Making of a Great Villain

[CynV]

Hannibal Lecter, Darth Vader, The Joker, our contemporary American society loves our villains. Where would we be without that ruthless antagonist that we love to hate?


What is it about villains that draws us in? They come in various forms: movie, TV, books, even reality. Do you know a villain in your own world? You boss, an ex-wife, the nosy neighbor. The real villains are not as much fun as the fictional ones - but that's only because the fictional villains are an over the top extension of those evil bastards pulled from your reality.
But isn't it also true that there is some part of you deep down that can relate to the maniacal criminal genius or even the violent killer? People are made up of good and bad, yin and yang, the side we choose to nurture defines who we are. But, much like The Incredible Hulk, the other side - usually the darker side - slips out every once in awhile.
Time and time again I've heard actors tell me they have more fun playing the bad guy - why is that? Because villains have less rules to follow, they don't give a shit who they hurt as long as it benefits their own personal gain, and they usually strike fear into the common person until the hero comes along to thwart them. There is one major reason to not want to be the villain...they usually die in the end (unless they're carted off to jail awaiting the sequel).

The makings of a great villain in any medium has to start with their bottom line. Why are they doing what they're doing? Why do they want to blow up the world or kill that cops family? If the motive doesn't wash your villain falls flat and the audience is disappointed to say the least. The best villains believe they are in the right. They are following through with their destructive plans because in their mind it is what needs to be done to invoke change. And they'll stand behind that decree until the bitter end - they have to or there is no story. The flip side of that is the psycho. They know they're in the wrong and they just don't give a damn.

Here's some examples of what I mean using some classic villains:

• Cobra Commander - Out for world domination...a psycho who just wants to rule the world
• Dennis Hopper in Speed - He's pissed off and seeking revenge. Does he believe he's in the right? Absolutely...he lost a thumb working for the bomb squad and all they gave him was a stinking gold watch.
• Hans Gruber in Die Hard - At first blush it appears as though he's held Nacatomy Plaza hostage for the release of world leaders. Then it is revealed that his real motive is strictly money driven...brilliant! Money is a great motivator for evil.

There's a new movie coming out soon called Law Abiding Citizen about an everyday guy (Gerard Butler) who decides to take justice into his own hands after a plea bargain sets his family's killers free. His target: The district attorney (Jamie Fox) who orchestrated the deal.
Here's where my theory gets a little tricky. The trailer plays it off as though Butler is the villain and Fox is the good guy. But as I sit back and take in the general idea for this movie I hear myself shouting: "Nay, nay! The LAWYER is the villain here and the man cleaning the shit off the streets is the hero!" That is taken from reality and everyone knows lawyers are always evil creatures who don't care who gets harmed as long as they reach their bottom line...money. Even defense attorneys and DA's are working for the almighty dollar (don't let all the fancy law TV shows fool you). But this is my blog and that's a stated opinion.

What is reality is that in order for a story line to properly proceed you need a villain worthy enough to challenge the hero, be it physically, mentally, or both. If the hero has no hurdles to overcome there is no story. So villains must be flushed out to the 9th degree before they are ready to be packaged and sold to the potential audience.



Cynthia Vespia
www.CynthiaVespia.com
myspace.com/demonhunternovel

 

[Tsira]

Or you could take a twist on the story and make the villain the MC, and the hero the villain. But who would read that?

 

[Libbie]

Or you could take a twist on the story and make the villain the MC, and the hero the villain. But who would read that?

I would.

Everybody is the hero of his own story.

 

[KTC]

villains are often heroes.

 

[MGraybosch]

And they'll stand behind that decree until the bitter end - they have to or there is no story. The flip side of that is the psycho. They know they're in the wrong and they just don't give a damn.

I don't agree with this. I think it's entirely possible to have a villain who knows that what he's doing is wrong by conventional standards, and expects to have to pay for his crimes, but remains convinced that he is either doing evil to advance a good cause, or that his actions are a lesser evil compared to the consequences of inaction.

I had written a bit about villains a few weeks ago, if you're interested.

 

[gothicangel]

I have to say I found the motives for your examples are very superficial and would instigate a forceful throw across the room! Those kind of motives are very cartoonish.

I agree MGray. My antagonist knows what he is doing is morally wrong.

