{"id":189763,"date":"2025-12-26T08:05:00","date_gmt":"2025-12-26T07:05:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/centmagazine.co.uk\/?p=189763"},"modified":"2025-12-24T20:08:57","modified_gmt":"2025-12-24T19:08:57","slug":"the-best-anti-heroes-women-in-literature-to-adore","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\/?p=189763","title":{"rendered":"The Best Anti Hero Women in Literature to Adore"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"has-text-align-right has-secondary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-569c5973a1135a64e297e137a0cb4068 wp-block-paragraph\">There is something quite compelling about a female anti-hero, so counter to the portrayal of women over centuries of literature, plays, and now moving images. Women make great anti-heroes in <a href=\"https:\/\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\/the-pathetic-fallacy-meaning-and-the-best-british-literature\/\"><strong>literature <\/strong><\/a>because\u00a0their complex, morally ambiguous actions directly\u00a0challenge deeply ingrained societal expectations of female morality and behaviour. And its kinda why we love them. The subversion of traditional gender roles creates compelling characters who resonate with us for their authenticity and rebellion. Find out more in <em>The Best Anti-Hero Women in Literature to Adore\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-secondary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-8b7385c3de8b9112257bd65546239283 wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Breaking the Mould<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-secondary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-2f54fd37e15a94134392a6da2b9d80d6 wp-block-paragraph\">Unlike <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\/neuroscience-blends-with-perfume-introducing-the-vibrant-own-time-perfume\/\">traditional <\/a><\/strong>heroines often bound by societal expectations, female anti-heroes defy these constraints. Following their own desires, stand up for themselves, and pursue personal motivations, regardless of societal approval.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-secondary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-60024f85c9b83f2287cf3c5bbc29ee39 wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Relatability  Realism<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-secondary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-301f7e147a61428ec6d2b84c25bad82c wp-block-paragraph\">By embracing flaws like anger, ambition, selfishness, or a propensity for violence, these characters become more authentic and relatable to a diverse audience. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-secondary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-ce54b58b4045edeb8bc11c2742713b63 wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Realism<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-secondary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-b6bda9b65f2c1348a162d5202cf26ac1 wp-block-paragraph\">They reflect the complexities and messiness of real human experiences, moving beyond one-dimensional <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\/goddess-in-art-femininity-from-ancient-until-now\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">portrayals<\/a><\/strong> of women as either perfect heroes or pure villains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-secondary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-21b1972511c2f351b14450b5eefeaf98 wp-block-paragraph\">diverse audience. They reflect the complexities and messiness of real human experiences, moving beyond one-dimensional portrayals of women as either perfect heroes or pure villains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-secondary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-ce78e3fe631f4a15b288e90ca328df3f wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>An Elderly Lady Is Up to No Good&nbsp; by&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.co.uk\/Helene-Tursten\/e\/B00JO96ONU\/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1\">Helene Tursten<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-secondary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-61bda4f919196584dca3eff1d88f97ef wp-block-paragraph\">Let&#8217;s start with a not-so-nice little old lady. Maud is an irascible 88-year-old Swedish woman with no family, no friends, and no qualms about a little murder. This funny, irreverent story collection by Helene Tursten, author of the Irene Huss investigations, features two never-before-translated stories that will keep you laughing all the way to the retirement home.<br \/><br \/>Ever since her darling father&#8217;s untimely death when she was only eighteen, Maud has lived in the family&#8217;s spacious apartment in downtown Gothenburg rent-free, thanks to a minor clause in a hastily negotiated contract. That was how Maud learned that good things can come from <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\/__trashed-21\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">tragedy<\/a><\/strong>. Now in her late eighties, Maud contents herself with travelling the world and surfing the net from the comfort of her father&#8217;s ancient armchair. <br \/><br \/>Over the course of her misadventures, this little bold lady will handle a crisis with a local celebrity who has her eyes on Maud&#8217;s apartment, foil the engagement of her long-ago lover, and dispose of some pesky neighbours. But when the local authorities are called to investigate a dead body found in Maud&#8217;s apartment, will Maud finally become a suspect?