David "Noodles" Aaronson

David "Noodles" Aaronson is the main protagonist of the critically acclaimed 1984 gangster film, Once Upon a Time in America. Despite being the main protagonist of the film, he is a great example of a tragic villain protagonist. He is a violent, ruthless gangster who steals, robs, and murders as a livelihood. He even commits rape at one point in the film, though he quickly feels remorse and guilt for it. However, he feels guilt for his actions and he ends up being miserable for 35 years and he did genuinely care about his friends, which puts him as a tragic and anti-villain.

He was portrayed by legendary Academy Award-winning actor Robert De Niro, who also played Vito Corleone, Jake LaMotta, Travis Bickle, and Jimmy Conway