and meaning and an antihero for the ages.