<![CDATA[Purpose: This study analyzes how Arthur Fleck is portrayed as an anti-hero in Todd Phillips's Joker (2019) by clarifying the conceptual distinction between an anti-hero, a villain, a protagonist, and a psychologically vulnerable character. Research Method: A qualitative research design was employed using textual and visual analysis. Data were collected from selected scenes and dialogues through repeated viewing, qualitative coding based on Abrams' (1999) anti-hero framework, and close analysis of cinematography, mise-en-scène, framing, lighting, sound, editing, and characterization. Results and Discussion: The findings reveal that Arthur Fleck is represented as a morally ambiguous anti-hero whose characterization is primarily reflected through three dominant traits: fragility, ineffectuality, and loneliness. These characteristics become anti-heroic through their interaction with Arthur's moral choices, narrative centrality, and audiovisual representation rather than through psychological vulnerability alone. Implications: The study offers a clearer framework for analyzing anti-heroes in contemporary cinema. Originality: It integrates Abrams' anti-hero theory with systematic textual and visual analysis, extending previous studies that primarily emphasized plot or psychological interpretation.]]>
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