Regarding the methods and tactics of anti-heroes...

Alright, here's the thing...

In comic books and graphic novels, especially in the ones created and published by either DC Comics or Marvel Comics, whenever it comes to the motivations of costumed, super-powered super-heroes, it usually falls into a few categories based on just a few types of characters.

Examples of these archetypes are...

1. Professional adventurers (or adventuresses if the characters are females) and professional crime fighters. These are the usual costumed, super-powered super-heroes (or super-heroines if the characters are females) whose motivations are maintaining the responsibility of power and upholding the good. Examples of these kinds of characters are Superman, Wonder Woman and Captain America. They are the most principled and scrupulous heroes, and heroines in comics.

2. Anti-heroes (or anti-heroines if the characters are females) if the characters are similar to the traditional super-heroes and super-heroines with the principal exception that they are not above using strong arm methods and tactics whenever they go off on great adventures and fight crime, such as, for example, breaking arms, breaking legs, spraining necks, etc. They are capable of almost beating up their arch-enemies to death in battle, but they will not deliberately commit first degree murder, unless they have no other choice but to use it in order to defend themselves. Their motivation is seeking justice (tending towards seeking revenge). Examples of these kinds of characters are Batman, Daredevil and Nightwing. They are technically still scrupulous characters in comics, but they aren't necessarily just as principled as adventurers, adventuresses and crime fighters are because their righteous indignation makes them far more violent than super-heroes and super-heroines are. In the eyes of the heroes and heroines, anti-heroes and anti-heroines are no better than vigilantes who seek revenge. In the eyes of the anti-heroes and anti-heroines, their "vengeance" is revenge that is justified, as they see badly hurting their opponents (sometimes almost to the point of fatal injury) in combat as just karmic turnabout, and turnabout is fair play.

3. Vigilantes if the characters are people who take on criminals at the next level, deliberately killing evil people with a sense that what they are doing is just. These are characters whose motivation is seeking revenge. Examples of these kinds of characters are the Punisher, Rorschach and the Huntress. These characters are unprincipled and selfish in ways that are similar to mercs. In the eyes of the vigilantes, the ends always justifies the means. To the point where even the anti-heroes and anti-heroines agree with the heroes, and heroines that their methods and tactics are too brutal, and extreme for them to tolerate. They can often empathize and sympathize with their causes, but the super-heroes, super-heroines, anti-heroes, and anti-heroines just simply cannot condone the vigilantes', unfortunately, often psychotic methods.

4. Mercs (mercenaries, or soldiers of fortune) if the characters are people whose chief loyalty is money. These are the characters who are motivated solely by profit. They are always about business, not pleasure. They keep their personal needs for fun, kicks and pleasure always separate from their professional needs. Examples of these kinds of characters are Deathstroke, the Terminator, Paladin and Deadpool. They are the most unprincipled and selfish characters in comics, who are so anarchistic that their neutral alignment makes them potentially an arch-enemy of all super-heroes, super-heroines, anti-heroes, anti-heroines, vigilantes, and even criminals alike. Even if they are already allies of any of those individuals. Ironically, it is this anarchist disposition though that also makes them equally, potentially, an ally of those same individuals.

Now, regarding the methods and tactics of anti-heroes, do you feel that characters like Daredevil are more effective in fighting crime because they are anti-heroes which are more violent than super heroes but not as violent as vigilantes?

Or, do you feel that they are less effective because as anti-heroes, and while they actually do slightly more than any traditional super-heroes would ever do, they still don't do enough because they don't take things too far and kill evil people just like vigilantes do?