Stereotypes of Villains and Antiheroes by Comparing Coco and Dolphin Boy Animations

In this study, to understand the methods and guidelines that shape villain and antihero characters, we investigate the chief aspects of creating and developing the antiheroes and villains of two animations from two countries, one from the United States and another from Iran. This study aims to identify the similarities and differences of these characters in different cultural and geographical contexts. The reason for choosing this topic stems from the appearance of two child heroes and the lack of redemption for the villains in these animations. The research question inquires about the stereotypes of villains and antiheroes in the current mainstream animations and how these stereotypes have been represented in the two animations, Coco and Dolphin Boy. This study is a qualitative research, and the data has been collected through the library method using articles from scientific databases. After data acquisition based on art books and reviewing the forenamed animations, the result is delivered through descriptive and analytical techniques. According to the findings in this study, in today's animations, while concealing themselves, most villains can be friendly on the surface and the audiences are oblivious to their true nature until the ending moments. Therefore, to convey danger to the audience through the villain characters’ design, triangular shapes are used due to their sharp and abrasive corners. Furthermore, the color palettes for their character design are often violet, black, and red to represent the sense of despair, death, and rage within this character. The villains in the past, meanwhile, revealed themselves to the audiences, possessing deformed ugly faces, while their figures, lines, and forms were divergent from the rest of the characters.
Contrary to the villains, the antiheroes have not undergone much change from their past, for they’ve been the mirror for the genuine core of society since the very beginning. They are typically outlaws, quick-witted, confident, and filled with sadness from within; and in spite of their tender and witty appearance, they have suffered abundantly. Their features seem ordinary, but as far as possible, they seek to make their design look supportive. Character design for the villain, antihero, and hero also manifests in other dimensions such as set design, background music, camera angle, accessory, costume design, and values. And they prefer to portray these characters in such a picture that makes them entirely believable, historically, geographically, and in terms of behaviorism. On the other hand, due to the evolution of character development in recent years, fate and circumstances have been added to these characters. In Coco and Dolphin Boy, stereotypes have followed the same patterns. While Coco's animation seeks a more up-to-date regulation and standard for the characters, Dolphin Boy is somehow traditional. Both heroes of these animations are innocent, brave, and jolly kids; while the main villains, Delacruz and the Strange Old Man, are both secretive and scheming villains. However, in the Dolphin Boy, Octopus presents another villain who is a bully and downright . In conclusion, contemporary villains often remain hidden, sometimes even adopting a friendly façade, so that their true nature is revealed to the audience only in the final moments, perhaps functioning as a cautionary signal for today’s viewer in confronting the technology-based virtual world.