This thematic thread considers the figure of the anti-hero/anti-heroine and the lens of anti-heroism, and proposes a heuristic reformulation, the anti-hero*ine, to grasp more acutely the complexities and ambiguities in the interplay of power, agency and morality in relation to contemporary struggles for justice, rights, and social change. Pursuing this line of inquiry also allows us to reflect on and celebrate the work and scholarship of our friend, colleague and mentor, Jane Cowan.