Top 10 Main Protagonists that Were Also Antagonists
This list contains a group of main protagonists that were also the antagonist in their franchise.
Walter "Walt" Hartwell White Sr. is a fictional character and the main protagonist of Breaking Bad, portrayed by Bryan Cranston. Walter White is a 50-year-old high school professor who was recently diagnosed with lung cancer. Wanting to leave his family with something before he passes, Walter builds a drug empire to make money. However, Walter's selfish choices have consequences, and he is forced to cover up his crimes by committing more of them.
Anakin Skywalker is a fictional character in the Star Wars franchise created by George Lucas. He appears in the original trilogy as a main and pivotal antagonist serving the Galactic Empire, while his past as Anakin Skywalker and the story of his corruption are the focus of the prequel trilogy. Skywalker... read more If you saw the original trilogy before you saw the prequels, you would know that this powerful Jedi would one day become one of the most memorable villains in cinematic history. Anakin goes from Tatooine slave to Jedi Knight, but he starts to drift to the dark side after that. Eventually, he becomes the menacing Darth Vader, the iconic Sith Lord that the entire fandom loves.
At least in the English-speaking world, I feel he would have to be the best-known example.
Light Yagami is a fictional character and the protagonist of the manga series Death Note, created by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata. The main character in the manga/anime Death Note, Light is a gifted student with a God Complex, and he uses his weapon, the Death Note, to slaughter criminals all over the world. Light's actions result in the death of hundreds of thousands of people. He may have been the protagonist, but he was also definitely the villain.
John Daniel Edward "Jack" Torrance is the main antagonist of Stephen King's horror novel The Shining. The main character in The Shining, Jack is known for his antagonistic role in the film, and his iconic "Here's Johnny" quote. The Shining shows the path of a man turning crazy, and Jack here is the victim of that insanity.
In this adaptation of the Joker, Arthur Fleck is a mentally unstable individual who has been bullied, humiliated, and looked down on by society his whole life. Here, the Joker has a more compassionate backstory, that really shows the audience that even good people can go crazy if they are pushed enough.
Felonius Gru is the main character of Despicable Me, Despicable Me 2, and Despicable Me 3, alongside Mel and a minor character in Minions. This despicable individual is known for his plotting and genius strategies. In his franchise, Gru starts off as the villain, but he starts to get a change of heart after learning what it is like to be a father.
Megamind is a villain who does what he does for fun, and only becomes a hero when being the villain gets too boring. Megamind proves that anyone can have a change of heart, as long as they have the support they need to do so.
Kratos is a fictional character and the titular primary protagonist and anti-hero of the God of War video game series. He is a demi-god who seeks retribution and vengeance on Ares and later, the Greek Gods after he was betrayed and was forced to kill his family . Kratos, a Spartan soldier in the God of War franchise, is on a path for vengeance. At least, he was in the Greek Gods Saga. He becomes responsible for the deaths of the entire Greek pantheon, all as a result of his goal to kill Zeus. Kratos is many things, but a hero, he is not.
Patrick Bateman, is an American, serial killing, yuppie, villain protagonist, who debuted in the rules of attraction, by Bret Easton Ellis.Best known for his relevance in its successor, American Psycho (also by Bret Easton Ellis), as the novel's protagonist (which mostly contributes to the book's... read more
The American Psycho. Patrick lives a double life, as a wealthy investment banker during the day, and cold-hearted serial killer at night. This character is another key example of how the villain can also be the protagonist.
The Newcomers
Loki Laufeyson, or Loki Odinson, is a fictional character appearing in the American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is the adoptive brother and archenemy of Thor, and is known as the "God of Mischief". In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the character has been portrayed by Tom Hiddleston.
Lelouch Lamperouge, whose real name is Lelouch vi Britannia, is the title character and protagonist of the Sunrise anime series Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion. Lelouch, the exiled prince, takes the alias of Zero to lead a Japanese terrorist group against his corrupt father. With his Geass power, he can control the minds of anyone he wishes one time, manipulating others into doing his bidding.
Dominic "Dom" Toretto is a fictional character and one of the three main protagonists of The Fast and the Furious franchise, the other being Brian O'Conner and Sean Boswell.
In the first movie, Shuya acts as the hero of the story. But in the second film, he plays the role of the antagonist, as the leader of a terrorist organization who has the hopes of burning the corrupt government to the ground.
The Homelander is an egotistical maniac who considers himself better than everyone else around him due to his superpowers. Despite that, he is, or at least plays the role of, a superhero that protects the city.
Jack the Ripper is a serial killer who killed his mother and father as a child because he saw a "beautiful colour in them" when they were struggling or dead. He then kills five other women. However, he is chosen to save humanity against the gods and he defeats Hercules, which gets humanity to win two rounds in a row.
William Afton, commonly known as Purple Guy prior to the official name being revealed, is the former co-founder of Fazbear Entertainment, Inc. as well as the main antagonist and catalyst of the Five Nights at Freddy's series. He was directly and indirectly responsible for numerous incidents and tragedies... read moreConnor, one of the three main playable characters of Detroit Become Human, is an android sent to hunt other deviant androids. Depending on the player's actions, he is either a great ally, or the main antagonist.
Eren Yeager, spelled Eren Jaeger in the Funimation dub, is a fictional character appearing as the protagonist from the manga series Attack on Titan by Hajime Isayama.