As writers we're sometimes so preoccupied with making our protagonist tangible enough to jump off the page that we forget about the antagonist. Villains create conflict, therefore they are essential to any good story, and deserve to be fleshed out as much as your hero.
There's nothing more unsatisfying than reading about a bad guy whose only purpose is to be...well bad. Even though he-who-must-not-be-named was truly evil, J.K. Rowling made sure to show how his past explained his cruelty.
So, does your evil doer have the right stuff? Scroll down to see what every villain needs.
1. A diabolical plan. There has to be a reason for their nastiness—being mean isn't enough.
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| Cruella de Vil from 101 Dalmatians photo credit theeclecticgreg.blogspot.com |
2. A mysterious past. People aren't born evil, they're made.
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| Count Dracula photo credit, lunch.com |
3. A slimy sidekick. Usually with dependency issues. However, it's more interesting if their loyalty is from fear, and consequently unreliable.
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| Scabbers aka Peter Pettigrew with baby Lord Voldemort photo credit harrypotter.wikia.com |
4. An arch nemesis. It's the hero of the story who represents what the villain secretly fears the most.
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| White Witch from The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe photo credit allthatweseem.tumblr.com |
5. High tech gadgets/special powers. Okay, not totally necessary. It's cool and it helps raise the stakes against the hero.
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| The Joker from Batman, The Dark Knight photo credit angolz.com |
6. An irresistible charm. A cool demeanor coupled with a handsome figure always helps.
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| Mrs. Coulter from The Golden Compass photo credit accesshollywood.com |
There you have it, now go make some bad guys and watch your story explode!
Who are your favorite villains? Cheers!
11 comments:
I just saw this and had to read it immediately... I love villains! And yes, these five things make a perfect one.
Thanks, Tracy. The list could go on and on...
So true. And the pics definitely help. =)
Yes, thank goodness for movie adaptations ;)
Love all of these. One thing that I'D sort of add is that every villain needs at least one redeeming quality.
Nice. Good call. Thanks, Kimberlee.
Ann Coulter was in "The Golden Compass?" GTFO. Might've watched that one if I'd known that. Chick's scarry, just saying.
I would quibble with KT on redeeming qualities. All too often, redeeming qualities read tacked on, a la Hannible Lecter's determination to better/heal/upgrade Clarice but not Will Graham. Of greater concern, for me, is competence. Don't get me wrong, an anti-(uncle?)-hero must have a redeeming quality to open the door to redemption before slamming it on all his/her hopes and dreams, a la Blanche Dubois/Stanley Kowalski. However, above all else, the big-bad must be competent. Which I believe counts as #5.
Crazy (more commonly applied now days than evil) isn't enough. The Joker, contrary to his assertion, has a plan, Voldemort has a plan and Lecter has a (meal) plan.
Happy Easter, all!
A meal plan! Ha! I love it. Thanks, Elias.
Villains are awesome. The best ones always believe they are in the right :-)
They believe until the dying end...Thanks, Sarah.
I like to keep in mind that real, believable villains don't think they're the bad guy. They think they're right too.
Great post - thanks!
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