 

[kaitie]

Okay, this might be a silly addition because I'm not sure if it fits or not, but there is a Japanese manga (and movie series, actually) called Death Note in which the main character is actually the villain of the story. That was incredibly cool, and the first time I had ever seen it. He also fit some of these categories. He claimed to have very honorable motives. At first glance, he is simply a misguided person who wants to do good. It is only upon closer inspection that one realizes that he's basically a sociopath who wants power. There is a fantastic scene where he talks about wanting to create a new world, a good world, a world where people don't hurt one another, etc. Then he ends the statement with "And I'll be the God of that new world." Sums him up perfectly right there.

I love a villain that has good motivations rather than just being bad for the sake of being bad. Another of my favorite villains, Roy (correct me if I got that name wrong haha, don't have the book here with me) is from Dark Rivers of the Heart by Dean Koontz. He is a messed up freak and incredibly scary because of it, but the part that made him brilliant to me was that his actions are all very just by his standards. He is working according to his own morality, it just happens to be a different sort of morality than what everyone else would have. I find that sort of thing fascinating and it makes the villain easier to relate to.

 

[Telstar]

Or you could take a twist on the story and make the villain the MC, and the hero the villain. But who would read that?

I would.

 

[maestrowork]

Villains are heroes in their own stories. Hannibal Lecter may be a villain in The Silence of the Lambs, but he's the hero in Hannibal Rising.

The best villains all have strong desires, wants, and high stakes, just like the best heroes, only they're in conflict with the heroes and they go about getting their wishes in different ways. In their own stories, the heroes are the antagonists. Evil doers just for evil's sake are boring -- well, 2D characters are generally boring and flat.

It would be fun to write a story from the villain's perspective, and see how the whole thing would turn around (that's what Gregory Maguire did with Wicked -- although his Wicked Witch is actually a good person... so he didn't really turn the story on its head, not technically).

And the reasons why we love our villains -- Hannibal, Vader, Maleficent, Cruella DeVil -- is that they get to do things we don't normally dare. They're our surrogates for the things we sometimes wish we could do: squeeze the air out of a minion, kill and eat your nemeses, put a curse on someone you hate, or skin some puppies. These extremes are what make them so delicious and pure escapism. In real life, we probably want to stay away from them at all costs, but in fiction, we get to experience their evil in the comfort of our chairs.

 

[DeleyanLee]

What is reality is that in order for a story line to properly proceed you need a villain worthy enough to challenge the hero, be it physically, mentally, or both.

QFT

Moriarty is a great villain--but only against the uber-brainy Sherlock Holmes. They're matched, two sides of the same coin, which is why Moriarty works. Pit a Moriarty against Jason Bourne and it's not even a scene.

Or you could take a twist on the story and make the villain the MC, and the hero the villain. But who would read that?

Gregory Maguire's made a career of it. Wicked (the Wicked Witch of the West), Confessions of an Ugly Step-Sister (Cinderella), etc.

It would be fun to write a story from the villain's perspective, and see how the whole thing would turn around (that's what Gregory Maguire did with Wicked -- although his Wicked Witch is actually a good person... so he didn't really turn the story on its head, not technically).

In the book, Elphaba isn't as good as she is in the play. She has a darker, grittier side. I think the brilliance in the book is how Maguire canted Oz so that all the "goodness" is actually really nasty and evil which, by comparison, makes the Wicked Witch seem good--but she's really just a lighter shade of grey.

And the reasons why we love our villains -- Hannibal, Vader, Maleficent, Cruella DeVil -- is that they get to do things we don't normally dare. They're our surrogates for the things we sometimes wish we could do: squeeze the air out of a minion, kill and eat your nemeses, put a curse on someone you hate, or skin some puppies. These extremes are what make them so delicious and pure escapism. In real life, we probably want to stay away from them at all costs, but in fiction, we get to experience their evil in the comfort of our chairs.

QFT

I think the other reason why villains are so adored is, honestly, they're proactive. They're doing something. They have goals which they're willing to make vast sacrifices to achieve. Even if the goals aren't what we want, there's something very admireable in that drive. It's that drive that many of us want to have even a smidgen of in our own lives.

 

[madmumbler]

In my "Good Will Ghost Hunting" series, the character Ryan Ausar, who starts out as the hero's antagonist and definitely a type of "anti-hero," turns out to be a tragic hero of sorts as the story unfolds. While our first introduction to him is him setting up a pretty despicable-looking situation, as his motives and rationale become clear, he's actually a character readers write me about and ask, "When does HE get to be happy??" *LOL*

In my original plans, he was going to be the perpetual bad guy and in some ways he still is and will be simply because of his job description. (Technically, he IS the Devil *LOL*.) But despite being an antagonist and foil to the hero, he becomes someone who is also well-loved.

