Andy Peloquin's Blog, page 6
February 18, 2019
Ultimate Guide to Villains and Antagonists: Traitor
Judas Iscariot
Peter Pettigrew
Theon Greyjoy
What started out as friendship, love, loyalty, or brotherhood has been twisted to the point that they are willing to betray those closest to them. Though the reasons for their treachery are numerous, the end goal—the betrayal of friends, families, and allies—is painful, brutal, and often fatal.
Traitors: The Origin
Wikipedia defines betrayal as “the breaking or violation of a presumptive contract, trust, or confidence that produces moral and psychological conflict within a relationship amongst individuals, between organizations or between individuals and organizations”.
Such treachery has been around since the beginning of time. From Judas Iscariot to Cassius and Brutus to Benedict Arnold, many historical figures have been laid low, stymied, or even killed as a result of treachery. Wars have been won or lost, kingdoms turned to ash, and history changed because of one decision to betray someone else.
One study listed the most common forms of betrayal:
Harmful disclosures of confidential information
Disloyalty
Infidelity
Dishonesty
All of those carry with them a certain “sting” for the person who is betrayed. We all know how painful it can be to feel like someone else betrayed us. As the above-mentioned study explained, “he effects of betrayal include shock, loss and grief, morbid pre-occupation, damaged self-esteem, self-doubting, anger. Not infrequently they produce life-altering changes. The effects of a catastrophic betrayal are most relevant for anxiety disorders, and OC D and PTSD in particular. Betrayal can cause mental contamination, and the betrayer commonly becomes a source of contamination.”
We, as human beings, need to trust others. It’s part of our “pack mentality”, our need to find bonds with others for self-preservation and protection. Trusting people helps to combat anxiety and depression, improves a sense of wellness, and boosts self-esteem.
As one psychologist put it, “There could be no civilization, enduring health, or mental wellness without trust. The most ordinary interpersonal, commercial, medical, and legal interactions would be impossible without some degree of trust. In contrast, distrust is fraught with anxiety and resentment.”
This is why we feel so hurt when someone betrays us!
Many people wonder why others would consider betraying them. The list of “whys” for treachery is truly endless, but it often boils down to:
Money
Desire for positive outcome (feeling happier with someone else)
Desire to avoid negative outcome (betraying friends as self-preservation)
Dissatisfaction, disillusionment, defeat, or depression
Selfishness
There are hundreds of reasons someone would end up betraying another, but in the end, it comes down to a simple formula: the reason to betray is stronger than the emotional and physical consequences of that betrayal.
In stories
Betrayal is one of the most commonly used, and most emotionally devastating, themes in literature:
Peter Pettigrew in the Harry Potter series turned against not only the “good” wizarding world by siding with Voldermort, but against the friends (Sirius Black, James Potter, and Remus Lupin) who formed the Marauders.
The Night’s Watch in A Song of Ice and Fire betray Jon Snow by stabbing him and leaving him for dead, all because they believe the changes he’s making will lead them to ruin.
Jayne Cobb in the Firefly TV series betrays Captain Mal by selling out the Tams to the Feds, prompting the classic line, “Next time you stab me in the back, have the guts to do it to my face.”
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February 11, 2019
Ultimate Guide to Villains and Antagonists: Fanatic
The Bear-Cult
Vorbis the Exquisitor
Melisandre
Driven by a single mission or ideology, fanatics are often willing to do whatever it takes to achieve their goals. In their minds, the end justifies the means.
Fanatics: The Origin
Wikipedia defines fanaticism as “is a belief or behavior involving uncritical zeal or with an obsessive enthusiasm”. That word “obsessive” is indicative of the true nature of fanaticism: belief to a dangerous, extreme extent. A fanatic becomes so involved in and consumed by something that everything else in their life is pushed out of the way. No matter how harmless that “something” is—from a hobby to the adoration of a celebrity figure—if it becomes so extreme, it becomes dangerous.
Psychology Today has a couple of articles that delve into the mindset of a fanatic, comparing it to addicts. Like with addiction, fanaticism “always entails a lack of balance in a person’s life and thoughts.”