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-secondary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-460dea8f6c974911cec8db42de35799c wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>&nbsp;The Handmaid\u2019s Tale&nbsp;<\/strong> <strong>by Margaret Atwood<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.goodreads.com\/book\/show\/34454589-the-handmaid-s-tale#CommunityReviews\"><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/TheHandmaidsTale1stEd.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"250\" height=\"381\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/TheHandmaidsTale1stEd.jpg?resize=250%2C381&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-189766\" style=\"width:528px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/TheHandmaidsTale1stEd.jpg?w=250&amp;ssl=1 250w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/TheHandmaidsTale1stEd.jpg?resize=197%2C300&amp;ssl=1 197w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 250px) 100vw, 250px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-secondary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-2c2f79091ce76398e5e7140d6fd49047 wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.goodreads.com\/book\/show\/34454589-the-handmaid-s-tale#CommunityReviews\"><\/a>Aunt Lydia can be considered one of the most vile and relevant female antiheroes in the modern era. A cruel, indoctrination leader at the Red Centre, a fanatical enforcer of Gilead&#8217;s misogyny who brainwashes Handmaids, using scripture to justify violence, but secretly harbours complexity.. It is revealed in the sequel&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/search?q=The+Testaments&amp;oq=Aunt+Lydia+the+hand&amp;gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqBwgCEAAYgAQyBwgAEAAYgAQyBggBEEUYOTIHCAIQABiABDIICAMQABgWGB4yCAgEEAAYFhgeMggIBRAAGBYYHjIICAYQABgWGB4yCAgHEAAYFhgeMggICBAAGBYYHjIICAkQABgWGB7SAQg1ODMxajBqN6gCALACAA&amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;ie=UTF-8&amp;mstk=AUtExfDojKpbnN1l8SoOxROXLB4OURXgQWkuOr8y9waWiFho8XtVu_iGplyEfes3uw9Y_SdmO1whKQYxitSV82tntHtJJT_UE9FBPdgSSiN0QxdN0bwDMK3uVHKotqi4mzYlCRU2XzCPlqOU-0eF8fKuVvaxPc24MuVDRBs1snY7zhQs7_JS2fMMefASw4ZyOw2uXir-&amp;csui=3&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjn1ubHl9aRAxVKWkEAHadINNgQgK4QegQIARAF\">The Testaments<\/a>, that&nbsp;she is a former judge who becomes a double agent for the resistance, working within the system to help dismantle it while writing her own story.&nbsp;<br \/><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-secondary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-5fe6bc3c63ee0ca1d20d7e8f4dcc2cca wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Gone With the Wind<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery aligncenter has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/71PMmBYVrjL._SL1500_-1.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"400\" height=\"497\" data-id=\"189771\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/71PMmBYVrjL._SL1500_-1.jpg?resize=400%2C497&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-189771\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/71PMmBYVrjL._SL1500_-1.jpg?w=400&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/71PMmBYVrjL._SL1500_-1.jpg?resize=241%2C300&amp;ssl=1 241w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-secondary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-9d4d40524d14d32d8a50988c804d1d15 wp-block-paragraph\">Scarlett O&#8217;Hara is widely considered an&nbsp;anti-hero, a protagonist who lacks conventional heroic attributes, such as idealism or morality, but who the audience nonetheless follows or roots for.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-secondary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-1bc12f5db4209a9c9b2dcac24da2e417 wp-block-paragraph\">Seen through much of the narrative as selfish, vain and ruthless.&nbsp;Scarlett is often self-absorbed, <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\/the-modern-spy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">manipulative<\/a><\/strong>, and willing to lie, steal, or cheat to get her way. Her actions are driven primarily by self-preservation and the goal of saving her family&#8217;s plantation, Tara, rather than a strong moral compass or a desire for the &#8220;greater good&#8221;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-secondary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-70c9891b1feda55f7e772fc9bc7f559b wp-block-paragraph\">Unlike other Southern women of her era who conformed to societal expectations of being dainty and helpless, Scarlett is strong-willed, intelligent, and a determined survivor. If she had been a man, many of her &#8220;go-getter&#8221; traits might have been universally praised as heroic, but in a female character in that era, they were considered &#8216;unladylike.&#8217;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-secondary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-0315903087ef7b52406c08e6b56b533e wp-block-paragraph\">Despite her significant flaws, her fierce will to survive against all odds makes her a compelling and relatable character to cheer on through her success. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-secondary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-8e754be8e62666837d35afac0c3effee wp-block-paragraph\">Their existence in literature implicitly argues that a woman&#8217;s desires matter more than what society expects of her, which can be seen as a brave, even heroic, stance in itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-secondary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-01a3d4e7b388534186c13832e1161500 wp-block-paragraph\">. It offers a safe space to explore morally grey actions and the impact a woman&#8217;s actions can have, both good and bad, without real-world consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-secondary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-8e34da9fadaee24c6fb6b6a5a98b968a wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Stieg_Larsson\">Stieg Larsson<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Thegirlwiththedragontattoo.