Ask Anime Week #44: A Hero with the Wrong Reasons

[theanimerealm]

Ask Anime Question of the Week:

A Hero with the Wrong Reasons?

Are there any protagonists you know in anime that had the wrong reasons to be the hero but ended up being the good guy? I'm thinking of anti-hero trope here. They were never meant for the hero type of role but their circumstances led them to be one and it worked out in the end.

Rules:

1. Comment your answer to the weekly question to this post as an entry.
2. Must be in English but you can attach a section for a different language too as long as there is an English section that conveys the same thought.
3. Response must not be AI generated. While this can sometimes be a challenge to detect and prove, it's not worth trying because you're being asked to share in your own words.

Comments

[promete0sz]

The Proud Prince of the Saiyajin Vegeta, is a commercial anime but that does not take away the narrative and solid evolution of the character that many anime would like to have as a concept, in that franchise Vegeta at least until Majin Boo because after that he declines (not including GT that I liked there haha), he starts as a villain, lonely, drowned in his selfishness and servitude to Freezer. ... but he ends up being a great Hero for many fans, someone who accepted to have a family, loving and sacrificing himself for them 😭 (Add here celestial sounds of Valhalla)

El Orgulloso Principe de Los Saiyajin Vegeta, es un anime comercial pero eso no quita la narrativa y evolucion solida del personaje que muchos animes quisieran como concepto tener, en esa franquicia Vegeta al menos hasta Majin Boo porque ya despues decae (sin incluir GT que alli me agrado jaja), empieza como un villano, solitario, ahogado en su egoismo y servidumbre hacia Freezer.... pero termina siendo un gran Heroe para muchos fans, alguien que acepto tener una familia, queriendola y sacrificandose por ella 😭 (Agregar aqui sonidos celestiales del Valhalla)

[karinanunez]

I agree with you Vegeta could have been the hero on many occasions but I also think that poor Yamcha haha ​​could have been a hero in the dragon balls, well maybe I liked that character more than Goku because Goku was just a child haha

[mandysmoon]

I can mention one of my favorite characters so far, Guts. His horrible trauma experiences shaped his personality to be a person that falls in the middle of good and bad. He had no reason to be who he is, he's just a product of very unlucky circumstances that at the end lead hi actions to be somewhat beneficial,but being a good hero never has been his goal.

[promete0sz]

what anime is this girl? 🙂

que anime es este muchachona? 🙂

[karinanunez]

For me, Sasuke deserved to be the superhero of the Naruto sagas because Sauke suffered and fought against everyone who hurt him, he is beautiful haha ​​well Sasuke deserved to be the super hero

[jessuses1381]

I think Lelouch from Code Geass is the quintessential example of a hero with questionable motives, at first, he sought revenge against Britannia for personal reasons, his leadership of the Black Knights often highlighted his strategic brilliance, but his ruthlessness and willingness to sacrifice lives showed his less-than-human tendencies.

[ridgette]

That's totally Hanako-kun from TBHK. At first, I couldn't really trust him because he's shrouded in mystery. There's even one point where I suspected if he's one of the main villains (because who wouldn't if he's always carrying that kitchen knife?)...but it turns out he's one of the MCs, and he's really an adorable character who definitely had a sad and traumatic past. He had all the reasons to be a villain or to haunt and torment people (which he somehow did, lol), but fortunately it worked fine (I guess, but with how manga is faring—I don't if they're fin—shshshhshsh) when he met Yashiro. It started with a whim to save a girl, and it somehow worked with him—hopefully it will work until the end...