Beyond Dr. Evil: Writing a Memorable
Villain
Writers spend
a lot of time thinking about their main character. We may have whole notebooks
devoted to the protagonist’s backstory. We have family trees, charts, and
Pinterest boards of photos that serve as inspiration for how the character
looks and dresses.
But often,
the antagonist is an afterthought. Movies are filled with evil villains that
have become caricatures of themselves. From the evil stepmother in “Cinderella”
to Ronan the Accuser in “Guardians of the Galaxy” (the movies, not the comics),
the “bad guy” is often a character with a single-minded obsession (and not a
lot else). Sure, they can be fun to hate. But at the end of the story, do we
really want to know more about the character? Or are we just glad they got what
they deserved?
How does a
writer go beyond stereotypes and create a memorable “bad guy”?
One answer is
that a writer should spend as much time developing the villain (antagonist) as
she does developing the protagonist. What if the writer approaches the
antagonist as if she was a main character? What if the villain has as rich of a
backstory as the protagonist? When developing the bad guy/girl, get inside
their head. Why are they doing what they’re doing? The writer should know the
villain’s motivation just as she knows the protagonist’s.
Often, from
the antagonist’s perspective, she’s doing the right thing. She doesn’t consider
herself bad or evil. She may even have a noble goal or agenda. The villain may
even be after the same thing as the protagonist. The two characters could have
many parallels. But what sets the villain apart is that she goes about
achieving her goal it in a way that is unethical, illegal or prone to hurting
those that stand in her way. Sometimes it’s the method, not the motivation that
makes the character as villain as opposed to a hero.
Another way
to ensure that the “baddie” goes beyond stereotype is to stay away from the
pure evil caricature. If a writer allows for shades of grey with the
antagonist, the character will feel more real and less like an archetype. Find
ways to show your antagonist being human. What if the villain just bombed a
building full of people to hide incriminating evidence then goes home and gets
down on the floor and plays with his baby? If the writer works these types of
humanizing scenes into the story, the villain will be more well rounded and
interesting to the reader.
What are some
examples of successful villains? Many fans love to hate Loki from the
successful Thor movies. Loki, as played by Tom Hiddleston, is one of the more
complex “villains” in the Marvel franchise. Is he a good guy or bad guy? He
vexes Thor yet genuinely grieves the loss of his mother. He loves and respects
his father yet schemes to take the throne from him. Loki both loves and hates
Thor. These dualities – these shades of grey within the character – keep fans
wondering what he’ll do next. We’re never quite certain about Loki and that
keeps him from being a stereotypical, pure evil villain.
Another
fabulous “villain” is Cersei Lannister from the Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin. Cersei is a
nasty bitch that we love to hate but she never feels like a caricature. How
does GRRM achieve this? One way is that Cersei isn’t solely evil. Sure, she
does her share of heinous things to many people. But she also expresses love
and caring for her children. And from time-to-time the author shows her
battling within herself over her choices. It’s not that she has no conscience.
It’s just that her lust for power and position means that she’ll override her
conscience. That makes her far more interesting than the stereotypical
psychopath.
At least
that’s my reading of Cersei and why I love to hate her. Make no mistake, I
would like to see a dragon set her on fire for all she’s done to people in the
epic saga! But GRRM’s deft handling of the character is what makes readers feel
so passionately about her (hopefully) ultimate demise.
Do you have a
favorite villain/antagonist/baddie in a story? Who is your favorite? If you’re
a writer, how do you breathe life into your antagonists?
Author Bio
Natalie is the author of H.A.L.F., a young adult science fiction
series, and The Akasha Chronicles, a
young adult fantasy trilogy. She lives in the high desert of Tucson, Arizona
with her husband, tween daughter, and two young cats.
Natalie spends her time writing,
reading, hanging out on social media, and meeting readers and fans at festivals
and comic cons throughout the western United States. She likes to walk in the
high desert, snorkel in warm waters, travel, and share excellent food and conversation
with family and friends. She was raised an Ohio farm girl, lives in the desert
Southwest, and dreams of living in a big city high rise.
Natalie enjoys
chatting with readers, so stop by and say hi:
Website/blog: http://www.NatalieWrightAuthor.com
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/natwrites/
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