The Anti-Hero figure in pop culture isn't necessarily a new concept but has seemed to become the prevalent form of a "hero" that we see in our media nowadays. The idea of the perfect protagonist has given way to a more candid and flawed depiction of the characters who are deemed heroic. Perhaps it's art imitating life, but the trend doesn't seem to be going away anytime soon.

Nowhere has the anti-hero dominated more than on the television screen in recent years, with the advent of the new "Golden Age of Television". It seems every new "must-see" series—most on cable networks or streaming services where controversial content is able to sail above conventional censors—prominently features at least one gritty and flawed anti-hero, who are usually the focus of the main story line or story arc.

Tony Soprano. Omar Little. Dexter Morgan. Don Draper. Nancy Botwin. To name just a few—all anti-heroes, in one form or another.

One of the more recent and easily most recognizable anti-heroes of all time is Walter White from Breaking Bad, played by actor Bryan Cranston. Throughout the five seasons of the series, the chemistry teacher-turned-drug kingpin walks that fine line between lovable villain and sinful saint. The fact that we as viewers can be so invested in a character like Walter White, and his even scarier and more ruthless alter ego Heisenberg, is a credit to Cranston's acting ability and the show's storytelling structure. Context is key and to quote AMC's own tagline, "Story Matters Here".

Here's a quick sampling of Cranston's commanding performance on the series:

When an actor invests so much of themselves into one specific character, there is always the chance of typecasting. Cranston delves into this topic and many others in his new book A Life In Parts, which he will be discussing during a sold out Author Event today at Parkway Central Library.

For more books, films, and television series featuring anti-heroes, you can check out this varied but by no means exhaustive catalog list.

Who are some of your favorite characters in pop culture and do they fall into the anti-hero category? Let us know in the comments!