One addiction expert defined it as, “An addict is likely to be a person who is adrift from their moorings in the values of their community and as a result they are desperate for self-definition. Thus, like the fanatic, the addict loses his or her balance and becomes focused on just one desire. And that desire can become like a cancer, spreading and taking over a person’s life.”
Another article makes it clear that fanatics come in all shapes and sizes. “The absolute truths that fanatics latch onto might be religious or political, right wing or left wing, Christian or Islamic, libertarian or communist, new age spiritual or old-time religious. It’s not what they believe that makes them fanatics but how they believe it, that they have final word, no need to consider further evidence, no need to ever wonder or doubt themselves again.”
Notice that common thread? It’s not just that fanatics believe in something to an extreme degree—it’s that they’re unable to believe that anything else could be the truth, and thus they never question or wonder again. By shutting themselves off, they create an addiction to their version of the truth. And, if they start to try to impose their truth upon those around them—through, in the case of fantasy stories, often violent means—they become a danger to those people.
Fanatics can be fairly easy to spot. They all thrive on:
A simple answer, black or white
To be protected against imagined ‘evil’
A sense of community
To feel important
To feel better than the ‘others’
To secure special rights and resources, in this life or in the next
Redemption
In stories
Fanatics are a common antagonist in fiction due to the simple fact that their inability to see beyond their own ideologies or beliefs often leads them to take drastic, violent actions against those they perceive as “wrongdoers” or “disbelievers”.
Melisandre in the Game of Thrones series burns crosses, poisons nonbelievers, uses blood magic, and sends demon assassins, all in the name of her “true religion” worshipping the Lord of Light. Eventually, she takes it to such a drastic degree that she burns Stannis Baratheon’s daughter alive.
The Bear-Cult in David Eddings’ Belgariad universe is a group of racist fanatics that want to convert everyone “by the sword”.
J. Jonah Jameson from the Marvel Universe cannot believe that Spiderman is anything but a menace, no matter how many times Spiderman saves the city, the world, or even Jameson himself.
The danger of fanatics lies in the extreme nature of their beliefs, and the lengths to which they are willing to go to protect and further their cause.
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January 7, 2019
Ultimate Guide to Villains and Antagonists: Cult of Evil
The Mysteries
The followers of R’hllor
The Bear-Cult
Faceless, nameless, wearing dark hoods and chanting arcane rituals, these cults can range from genuinely evil (death cults) to genuinely good-intentioned but misguided. Typically, they follow a passionate, narcissistic, engaging leader and aspire to one religious ideal—often one that can be dangerous to themselves or the world around them.
Cult: The Origin
The concept of “cults” were only introduced in 1932, but their existence dates back to the beginning of organized belief and religion.
The word was originally used to describe an act of worship or a religious ceremony, but in the 19th century, it began to be used to describe “excessive devotion” to any religion or ideal. They are often perceived by mainstream religion as heretical or counterfeit.
Experiences with real-life cults in the last few decades have shed light on the dangers of such organizations. Typically, they form around leaders with similar traits:
Narcissism
A belief that they are somehow special or “chosen”
A belief that they alone have the answers to problems
A belief that they deserve to be revered
Demands for unwavering loyalty
Overvaluing of themselves, devaluing of those around them
Intolerant of criticism
Delusions of grandeur
Psychology Today has a list of 50 traits of a pathological cult leader—everything from a sense of entitlement to taking sexual advantage of cult members to a dependence on tribute and adoration.
However, not all cults spring up around a single leader. Instead, they form around an ideal—one that may be championed by a cult leader, but the leader themselves aren’t the focus of the attention.
Wikipedia lists a number of subcategories of cults:
Destructive Cults
Doomsday Cults
Terrorist Cults
Political Cults
Racist Cults
Polygamist Cults
There is an abundance of information available on cults in the sources below:
How cult leaders like Charles Manson exploit a basic psychological need
The Psychology of the Cult Experience
In stories:
Cults are a popular antagonist in all manner of fiction:
The Kali worshippers proved a power antagonist for Indiana Jones. Based loosely on the Thuggee cult, they worshipped an evil variation of the Hindu goddess Kali.
The Children of Doom in the Conan novels and 1982 film follow Thulsa Doom, an evil sorcerer. The cult practices human sacrifice, feeding still-living victims to enormous snakes.
