You don’t want your stories to be too obvious, or your
reader won’t finish them. The audience needs to be challenged and surprised to
want to continue reading. One of the best ways to do this is to camouflage your
villains.
I’ve written several times about strengthening my own
villains, and techniques I’ve used to show the antagonists deceit, cunning, and
manipulation. The truth is, you don’t always recognize the bad guy – in real
life or in fiction. The ones who surprise you can often be the scariest ones of
all. Remember that when creating your own tale.
Here are a few ways to hide your villain in plain
sight so you can surprise, thrill, and excite your reader. WARNING – Possible spoilers
may be offered as examples.
1) Charming and lovable – how often do
we hear people on the news claiming “he was a likable guy” or “we never would
have thought him capable of...” Most forms of evil have an appealing coating.
Very seldom is it visually evident such as in a cartoon. You usually can’t tell
a person is bad right away because they have learned how to cover their goals
with social skills, good looks, or carefully designed acts to impress. They
have learned to make themselves likable or lovable when they are really cruel,
selfish, and even downright wicked. When you create your own villain, what is
their goal and what would they do to ingratiate themselves to achieve that end?
Think of Hans in Frozen or Loki in Thor.
2) Friend not foe – readers don’t
usually expect the villain to be close to the hero. Certainly, they don’t
expect it to be someone who has been helping the hero up to this point.
Ulterior motives can often put the bad guy in proximity of, if not outright
partnering with, the main character. This villain might be a mentor, friend, or
family member. Readers shouldn’t be able to see the hidden agenda until the
reveal. Think about Magneto’s character in the X-Men universe or the end of Doctor Strange.
3) Harmless or Incompetent – the bumbling
and clumsy idiot, fool in a wheelchair, or victim in a coma can’t possibly be
the villain, right? WRONG! We expect the bad guy to be strong, or at least
able-bodied. However, don’t forget they are deceitful. Of course they will “hide
in plain sight”. Think about Unbreakable or
the Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s
Stone.
Remember, the best villains have learned to become
whatever suits their purpose best. These dark crusaders of injustice can appear
kind, heroic, or inept. The more your reader likes you character, the less likely
they will be to recognize them as a villain until the end. They won’t want them
to be the bad guy, but it will make sense once they see the whole picture.
Have you
ever read a book, or watched a movie, where the identity of the villain totally
surprised you? Which one was your favorite?
