Collider ranks literary antiheroes, arguing that flawed or morally ambiguous protagonists have long been central to books as well as television and film.

– Holden Caulfield, *The Catcher in the Rye* (1951): a cynical, disconnected teenager whose divisive narration makes him an unconventional protagonist.
– Edmond Dantès, *The Count of Monte Cristo* (1844–46): a man falsely imprisoned who pursues an elaborate revenge plot.