Screenshot from the trailer of the 2025 drama series “Sayyid al-Nas,” showing actor Amro Saad. Uploaded to YouTube by user Shahid. Fair use.
This post by Ahmad El Fakharany, an Egyptian novelist and journalist, was first published in Arabic byRaseef 22* on March 12, 2025. This edited version was translated into English and published on Global Voices as part of a content-sharing agreement.
During Ramadan 2025, Egyptian television dramas continued their reliance on the “popular hero” trope, portraying figures who impose justice through brute force outside the law. Series such as Fahd al-Batal, Sayyid al-Nas, and Hakim Basha reinforce a singular vision of masculinity rooted in violence. These narratives do not emerge in a vacuum but reflect deeper societal shifts where violence becomes a legitimized means of power and justice.
The rise of violence as a narrative tool
Studies show that Egyptian drama has increasingly normalized violence, reshaping public perceptions of law, justice, and social order: 63.3 percent of viewers believe crime is rising, while 67 percent feel society operates like a lawless jungle where individuals must take justice into their own hands. This is not merely a change in audience preference but a reflection of a profound crisis where institutions fail to mediate disputes, leaving violence as the primary mode of survival.
This shift necessitates a critical reading of the socio-political contexts that have produced these narratives. Does this transformation in popular heroism reflect real societal changes, or is it an engineered depiction reinforcing violence as an inevitable truth? Reducing the discussion to mere audience demand overlooks how artistic production shapes, rather than simply mirrors, public consciousness.
From moral champion to victim
Historically, Egyptian folklore presented the popular hero as a figure of resistance against tyranny. Characters likeAdham al-Sharqawi and Ali al-Zaybaq were not mere outlaws but champions of justice who fought against corrupt rulers.
Adham al-Sharqawi, for instance, was not seen as a criminal but as a rebel resisting oppression. His use of force was not an end in itself but a last resort to protect the weak. Similarly, Ali al-Zaybaq embodied the “trickster hero,” using intellect and cunning rather than brute strength to defeat unjust authorities. These characters offered models of alternative resistance, where heroism was not equated with sheer violence but with wisdom and strategic action.
In contrast, contemporary Egyptian drama has reshaped the hero into a figure who ascends through raw aggression. Violence is no longer a circumstantial response to oppression but the defining trait of the protagonist.
Classical cinema: Violence as an exceptional reaction
As Egyptian folklore transitioned to film, the portrayal of the hero evolved. The 1950s and 1960s, an era marked by social transformation, saw working-class protagonists fighting for justice. However, these characters did not embody reckless violence. Instead, their struggles reflected broader class tensions and structural injustices.
A prime example is the 1954 film “They Made Me a Criminal,” which depicted how poverty and systemic oppression could drive an honest man toward crime. Violence was framed as a tragic consequence rather than a preferred method of resolution. Similarly, “The Tough” (1957), starring Farid Shawqi, presented a working-class man who initially resists corruption but ultimately succumbs to the same abusive power structures he once opposed.
These narratives retained moral ambiguity: violence was not glorified but presented as a symptom of a broken system. The audience sympathized with these figures, not because they wielded power but because they struggled against overwhelming societal forces.
The shift toward violence as identity
While early Egyptian cinema depicted violence as an exceptional choice, later economic and political shifts reshaped its role in drama. Since the 1990s,neoliberal policies have dismantled social safety nets, eroded the middle class, and deepened economic inequalities. The state's retreat from welfare provision forced individuals into survivalist mindsets, leading to the celebration of the lone hero who relies solely on personal strength.
By the 2010s, particularly after the2011 uprising, this shift became even more pronounced. Popular culture increasingly portrayed independent actors as threats to stability, reinforcing the idea that security can only be maintained through force. In series like Al-Usṭūra (2016), the protagonist Rifa'i al-Desouki rises as a gang leader, not because he is inherently criminal, but because society offers no other means to gain power or protection. Such stories suggest that institutional justice is absent, making violence not just a tool but an inevitable path to survival.
This normalization of brutality is not incidental. It serves broader economic and political interests, conditioning the public to accept violence as an inescapable aspect of reality rather than questioning the structures that necessitate it.
Counterrevolution and the reinvention of tyranny in drama
The aftermath of the 2011 revolution brought a new phase in Egyptian drama: a direct attempt to control the image of the popular hero. After 2013, narratives began framing independent heroes as dangerous unless they were integrated into state structures. The shift was most visible in “Al-Ikhtiyar” (The Choice) (2020), a series that redefined heroism through military and police figures, painting all dissenters as potential threats.
This transformation was part of a wider effort to reclaim cultural narratives and ensure that heroic representation aligned with state ideology. The result is the erasure of the independent, morally driven hero who stands against oppression, replaced by either an uncontrollable force of chaos or a figure that serves state power.
The political economy of violence in drama
The increasing focus on violent heroes is also driven by commercial interests. According to a 2024 Carnegiereport, Egyptian production companies prioritize high-viewership drama over nuanced storytelling. Shows centered on action, revenge, and aggression guarantee larger audiences, maximizing advertising revenue.
Violence, therefore, is not just a thematic choice but an economic strategy. With private capital dominating the industry, entertainment value supersedes artistic integrity, sidelining complex social narratives in favor of formulaic content that thrives on spectacle.
This commercialization influences audience perceptions. A 2022study by Hussein Khalifa found that contemporary Egyptian drama significantly shapes public attitudes toward crime and law enforcement. Around 67 percent of surveyed viewers believed that taking justice into one’s own hands was necessary, reflecting how media consumption reinforces real-world behaviors.
The future of the popular hero
The portrayal of the popular hero in Egyptian drama has undergone a dramatic shift, moving from a figure of collective struggle to an isolated individual driven by personal survival. This evolution reflects broader societal transformations but also serves political and commercial agendas.
Instead of offering diverse narratives that question the roots of violence, contemporary drama increasingly presents aggression as the only viable path to success. The issue is not the presence of strong, action-driven characters but the reduction of heroism to brute force, eliminating alternative models of resilience and justice.
Reimagining the popular hero requires moving beyond state-centric and commercial formulas to explore deeper, more complex characterizations that reflect the richness of Egyptian social realities. Otherwise, Egyptian drama risks perpetuating a culture where violence is not just entertainment but a self-fulfilling prophecy.
As researcher and writer Abduh al-Barmawi noted in a social mediapost:
This persistent portrayal of violence by producers plays a dangerous role in erasing awareness of a more complex and deeply human popular world. It marginalizes the artistic expressions that truly represent the struggles of the poor and working-class communities, reinforcing a single narrative where brute force and perpetual revenge dominate all relationships.