Posted: May 7, 2024
Counter to heroes, villains are those members of society who do evil. They are often cast into the antagonist role, much like heroes are often protagonists, though not all antagonists are villains. While an antagonist is the character or force which opposes the protagonist, they are not always evil. They are merely looking out for their own goals. As misfortune has it, their goal opposes the protagonist’s goal, and they must lose.
If you look up the word “villain” in a dictionary, you’ll get something along these lines:
The difference between a simple antagonist, who opposes our protagonist, and a villain, is intent. A villain has the intent to do harm, to sow destruction, or create chaos or damage. They oppose the protagonist, sometimes because they see them as an adversary, but often because the protagonist gets in their way.
Our first definition paints villains as characters whose negative actions are important to the plot. In this case, it’s not some faraway criminal causing damage. In fiction, it’s only when their actions interfere with the main character (often the protagonist) that they carry the title “villain”. This is what separates them from being just a “criminal”.
One of my favourite all-time villains is Count Dracula from Dracula. The count is unassuming when Jonathan Harker first meets him, but as time passes, we realize just how nefarious he is. He wants to move to London so he can drain the life from more and more humans in the busier location. He keeps Jonathan locked up in his castle so he can’t get away. He drinks human blood with no regard for their lives or wishes. Within the context of the story, he is a monster through and through.
Dracula’s villain status comes from the fact that he is the antagonist to our main characters of Van Helsing, Johnathan & Mina Harker, John Seward, Quincey Morris, and Arthur Holmwood, but also from his general actions: harming, killing, and otherwise sowing terror and discontent among the populace.
Harry Potter has two villains that are immediately recognizable. There is Voldemort, who is a villain in the storybook sense, and there is Dolores Umbridge, who is a villain in a much more down-to-earth way.
It’s easy to see how Voldemort is a villain. Not only does he break laws and oppose Harry (the protagonist), Voldemort does not care for anyone or anything except himself and his own power. He is terrified of death, and will sacrifice anything to avoid it, with no concern for others. He uses murder, torture, and intimidation to achieve his goals. He is the very definition of a villain. The reason I say “storybook” villain, though, is because he’s nearly unbelievable. He’s not the sort of person you typically encounter in real life. While yes, this world has terrible people doing terrible things, those people can fall into the “storybook villain” category as well, as they are rare.
Dolores Umbridge is a character that people hate even more than Voldemort himself, and that’s because, while her methods or horrendous, she is much more relatable. She is the horrid teacher that you’ve just had before (though probably not to the extent of her cruelty). Not only does she oppose Harry and make things difficult for him, she is actively hurting the students and making rules to expand her power and control. This is not like in Harry’s second year when many of the students opposed him because they thought he was the heir of Slytherin, or even the students who are against in him fifth year (alongside Umbridge) who don’t believe that Voldemort is back. It’s not even Draco Malfoy, who has always been a pain in Harry’s side. Umbridge uses deceit and torture to get her way, and that’s what makes her a villain in the story.
Worthy: A good villain should always be a worthy opponent for our hero. For that to work, they can’t be too strong that the hero doesn’t stand a chance, and they shouldn’t be a pushover that the hero can defeat easily. Moriarty is a worthy adversary to Sherlock Holmes because of their equal abilities. They are on opposing sides, but one is just as smart as the other. Moriarty can match Sherlock’s wits.
Connection: The best villains are also strongly connected to the hero. There is some powerful force tying them together, whether it means they’re related, linked by a prophecy, or some other reason. If the hero and the villain are just fighting because one’s good and one’s bad, it’s not very compelling for the reader. Their connection is a basis for character development, which is integral to a good story.
Morality: Let’s face it; one-note villains are boring. Who wants to read about a villain that just goes around killing people for no reason? Yes, villains are defined by their immorality, but morality is a matter of perspective. You should still give your villains their own moral code, even if it’s majorly skewed. What is important to them? Are their lines that they do not cross? Why or why not? Knowing the underlying belief behind your villain’s actions is an important key to taking your story to the next level.
Backstory: Just like giving your villain a moral code, giving them a compelling backstory increases their memorability. Something made them the way they are, whether it be an event of their childhood or an affect of their birth. There’s the phrase “No one is born evil”, which is only partially true. People are born with a personality, and while it may be affected by their environment growing up (for good or for ill), that personality is the basis for how that person will be in life. From there, it’s up to you whether you want to make your villain Pure Evil or Broken (the two most common categories).
Make it fun: In the end, villains can be the most fun characters to write. You get to go all out on a character with little to no moral boundaries, who don’t operate within the rules of general society.
Whatever you choose to do when building your villain, whether you map them out ahead of time or just write and let them evolve as the story needs, keep these helpful tips in mind. Ask yourself questions about all your characters, but especially about your villain. It’s often the villain that makes the story, because the story is about the struggle that your protagonist faces, and the villain is at the heart of that struggle.
Angels & Demons in Fiction
Deities in Fiction
Dragons in Fiction
Dwarves in Fiction
Elves in Fiction
Fast Burn in Fiction
Heroes in Fiction
Love Triangles in Fiction
Magic in Fiction
Mythical Creatures in Fiction
Orcs in Fiction
Powers in Fiction
Pregnancy in Fiction
Prophecies in Fiction
Romance in Fiction
Shapeshifters in Fiction
Slow Burn in Fiction
Vampires in Fiction
Vampires in Fiction II
Villains in Fiction
Werewolves in Fiction
Witches & Warlocks in Fiction
The Mortal Instruments Book 1: City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
Dracula by Bram Stoker
Percy Jackson & the Olympians Book 1: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
Tigerpetal Press is a small book press dedicated to publishing local authors and poets.