In the history of the medium, anti-heroes are a relatively new addition to comics. Coming out of the late-'70s, these heroes were different than the ones that came before them, more willing to get extreme with their punishment of crime. They were harder-edged heroes living in a harder-edged world.

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While the heroes of the DC Universe are more known for being bright, cheery, and optimistic, there are some who walk the darker path of the anti-hero. This would bring them into conflict with some of the older heroes of the DC Universe, but that wouldn't stop them. Let's take a look at the best anti-heroes in DC Comics.

10 Wild Dog

Wild Dog shoots his enemies

Let's get this out of the way at the start – Wild Dog is basically the Punisher in hockey clothes. The character feels like someone came up with a look first and built around it. However, there's something that's actually pretty cool about Wild Dog. Sure, he's partly a copy of a more popular character but there are so many comic characters like that out there.

Wild Dog doesn't get a lot of love; in fact, he rarely gets any at all. However, he had a nice turn in Cave Carson Has A Cybernetic Eye, re-introducing him to a whole new segment of fans and showcasing what set him apart from the Punisher – that he has an actual personality beyond vengeance and killing.

9 Artemis

Artemis started life in the '90s. An Amazonian from the city of Bana-Mighdall, she would win a contest to become the new Wonder Woman, replacing Diana for a time. She would lose her life during this period but this being comics, Artemis would eventually get resurrected. She would be a background player on Themyscira for years.

Recently, Artemis joined up with Red Hood and Bizarro, the three forming a dark mirror to the Trinity at the center of the DC Universe, fighting crime with a more violent edge than their counterparts.

8 Black Adam

For years, Black Adam was an opponent of Shazam. He started life in the far-off past as a hero and possessed the body of a descendant but eventually, his "heroic" side sprang forth. He would start hanging out with the Justice Society, fighting evil with more of an edge than his teammates.

This would bring Black Adam into conflict with the rest of the team and he would break away from them, violently taking back his home country of Kahndaq from a monstrous dictator with the help of friends he made during his JSA days. From there, things would go downhill, as Black Adam would become more openly evil but still followed his ancient code of conduct while thinking he was the good guy.

7 The Comedian

The Comedian smokes a cigar as a jungle in Vietnam burns behind him

One of the most morally repugnant heroes of the comic Watchmen, the Comedian was known for his violent nature from the beginning of his career. There were very few things he found any qualms about doing and he gloried in the insanity of war, indulging his bloodlust in the chaotic orgy of violence that was Vietnam. The Comedian qualifies as an anti-hero because he was a member of the Watchmen, but he was also an awful person who committed many unforgivable atrocities.

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The Comedian's murder was the catalyst for the entire mystery at the center of the comic, the taint of his darkness throwing a pall over everything that made readers ponder the central question of the book- "Who watches the watchmen?"

6 Huntress

The Huntress

Helena Bertinelli took a strange road to heroism. The child of a mob boss, she watched her family get gunned down and swore vengeance, spending her early years training herself into a machine meant for revenge. Helena would come to Gotham City to take her revenge, assume the mantle of Huntress, and ultimately run afoul of Batman.

Batman didn't like her bloody tactics and the two would come to blows on multiple occasions, but eventually, Huntress would become an ally to the Dark Knight. She would work with the rest of the Batman family in their mission to clean up Gotham, although she may have used a bit too much force at times.

5 Deadshot

DC MBTI ESFJ Deadshot

A former Batman villain and long time member of the Suicide Squad and the Secret Six, Deadshot would totally front like he was still a villain but he has been more of an anti-hero for years. While he is still a killer and walks on the more violent side of things, Deadshot spends most of his time now fighting against worse people than him.

A complicated man, Deadshot's runs with the Suicide Squad and Secret Six have gained him more fans and recognition than he ever got as a villain, turning him from someone who started out evil to becoming one of the best anti-heroes in DC Comics.

4 Red Hood

Red Hood pointing a pistol

Jason Todd was once Robin before he had an unfortunate meeting with the Joker, a crowbar, and a whole mess of explosives. He would stay dead for years before being resurrected and becoming the Red Hood, clashing with his old mentor and generally making a nuisance of himself throughout Gotham City.

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Eventually, Red Hood would rejoin the side of angels, becoming the deadliest member of the Batman family. While Batman and the others would have to rein in Jason's more violent tendencies at times, Red Hood has fully embraced a return to heroics, even if his methods are more of the anti-heroic persuasion.

3 Deathstroke

With Deathstroke, things go back and forth. Sometimes, he's the best mercenary in the DC Universe, using his enhanced strength, speed, and intellect to battle the heroes and make money. Other times, he's fighting against threats that are worse than he is...and still making money. That's Deathstroke in a nutshell – he doesn't mind doing good or bad things if the price is right.

It certainly helps that Deathstroke is one of the most formidable combatants on the planet, able to singlehandedly defeat teams of both heroes and villains. He's always several steps ahead of his opponents and has no problem proving just how good he is, whether it's for the right or wrong reasons.

2 Rorschach

Rorschach_Watchmen_#12

Rorschach is probably the most popular character from Watchmen. Forged by a terrible childhood full of abuse and violence, he would create a new identity for himself as a crime fighter, becoming more and more unhinged as he gazed into the abyss of the criminal psyche. Walter Kovacs, what little there was of him, died and Rorshach took over.

Rorschach was never meant to be the character that readers loved and empathized with but that is what happened. A line can be drawn from his popularity to the subsequent "grim and gritty" era of comics that blossomed after Watchmen. However, many people learned the wrong lesson from Rorschach – he was a damaged yet compelling character who used his violence to make sense of the world. While he is a near-perfect anti-hero, Rorschach is not someone to look up to.

1 Harley Quinn

Harley Quinn is the little engine who could. Starting out as Joker's girlfriend on Batman: The Animated Series, she would continue to grow in popularity over the years. She would get her own book, join teams, and move away from the Joker, becoming one of DC's most popular characters.

There's just something about Harley – her attitude, madcap humor, the tenderness underneath it all – that really speaks to fans, from comic readers to movie-goers and Hot Topic shoppers. She tells jokes while beating people to death with mallets, but underneath it all there is a heart that makes her wonderfully palatable and a great character to spend time with.

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