The Sisters of the Dark in the Sword of Truth series plan to unleash the Keeper (fictional version of evil god) to end all life and earn immortality.
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January 2, 2019
A Glance Back, A Look Ahead
2018 was, without a doubt, one of the most interesting years I’ve lived to date!
In 2018, I did all sorts of new and crazy things:
Tried snowboarding for the first time–Slopes: 1, Andy’s butt: 0
Founded The Fantasy Fiends Publishing Inc.
Hit Amazon #1 Bestseller in three categories (with Darkblade Assassin)
Moved my family from Mexico to Canada (mid-2018), with all the joys and challenges that come from living in a new country
A few more of the highlights from 2018:
Won the RONE Award for Best Book Cover (for Different, Not Damaged)
Produced and published Child of the Night Guild and Thief of the Night Guild audiobooks
Had the pleasure of attending the 2018 InDScribe Convention and spending time with all the wonderful people there
But what I’m most proud of is the amount of writing I got done last year!
Last year alone, I wrote around 1 million words.
3 Hero of Darkness novels (Darkblade Slayer, Savior, and Justice)
Six Heirs of Destiny novels/novellas (releasing Jan 22nd)
Considering everything else that was going on in the year, I’m both surprised and pleased that I pulled it off!
2018 was a year of personal growth as well as professional. I spent nearly two months apart from my family in preparation for their move to Canada, and in that time, I learned a lot about myself and who I am in relation to them. I may not be the best parent, husband, or friend in the world, but that time on my own gave me a new perspective and showed me that I need to try to be the best parent, husband, and friend I can be.
One of my New Year’s resolutions/goals for 2019 is a bit vague, but it’s one that I feel is important: I want to be there for my family more.
In 2018, especially the back half, I was focused on writing the Heirs of Destiny series, and I was driving hard to reach the goal. That meant some things had to fall by the wayside, and often I’d work extra hours to put in the words and finish the novels—sometimes at the expense of family and friends.
In 2019, with all the Heirs of Destiny books written, I can be a little bit less driven and single-minded, and a little bit more available for the people in my life. That means being around during the day, taking time to spend with them, and having the headspace to be more present when I’m around them.
As for my professional goals, here’s what intend to accomplish:
To Write:
Finish editing the last two Heirs of Destiny novels (250,000ish words)
Write the Heirs of Destiny Companion Short Story (10,000 words or less)
The Silent Champions novels + companion novels (600,000ish words)
Co-writing project, details TBA later in 2019 (at least 250,000 words this year)
Another big year, but one that will be more realistic to accomplish because I’ll be spreading it out across the entire 12 months, with some projects already well along their way to completion.
To Publish:
Heirs of Destiny – 5 full-length novels + companion prequel novella (Jan-May 2019) beginning with Trial of Stone on January 22nd:
Hero of Darkness Box Sets – June and July 2019
The Silent Champions series – 4 full-length novels + 2 companion novels (Aug-Dec 2019)
It’s going to take A LOT of work to get it all done, but I’m so excited by the prospect of getting two more amazing stories out to you all this year.
Both will be massive challenges for me:
Heirs of Destiny involves 4 POV characters with intersecting storylines, something I’ve never tackled before
The Silent Champions is military fantasy, a genre that’s new to me and requires A LOT of heavy research
But these are the challenges I live for, and they’re going to make 2019 very possible the most adventuresome year ever!
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December 3, 2018
Ultimate Guide to Villains and Antagonists: Desperado
Desperados: men and women desperate to survive, no matter the cost. Trapped in their life—drug addict, career criminal, or prisoner—they perform unscrupulous acts in the pursuit of one goal: survival in grim situations.
Desperado: The Origin
The word “desperado” dates back to 1647, when it was first used to describe a bold or violent criminal. The word is derived from the Spanish word for desperate, and it’s a perfect way to describe both the situation and the actions taken.
The term was popular in the 19th Century. It was used predominantly in the Wild West, used to describe bandits and highwaymen that didn’t hesitate to use violence in their robberies, heists, and rustling.
