What does it take to create a villain?

[Skye]

Yes, this makes sense: seriously, what truly separates us from one another; everyone ( not including socio/psychopaths are capable of amazing acts of kindness, and most of us, given a certain impetus are capable of evil.

[Cécile]

I would say that a villain is much more interesting when the evil in him is brought up little-by-little, brush stroke after brush stroke...

The novel has to begin with a "normal" personality. And then, before you know it, he has gone over the edge (and you as well, but you didn't notice)...

Cécile

[Skye]

Yes, Cecile; good point. Development, slow development, counts.

[[deleted user]]

For me, creating a villain is harder than creating a hero. When I conceptualize a villain, my purpose isn't only to let him be a hindrance to the hero but he deserves to experience a certain catalyst or defining moment in order for his character to change. In my opinion, the best villain is the hero's best friend who was left forsaken, betrayed and mistrusted.

One way I create a villain, is to have him or her be interesting enough that the other characters would not hesitate to make friends with him/her and even consider him/her trustworthy, but secretly, he's keeping his or her real & cruel intentions inside.

[Amber]

Something I've done to help myself build antagonist characters, since I don't use their POV in my books, is to write, just for myself, in their POV. Tell the story as the "villian" sees it.

[Barbara]

I'm really enjoying this thread. Thank you all for contributing your points of view!

[Ron]

As a reader I like a good villain. I don't really know how to describe what a good villain is, but, I do know one when I see one. I know that isn't much, but, then, I'm not a writer myself. But, I am a reader and I appreciate a good villain as much as a good hero.

[Steven]

I'll return to the original question. You have to make your villain seem real, an authentic human being, assuming he's not an ET or robot (yes, there are sci-fi mysteries--see Asimov's Caves of Steel and The Naked Sun). That simply means he has to be more evil than good, but both should be present. Even Robert Louis Stevenson recognized that. Villains who are pure evil are for comic books and bad Hollywood movies....

[Tiffany]

Hit my emotions. If I want to jump into the pages and throttle the villain then its working.

[Justin]

In my opinion in order to create a villain you need two key things, one a strong but hidden connection to the hero and two: make them evil, sinister or just give off a bad agenda that can either be seen right away or hidden. The villain has to stand out and they have to be for themselves and anyone around them is merely a pawn piece to help them further themselves in stopping the hero of the story.

[Gamal]

I once read that the best villains challenge the protagonist in a way that forces the "hero" to perform feats above and beyond the conventional in order to succeed. Part of the reason that a franchise like Star Wars worked was because the Empire, personalized by Darth Vader) was so much more powerful and ruthless than the rebels that it took three movies to beat him. If the villain of a story is basic, then the challenge is basic and the book probably can't hold the attention of the reader.

[Jill H.]

This may sound really stupid but I like the villain that you don't know is the villain until the denouement. Although clues may be present in the story, the reader may not pick up on them. (view spoiler)[I recently read Moriarty by Anthony Horowitz and I wasn't perceptive enough to pick up on the hints (although they were vague), so the ending knocked my socks off. I just didn't see it coming and it made the individual a great villain and particularly evil. (hide spoiler)].