What Makes a Good Villain?
A couple of weeks ago, I shared a bit more about the main characters in my upcoming epic fantasy novel, Blood of Ravens. But one key character was missing from that little teaser - the villain.
Now, I can’t share a lot about him - because, spoilers - but if you’ve read the back cover synopsis, you’ll already know he’s called the Shade King, and that it’s been a century since he brought about the Fall of the Graced and tipped the balance of power in his favour. And, since I can’t tell you much more than that without giving away some major plot points, I thought I would share some of my thoughts on what makes a good villain, as well as looking at some of my all-time favourite villains from books, TV and film.
Central to any good story is conflict. The protagonist has to have something to fight against, something preventing them from achieving their goals, some stumbling block they have to overcome. There’s no story without it. That conflict can be internal or external, with the antagonist either physical or abstract, and most have a combination of all of it, but it is essential to good storytelling.
That said, most genre fiction tends towards having a physical antagonist - a villain for the hero to defeat - and none more so than fantasy. Good vs Evil, Light vs Dark, is the default conflict and Dark Lords are one of the most common tropes in the genre - Sauron, Voldemort, Darth Vader etc - to the point it’s become cliche. When I first started writing, I fell into this trap. The villains were often just a name, a faceless menace without reason or purpose beyond foiling the heroes’ dreams. They were one-dimensional, boring and ineffective.
Because if conflict is the central to good storytelling, then a well-rounded and well-written antagonist is the key to unlocking that.
As I’ve developed as a writer, I’ve learned the importance of giving my antagonists the same (if not more) love and attention I give my protagonists - and as a result I have more fun writing them.
The fantasy genre has evolved and there are some brilliant interpretations or alternatives to the Dark Lord/Good vs Evil tropes out there. Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn trilogy asks ‘What if the Dark Lord won?’ while Mark Lawrence’s Broken Empire trilogy follows a fallen prince bent on revenge, now leading a band of vicious outlaws as they kill and loot their way across the world. A Song of Ice and Fire focusses on infighting within the various Houses of Westeros, where the ‘villain’ is dependent on whichever point of view character you are reading at that point.
When deciding what I wanted for my antagonist, I did what most of us do when we’re looking for inspiration… I looked at what other people have done. I found examples I considered strong and analysed what it was about them I liked. I’ve listed* a few of my favourites below, with a bit about why they’ve made this list.
I came out of Avengers: Infinity War having an existential crisis - I’d spent most of the film sympathising with the villain. This portrayal of Thanos is basically an eco-warrior on steroids, and as we battle to combat climate change and save our planet, most of us can at least relate to his motives if not his methods." data-lightbox-theme="dark" href="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f7495da40d56d6e290424dc/1613759497274-XP4YTCAWU3VZU2IPXB87/IMG_7625%252B2.jpg" role="button" class=" image-slide-anchor js-gallery-lightbox-opener content-fill " > View fullsize
His Dark Materials were some of my favourite books growing up, and I loathed Mrs Coulter and her daemon. Flip side, I love her backstory and character arc, and Ruth Wilson’s portrayal in the BBC adaptation is stunning. Vicious and controlling, yet somehow I end up feeling sympathetic towards her because she’s often as cruel to herself as she is to others." data-lightbox-theme="dark" href="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f7495da40d56d6e290424dc/1613747951939-K0UCV0GT6H6JPZA53U7U/IMG_7631+2.jpg" role="button" class=" image-slide-anchor js-gallery-lightbox-opener content-fill " > View fullsize
My sister was horrified when I told her I was including Spike on this list, arguing Spike wasn’t really a villain. But I’m a sucker for redemption arcs and his is one of the best - especially since the writers balance all the atrocities he’s committed by withholding a fairytale happy ending from him." data-lightbox-theme="dark" href="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f7495da40d56d6e290424dc/1613747973240-N2AEREBBOPME3R78TKJP/IMG_7633+2.PNG" role="button" class=" image-slide-anchor js-gallery-lightbox-opener content-fill " > View fullsize