The American West was a grim and gritty place, with people doing whatever it took to survive. Those who couldn’t earn an honest living often turned to violence and theft to scrape by. The laws of the Wild West were harsh and unforgiving; those who became bandits and desperadoes knew that lawmen were hunting them, and their careers would end either in a hail of gunfire or dangling from a hangman’s noose. Thus, they had no choice but to escalate. Their actions became more violent and desperate as the law closed in around them. Bloody last stands were the most common fate of men determined to go out the way they lived.
The desperado’s mindset is simple: survival, at all costs.
Typically, their environment will be harsh, with meager resources, an abundance of poverty, and cruelty on all sides. They will often be lower-class with only a limited skillset, with rich men seeking to oppress and control them and their families.
Desperadoes may be driven by love of their families, a need to put food on the table or to ensure their family survives the harsh weather. They may also be driven by a desire for vengeance against those that wronged them, such as a deceitful Nobleman or an Authority Figure that takes advantage of them.
They are typically sympathetic characters—we can all imagine ourselves driven to taking desperate actions, but it’s the desperado that actually goes to violent extremes to achieve their desired ends.
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October 29, 2018
Ultimate Guide to Villains and Antagonists: The Dark Knight
Batman
The Punisher
John Clark
Dark Knights are vigilantes, punishers, and warriors for justice that use violence and “unethical” means to punish the wicked and deserving. Most adhere to a high moral and ethical code, but they see their violent means as a way to bring about “good”, even if the actions themselves aren’t “good”.
Dark Knight: The Origin
Vigilantes and “dark knight” types aren’t modern creations found only in the pages of comic books. In the Bible, the sons of Jacob slew all in the city of Shechem out of vengeance for the rape of their sister, Dinah. Robin Hood was a classic vigilante, using violence to steal from the rich to give to the poor. Even in America, the Regulator Movement of the 1760s and 1770s involved citizens taking up arms against corrupt colonial officials (which some historians believe served as a catalyst to the American Revolution).
The vigilante ethos is simple: violence is justified as long as the evil is clear-cut. If crimes might otherwise go unpunished, vigilantes feel they have a moral obligation to stand up and take matters into their own hands. They fulfill the spirit of the law because the letter has failed, and they execute vengeance in lieu of justice.
The “dark knight” character trope makes a wonderful antagonist because he holds up a mirror to the protagonist, forcing him to question the morals and ethics behind his actions. Because the dark knight is always willing to main or kill in the name of “good”, the protagonist must look at his own violent nature to see how far they are willing to go. When the dark knight takes actions to an extreme in the pursuit of justice and vengeance, the protagonist must examine where their “moral line” is, why it’s set there, and what stops them from crossing over into the dark knight’s side.
In a modern world filled with acts of violence and vengeance, the dark knight is more relevant than ever. We all want to take matters into our own hands and bring retribution down on the guilty. But when we read of a dark knight character, it forces us, the reader, to step back and think about our own morals. We are able to see what we believe to be reprehensible or acceptable, and we must then question why certain things feel permissible and others do not.
A vigilante on the face of it, but a deep ethical conundrum beneath that helps us, the reader, to grow and better understand ourselves.
In stories
There are many vigilante-type characters, but the most popular are:
Batman, in the Dark Knight line of comics and the Dark Knight movie. This Batman is darker, more prone to violence. Though he won’t cross the line into killing, his actions are far less restrained for the sake of protecting his city.
The Punisher, from the Punisher comics, movies, and TV show. The Punisher kills criminals, drug dealers, and gangsters in the name of law and order, as well as vengeance for the deaths of his family.
Jack Reacher from Lee Child’s novel series (not the movies) doesn’t bother calling in the law to deal with the villains—he handles the problem himself.
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September 24, 2018
Ultimate Guide to Villains and Antagonists: Scheming Mastermind
The Crimson King
The Crippled God
Emperor Palpatine
These figures hide in the shadows and scheme to gain power, increase their wealth, or conquer the world. Their presence is rarely discovered until well into the story or even in the climax, but their invisible hand is responsible for moving all of the pieces and controlling the villainy from behind the scenes.
Scheming Mastermind: The Origin
Games of intellect—such as Chess, Go, Senet, and many more—have existed for thousands of years. Each of these games reflect the intelligent nature of their players, and they showcase the success a cunning, manipulative mind can have when they are thinking multiple steps ahead of their opponents.