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"263\" height=\"380\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Thegirlwiththedragontattoo.jpg?resize=263%2C380&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-189768\" style=\"width:451px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Thegirlwiththedragontattoo.jpg?w=263&amp;ssl=1 263w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Thegirlwiththedragontattoo.jpg?resize=208%2C300&amp;ssl=1 208w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 263px) 100vw, 263px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-secondary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-50144ba67a37db10fb41e8eac52cb290 wp-block-paragraph\">Lisbeth Salander, a tattooed, chain-smoking computer hacker who survived a traumatic childhood to live on the edge of society, rarely interacts. As a result, her sanity is the subject of much debate. Larsson said he based Lisbeth on what he imagined Pippi Longstocking might have been like as an adult. There is a superhuman aspect to both, and pressure on all sides for them to conform.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-secondary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-d76f73fa873e451c059abc51695410e6 wp-block-paragraph\">The character has been described as fiercely unconventional and a darkly kooky antiheroine, a superhero, an androgynous, and asocial misfit.  Yet she has become one of the most compelling characters in recent popular fiction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-secondary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-85bc209285ff1ccdfa25512b78440db3 wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bront\u00eb<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/9780140430110.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"400\" height=\"550\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/9780140430110.jpg?resize=400%2C550&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-189773\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/9780140430110.jpg?w=400&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/9780140430110.jpg?resize=218%2C300&amp;ssl=1 218w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-secondary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-9ab710cf8c468622e0769e4dc7d6d8ac wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-secondary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-6faa03de7fdc86b2d897289d24be8857 wp-block-paragraph\">Jane Eyre is considered an anti-hero, a&nbsp;proto-feminist heroine&nbsp;or an anti-Victorian protagonist like many others in the list, because she consistently defies the conventions and expectations of a &#8220;proper&#8221; Victorian woman, exhibiting traits like passion, independence, strong will, and a demand for equality that were considered <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\/numbers-in-colour-art-meets-maths-and-equals-beautiful\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">radical<\/a><\/strong> at the time.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-secondary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-b4027aedde389970316c6d63a946fbd7 wp-block-paragraph\">Her unconventional appearance and character went against the role of women in that day and age.&nbsp;Victorian heroines were typically beautiful, meek, and accomplished. Jane, by contrast, is repeatedly described as &#8220;plain,&#8221; &#8220;poor,&#8221; and &#8220;obscure. She is intellectual, outspoken, and passionate from a young age, traits that directly oppose the demure ideal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-secondary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-c2a8b5c57a0555e63d8c44fbd0eeaf72 wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Eileen_novel.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"258\" height=\"390\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Eileen_novel.jpg?resize=258%2C390&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-189775\" style=\"width:370px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Eileen_novel.jpg?w=258&amp;ssl=1 258w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Eileen_novel.jpg?resize=198%2C300&amp;ssl=1 198w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 258px) 100vw, 258px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-secondary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-9ab710cf8c468622e0769e4dc7d6d8ac wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-secondary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-d392e0072c73c169a9e4b2f178b6ce33 wp-block-paragraph\">A lonely woman who descends into criminal acts, seeking escape from her bleak reality.&nbsp;Eileen narrates the events of her last week in her hometown, a small&nbsp;Massachusetts&nbsp;town she calls X-ville,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-secondary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-259342d2c2422324384c15113e0c25da wp-block-paragraph\">Eileen is considered an anti-hero because she is the protagonist of the novel, yet she&nbsp;lacks conventional heroic virtues, exhibits deeply flawed and morally ambiguous behaviours, and operates outside the bounds of societal norms. The audience follows her journey and may even sympathise with her due to her grim circumstances, but she is fundamentally an unlikeable, self-loathing, and often repulsive character.