 

[MGraybosch]

Okay, this might be a silly addition because I'm not sure if it fits or not, but there is a Japanese manga (and movie series, actually) called Death Note in which the main character is actually the villain of the story.

I've read Death Note. It was good stuff at first.

 

[Dicentra P]

My current WIP has no villain. I have a primary MC and several secondary main or supporting characters most of whom are antagonists to the MC on various levels and at different times. All of the believe that they are 'heroes' (at least at the start) and none of them are. I'm doing this because 1) life isn't really black and white and although I write fantasy I want a fundamental reality to be present below the fantastic. 2) I am not sure I have the talent at this point to craft a villain who is believable and consistent. Mine is not the great hero against the evil overlord type of fantasy, though I enjoy that genre too. I have a couple of back burner WIP ideas that require a real villain. They'll stay on the back burner until I have developed more skill.

 

[Aura4593]

Okay, this might be a silly addition because I'm not sure if it fits or not, but there is a Japanese manga (and movie series, actually) called Death Note in which the main character is actually the villain of the story. That was incredibly cool, and the first time I had ever seen it. He also fit some of these categories. He claimed to have very honorable motives. At first glance, he is simply a misguided person who wants to do good. It is only upon closer inspection that one realizes that he's basically a sociopath who wants power. There is a fantastic scene where he talks about wanting to create a new world, a good world, a world where people don't hurt one another, etc. Then he ends the statement with "And I'll be the God of that new world." Sums him up perfectly right there.

I'm an anime fan, and I've watched Death Note at least 5 times (gotta say I prefer Light over L anyday. L is too. . .over loved.)

Whether or not Light is the hero or villian (he is definately the MC) is up to the viewer and their beliefs.

In my book, however, the villian is only out to do his job. He's angel, too ironically enough.
Wheras, the protagonist (wouldn't call him a hero) is out to return to his own world. He has to kill humans to feed their soul to a demon that'll take him back. And he just plain out doesn't like people.
He definately has more villanious characteristics, as you can see. But his past explain most of his behavior.

What makes a great villian, I believe, is their past (along with thier motives, of course). The more we get to know a character, the more we're able to relate to them.
In fact, when reading manga or a book, I prefer there not to be "good guys" or "bad guys" just characters with differant motives.

Fsome reason I always tend to side with the crazy, physcotic, schizophrenic characters

 

[Exir]

Making a Great Villain isn't exactly about slapping a past on him/her, though. I'm pretty tired of all the "she was abandoned/he was abused by his father/he was robbed by thieves/etc." and I liked what The Dark Knight did with Joker, in that every time he recounted his past they contradicted each other. It really gets down to the heart of the matter -- it is CHOICES that makes a hero or villain, not their past. The Joker made his choice. He decided to live in a fantasy world where he can be a victim. He decided to live in a tortured mind that can't tell the truth to itself.

 

[Tsira]

Or you could take a twist on the story and make the villain the MC, and the hero the villain. But who would read that?

I would.

Everybody is the hero of his own story.

I was being sarcastic. I'm actually writing a book in this style, and stories like Death Note are some of my favorites. Even when you know that the villain has to fall, you still find yourself rooting for them... It's a very interesting twist and delves deeper into motivations than your classic, "I'm the villain and I'll unfold my motivations to you: I did it because I want the treasure/power/glory, etc." I love complex stories that make you think.

 

[Mara]

I think it's easier to refer to the main character as the "protagonist" and their opponent as the "antagonist." Usually, this maps to "hero" and "villain," but it doesn't have to.

 

[Lady Ice]

I would.

Everybody is the hero of his own story.

Lolita has a villainous protagonist. The hero can't be the villain- I think you mean an antagonist who ought to be the hero.

 

[kaitie]

In my book, however, the villian is only out to do his job. He's angel, too ironically enough.
Wheras, the protagonist (wouldn't call him a hero) is out to return to his own world. He has to kill humans to feed their soul to a demon that'll take him back. And he just plain out doesn't like people.
He definately has more villanious characteristics, as you can see. But his past explain most of his behavior.

What makes a great villian, I believe, is their past (along with thier motives, of course). The more we get to know a character, the more we're able to relate to them.
In fact, when reading manga or a book, I prefer there not to be "good guys" or "bad guys" just characters with differant motives.