Historically, many of the greatest leaders have been the ones who conquered from the front lines and went into battle beside their men. But not all men (or women) are born with the skill or strength of a warrior. Some have to rely on their intellect, cunning, and wits to succeed.
Unfortunately, in a society where strength and valor equal the right to rule (look at most war-like cultures throughout history as an example), men who cannot fight will never be permitted to ascend to positions of ultimate power. Thus, in order to wield that power, they must manipulate their physically stronger (often intellectually weaker) counterparts—the “mind behind the throne”.
The problem is that high intelligence doesn’t equate with high moral intelligence (a sense of morality). In fact, studies have proven that the two develop independently of each other.
People with solid moral development will typically use their intelligence for moral purposes. Therefore, people without that moral development—the result of an unhealthy, abusive, toxic, or immoral upbringing—will typically have high intelligence but a lack of morals.
Thus is born the person who uses their intellect to achieve their ends, ends which rarely are structured around morality due to that stunted moral development. They simply don’t have any sense of ethics or morality because none developed during their formative years. Their intelligence gives them the tools to succeed without the ethical restrictions that keep our society ordered and makes peaceful coexistence possible.
In Stories
This is one of the most popular types of antagonists due to the fact that the ultimate reveal of “the invisible mastermind” makes for a very tense, climactic scene.
Emperor Palpatine manipulated Anakin Skywalker, the Jedi, and the Galactic Senate until he was ultimately the most powerful person in the Star Wars universe.
Professor Moriarty is the intellectual counterpart to Sherlock Holmes, but his lack of morality has ultimately led him to controlling London’s criminal underworld.
The Crimson King from the Dark Tower novels is only introduced in Book 4, but his actions affect Roland throughout the entire series.
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September 17, 2018
Ultimate Guide to Villains and Antagonists: Crowd
Crowds can be dangerous, fickle, temperamental, and, worst of all, easily manipulated. It doesn’t take much to whip a crowd of rational individuals into a frenzied mob. When people get together, the “herd mentality” tends to kick in and causes people to do things they would never have considered in real life. Crowds can turn riotous and violence with far less incitement than individuals ever would.
Crowds: The Origin
For as long as people have lived near each other, there has existed the threat of the crowd. A group of peaceful people exchanging ideas can quickly grow into a heated debate as more and more voices join in, until it grows large enough that the debate turns angry, violent, then riotous. A single disagreement between two individuals can turn into a full-scale barroom brawl in a matter of seconds.
There is an entire field of study dedicated to crowd psychology, or the “mob mentality”. Studies have found that just a 5% minority can sway the other 95% of a crowd to follow instinctively, all thanks to this crowd-think (decisions based on the actions of others in a crowd) that overtakes the human mind when we are in a large group of people.
Crowds have been divided into a number of different “types”. One scholar defined them as:
Casual
Conventional
Expletive
Aggressive
Another distinguished them as:
Spectator
Demonstrator
Escaping
Mobs are more “active” crowds—crowds that are aggressive, escapist, acquisitive (looters), or expressive. Aggressive mobs tend to be violent and outwardly focused. Escapist mobs are large crowds trying to flee or escape a dangerous situation. Expressive mobs tend to gather for an active purpose, such as attending a rock concert, protest, revival, or rally.
Passive mobs tend to be conversational and act as spectators, and rarely are violent or volatile.
There are many theories as to why crowd mentality exists:
Gustave LeBon held that people in crowds tend to lose their individual sense of self, thus their personal responsibility for their actions is lost as well. They are also more open to suggestion, and they tend to feel emotions more strongly as part of a “shared unconscious”.
Freud posited that being a part of a crowd unlocked the “unconscious”. The ego is displaced by the size of the crowd, and simplistic emotions (anger, hate, fear, etc.) are more easily spread. The emotional experience trends toward the lowest common denominator.
Deindividuation theory states that group unity, anonymity, and arousal (of emotions) can weaken the self-evaluation, shame, and guilt that typically control our behavior in public. This leads to a lack of restraint and can distance people from their personal identities, leading to a decrease in rational forethought and antisocial behavior.