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-secondary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-db42f8a025bae06171e61c7d9be87bfb wp-block-paragraph\">Ultimately, the compelling nature of female anti-heroes lies in their ability to be fully realised people, not props or stereotypes, allowing them to carve their own complex paths outside traditional boundaries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-right has-secondary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-d5754035c4f4deac70f5800080eea9af wp-block-paragraph\">If you enjoyed reading <em>The Best Anti-Heroes Women in Literature to Adore<\/em>, then why not read <a href=\"https:\/\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\/a-delicious-cocktail-a-beautiful-way-to-warm-your-heart\/\"><em>A Delicious Cocktail here<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-secondary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-16446e0f8bb2233a8af3f5e8d5f29768 wp-block-paragraph\">.Cent Magazine London. <strong><em>Luxury Mindset<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>There is something quite compelling about a female anti-hero, so counter to the portrayal of women over centuries of literature,&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":189785,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"features_issues":[],"featured_themes":[16955],"ppma_author":[16671],"class_list":["post-189763","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-literature","featured_themes-maximalist"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>The Best Anti Hero Women in Literature to Adore | Cent Magazine<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The Best Anti Heroes Women in Literature to Adore, gives you a list of women you cant help but to hate and also love\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Best Anti Hero Women in Literature to Adore | Cent Magazine\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The Best Anti Heroes Women in Literature to Adore, gives you a list of women you cant help but to hate and also love\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\/?p=189763\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Cent Magazine\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-12-26T07:05:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Screenshot-2025-12-24-at-19.05.48.png?fit=300%2C300&ssl=1\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"300\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"300\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Jo Phillips\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Jo Phillips\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Estimated reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\\\/?p=189763#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\\\/?p=189763\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Jo Phillips\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/9b56d16b50b53f84b367add207eeec08\"},\"headline\":\"The Best Anti Hero Women in Literature to Adore\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-12-26T07:05:00+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\\\/?p=189763\"},\"wordCount\":1109,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\\\/?p=189763#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/12\\\/Screenshot-2025-12-24-at-19.05.48.png?fit=300%2C300&ssl=1\",\"articleSection\":[\"Literature\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\\\/?p=189763\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\\\/?p=189763\",\"name\":\"The Best Anti Hero Women in Literature to Adore | Cent Magazine\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\\\/?p=189763#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\\\/?p=189763#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/12\\\/Screenshot-2025-12-24-at-19.05.48.png?fit=300%2C300&ssl=1\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-12-26T07:05:00+00:00\",\"description\":\"The Best Anti Heroes Women in Literature to Adore, gives you a list of women you cant help but to hate and also love\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\\\/?p=189763#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\\\/?p=189763\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\\\/?p=189763#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/12\\\/Screenshot-2025-12-24-at-19.05.48.png?fit=300%2C300&ssl=1\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/12\\\/Screenshot-2025-12-24-at-19.05.48.png?fit=300%2C300&ssl=1\",\"width\":300,\"height\":300},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\\\/?p=189763#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"The Best Anti Hero Women in Literature to Adore\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\\\/\",\"name\":\"Cent Magazine\",\"description\":\"Be Inspired, Get Involved\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Cent Magazine\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/centmagazine.co.uk\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2020\\\/02\\\/logo_cent-01.jpg?fit=501%2C503&ssl=1\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/centmagazine.co.uk\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2020\\\/02\\\/logo_cent-01.jpg?fit=501%2C503&ssl=1\",\"width\":501,\"height\":503,\"caption\":\"Cent Magazine\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/9b56d16b50b53f84b367add207eeec08\",\"name\":\"Jo Phillips\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/1d6c7fd0ccf52c0e184d542356f4fb5282577ca25e9de20408aba5c67afca4eb?s=96&d=mm&r=g61b8a432fec4616e37b325b299cffaad\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/1d6c7fd0ccf52c0e184d542356f4fb5282577ca25e9de20408aba5c67afca4eb?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/1d6c7fd0ccf52c0e184d542356f4fb5282577ca25e9de20408aba5c67afca4eb?