BYUH students and alumnae say they are drawn to moral ambiguity in films because it’s the true reflection of the human experience
Although storytelling once thrived on clear black-and-white distinctions—good versus evil, hero versus villain, heaven versus hell—two BYU–Hawaii students and an alumnae say today’s narratives are seeing the rise of a concept that emerges from the shadows of these dichotomies: the morally grey character. “It’s the character that brings humanity to the story because committing mistakes makes us human. At the end of the day, we’re all morally grey characters,” said Jared Wong, a junior from Malaysia studying computer science and intercultural peacebuilding.
Morality, according to The Ghostwriting Services, is a nuanced and often subjective concept shaped by varied perspectives across individuals and cultures. This complexity, the website says, is now often portrayed in works of fiction through characters who are neither entirely good nor bad. “Instead, they occupy a space in between, with shades of both light and darkness,” it states. This morally ambiguous character, the website continues, urges audiences to face the complexities of the human experience.
Heroes do not wear halos
Prince Zuko from “Avatar: The Last Airbender”; Cassian Andor and Han Solo from “Star Wars”; Severus Snape from “Harry Potter”; and Chris Gardner from “The Pursuit of Happyness”—these are just some of the characters who are beloved not for their perfection, but for their humanity, said Wong, Hazel Bird and Jared Kumar. “I think the world is complicated. So these characters are portraying more of what the world is, instead of trying to create another reality,” shared Bird, a political science graduate from Hauula.
Heroes wear white, villains wear black and good always triumphs in the end—this version of reality, for Bird, feels outdated and simplistic. Instead, she said she finds herself drawn to characters that blur the line between right and wrong, reflecting a world that cannot be neatly boxed into good or evil. One example she noted is her love for Cassian Andor from “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.” “At first it didn’t seem like he was fighting for the greater good,” she said. “He was doing it for himself, and he didn’t care who he hurt along the way.”
These characters are portraying more of what the world is, instead of trying to create another reality.
That level of honesty was something Bird said she considered refreshing, especially in a franchise built on tales of light versus dark. “He’s just very calculated and he’s not trying to spare anyone’s feelings, which I think is so cool to see. It’s reality, you know?” she expressed. Andor is a survivor, a spy and a fighter whose story is marked by loss and hardship, and Bird said he didn’t have to be a hero for everyone—he just had to be a hero for himself.
Bird’s inclination for morally complex characters is a feeling echoed by others. For Jared Kumar, a junior from Fiji studying health and human science, Chris Gardner from “The Pursuit of Happyness” left a lasting mark. “When I was young, I really didn’t understand much about it,” he expressed. “But watching it again as a teen, I saw what it was really about.”
Although Kumar admired Gardner’s struggle to survive and succeed in the face of adversity, he said he eventually learned to recognize the character’s choices that others may consider morally questionable: lying, running from a cab fare and hiding the truth to maintain dignity. This character, Kumar said, challenged his binary thinking—Gardner is not a saint, but he is not irredeemable either. “Everybody has their own way of handling things. We cannot be quick to judge. We need to understand their point of view,” Kumar stated.
For Kumar, Gardner’s morally complex decisions did not make him a less inspiring figure. “In his circumstance, it makes sense. He’s doing what he has to do to survive. That’s real life,” Kumar explained.
In the same vein, Wong said morally grey characters are not only compelling—they’re relatable. “I think we gravitate towards them because we see ourselves in them,” he expressed. Citing Prince Zuko, the exiled prince from “Avatar: The Last Airbender,” he said morally complex characters are often both driven and shackled by their circumstances and the principles they hold dear. “He’s always in conflict with himself,” he explained. “That’s what makes a character human.”
Zuko, according to Wong, begins the show as a villain, hunting the Avatar to regain his honor. Eventually, Wong continued, Zuko experiences one of the most celebrated redemption arcs in modern animation—a story he said he deeply resonates with. “We also aren’t amazing people; yet we’re not terrible at the same time. We’re all in between. So that’s why we root for them,” he shared. This humanity, he said, explains the popularity of morally grey characters.
I think we gravitate towards them because we see ourselves in them.
Breaking the mold
Bird said she believes the rise of morally ambiguous characters is shaped by a broad cultural shift. “Movies from back in the day were very cut and dried,” she said. “But now, it’s more complex. I think it’s more progressive and realistic.” Citing a scene in the recent Superman film where Lois Lane confronts Clark Kent about doing the right thing for the wrong reasons, Bird said today’s films have grown better at challenging traditional ideas of heroism.
“I think anyone can do heroic acts,” Bird said, “but that doesn’t make them a hero. A hero is passionate, driven and optimistic.” She contrasted characters like Star Wars’ Luke Skywalker, whom she considers a true hero, with others like Han Solo, who “did heroic things” but is not a hero in her eyes.
On the contrary, Kumar said everybody is a hero of their own story. “Even if they did something awful, they’re still a hero in their own eyes. It’s about perspective,” he explained.
This grey area, Wong stressed, is precisely what keeps people hooked, the uncertainty putting them on the edge of their seats. In contrast, he said clear-cut heroism or villainy is too simple and predictable. “Watching a hero’s straightforward journey is fun, but not knowing what the character is going to do next is more interesting,” he expressed.
Ultimately, what unites their views is the acknowledgment that morality is complicated. For Bird, inspiration is not found only in characters who always do what’s right, but also in those who stumble and wrestle with difficult choices. Understanding their complex behavior, she continued, rewards her with something comforting: permission to be flawed. “It’s relieving. You don’t have to feel guilty for not always doing the right thing,” she expressed.
Morally grey characters
Prince Zuko
Prince Zuko is a fictional character in Nickelodeon’s animated television series “Avatar: The Last Airbender.” According to Avatar Wiki, he was a Fire Nation royal and a firebending master who was originally the primary enemy of Team Avatar. He is not a traditional villain, says Randomosity in a Wordpress article. Instead, he is an antihero—a main character lacking conventional heroic attributes. The complexity of his character is shaped by a tragic past: a terrible upbringing and a scar from his father. Eventually, says Katie Hwang on Scene + Heard, Zuko “strives for improvement from a bad place.”
Cassian Andor
“Cassian kills many people out of necessity but he is fighting against tyranny,” writes John Swihart on Medium. Cassian Andor, a prominent character from “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” was an accomplished spy and assassin—a human male operative of the Alliance to Restore the Republic who was remembered as a hero after his sacrifice to secure the Galactic Empire’s Death Star plans. According to the Superneox website, Andor is willing to compromise ethics for the greater good. His actions, the website continues, can be described as morally questionable yet emotionally justifiable.
Chris Gardner
“The Pursuit of Happyness” is a 2006 American biographical film about Chris Gardner, a homeless salesman. According to The Quota, Gardner is “a self-made salesman-turned-stockbroker-turned-philanthropist who went through untold hard times before finally scraping his way to success.” Despite his overall positive portrayal, he also had to make questionable choices in moments of desperation. For instance, he gets into a taxi without the means to pay and makes a run for it, and lies to save face in front of his colleagues and clients.