The tragic hero is a character archetype which dates back to Ancient Greece. A tragic hero is different from an antihero - antiheroes are typically unsavory characters who the audience roots for despite their villainy. A tragic hero, on the other hand, is a story's protagonist who exemplifies virtuous traits that make us root for them, but whose fatal flaws ultimately get the better of them in the end.
Because sad endings don't sell as well as happy ones, tragic heroes are rare in contemporary cinema. Nonetheless, some of the most revered movie characters of all time are tragic heroes. Here are 10 examples, ranked. Warning: mature and dark themes apply ahead.
Lee Chandler - Manchester By The Sea
Casey Affleck won a Best Actor Oscar for his heartbreaking performance as Lee Chandler in 2016's Manchester By The Sea. Lee returns to his hometown after the death of his brother after he's been named the caretaker of his son, Patrick. Lee's past has banished him from his home after his negligence led to a tragic accident.
He's a pariah throughout the community, unable to escape his reputation. In the end, despite his best efforts, he admits to the boy that he "can't beat" the grief and guilt that comes with returning home, and moves back to Boston, promising to keep a spare bedroom so Patrick can visit whenever he wants.
Billy Tyne, Jr. - The Perfect Storm
In 2000's. The Perfect Storm, George Clooney plays Captain Billy Tyne, Jr., the captain of a fishing boat. After returning from an expedition with a poor catch, Billy looks to compensate his next time out. They do well on their next mission, but their ice machine fails, meaning the fish will spoil unless they make it quickly back to shore.
When they get word of a tropical storm behind them, they can choose to either wait it out safely and let the fish go to waste, or risk their safety by sailing back to shore through the storm. Billy's pride leads him to choose the latter option, which spells doom for him and his entire crew.
Carlito Brigante - Carlito's Way
Carlito's Way is an underrated gangster drama from director Brian De Palma. Al Pacino plays the title role of a recently released ex-con who vows to go straight in his later years. He ends up getting sucked back into the underworld when he accompanies his cousin on a drug deal gone awry, and in the end, is killed before he can escape to a peaceful retirement. Carlito's most fatal flaw is his pride, which in this case, manifests itself in the form of loyalty to his friends.
His "way," as the title alludes to, is no longer the way of the world he left when he first went to jail, and his failure to adjust is what ultimately does him in.
Maggie Fitzgerald - Million Dollar Baby
In 2004's Oscar-winning Million Dollar Baby, Hilary Swank plays Maggie Fitzgerald, a determined boxer who tracks down Frankie Dunn, an aging trainer played by Clint Eastwood.
He reluctantly agrees to mentor her, and she becomes a successful fighter. In her "million dollar match," she finds herself up against a notorious dirty fighter named Billie Osterman. She begins to dominate the fight, but then makes the fatal mistake of turning her back on her opponent, a sign of hubris and the ultimate "no-no" in the ring. Osterman illegally sucker-punches her, and her head lands on a stool as she falls to the ground, breaking her neck and paralyzing her.
Randy "The Ram" Robinson - The Wrestler
Darren Aronofsky's 2008 drama The Wrestler stars Mickey Rourke in a comeback performance as Randy "The Ram" Robinson, a minor wrestling star who's forced into retirement due to his deteriorating strength and heart problems. He struggles to adapt to life outside the ring, as he fails to hold down a steady job and struggles to reconcile with his estranged daughter.
When he finally gets his daughter to agree to give him a second chance, he ends sleeping off a wild night of debauchery and inadvertently misses his dinner plans with her. Defeated and unable to cope with everyday life, he returns to the ring, and in the final scene, it's strongly implied that he dies performing his signature wrestling move.
Derek And Danny Vinyard - American History X
1998's American History X an unshakable tragedy. Derek Vinyard, played by Edward Norton, is a neo-Nazi sent to jail for committing a shocking act of racially motivated violence. During his time in prison, he becomes disillusioned with his bigoted ways, and upon his release, aims to rescue his younger brother Danny from going down the same road he did. In the end, he succeeds in turning Danny around, but unfortunately, the story ends in Danny's death.
Norman Maine - A Star Is Born
There have been four incarnations of A Star is Born from 1937 to 2018. All four movies tell slightly different versions of what is essentially the same story: a has-been musical celebrity who struggles with addiction discovers a young female singer, they fall in love, she becomes a star, but the man ultimately dies.
In the original film and the 1954 remake, the tragic hero is named Norman Maine. In the subsequent films, the lead characters' name has been altered, but his trajectory has remained the same.
Anakin Skywalker - The Star Wars Saga
The journey from Jedi to Sith lord is perhaps as tragic a trajectory as is possible, making Anakin Skywalker one of cinema's greatest tragic heroes.
Stricken by grief over his mother's death and frightened by a premonition of his wife Padme's demise, he is lured to the dark side by Palpatine in the hopes that he can save her by controlling her fate. Needless to say, none of this goes as planned, and the rest is the history of one of cinema's most iconic villains, Darth Vader.
Randle McMurphy - One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest
Jack Nicholson's Randle McMurphy is one of cinema's most beloved characters. He's a true rebel who challenges the authority of the villainous Nurse Ratched, and inspires hope among his fellow patients at his mental institution. His fatal flaw is his giant ego, which leads him to believe he can escape the consequences of defying someone of such immense power and cruelty.
He ends up being lobotomized after trying to flee the ward and is smothered to death out of mercy by his friend, "Chief" Bromden, who then successfully escapes. McMurphy is a martyr of sorts, and one of the most iconic tragic heroes in movie history.
Jake LaMotta - Raging Bull
Director Martin Scorsese's masterpiece biopic drama Raging Bull is widely considered one of the greatest films ever made. Robert De Niro won an Oscar for his performance as Jake LaMotta, the real-life middleweight boxer whose numerous character flaws cost him his family, his career, and more. He's a tortured soul whose jealousy and rage destroyed his relationship with his wife, and land him on the wrong side of the law. By the end of the film, he's a thoroughly defeated man, having redeemed himself only in his own eyes.