Shades of Gray

Gabriel Gray, a fictional character in the popular television series ‘Heroes’, is a psychopathic serial killer with a thirst for abilities, who operates under the assumed name of ‘Sylar’. He was born to an alcoholic father and a mother who was killed when he was a child by her own husband. His father did not want him, and as a consequence, Gabriel was carelessly sold to his father’s brother, a cold, aloof watchmaker, who was unable to have children with his wife. He left the family unit soon after, leaving Gabriel alone with his adoring surrogate mother. He grew up being told constantly that he could be special, that he could be anything he wanted. But, alas, the watchmaker’s son became a watchmaker, and he was soon swallowed by the mediocrity of his life.

However, all that changed when a geneticist named Chandra Suresh strolled into his life and dropped a bombshell which would change everything forever: Gabriel was, indeed, special. It was that visit which allowed him to realise his full potential – he had intuitive aptitude, meaning he could understand how anything in the world worked with just a single touch. However, his gift was also a curse; as well as an understanding of how things work, he also developed a hunger to understand that which he did not. Coupled with his unyielding desire to be special, this meant he was driven to kill people who also had abilities, so he could gain theirs and become the ultimate hero.

Not very admirable, is it? However Sylar, as he is now known, is far from the evil, twisted character some might think of him as. Had he not been informed as to his power, had he not been manipulated into gaining more abilities by those who wished to use him for their own dark purposes, then he would have undoubtedly remained a respectable, well-to-do citizen.

Sylar has performed countless selfless acts, such as when he killed a man who was trying to destroy the world so Peter Petrelli, a morally ‘good’ character would not have to. He has helped save the world on numerous occasions, for example in the most recent series when he reverted from what he had become and attempted to find some goodness in his life by recanting his abilities and trying to be normal again. This will undoubtedly be short-lived, as he has had several bouts of goodness in the past, but it is notable that he has the capacity for good as well as evil, just like everybody else. He is inherently flawed, perhaps more than some, but that certainly does not make him evil, just easier to identify with than traditional ‘good’ superheroes such as Superman or Wonder Woman. He is a morally grey character, but it is his embodiment of both good and evil that makes him such a fascinating and inspiring character.

Despite all this, it is undeniable that he has performed countless atrocious acts, such as murdering scores of innocent people, including his own mother and the woman he loved. However, in a way, this also makes him admirable. He is a true anti-hero: powerful, strong and not afraid to take what he wants, by force if necessary. He epitomises the phrase, ‘survival of the fittest’; he takes power from those who are not as strong as him, eliminating the weakest links. This is similar to what happens in the natural world, by way of natural selection since, canonically speaking, having an ability is a genetic mutation. Nature is brutal and nature kills, and so does Sylar.

It should be noted that he rarely kills people without abilities, which is similar to animals that only kill when they need to eat. It has been alluded to that he eats his victim’s brain to gain their power, and though it is more than likely not true, it only furthers the comparison. He is quite animalistic in that he follows his desires without thought for the outcome; however, he is also intrinsically human. At heart, he’s just a frightened, lonely boy trying to be special, seeking self-actualisation through the abilities he gains, which never seem to satiate his thirst. He is quite a tortured character, and at one point suffered greatly with his guilt over murdering his adoptive mother, but he never becomes irritating or whiny due to his dry humour and often-exercised wit.

Sylar may not be the pillar of society, but his strength of will, sheer determination and pure likeability despite everything make him someone I will always admire and think of as a true hero.