Complicated/Conflicted Characters

So, I've talked about Villains and Heroes already. No, I' not going to go through every single type of character I can think of. Actually, I wasn't going to do any more with that little 'series'. But then I thought of another kind of character that I really need to mention. It's very possibly my favorite.

I would call them 'Antiheroes'. The dictionary defines an 'antihero' as "a central character in a story, movie, or drama who lacks conventional heroic attributes." However, that description doesn't quite fit some of the ones I'm thinking of. So instead I'll call them 'complicated (or conflicted) characters'.

Now, in my opinion and experience, there seem to be two categories of these characters. First, there are the ones that more closely fit the description of an antihero. These characters are the ones that you seriously feel like you should hate and yet for some reason you just... can't. They're too interesting and have something good that intrigues you and makes you want to like them even if it defies logic. I would say they're more on the 'complicated' side of the spectrum. Here are a few examples I thought of:

Severus Snape, from Harry Potter. I know, I also used him as an example for a villain, but he really fits this category better. Throughout the first six books (and most of the seventh), he's rather despicable. But there are still those moments when you find out something wasn't what you thought. It's so obvious that there's more to him than first 'glance' will tell that he's intriguing even though you don't want to like him. And of course there's the one chapter in book seven that changes just about everything... (but I don't willingly give out spoilers, especially big ones *nodnod*) (By the way, many other 'relatable villains' come very close to this category too, but not quite like Snape.)

Mrs. Thornton, from North and South (both book and movie). I'm not sure I can explain how much I like this character. It seems bizarre that I would like her, of all people, but I think it goes back to what I said before. At first she doesn't really seem likable, but as you learn more about her and 'see her in action' it makes her incredibly interesting. Hopefully this example makes sense, because I really don't want to give anything away to people who aren't familiar with this story (it's just so good!)... but I would LOVE to talk more about it if anyone wants! :D

Ok, the second category. I'll say they're more to the 'conflicted' side, to keep things simple. They tend to be with the 'good guys' more clearly than the first type, and yet they have something so unusually interesting about them (at least to me). Often, they have complicated and rather sad backstories (both categories do, now that I think about it), and the influence these backstories have on them and their actions contributes a large part to their 'interestingness'. The reason I call them 'conflicted' is because they seem to be reluctant in a large, important, somewhat mysterious area. I'm not explaining this very well at all, so let's see if some examples help:

Elrond Half-Elven, from The Lord of the Rings. He's an elf, and he really has no desire to be thrown into conflicts other races are dealing with, but he's wise enough to know they (the conflicts) will impact him too, whether or not he gets involved. In the movies, they also put more emphasis (than the books) on his dealings with his daughter, Arwen. Because she loves a mortal man and [MILD SPOILER] decides to become mortal to be with him, Elrond is faced with being separated from his only daughter forever. It's kind of a big deal. When you know his history, you feel for him all the more. (Just for an idea of what I'm talking about, his parents "left" [it's complicated] when he was around 20 [I think]. Elrond and his brother, being half elf, half man, were allowed to choose for themselves whether they would be mortal or immortal. Elrond chose the life of the elves, and his brother chose men. So there's another separation. Also, Elrond's wife was seriously injured [sometime before LotR--not sure exactly] and left Middle-Earth too. It's very sad. This was longer than I expected, sorry.)

Peet the Sock Man[SPOILER ALERT]a.k.a. Artham Wingfeather[END SPOILER ALERT], from the Wingfeather Saga. He practically encapsulates the word conflicted. Obviously, he cares about the Igiby children, yet he forces himself to stay away from them. As you move along in the series, you (again) learn more about him and he becomes even more interesting. I can't say much more without giving a lot away, so I'll just leave it at that. (I'm not going to give you his backstory. I know you won't go look for all the interesting details of Elrond's, but you really must read the Wingfeather Saga.)

Like I said before, the 'complicated (or conflicted)' characters are some of my favorites. I think part of it is that they tend to be minor characters (or at least not the main character) so there is more opportunity to show an 'equal balance' of good and bad. It's not always equal, of course. But heroes need good that outweighs the bad, and villains need bad that outweighs the good. You know what I mean? That isn't essential to these characters, so they can be even more relatable than good heroes and villains. We all have struggles, but I don't think we often 'feel' like we're on one side or the other. Also, when we see a 'complicated' characters actions, and then compare them with, or see how they flow from, that character's history, we often pity them, and then admire them, for doing something 'heroic' despite what they've gone through.

So, who are some of your favorite 'complicated (or conflicted)' characters? Why?