The Bad Boy vs. The Anti-Hero part 1

What's on iTunes : Awakening by Switchfoot

Last weekend a Twitter conversation had me thinking all week. Author Gwen Hayes was reminiscing about the good ole days of Days...Days of Our Lives...and the resident 80s bad boys Bo Brady and Steve "Patch" Johnson. They were so bad that they were sworn enemies, that is until Bo's sister Kayla changed Patch for good. (Hence the reason I loved Patch and Kayla more than Bo and Hope). Days' resident bad boys were the epitome of the term. They rode motorcycles, carried switchblades, lived on boats and in lofts, kidnapped their love interests, fought dirty, and fell hard for their loves. In fact, despite explosions, death cruises, reincarnations, mysterious southern plantations, ect...these two rebels ultimately stayed with their loves - a huge feat in the world of soaps.

Awesome 80s mullet hair.

 After that conversation, I realized where my deep rooted love of the bad boy hero had sprung from - years of watching Days of Our Lives. In honor of my two favorite 80s Bad Boys Bo and Steve, I've compiled a list of Bad Boy pre-requisites...see if you favorite bad boy hero has any or all of them....(I know mine does as well as a few of my favorites like Jace Wayland)........


1.) Must drive, own or steal a motorcycle.

2.) Have unkept, a little too long hair that covers their eyes - to make them look a little more, well, secretive.
3.) Have possession of a blade in the form a dagger, switchblade, seraph blade, sword and know how to use it VERY well.

4.) Have a pet name for the heroine, for instance FancyFace (Bo's name for Hope), Sweetness (Patch's name for Kayla), Little Girl (Jace calls Clary this for half of COB), Sweetheart (Han's name for Leia - but we'll get to Han later).

5.) Sarcastic remarks are all they can think of when in a tight situation - usually the intense romantic kind.

5.) Have been or currently are a soldier, warrior, (shadow)hunter, or mercenary.

 

6.) The heroine calls them dangerous like it's a good thing.

7.) The hero has a jaded past that most likely includes killing things, ie demons, spies, imperials.


If you have any to add...leave a comment!
Now, this thought led to my next one. As I was thinking on my new character Orion, I realized that he wasn't the typical bad boy. He had been a knight, anointed by Arthur, but after centuries in captivity in the mythical realm of Avalon, he's more jaded, more cocky, and outright selfish. I started thinking of characters that had these characteristics....But I'll get to the anti-hero and why he may be even badder than the bad boy in part 2 next time......