Punisher exist in a gray area that challenges both readers and traditional storytelling norms. So, when celebrated fantasy author Brandon Sanderson recently claimed that Marvel had forgotten what an antihero is, he couldn't have been more off-base.

Sanderson’s view, expressed in a YouTube short, oversimplifies the archetype by reducing it to mere violence, but what makes a character "anti-heroic" is the intent behind their actions. In truth, Marvel’s antiheroes remain some of pop culture's most morally complex figures, with the Punisher as perhaps the most potent example.

For decades, many have considered Frank Castle to be one of the most brutal examples of an anti-hero, Sanderson goes as far as to call him "a hero." However, plenty of examples in Castle's history not only prove Sanderson wrong, but define Punisher as far from heroic at all.

Brandon Sanderson's View On The Punisher's Antihero Status, Explained

Sanderson Catagorizes Frank Castle As A "Hero"

Brandon Sanderson, best known for his richly detailed fantasy worlds, recently sparked debate by suggesting that the Punisher is no longer an antihero but “just a hero at this point.” In the YouTube Short, he argued that characters like the Punisher and Venom are driven by heroic motivations wrapped in a violent exterior. According to Sanderson, if someone is doing good, even brutally, they're still a hero, not an antihero, a bold take, but one that betrays a surface-level understanding of what an anti-hero is.

Sanderson misses that violence isn’t the core issue regarding being an antihero. Violence can be used as a more pragmatic solution to typical heroes' altruism, but his argument to define specific characters as "antiheroes" fails in reverse. Characters like Superman and Wolverine can be just as brutal and violent, yet no one labels them as antiheroes. Even the broadly understood concept of what an antihero is clearly isn't exclusively linked to the brutality of their confrontations, but rather the purpose behind them.

What Defines An Antihero Is More Complicated Than Sanderson Makes It Out To Be

Marvel's Anti-Heroicism, Explained

Antiheroes are not just heroes who use violence. They are characters designed to challenge traditional ideas of heroism. They often lack qualities like morality, idealism, or popularity and serve as critiques of the world around them. Antiheroes show that being a hero can get in the way of doing what's right and choose to pursue what's right regardless of whether a traditional hero would do the same. They perfectly exemplify the complex morality of the real world outside the pages of comic books.

Sanderson’s argument that antiheroes are still good at heart, just more extreme, overlooks what makes them compelling; antiheroes are not defined by their brutality alone, but by their willingness to act outside traditional moral boundaries. This is distinct from villains who happen to be the protagonist, like Walter White, who make choices driven by personal motives rather than a commitment to the greater good. In comics, antiheroes like Venom or Spawn are not just edgy heroes. They are conflicted, damaged figures who force readers to question what justice and morality actually mean.

Marvel Fans Know Frank Castle Isn't Even An Antihero

Punisher Is A Villan Who Is Convinced He's A Hero

If there’s any story that dismantles Sanderson’s argument, it’s Punisher MAX: The Slavers by Garth Ennis. In this unrelenting arc, Frank Castle crosses a line that no traditional hero or even antihero would consider; he doesn’t just eliminate threats, he's a straight-up sadist. One particularly disturbing scene involves him repeatedly smashing a woman’s head against bulletproof glass, not out of justice but pure rage. The moment serves no tactical purpose. It’s not about protecting others or stopping evil. It's one of the most awful things Punisher has done, and entirely disconnected from any notion of heroism.

In Punisher: The End, Castle goes even further. Faced with the extinction of the human race, he kills the last survivors. He does so not because it will save anyone, but because he believes they deserve it. That’s not heroic, or even anti-heroic. It’s nihilism. He doesn’t care about saving the world, and he never did. While people like to describe the Punisher as a vigilante, in truth, he's really just a sadistic murderer with an ego big enough to convince him he's justified.

Anti-Heroism Is More Complicated Than Just A Matter Of How; It Is About "Why"

Antiheroes Are Measured By Moral Weight

Just because a character’s name is in the title doesn’t make them an antihero. If that were true, Ghostface from Scream would qualify. Being the focal point of a story doesn’t automatically place a character in the heroic spectrum. Antiheroes must, by definition, act against traditional morality while still pursuing a personal, often conflicted goal. The brutality in which those goals are pursued doesn't qualify nor disqualify one from being an anti-hero. It's never been about how they act, but rather why they do so.

Characters like Wolverine, Daredevil, or even Deadpool, define themselves as anti-heroes by committing untraditional acts of heroism, while Frank Castle's actions are driven by impulses far from heroic.

What defines an anti-hero is whether they can act heroically outside of traditional norms. Without it, they're nothing more than a villain in the spotlight. Frank Castle lacks that internal struggle. Characters like Wolverine, Daredevil, or even Deadpool, define themselves as anti-heroes by committing untraditional acts of heroism, while Frank Castle's actions are driven by impulses far from heroic. He's a mass murderer masquerading as a hero to disguise his mission; if anything, this makes him an anti-villain, which is what makes Sanderson's assessment of Marvel's Punisher so flawed.

Punisher MAX: The Slavers and Punisher: The End, are available now wherever comics are sold from Marvel Comics.

Source: Brandon Sanderson, YouTube