Fsome reason I always tend to side with the crazy, physcotic, schizophrenic characters

This makes me think of Johnny the Homicidal Maniac. Man that's natsukashii...

It's a good point, though. It's always important to see a villain whose actions are explained by his past rather than just being a run of the mill crazy person who acts just because he's evil. I also am always interested in ideas when a person is forced to act in villainous ways that they might not normally. I think it makes it easier to relate to the villain, even if the person ends up becoming evil or doing acts that we wouldn't approve of, if there's that hint of questioning it gives it a level of depth that isn't there otherwise.

I think that's the important word: Depth.

 

[AXavierB]

I'm not a good (or even average) writer by any means, but observing other works of fiction, I find the best villains tend to be antiheroes, antivillains and well-intentioned extremists. They have depth and reasons for doing the things they do beyond being "eeeeeeeevil". They seem more like real people.

 

[panda]

I love villains. In fiction that is, let me preface that lol. They surprise us in a way that the MC never can. They have no boundaries, whereas your MC does, because your MC has to stay sympathetic to readers and that means staying human. Villains can dispense with all humanity. They can do pretty much anything they want. There's a certain freedom in being a villain.

The flip side of that is the psycho. They know they're in the wrong and they just don't give a damn.

But do psycho's know they are in the wrong? There is no right or wrong to sociopaths. They operate on a completely different emotional level, the presence of a conscience is debatable. In their eyes, their actions are right, because they don't even know what wrong is. They have no remorse or feelings of guilt.

It's all about putting yourself in the shoes of the villain. I think the best way to do this is to write two stories. One from the MC. One from the villain.

But I do agree about motive. Although not always logical in real life, no one wants to waste their time reading 300 pgs to find out he/she did it because they felt like it lol. I think a good litmus test for motive, is it strong enough that it would drive a normal person to do it. We often try to categorize bad people (villains) as doing bad things, when in reality, horrible crimes are committed by average people all the time. I think psychologically, that's the most interesting villain. What drives a perfectly sane person to murder, or insert whatever terrible deed.

I just started another thread on villains, wondering how close is too close for the antagonist to be related to the MC. I think it's important to establish a relationship between the two, because if the bad guy means something to your protagonist, then it's ultimately gonna mean more to the story, but if you set your bad guy up too close (ie family member) it can topple over into soap opera territory if it isn't handled with care.

 

[Lady Ice]

There should be the sense that it could have gone either way. The villain was once as capable of being a hero as the hero's capable of being a villain.

 

[Darzian]

Okay, this might be a silly addition because I'm not sure if it fits or not, but there is a Japanese manga (and movie series, actually) called Death Note in which the main character is actually the villain of the story. That was incredibly cool, and the first time I had ever seen it. He also fit some of these categories. He claimed to have very honorable motives. At first glance, he is simply a misguided person who wants to do good. It is only upon closer inspection that one realizes that he's basically a sociopath who wants power. There is a fantastic scene where he talks about wanting to create a new world, a good world, a world where people don't hurt one another, etc. Then he ends the statement with "And I'll be the God of that new world." Sums him up perfectly right there.

Deathnote is one of the best anime ever made. If you enjoyed it, I strongly recommend Code Geass as it features a similar plot twist. I'd rate Code Geass even higher than Deathnote, impossible though it may seem.

 

[Wired]

There should be the sense that it could have gone either way. The villain was once as capable of being a hero as the hero's capable of being a villain.

I completely agree.

I have a friend who during his early childhood was sexually abused, neglected by his mother, and physically and mentally abused by his step-father. He could have developed into a criminal, a rapist, or worse, but instead he chose to overcome his past by getting married and raising a loving family to rectify what was done to him. He could have easily gone the other way.

So using a very real example, I believe what makes a hero or a villain goes beyond slapping on a horrific past and saying, well this is why he’s bad. Like someone else said, it’s the choices a character makes and his reactions to the world around him that makes him “good” or “bad”.

 

[MGraybosch]

So using a very real example, I believe what makes a hero or a villain goes beyond slapping on a horrific past and saying, well this is why he’s bad. Like someone else said, it’s the choices a character makes and his reactions to the world around him that makes him “good” or “bad”.

I agree with this, and say that it's far too easy to just claim that a villain is a villain because he had a shitty childhood. That's just a cop-out, and is fair to neither your villain nor your audience.