Like redemption arcs, I’m also a sucker for the tragic backstory and - though generally I prefer them paired with the handsome, brooding bad guy - they don’t come much more tragic than poor Smeagol. He is evil through and through, but it’s also not entirely his fault. He’s been corrupted by a power beyond his control, and because of that you can’t help but feel a little sorry for him." data-lightbox-theme="dark" href="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f7495da40d56d6e290424dc/1613748034842-U4XY2MLTIL66ZUHUWN5N/IMG_7636+2.PNG" role="button" class=" image-slide-anchor js-gallery-lightbox-opener content-fill " > View fullsize
Scheming, spiteful and power-hungry… but damn, she’s a compelling character. As her brother Tyrion notes, her love for her children is her one redeeming quality and you can’t help but sympathise with her ongoing battle to survive as a woman in a world ruled by men. But she’s also dangerous, vindictive and cruel. In short, a complex and fully realised character, as all good villains should be." data-lightbox-theme="dark" href="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f7495da40d56d6e290424dc/1613759783805-MY02JAS140G6K5E6UXT2/IMG_7640+2.PNG" role="button" class=" image-slide-anchor js-gallery-lightbox-opener content-fill " > View fullsize
The Joker will always be an iconic villain and I don’t think I’ve ever seen him done badly, but Heath Ledger’s performance in the Dark Knight was next level. His interpretation takes the Clown Prince of Crime and turns him into an agent of chaos, making him simultaneously more plausible and terrifying to modern audiences." data-lightbox-theme="dark" href="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f7495da40d56d6e290424dc/1613747939164-2SSCHDB5XKMJNOLITNVS/IMG_7628+2.jpg" role="button" class=" image-slide-anchor js-gallery-lightbox-opener content-fill " > View fullsize [image error]
The only cliche Dark Lord to make the list, and only because I find watching him manipulate his way to power throughout the prequel trilogy to be quite fascinating… if also a little too close to the current political climate for comfort." data-lightbox-theme="dark" href="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f7495da40d56d6e290424dc/1613747950304-QWEN1C5S5J3PQV8ZRMAH/IMG_7629+2.PNG" role="button" class=" image-slide-anchor js-gallery-lightbox-opener content-fill " > View fullsize
I loved the X-Men Animated Series as a kid, and the Dark Phoenix Saga was my favourite storyline. Heroes battling one of their own, now turned to villain? I’d watch that all day long." data-lightbox-theme="dark" href="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f7495da40d56d6e290424dc/1613747938361-OCDJK86MUK66208B9IZI/IMG_7627+2.jpg" role="button" class=" image-slide-anchor js-gallery-lightbox-opener content-fill " > View fullsize
Much like Thanos, Black Panther’s Killmonger was a bad guy that left me conflicted. I could understand his motivations and on some level, I didn’t disagree with them. This film will go down in history for a lot of reasons, and Michael B. Jordan’s performance will be one of them." data-lightbox-theme="dark" href="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f7495da40d56d6e290424dc/1613747928948-WKCYLGT3U0QJC54R2PLT/IMG_7626+2.jpg" role="button" class=" image-slide-anchor js-gallery-lightbox-opener content-fill " > View fullsize
Yes, Vader is a Dark Lord, but I don’t think he’s cliche - or at least he wasn’t when he came out. Aside from the iconic costume and voice, his backstory and redemption arc cement him as one of the greatest villains of all time for me. Even with the whining when he was Anakin." data-lightbox-theme="dark" href="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f7495da40d56d6e290424dc/1613747950511-W2FBIV4MI3EDJU4JT1A6/IMG_7630+2.jpg" role="button" class=" image-slide-anchor js-gallery-lightbox-opener content-fill " > View fullsize
I find it equally strange and genius that when reading the Lord of the Rings, we never actually meet Sauron - we only see his influence. His evil is spread by the action of his underlings, all lead by the Black Captain. The Peter Jackson interpretation of this is iconic, but the leader of the Nazgul was a villain to haunt nightmares long before that adaptation ever took shape." data-lightbox-theme="dark" href="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f7495da40d56d6e290424dc/1613748066456-CWP4ZCIV1U1WNDHL85L8/IMG_7637+2.PNG" role="button" class=" image-slide-anchor js-gallery-lightbox-opener content-fill " > View fullsize
This one is courtesy of my husband, Buffy lover that he is, and the Angelus story line is his favourite. It’s similar to the Dark Phoenix for me in that hero-turned-villain, but what makes this one so great is how Angelus uses his history with Buffy against her. After all, nobody has more power to hurt us than those we love, and that makes for some great storytelling." data-lightbox-theme="dark" href="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f7495da40d56d6e290424dc/1613747980551-T1QRA4HFHSQL2J8MIEUD/IMG_7634+2.PNG" role="button" class=" image-slide-anchor js-gallery-lightbox-opener content-fill " > View fullsize
