7 Good Guy Movie Characters Who Could Have Easily Been Bad Guys

Travis Bickle – Taxi Driver

Travis will surely be the entry here under the most debate. You’re probably thinking, “how on Earth is Travis Bickle, the creepy crawly taxi driver, a good guy?” Travis (Robert De Niro) is like Rambo, a disturbed Vietnam Vet who, once he comes back to the real world, isn’t sure how to proceed, how to live a regular life. He gets a job as a taxi driver to deal with his insomnia, only to find himself sinking deeper into paranoia and depression as he experiences failed romantic conquests and the rampant crime that plagues New York City. But it’s a chance encounter with a teen prostitute (Jodie Foster) that ignites his violent actions.

The part of Travis that gets him on this list is his misconceived notion that what he’s doing is right. He does kill a pimp (Harvey Keitel), but he honestly believes that he’s helping the young girl, the girl who he believes can be saved from the city’s damning corruption. Like Batman, Travis has good intentions which are shadowed by his lack of regard for society and its standards.  Travis is an outcast.

However, as noble as saving the young Iris is, the question of whether or not Travis is a hero or villain can be answered by the important event that happens just before the film’s horrific conclusion: the attempted assassination of Presidential Candidate Charles Palantine. Did I forget to mention that that little love interest (Cybill Shepherd) of Travis’ works for Palantine?

Had Travis only gone after the pimp, the debate would be rather one-sided: he’d be the hero we see in the newspaper clippings after the shootout. But because he tries to murder the man who reminds him of his ex-lover, Travis’ killings are interpreted as an outcry of rage towards the world that keeps rejecting him, as opposed to a principled attempt at heroism.