How do you create a good villain?

Question

I'm working on an epic fantasy story and the villain is giving me a lot of trouble. As a character I think I've got him down pretty well but as a villain he seems to not have a motive.
It's like he beats up the hero because he's the villain and not because there's a reason for that.

Can any of you authors give me some advice on giving a villain's actions meaning?

Answer 1

The antagonist is by far one of the most important characters in a story. If his actions are forced or his character undeveloped, the whole piece can fall flat. To give depth and meaning to your villain, you're going to what to rethink his character a little bit to find the reasons behind his actions. There a couple of resources you can look at for examples of characters and character traits that could lead him to a life of evil or crime.

The Writer's Guide to Character Traits by Linda N. Edelstein is a great book written by a psychologist. It discusses influences on a person's character and lists possible explanations and motives for behavior. It could be helpful. Another consider is 45 Master Characters by Victoria Lynn Schmidt. This book analyzes classic archetypes from Greek myth that have appeared in various incarnations throughout literary history. It explains the chief motivations of each archetypes and gives examples of them in books and film. You might be able to incorporate some of the traits from these archetypes to craft a better character.

From what it sounds like, your villain is a bit flat, not rounded, and thus your story has become more plot-driven than it should be. The best stories are those where the characters drive the action of the novel. Why don't you try letting your villain do what he wants instead of forcing him to follow your preconceived notions on the plot? If he just sits on his hands or goes off and does his own thing without bothering with the hero, than he's not the real villain of your piece. You might want to consider a new character. And remember, in fantasy we tend to see villains who are purely and irredeemably evil. But sometimes the most intriguing conflicts come between two characters who aren't evil, they're just different. Good versus good can be more conflicted and grittier than good versus evil. Your villain might even believe that the hero is the evil one, and thus must be stopped.

You also might find that your story doesn't have a clear antagonist. Most do, but some are driven purely by the actions of the characters. Sometimes the characters act for good, sometimes for evil. Look at novels like George R.R. Martin's Game of Thrones. His book is filled with one of the largest casts in any fantasy. There are some unlikeable characters, particularly in the first book. But as the series progresses and more of these characters are given a chance to narrate the story and tell things from their perspective, the reader begins to realize that none of them are really good or evil. They're simply people. And that's why the story is effective. Hope that helps!

Answer 2

Well, I think you've really got to look into the histories of the villain and the hero. Does one have some kind of deep seeded grudge against the other? Often times there's got to be some kind of link between the two.

OR

If the villian's just beating the crap out of the hero, perhaps he feels threatened by the hero? Perhaps with the hero's rise to power, or what not, the villian forsees his own downfall and he can't let that happen, right? That's the case in lots of classic stories. In Star Wars, the Emperor feels that Luke Skywalker is a threat to his Empire, so the kid's got to either join up with the baddies or die. Same goes for Voldemort and Harry Potter. Voldemort thinks this kid's going to be his downfall, so he's got to get rid of him fast.

I guess it really depends on what kind of story it is, and what the hero's motives are, as well.

Good luck!

Answer 3

It is really easy to make a villain 1 dimensional, especially in a fantasy epic. To avoid this, you need to spend as much time developing your villain as you do your hero.

The villain should be the foil (opposite, but not necessarily in all ways) to the hero. It is tempting in a fantasy epic to make the villain the direct opposite of the hero, but you may find it better to make him very similar. Maybe he was a promising hero himself who made a wrong turn. Maybe he sees some of his old self in the hero and and is attacking the hero as a way of attacking himself.

Also, what is the ultimate goal for this villain. Is he trying to take over your fantasy world or destroy it? If he is trying to destroy it, you might want to go for almost a fatalistic view. He may attack the hero just as a means to an end, feeling the hero is the one thing standing between him and victory. If he is trying to take it over, maybe he is trying to show the hero the futility of his task in an effort to win him over to the evil side.

These are all questions you need to answer. In answering them, I think you will find your villain will take on a life of his own and become a much better character,

Answer 4

Here's a few tried and true examples:

Villain was of a lower class in life and was constantly harassed over it, he gets older, gets power, and snaps.

Villain is trying to do something he thinks is good(save his family, wife, race, country) but by doing it in a completely wrong way.

Villain just hates the hero and anybody like them, or the country the hero is from, or the hero's class.

Villain is insane.

Here's a good tip, do not make the villain a giant in black armor, of any relation to the hero, or a mad king who sits in a black tower. In other words, don't make him Darth Vader or Sauron, we see enough of those two in modern day fantasy(Eragon), be original. Maybe your villain is a normal guy who lives in house in town who just happens to be viciously intelligent.

Answer 5

As a writer, you are probably more fond of your hero and have little emotional investment in your villain. But take a moment to step into his shoes and determine what he wants out of life. Whatever it is he wants should be the opposite of what your hero wants. Whatever the villain does to get what he wants should directly interfere with what the hero wants, the hero's goals. Your villain is a person too, despite his unsavory motives. Give him substantial goals and reasons to attain those goals. Then you'll have your motivation.

Best of luck.

Answer 6

Maybe he is twisted and working off some theory that others don't understand. Or he has a history of violence in his past and now he carries a grudge. Maybe he dissociates and can't really help it. Or he wants power, that's a classic. Maybe him and the hero have a hidden past that can be revealed slowly through the book as a twist.

Also to have a good villian make sure he has a trait that people can relate to.

Answer 7

Have something tramatic happen to the villain. Something so powerful, that it's an influential motivator for future conflict with the protagonist.

I have one villainess in an ongoing novel saga of mine whom fell in love with this powerful god many millions of years ago.

It was her lopsided love for him which spurred many conflicts with a myriad's worth of heroes and heroines over the years.

Even though she's trapped, her goals haven't changed. She still loves this god, and will do anything to see that he returns her affections.

So right now, she's using another vessel in order to carry out her will. And so things haven't changed for her base actions. But the god himself remains trapped too.

And though he may seem inactive on the sidelines, past events suggest that he may be so in future books.

Answer 8

There are several ways to give importance to your Villain To provide an insight to his character and reasons that he might feel the need to do "dirty deeds" in your story. Write a chapter that does a "flash back" prior to your "present" or that he is being pressured by circumstances or others to commit his offenses in your story. Then if you wish to change his offending ways later on you will have that basis to add to. I wish you well.

Answer 9

Like Elphaba in Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West.