Convergence theory believes that the crowd is formed by a union of like-minded individuals. People in a crowd behave as they always would, just “more so”. The actions are simply affirmed, reinforced, and intensified by the crowd.
Emergent norm theory suggests that people start to act in line with those around them so as to fit in. Key members of the crowd (the 5% influencers) suggest or model appropriate actions, and those actions become the “norm” for the crowd at large.
Social identity theory states that our actions “depend on which group membership (or non-membership) is most personally salient at the time of action”. Basically, we have a subconscious or unconscious desire to fit in and identify with the crowd, so we model our actions on those around us. Or, the values of the “group” to which the crowd belongs (i.e. a Christian revival, a student demonstration, a pride parade, etc.) dictates the values and ultimately the behavior of those who become part of the crowd.
Whatever the reason behind the crowds forming, it’s clear that once rational people become part of a larger collective of individuals, that sense of individuality and rational thinking tends to decrease and “crowd-think” (and crowd-actions) ultimately take over.
Pacifistic crowds can turn violent in the space of a few minutes. With the right (or wrong) influence, a crowd can be swayed to do all manner of things no intelligent human being would ever consider alone. Thus, the crowd is as dangerous as it is fickle!
In stories
A classic example of this would be in the Bible, when Pontius Pilate gave the crowd the choice of executing Jesus Christ or Barabbas, an insurrectionary. The crowd that was protesting Jesus’ innocence minutes earlier ultimately clamored for Barabbas to be released—likely due to influence from the religious leaders and zealots guiding the crowd’s behavior.
Other examples include:
“Kill the Beast!”, that famous song/scene from Beauty and the Beast, where fear of the monstrous creature and adoration of Gaston caused the villagers to attack Beast’s castle.
Frankenstein has another excellent example, when a crowd of scared villagers attacks Frankenstein’s lab to destroy the monster.
Maskerade by Terry Pratchett parodied mob mentality by including a discussion on “angry mob etiquette”—i.e. “lanterns for chasing smugglers and torches for chasing monsters”.
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September 3, 2018
Ultimate Guide to Villains and Antagonists: Criminal Organizations
Cobra
Professor Moriarty’s organization
HYDRA
For as long as crime has existed, organizations have sprung up with the goal of controlling and “organizing” crime. Criminal organizations can be small multi-person gangs or multi-national (even multi-universal in science fiction) groups dedicated to crime. They make for excellent antagonists, as they encourage the sort of villainy—theft, kidnapping, blackmail, and murder—the protagonist will inevitably try to prevent.
Criminal Organizations: The Origin
Gangs and criminal groups have existed since the beginning of civilized, organized society. However, crime has only been “organized” for the last few hundred years.
In the pre-Industrial era, the majority of crime occurred outside of urban areas. Pirates, highwaymen, and bandits were far more common in rural areas than criminals in cities, towns, or villages, where there were organized guards, soldiers, and militia to keep crime rates low. In rural areas, there was far less likelihood of being caught, thus making it more attractive to criminals.
However, during the Victorian era (19th Century), London began to see a rise in gangs and criminal organizations—which ultimately led to the criminal underworld of London. Instead of disparate crews, the criminals began to form societies with their own hierarchies and government structures, even a code of laws that had to be adhered to strictly.
In the West, cowboys formed gangs like the Wild Bunch or the Cochise Cowboy Gang, which stole cattle and smuggled goods between the U.S. and Mexico.
The Cosa Nostra (Sicilian Mafia), Yakuza, Colombian and Mexican Cartels, Triads, and all the other well-known crime organizations are only around today because of these early criminals who banded together for protection (from each other and the law) and structure in their activities.
Most criminal organizations have one of three types of social systems:
Rational systems: Highly formalized structures in terms of bureaucracy’s and hierarchy, with formal systems of rules regarding authority and highly specific goals.
Natural systems: Participants may regard the organization as an end in itself, not merely a means to some other end. Promoting group values to maintain solidarity is high on the agenda. They do not rely on profit maximization. Their perversity and violence in respect of relationships is often remarkable, but they are characterized by their focus on the connections between their members, their associates and their victims.
Open systems: High levels of interdependence between themselves and the environment in which they operate. There is no one way in which they are organized or how they operate. They are adaptable and change to meet the demands of their changing environments and circumstances.
