Perhaps 'The Tragic Hero' of Mahabharatha was Karnan.
Karnan was the eldest of Kunthis children, born to her when she was unmarried. Fearing social stigma, she abandons him to be brought up by a lowly Charioter.
He was the greatest Archer of his time, barring none including Arjuna. But he had to always face the stigma of being a Suta-putra (Sutas were lowest in the caste, hence the discrimination) till Duryodhanan takes him under the wings and makes him a King.
Karnan, to his greatness, never forgot this. He was loyal to Duryodhanan till his death. He was insulted and cursed by everyone -his guru Parasurama, the guru of Pandavas Dronar, the paternal figure of Bhishma at the begining of the Kurukshetra war. No wonder it left such a bitterness in him.
But Karnan had great qualities. Archer supreme, loyal friend and above all the guy who made Charity his other name. No one came to Karnan, returned with an empty hand. Not even Lord Indra, who tricked him into offering him his invincible Kavacham and Kundalam, that would have saved his life in the Kurukshetra.
Karnan put loyalty to his friend above even the Crown of Hastinapuram. Kunthi met him before the Kurukshetra and told him the truth of his birth. Karnan, by right, was the eldest of the Pandavas, and thus the rightful heir of the throne, should Pandavas win. But Karnan refused Kunthis offer and opted to be with Duryodhana, who had embraced him when he was a nobody. He also gave word to his mother that he will not kill any sons of hers than Arjuna in the battlefield. He had the opportunity to kill all of them at different time, but he kept his word and let them go. But Pandavas never reciprocated his gesture. They killed him when his chariot had sunk in the battlefield and he was helpless, which was against the dharma.
Karnan was vilified because he was in the company of the evil. But good and evil are subjective, as are right and wrong. There is a Karnan in all of us. We are forced in our lives to make choices, unpleasant though they may be. Karnan, to my mind, made the right choices as per his conscience. That is why, despite his drawbacks, his greatness is never diminished. A man who overcame his lowly upbringingness, a man who used his skills to the maximum, a man who upheld the virtues of giving alms and loyalty to those who stood by him, a man who sacrificed the Kingdom for his value system - Karnans positive sides are worthy of emulating