Ah, the traitor. The fallen hero, corrupted by the lure of power and the manipulations of evil. Again, Christopher Lee’s performance in the Jackson adaptations is fantastic and perfectly captures Saruman’s descent into villainy. Turns out corruption arcs are just as appealing to me as redemption arcs… I just wish they’d included the Scouring of the Shire." data-lightbox-theme="dark" href="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f7495da40d56d6e290424dc/1613748037586-A04BHIG8FWG4Q5W3UTTC/IMG_7638+2.jpg" role="button" class=" image-slide-anchor js-gallery-lightbox-opener content-fill " > View fullsize
Another icon, but a pleasant change of pace from the bad guy in black. Cruel, arrogant and cunning, the White Witch was my first fantasy villain. My Dad read the Narnia books to me as bedtime stories when I was a kid and although I didn’t realise it at the time, Jadis taught me the value of a villain who follows through. As a reader, there’s a big difference between seeing the evil act and simply hearing about it. Jadis is an object lesson in show, don’t tell." data-lightbox-theme="dark" href="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f7495da40d56d6e290424dc/1613748077756-RJ7JRNEZKSX83KQA320N/IMG_7642+2.jpg" role="button" class=" image-slide-anchor js-gallery-lightbox-opener content-fill " > View fullsize
Alan Rickman’s finest role. He’s just so over the top and outrageous, and I love it. Sarcastic and witty, petty and power-hungry. A villain you love to hate. Does it get any better?" data-lightbox-theme="dark" href="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f7495da40d56d6e290424dc/1613748010000-2D2G4V6F88XNJL0O7VUF/IMG_7635+2.PNG" role="button" class=" image-slide-anchor js-gallery-lightbox-opener content-fill " > View fullsize
I have never and will never hate a character more than I hate Dolores Umbridge, and that’s why she’s on this list and not Voldemort. She is the worst villain in the history of villainy, and she makes me see red. We all know an Umbridge - a vile, petty, small-minded person given too much power. I can’t stand her… she’s everyday evil, and she didn’t suffer enough…" data-lightbox-theme="dark" href="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f7495da40d56d6e290424dc/1613748105273-QHKOZ1N28667BIEQEB00/IMG_7641+2.PNG" role="button" class=" image-slide-anchor js-gallery-lightbox-opener content-fill " > View fullsize
Sitting down and looking at what they all have in common, distilling it down until I have the key aspects of my ideal villain, there are a few core elements that come out. Firstly, they have to present a legitimate threat to the protagonist - whether that’s physical, mental or otherwise. These are more personal preference, but I like a high stakes villain (Voldemort would have seemed pretty weak if he hadn’t killed Harry’s parents). They need to be intelligent - stupidity isn’t scary - and I like my villains charismatic, sometimes with a little charm and always with a lot of wit.
But more than anything, I like a fully fleshed out, complex and compelling villain. They need a redeeming quality and, most importantly, they need a motive for what they do. Because nobody ever believes they are the bad guy. Our brains just aren’t made that way. There is always some story we tell ourselves to justify our actions. Even if we have to manipulate our own minds to do it - processing information, even our own memories, through a lens of bias to fit our beliefs - we will always find a way to make ourselves out to be the hero. A good villain needs to have a reason behind what they do. The reason could be fear, it could be hate or delusion, but there has to be a reason. They’re just not believable otherwise.
For me, this is the single most important thing to creating a memorable and effective villain. In my opinion, the MCU adaptation of Thanos is the gold standard of that principle. He doesn’t just have a reason - he has a reason that makes sense. We, the audience, understand it. Many of us can relate to it. Some might even support it. His ultimate goal - restoring balance - isn’t just logical, it’s laudable, and I doubt many of us would feel differently if we’d endured what happened to his planet. He has a sympathetic backstory, a redeeming quality in his love for Gamora, and a worthy goal - but all of it balanced with a bloodthirsty streak a mile wide. He is the villain, after all.
What do you like to see in a villain? Who are some of your favourites? Let me know in the comments below. And next week… well, next week is something really special, so make sure you sign up to my mailing list to be the first to find out when that is published or you can also follow me on social media.
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