Some organizations will have a combination of all three. However, regardless of the type of social system, most organized crime operations share similar structures:
family operates as a social unit, with social and business functions merged;
leadership positions down to middle management are kinship based;
the higher the position, the closer the kinship relationship;
group assigns leadership positions to a central group of family members, including fictive godparental relationship reinforcement;
the leadership group are assigned to legal or illegal enterprises, but not both; and,
transfer of money, from legal and illegal business, and back to illegal business is by individuals, not companies.
(Info courtesy of Wikipedia)
Criminal organizations often attract a number of different types of villains and antagonists:
The Scheming Mastermind, the brain behind the organizations’ primary goals
The Morally Corrupted, politicians or law enforcement that either join the organization or simply are bribed or blackmailed into serving its whims
The Career Criminal, professionals who make a living off the crimes they commit, and who have joined the organization for protection or stability.
Henchmen and Bullies, people who use their size, skills of violence, and their natural cruelty to enrich themselves through crime.
Sadists, people who enjoy inflicting pleasure on others and who are not only permitted to do so, but are often encouraged and given an outlet through their role in their organization.
In stories:
There are many criminal organizations in fiction of all genres:
Professor Moriarty and his criminal organization serves as one of the primary nemeses in the Sherlock Holmes novels, even though they only factor into a number of stories.
HYDRA, AIM, The Hand, Masters of Evil, and The Sinister Six are all popular Marvel variations on organized crime—from science-driven organizations to supervillains to evil ninjas!
The Mockers in Raymond Feist’s Riftwar novels are a classic “Thieves’ Guild” in the capital city of Krondor.
Typically criminal organizations serve as the antagonist, but occasionally (such as in the case of my Queen of Thieves series) may fill the role of protagonists as well.
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August 20, 2018
Ultimate Guide to Villains and Antagonists: Organizations
The Ministry of Magic
Starfleet Command
The IRS (not fictional!)
We’re all familiar with that vast, faceless organization that sucks at our time and forces us to jump through endless legal and bureaucratic hoops to get what we want. They are the antagonist simply because they oppose free will and slow down our efforts to achieve our desires.
Organizations: The Origin
Here’s the truth about organizations: humans form them in order to provide structure and order in an inherently chaotic world. At their inception, they are helpful and keep society from devolving into chaos by keeping things neatly organized.
But there comes a tipping point in every organization’s existence when they go from helpful to bureaucratic and frustrating. We’ve all had those experiences of sitting on hold for hours to call a government office, speak to the IRS, or cancel the cable.
And therein lies the reason organizations make such great antagonists!
Organizations don’t (usually) seek to actively oppose the protagonist. However, by their very nature, they stand in the way of free will.
“I want the FREEDOM to change my cell phone to a better plan.” Unfortunately, you have to go through your existing cell phone provider (and all that fun red tape) to make it happen.
“I want the FREEDOM to hold my child’s birthday party in my favorite local park.” That means finding the department that issues the license for that specific event.
Organizations are founded to provide order and structure, but that structure can become inhibiting. When our protagonist is trying to achieve something and the organization stands in their way—maliciously or unintentionally—they become an antagonist.
The bureaucrat is a popular villain to include when dealing with organizations, but often organizations are staffed by helpful, cheerful people who really WANT to help yet simply cannot because the regulations (established for the public’s benefit) get in the way.
There are no end to creative ways organizations—from universe-spanning corporations to tiny companies—can be used to slow down the protagonist, throw obstacles in their way, or force them to find another approach to solve a problem.
In Stories
Organizations aren’t generally used as primary antagonists, but they make excellent secondary and tertiary antagonists:
In The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, the Vogons are a race of bureaucrats—essentially an entire species that is one vast organization, with the paperwork and permits to prove it!
Harry Potter’s Ministry of Magic is intended to organize magic use and protect the magical world from Muggles, but they ultimately become antagonists when they oppose Harry Potter’s attempts to defeat Voldemort.
Star Trek’s Starfleet Command is a classic example of a military organization that obstructs and hinders more than helps.
The post Ultimate Guide to Villains and Antagonists: Organizations appeared first on Andy Peloquin.
