Protagonist

A protagonist (from Ancient Greek πρωταγωνιστής prōtagōnistḗs 'one who plays the first part, chief actor')[1][2][3] is the main character of a story.

The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles.

The term protagonist comes from Ancient Greek πρωταγωνιστής (prōtagōnistḗs) 'actor who plays the chief or first part', combined of πρῶτος (prôtos, 'first') and ἀγωνιστής (agōnistḗs, 'actor, competitor'), which stems from ἀγών (agṓn, 'contest') via ἀγωνίζομαι (agōnízomai, 'I contend for a prize').

Then in Poetics, Aristotle describes how a poet named Thespis introduced the idea of one actor stepping out and engaging in a dialogue with the chorus.

[12] In Ancient Greece, the protagonist is distinguished from the term "hero", which was used to refer to a human who became a semi-divine being in the narrative.

[10] In literary terms, a hero (masculine) or heroine (feminine) protagonist is typically admired for their achievements and noble qualities.

[13] Heroes are lauded for their strength, courage, virtuousness, and honor, and are considered to be the "good guys" of the narrative.

[14] Examples include DC Comics' Superman (hero) and Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games (heroine).

An antihero (sometimes spelled as anti-hero) or antiheroine is a main character in a story who lacks conventional heroic qualities and attributes such as idealism, courage, and morality.

Alexander Solzhenitsyn's The First Circle, for example, depicts a variety of characters imprisoned and living in a gulag camp.