10) Hank Moody (Played by David Duchovny) - Californication
This may be a controversial pick, but in my opinion Hank Moody is a perfect example of a civic antihero. He’s not a killer, or a cop, or a gangster, but he goes against everything that our society stands for morally. Hank is a playboy sexaholic that uses his uncanny ability for seducing women to his own advantage, even if it may hurt those dearest to him. While many people see Hank as a straight up dick (not a dirty pun), it’s hard not to feel some sympathy for the grizzled playboy, which is why he takes the number 10 spot on the list.

9) Jack Bauer (Played by Kiefer Sutherland) - 24
Jack Bauer is the one and only star of Fox’s 8 year life support, 24. Bauer would have been in the top 5 of this list at his prime, but 8 years of fighting terrorism the exact same way has demoted him to number 9, sorry Kiefer. Seriously, who names their kid Kiefer? Donald must have been smoking some of that left over grass from Animal House when he thought of that baby name. Anyway, it goes without saying that Jack Bauer is a great television antihero, even though Fox has built up his bad boy personality enough: “Federal Agent Jack Bauer can't afford to always play by the rules”. Every time I see that on IMDb I laugh my ass off.

8) Raylan Givens (Played by Timothy Olyphant) - Justified
Even though he is probably the most “heroic” out of everyone on the list, Raylan does many controversial things that constantly catch both the attention of IA and antihero lovers everywhere.  Raylan seems to have a moral code not found in many of the people on this list; however he still uses unorthodox methods to get what he wants. This modern cowboy’s tendency to step outside the usual methods of a law enforcement officer puts him at number 8 on our list.

7) Enoch “Nucky” Thompson (Played by Steve Buscemi ) – Boardwalk Empire
Charming, magnetic, intelligent: on the surface, Nucky would appear to be one of the best political leaders our country had ever seen. However, once you dig deeper into his personality and take into account the period he lives in, it quickly becomes apparent that Nucky is absolutely corrupt. I always say that one of the best kinds of an antihero is one that is given power by our society, and uses this power for his own personal gain. This is certainly true for Nucky; his political influence amplified by the fact that controls a huge portion of the illegal liquor trade make him one of the most fun antiheros to watch regularly.

6) Detective Vic Mackey (Played by Michael Chiklis) – The Shield
Mackey’s Machiavellian personality and tendency to break the very laws he has sworn to uphold makes him one of the most exciting and interesting antiheroes television has to offer. Mackey is the perfect example of a corrupt cop: he uses his own personal power to squeeze every cent he can out of his job. However, what makes Vic so fun to watch isn’t the fact that he uses excessive force, or steps outside the usually moral standards of a public servant. What makes Vic so fun to watch is our ability to sympathize with his situation, as morally ambiguous as it may be. We can connect with Vic and his dilemma to support his demanding family on a cop salary, so we find ourselves thinking of him as a hero despite his villainous tendencies: a perfect example of an antihero.

5) Tony Soprano (Played by James Gandolfini) – The Sopranos
If seasons five and six of The Sopranos didn’t exist, Tony would be a lot higher on this list. However they do, yet I still feel obligated to explain why Tony is at number five and not two or three. The last few seasons of The Sopranos took away Tony’s relatable human qualities by making him pretty much a dick, which took away any sympathy we might have had towards his character. Tony is in that special group of tremendous antiheroes/villains: the mafia. I can never really think of the mob as villains, because many of my favorite movies are gangster movies, and many of my favorite historical figures are mafia-related (for example, when watching The Untouchables I always root for De Niro’s Al Capone instead of the hero, Elliot Ness). Nonetheless, Tony’s Mafioso upbringing and sheer badassness easily plant him on this list.

4) Ryan O’Reily (Played by Dean Winters) – Oz
Hell yeah Allstate! I can’t believe that the actor that portrayed one of the greatest antiheroes of all time in one of the best television series to ever exist is now playing Mayhem in Allstate commercials and guest starring on NBC comedies. Anyway, Ryan O’Reily is easily one of the greatest antiheroes of all time. He schemes, he cheats, he kills, he manipulates, he murders: it seems that there is no limitations to O’Reily’s self-preserving actions. The thing that makes O’Reily such is a great antihero is the environment with which he is placed, and how he acts in this environment. While other inmates instantly resolve to blatant violence to achieve their goals, O’Reily meticulously plans his operations, and the end result is usually more effective and much more enjoyable. O’Reily’s cool, collected tactics in place of almost absolute criminal insanity lands him at the number 4 spot on our list.

3) Omar Little (Played Michael Kenneth Williams) – The Wire
The shotgun wielding, “Farmer in the Dell” whistling, Newport cigarette smoking stick-up man Omar Little is easily one of the greatest antiheroes of all time. Omar plays by his own rules, living “one day at a time”, while robbing and killing many drug dealers in the process. Omar is the Baltimore neighborhood Robin Hood, except everyone, and I mean everyone, knows not to mess with Omar. In spite of all this, Omar actually has a decently strict moral code, which includes not robbing or harming anyone that’s not involved in “the game”. Omar’s intelligent scheming mixed with his ability to instill terror in the hearts of his enemies easily plants him in the category for the greatest antiheroes of all time.

2) Walter White (Played by Bryan Cranston) – Breaking Bad
Walter White, better known by his associates as “Heisenberg”, is a meth making high school chemistry teacher that has revolutionized his criminal line of work. Walter is a desperate man riddled by cancer and the realization of his former mundane life.  Some people might wonder why I have Walter at number 2 on the list, while hardcore badass antiheroes like Vic Mackey and Tony Soprano trail behind him. The main factor that makes Walter such a good antihero is his normalcy. I know I talk about this a lot, but Walter is the perfect embodiment of just a regular, everyday guy that had made an enlightening self-realization that leads to his mental “breaking bad”. Walter is just a common man who has made use of a certain skill set that was not properly utilized in his old job position.

1) Dexter Morgan (Played by Michael C. Hall) – Dexter
Of course, leading the way at #1 is America’s favorite serial killer: Dexter Morgan. A blood splatter analyst by day and a serial killer by night, Dexter uses his unique “gift” to prey on the criminals who have beaten the system.  The thing that makes Dexter such a great antihero is the fact that we, as viewers, completely buy into his vigilante hunt. After following Dexter for six seasons now, I often find myself strangely satisfied when Dexter has killed another scoundrel of our society. Dexter has a memorizing effect on his viewers, as we actually root for him to hunt down and kill people in the show, even if these killings include cover-ups for previous mistakes he has made. Everyone that watches Dexter shares a strange sense of compassion and respect for the character of Dexter, which is why, in my opinion, he is the greatest television antihero of all time.