Post History
I think the question is a bit opinion based; and it depends on how evil the evil guy is. Is he just shoplifting once in a while, or getting into bar fights and breaking a finger or nose for the fun...
Answer
#4: Attribution notice removed
Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/29958 License name: CC BY-SA 3.0 License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
#3: Attribution notice added
Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/29958 License name: CC BY-SA 3.0 License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
#2: Initial revision
I think the question is a bit opinion based; and it depends on how evil the evil guy is. Is he just shoplifting once in a while, or getting into bar fights and breaking a finger or nose for the fun of it, or is he still in the business of kidnapping children and selling their transplantable organs? (but trying to quit.) An Anti-Hero can be likable and even enjoyed MORE than a relentlessly good protagonist: But you have to ensure that the reader sees that, on balance, the good they do is far outweighing any evil they do and that trend should seem permanent and reliable. For an old example, see Dirty Harry; a more modern version is perhaps Dexter.