In Severus Snape, JK Rowling created a clear anti-hero who deserved better. An evil character in appearance and temperament, his dark presence belied his true intentions. Snape valiantly filled the role of anti-hero until the end. Despite his presentation, he has always been on the right side of history. Despite the main character of the book series, Severus Snape is actually the true hero of the entire story. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Unlike Harry Potter, who is a seemingly bland character, Severus Snape is the pinnacle of fictional characters and story arcs. His first presentation in the story only foreshadows an evil end. It should be noted that Snape was hired by Dumbledore as a professor at Hogwarts, so it should be in the minds of readers that, despite his appearance, he is to be trusted completely. Gilderoy Lockhart's short tenure at the school is the argument against this belief. Harry Potter is the absolute protagonist from the beginning. This is never in doubt from start to finish. As a result, Snape's antagonism towards Harry is a huge red flag and paints Snape as the anti-hero or villain to some. The antagonism has a clear source and that is Harry's late parents. Snape was a childhood friend of Harry's mother, Lily, and later in the story it is revealed that he was deeply in love with her. On the other hand. Harry's father, James Potter, was Snape's enemy and often bullied him, even taking Lily away from him. Harry reminds Snape of his father and clear hatred ensues. Despite the animosity, Snape fulfills his duty to protect Harry from various villains throughout the story. He muttered counterspells to prevent Quirrel from knocking him off his broom during a Quidditch match in the Philosopher's Stone. He protects Harry, along with Ron and Hermione, from Lupine, who had transformed into a werewolf. Snape spends a lot of time teaching Harry how to close his mind to prevent Voldemort from reading him. There was plenty of evidence that Snape was a hero, but his dark history was blinding. Snape was even willing to kill Dumbledore, the most beloved wizard in the wizarding world, to continue his mission as a mole among the Death Eaters and to protect Malfoy. , also destroying the Elder Wand's power. He knew that his life was in grave danger by taking these actions and fulfilled his duties to the end. He never gave in, until he was fatally bitten by Nagini. He stayed alive long enough to shed a couple of tears for the pensieve. Snape's betrayal almost seemed like fate, but in retrospect, it should have been seen coming from a mile away. Credit to Rowling for painting such a dark and negative picture of Snape throughout the story leading up to the apparent betrayal. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Severus Snape appears to the typical villain turned good, but he is much more complex. Snape was ultimately never a villain, but the presentation of his character created the image of a dark villain-in-waiting. He is the anti-hero, who is ultimately the hero of the entire story.