About a month ago I wrote a post called Crafting the Villain. In it, I mentioned the three types of villains I
found most interesting and briefly discussed my own goals in creating better
villains.
Today, I thought I would share three goals I’ve been attempting to
follow when fleshing out my manuscripts this month.
1. Give
the villain purpose – their goal should be noble in their own minds and both
believable and understandable if not outright condoned by the reader. They can’t
just exist to be against the hero. Why are these two on opposing sides? What led
them to make the villainous choices? Are they a more noble villain such as
Robin Hood who steals from the rich to save the poor? Or are they motivated by
betrayal such as in the Disney reimagining of Maleficient? Remember, your
villain believes they are in the right. Making their intentions logical and relatable
even when corrupt or unjust creates a complicated and interesting situation. The
lines between good and evil will blur. The reader may well find themselves
rooting for the villains success even as they root for the hero to prevail.
2. Make
them human – even if they possess out of this world powers or abilities, they
should be relatable. They have emotions, quirks, and struggles, just like your
other characters. No one was always 100% evil. Think about Anakin Skywalker: “there
is still good in him”. Or Frankenstein’s monster. Even after the most hideous
crimes, they were still capable of a selfless act and audiences wanted them to
succeed. Why? Because they were relatable. Their loneliness, depression, and mistakes
endeared them to us. If your villain is a group instead of an individual,
choose an individual to represent the larger corporation or government body.
That representative becomes your humanizing influence.
3. Make
them create conflict – of course intentionally, but I like the idea of
unintentional as well. Whether your antagonist is simply a liar and a cheat, or
an outright mass murderer, decide early on how they contradict the hero’s
goal(s). Then decide how badly your villain craves their own goal? Is it enough
to hurt a few others, unlimited numbers, or even their own loved ones? Every
villain has something or someone they care about and would save. What is your
villain’s? What happens when their goal costs them what they treasure most? Think
of Loki after his mother dies.
Most writers focus on how the stakes affect the
hero, but what about the stakes for the villain? How do these circumstances
affect their loved ones, or the fate of the world? Great villains are just as
complicated, relatable, and even likable as the heroes. That’s what makes them memorable.
Who are some of your favorite villains? Why?
