There are few characters that have sparked as many online debates as whether Watchmen's iconic character Rorschach is a hero or a villain. Since the lauded series' publication, fans have gone back and forth arguing about whether Walter Kovacs is the series' only hero or just another man in a mask.

much attention as Rorschach, and it's high time to do a deep dive into the hero vs. villain debate and see what side of the scale the vigilante actually falls on.

Why Rorschach is Seen as a Hero

"Not Even in the Face of Armageddon. Never Compromise."

It's understandable why some readers view Rorschach as a hero. After all, he's the very first masked adventurer introduced in Watchmen #1. By the time the story starts, the Keene Act has outlawed all vigilantes who weren’t working directly for the government, yet Rorschach is still continuing to patrol the streets of New York City. He’s also the first of the Crimebusters who are still left to begin digging into the mysterious death of the Comedian. He also informs his former teammates, warning them someone could be gunning for costumed crime-fighters.

...Rorschach is a damaged individual who has nothing to live for except for vigilantism.

Out of all the characters in Watchmen, readers see Rorschach doing the most ‘traditional’ crime fighting. He digs into as much of the Comedian’s past as he can, and he interrogates one of the team’s old enemies, Moloch. He’s also seen stopping street crimes, such as an attempted assault. His most cited example of heroism, however, comes in Watchmen #12, when Rorschach refuses to go along with Ozymandias’ lie and attempts to tell the world that Veidt was responsible for the attack on New York. Rorschach was even willing to die rather than go along with a lie rooted in genocide.

It’s clear throughout the story that Rorschach is a damaged individual who has nothing to live for except for vigilantism. While he’s definitely not someone to be emulated, there is something to be said about his determination to do the right thing. Rorschach’s black and white worldview doesn’t leave much in the way of nuance, but he's doing something to make the world better, even if it doesn't necessarily come from an altruistic place. Given his complicated role in the story, it’s easy to see how some see Rorschach as a heroic figure.

Why Rorschach is Seen as a Villain

"...And I'll Look Down and Whisper "No."

For all the cool fight scenes and flowery monologues Rorschach delivers throughout the series, the guy has a lot of moments that really showcase just how non-heroic he is. Yes, Rorschach does keep fighting the good fight long after the Keene Act outlawed his profession. But he’s not fighting out of some sense of altruism. Rorschach fundamentally hates humanity and that hatred is one of the few things driving him. He doesn’t want to protect, Rorschach is largely looking for people to take his anger out on.

...other horrid writings that spell out Rorschach's misogynistic, homophobic, and reactionary worldview.

Thanks to Rorschach’s journal, fans get a good (if not uncomfortable look) into Walter Kovacs’ mind. Almost every one of his thoughts paints the portrait of a disturbed, paranoid, and even delusional mind. Yes, Rorschach is right that there is a conspiracy going on, but the leaps and bounds he makes in his mind to justify his actions are quite literally crazy talk. And that’s not even getting into the other horrid writings that spell out Rorschach's misogynistic, homophobic, and reactionary worldview.

And for what it’s worth, Watchmen writer Alan Moore has expressed numerous times how much he dislikes the Rorschach character’s fandom and has bluntly stated the character is not heroic. What else needs to be said other than the story’s writer definitively saying that a violent psychopath like Rorschach isn’t meant to be seen as cool or venerated as a heroic figure? And yet, years after the story concluded, Rorschach still manages to gain fans among readers who see him as more of a hero than as a villain.

Rorschach is Just One Part of a Larger Argument

He's Not a Hero, But Neither Are His Comrades

It’s really hard to call Rorschach a hero. But the thing about Watchmen is that none of the superheroes presented in this story are particularly heroic. The Comedian is a nihilistic monster, Nite Owl is attracted to the power he gains as a superhero, and Ozymandias sees himself as the only man capable of saving the world by murdering millions of people through a false-flag attack. Watchmen serves as a critique of the superhero concept, and truthfully, none of its heroes are meant to be emulated.

Rorschach’s black and white absolutism is always going to have an appeal to humanity’s lizard brain thinking.

So why is it that Rorschach, out of all the heroes in Watchmen, is so well-regarded? Likely for the same reason that other fans like anti-heroes like the Punisher. For many, there’s something engaging about watching a hero stay steadfast in their beliefs, no matter what the world says or thinks. Rorschach stands firm as society tells him ‘no’, whether it's the Keene Act outlawing his vigilantism or his peers telling him to compromise for a better world. Rorschach’s black and white absolutism is always going to have an appeal to humanity’s lizard brain thinking.

But as much as he appeals to a specific audience, Rorschach’s role in the story is to highlight the series’ overall argument, that no heroes are fundamentally good people. Even someone who seems to fight to the bitter end isn’t doing so in the name of genuine heroism, but to satiate his own twisted desires to punish. No, Rorschach isn’t a hero in the way that most would agree a hero is supposed to be. Does he have moments that resonate with readers? Sure. But Watchmen’s Rorschach is far too warped and stifled to ever truly be considered a hero.