12 British Anti-Heroes Who Make Being Bad Look Good
9. Basil Fawlty Fawlty Towers
The hotelier with a very tenuous grip on his sanity might not seem so much an anti-hero as a tragic fool, but in a certain light, he is probably the most aspirational British character in all of TV history. Not only is he unconcerned by proper social etiquette, and most importantly he never, ever suffers the kind of customers that usually make service industry workers explode with passive aggressive rage.
8. V- V For Vendetta
The titular anarchist, vigilante and freedom fighter of Alan Moore's iconic 1982 comic book is not only one of the most instantly recognisable characters of Moore's auspicious career, he is also wonderfully complex, and brilliantly dark. Moore's greatest trick with V was never to allow his readers to know for sure whether he was intensely committed to his cause or just utterly insane, which allowed for some irresistible morality bending.
7. Harry Palmer
For many, Len Deighton's bespectacled, insubordinate is more of the British archetypal spy than his more famous Fleming-created cousin, and there is certainly more of the British Isles about his grumpiness and bumbling ability to succeed through adversity. He also pretty much created Michael Caine's big screen cool, so there's that as well.
For many, Len Deighton's bespectacled, insubordinate is more of the British archetypal spy than his more famous Fleming-created cousin, and there is certainly more of the British Isles about his grumpiness and bumbling ability to succeed through adversity. He also pretty much created Michael Caine's big screen cool, so there's that as well.