So You Want to Write a Villain Protagonist
Feb. 7th, 2011 09:31 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
momemordridIf you're writing a villain protaganist, chances are you're not out to teach some kind of moral lesson. Good, I hate that kind of writing. A story's purpose should be to tell a good story. And the story of the villain can be a very good story.
The first thing you need to do is create a believable villain. A good source of advice for this. A villain needs a goal, the motivation for such a goal, and a plan for achieving that goal. And like any major character, a good villain will be three-dimensional. Villains should seem like real people. They will have interests other than their main motivation--and their main motivation might not even be evil in and of itself. Some villains are even just extremely misguided heroes. But if your villain has too many good traits they risk becoming just another anti-hero. In the end, a true villain will be unashamedly evil in some way--whether it's their methods, their goal, or their primary motivation.
The most important thing to a villain is their motivation. Whatever it is that motivates them, they will (almost always) put it above all else. An interesting dilemma for a villain is being forced to choose between their primary motivation and something else they hold nearly as dear. Perhaps they even have to choose between their motivation and their goal!
Avoid making your villain an idiot. Even if they are a bumbling coward, they excel at something that makes them a credible threat to the good guys. A good source of advice on what to avoid having them do. If you're writing a true villain, and not just "someone tragically misunderstood", they will be threatening the good guys. Why? Because they're a VILLAIN. They aren't afraid to use evil means to get to their goal, and sometimes the very thing they want is evil. (On the other hand, their goal may actually be admirable. But if they don't embrace some aspect of evil, than they aren't a real villain.)
Make them likable. "But Mome, you just said don't make them too likable!" No, I said not to make them too nice. There's a difference. A really good villain will actually be very likable, and have your readers kicking themselves for loving such a scumbag. So how do you make your villains likable but not too nice? Give them charisma. Give them chutzpa. Make them interesting to read about. Write a Magnificent Bastard.
Most villains are loners--they may be unpleasant company (though they won't be if they're sufficiently charismatic!), their goals may be anti-social in nature or they might just not like people. Some villains, however, will gather minions or henches. These villains will either learn how to use their followers properly, or quickly lose them. Villains may or may not actually be loyal to their followers, but the followers must either think they are or have some good reason not to care (such as being robots, being in love, etc). A minion that's lost his/her reason for loyalty is a greater liability than no minions at all.
Just like every good hero needs a decent villain, the best villains will be challenged by sufficiently powerful heroes. A good villain stays one step ahead through cunning (or minion management). The important thing to remember is you are not writing about a dark hero. You are writing a villain. The heroes can't be morally inferior! They may be equally corrupt, but if they ever become the bad guys you're no longer writing about the villain. SOME villians go the Dr. Horrible route--but a true villian will not be less vile than the heroes.
Though a villain may have a tragic past, they won't let that get them down. A true villain will rise above challenges. Some villains are wusses and will cry about their problems and complain that things are too hard and LIFE'S NOT FAIR--but they won't give up, no matter how close they seem to doing so.
Also, how badly do you want to punish your villain? A villain can win big or lose it all or anything in between. They don't lose their villainy if they lose to the heroes; but don't be afraid to consider letting the villain win, however small a victory. They are your protaganist, after all.
The first thing you need to do is create a believable villain. A good source of advice for this. A villain needs a goal, the motivation for such a goal, and a plan for achieving that goal. And like any major character, a good villain will be three-dimensional. Villains should seem like real people. They will have interests other than their main motivation--and their main motivation might not even be evil in and of itself. Some villains are even just extremely misguided heroes. But if your villain has too many good traits they risk becoming just another anti-hero. In the end, a true villain will be unashamedly evil in some way--whether it's their methods, their goal, or their primary motivation.
The most important thing to a villain is their motivation. Whatever it is that motivates them, they will (almost always) put it above all else. An interesting dilemma for a villain is being forced to choose between their primary motivation and something else they hold nearly as dear. Perhaps they even have to choose between their motivation and their goal!
Avoid making your villain an idiot. Even if they are a bumbling coward, they excel at something that makes them a credible threat to the good guys. A good source of advice on what to avoid having them do. If you're writing a true villain, and not just "someone tragically misunderstood", they will be threatening the good guys. Why? Because they're a VILLAIN. They aren't afraid to use evil means to get to their goal, and sometimes the very thing they want is evil. (On the other hand, their goal may actually be admirable. But if they don't embrace some aspect of evil, than they aren't a real villain.)
Make them likable. "But Mome, you just said don't make them too likable!" No, I said not to make them too nice. There's a difference. A really good villain will actually be very likable, and have your readers kicking themselves for loving such a scumbag. So how do you make your villains likable but not too nice? Give them charisma. Give them chutzpa. Make them interesting to read about. Write a Magnificent Bastard.
Most villains are loners--they may be unpleasant company (though they won't be if they're sufficiently charismatic!), their goals may be anti-social in nature or they might just not like people. Some villains, however, will gather minions or henches. These villains will either learn how to use their followers properly, or quickly lose them. Villains may or may not actually be loyal to their followers, but the followers must either think they are or have some good reason not to care (such as being robots, being in love, etc). A minion that's lost his/her reason for loyalty is a greater liability than no minions at all.
Just like every good hero needs a decent villain, the best villains will be challenged by sufficiently powerful heroes. A good villain stays one step ahead through cunning (or minion management). The important thing to remember is you are not writing about a dark hero. You are writing a villain. The heroes can't be morally inferior! They may be equally corrupt, but if they ever become the bad guys you're no longer writing about the villain. SOME villians go the Dr. Horrible route--but a true villian will not be less vile than the heroes.
Though a villain may have a tragic past, they won't let that get them down. A true villain will rise above challenges. Some villains are wusses and will cry about their problems and complain that things are too hard and LIFE'S NOT FAIR--but they won't give up, no matter how close they seem to doing so.
Also, how badly do you want to punish your villain? A villain can win big or lose it all or anything in between. They don't lose their villainy if they lose to the heroes; but don't be afraid to consider letting the villain win, however small a victory. They are your protaganist, after all.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2011-02-11 04:15 am (UTC)I must admit I do like it when villain protagnists are smart enough not to let someone live when it will come back and bite them in the butt later.
That was an interesting read.
no subject
Date: 2011-02-12 11:31 pm (UTC)Smart villains are always better then stupid ones, whether they're the protagonists or the antagonists. :3 Unless they're supposed to be stupid, of course. But sometimes people write villains that we're informed are very smart, and then the villains don't act like it.
I'm glad you found it interesting! :D
Your villain article
Date: 2012-01-18 10:57 pm (UTC)Re: Your villain article
Date: 2012-01-23 09:38 pm (UTC)