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Jo Phillips\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.centmagazine.co.uk\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\\\/?author=1\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"The Best Anti Hero Women in Literature to Adore | Cent Magazine","description":"The Best Anti Heroes Women in Literature to Adore, gives you a list of women you cant help but to hate and also love","robots":{"index":"noindex","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"og_locale":"en_GB","og_type":"article","og_title":"The Best Anti Hero Women in Literature to Adore | Cent Magazine","og_description":"The Best Anti Heroes Women in Literature to Adore, gives you a list of women you cant help but to hate and also love","og_url":"https:\/\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\/?p=189763","og_site_name":"Cent Magazine","article_published_time":"2025-12-26T07:05:00+00:00","og_image":[{"width":300,"height":300,"url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Screenshot-2025-12-24-at-19.05.48.png?fit=300%2C300&ssl=1","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"Jo Phillips","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Jo Phillips","Estimated reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\/?p=189763#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\/?p=189763"},"author":{"name":"Jo Phillips","@id":"https:\/\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\/#\/schema\/person\/9b56d16b50b53f84b367add207eeec08"},"headline":"The Best Anti Hero Women in Literature to Adore","datePublished":"2025-12-26T07:05:00+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\/?p=189763"},"wordCount":1109,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\/?p=189763#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Screenshot-2025-12-24-at-19.05.48.png?fit=300%2C300&ssl=1","articleSection":["Literature"],"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\/?p=189763","url":"https:\/\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\/?p=189763","name":"The Best Anti Hero Women in Literature to Adore | Cent Magazine","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\/?p=189763#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\/?p=189763#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Screenshot-2025-12-24-at-19.05.48.png?fit=300%2C300&ssl=1","datePublished":"2025-12-26T07:05:00+00:00","description":"The Best Anti Heroes Women in Literature to Adore, gives you a list of women you cant help but to hate and also love","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\/?p=189763#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-GB","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\/?p=189763"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\/?p=189763#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Screenshot-2025-12-24-at-19.05.48.png?fit=300%2C300&ssl=1","contentUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Screenshot-2025-12-24-at-19.05.48.png?fit=300%2C300&ssl=1","width":300,"height":300},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\/?p=189763#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"The Best Anti Hero Women in Literature to Adore"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\/#website","url":"https:\/\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\/","name":"Cent Magazine","description":"Be Inspired, Get Involved","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\/#organization","name":"Cent Magazine","url":"https:\/\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/centmagazine.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/logo_cent-01.jpg?fit=501%2C503&ssl=1","contentUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/centmagazine.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/logo_cent-01.jpg?fit=501%2C503&ssl=1","width":501,"height":503,"caption":"Cent Magazine"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\/#\/schema\/person\/9b56d16b50b53f84b367add207eeec08","name":"Jo Phillips","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1d6c7fd0ccf52c0e184d542356f4fb5282577ca25e9de20408aba5c67afca4eb?s=96&d=mm&r=g61b8a432fec4616e37b325b299cffaad","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1d6c7fd0ccf52c0e184d542356f4fb5282577ca25e9de20408aba5c67afca4eb?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1d6c7fd0ccf52c0e184d542356f4fb5282577ca25e9de20408aba5c67afca4eb?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Jo Phillips"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.centmagazine.co.uk"],"url":"https:\/\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\/?author=1"}]}},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"authors":[{"term_id":16671,"user_id":1,"is_guest":0,"slug":"cmag","display_name":"Jo Phillips","avatar_url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1d6c7fd0ccf52c0e184d542356f4fb5282577ca25e9de20408aba5c67afca4eb?s=96&d=mm&r=g","author_category":"","first_name":"Jo","last_name":"Phillips","user_url":"https:\/\/www.centmagazine.co.uk","job_title":"","description":""}],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Screenshot-2025-12-24-at-19.05.48.png?fit=300%2C300&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/189763","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=189763"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/189763\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":189787,"href":"https:\/\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/189763\/revisions\/189787"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/189785"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=189763"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=189763"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=189763"},{"taxonomy":"features_issues","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ffeatures_issues&post=189763"},{"taxonomy":"featured_themes","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ffeatured_themes&post=189763"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fppma_author&post=189763"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}