A Recipe for Evil: Six Ingredients for Creating a Sympathetic Villain

By Chelsea Hindle

Every reader has that villain they like just a bit too much.

From Zuko, and Loki, to Frankenstein’s Creature, and The Darkling, sympathetic villains are everywhere. And the fact is, fangirls and fanboys lap it up—we adore those brooding bad boys with the English accents. 

But what is a sympathetic villain? Why do they inspire so many spinoff Disney movies? Are they necessary to make a great story? And, most importantly, how do we write one?

Well, dear reader, today we’re here to answer all of these questions, and more! But before we get ahead of ourselves, it’s worth examining our first question: what exactly is a sympathetic villain?

Cambridge Dictionary defines a sympathetic character with these words:

If a character in a book or film is sympathetic, they are described or shown in such a way that you are able to understand the character's feelings, with the result that you like them. 

That makes sense, doesn’t it? A sympathetic character is a character that evokes sympathy in the reader, causing us to like them. But villains are evil, so how can we create villains that evoke sympathy in our readers? Well, as it turns out, there are a few simple steps to making amazing, sympathetic villains and we’ll explore them in a moment.

Sympathetic villains are differentiated from non-sympathetic villains mainly by their motivations and backstories. Non-sympathetic villains—such as Red Skull in The First Avenger—are not shown to be likeable in any way. They are usually tyrannical, corrupt and merciless.

Sympathetic villains, on the other hand—such as Bucky Barnes in The Winter Soldier—don’t tend to be “the big bad” villain, serving as a sidekick or antagonist instead. They have backstories that tend to explain their misguided, but well-intentioned motivations, and they tend to have moments of “humanity” where they do good deeds and maybe even aid the heroes on occasions. Essentially, the non-sympathetic villains are the ones we love to hate, and the sympathetic villains are the ones we pretend (with varying degrees of success) not to love.

As to the next question, I have no idea why Disney keeps making villain spin-off movies. No one can ever convince me that Cruella—the puppy-coat fashionista—is a sympathetic villain.

But do stories need a sympathetic villain? I’ve seen articles arguing that they do, but I would challenge this. Stories need a compelling villain, but a villain can be compelling without being sympathetic—consider the White Witch, or the Joker, or Scar. So no, I don’t believe stories need a sympathetic villain at all. 

Having said that, adding a sympathetic villain or antagonist into the mix can certainly add some spice to your narrative. They can add depth, drama, and the opportunity to explore complex themes that other characters might not provide. If they are well-written that is, and exactly how to do that is what we’re going to get into now. Let’s take a look at some case studies and discuss what made them tick and why these characters are so beloved, and how to apply the tips to your own novels!

Ingredient #1: A Compelling Backstory

Case Studies: Magneto (X-Men franchise) + Killmonger (Black Panther)

Why It Matters:

 Ah, yes, the crucial base ingredient in the recipe for a sympathetic villain. The compelling, and usually tragic, backstory provides the motivation that drives the villain. What caused them to become the way they are? What terrible things happened in their formative years, causing them to become entrenched in their beliefs? Experiences in life are what drive us and shape us, and villains are no different. Let’s take a look at some case studies:

Case Study #1: 

Magneto, a major villain from the X-Men franchise, is a perfect example of this. His backstory involves him being a young Jewish boy in a Nazi concentration camp, where he was separated from his parents and studied by scientists, who were looking to manipulate his mutant powers. Obviously, he grows up fostering fear and hatred of government officials and scientists. This backstory, which grew into his motivation, is what causes his clashes with the X-Men and the American government in the films.

Case Study #2: 

I may be biased, but personally, I think Black Panther is the strongest installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And a huge reason for that is the main villain, Killmonger. Killmonger grew up as a Black American, whose father was murdered for daring to leave the closed “third world” country of Wakanda. Because of this, Killmonger grows up deeply resenting the privilege the Wakandans have in their homeland, and determines to overthrow their king—his cousin—in order to gain Wakanda’s resources for himself.

Apply This: 

Ok, you may be saying, it’s all very well to say our villains need a compelling backstory, blah, blah, blah. But how do we actually write that? Well, what was your character’s childhood like? Peaceful, violent, traumatic, or loving? What were their circumstances? Poor, middle-class, orphaned, or the child of a billionaire? Did the major events happen in their childhood, or later in life?

What was the “tipping point” that drove your character to villainy? For Magneto, it was the Nazis shooting his mother to drive him to use his powers. For Killmonger, it was growing up without a father after his murder. For your villain it might be when he is abandoned by his parents, or when they’re forced to steal to survive, or after witnessing a horrific injustice.

How does your character change after their tragic tipping point? Do they seek vengeance? Do they want to stop the same thing happening to others? Do they simply become misguided about what is right and what is wrong? Consider the unique character you’ve created, fill out some questionnaires or chat with a writing friend as you hash out the details.

Ingredient #2: Something to Believe In

Case Studies: Javert (Les Miserables) + Claude Frollo (The Hunchback of Notre Dame)

Why It Matters: 

Everyone has a personal philosophy or a set of values they hold dear. Whether it’s the laws of a particular religion that people adhere to, humanist ethics, or their own personal moral values, we all have things we believe in. Many of us even have things that we would die for—family, friends, or our beliefs. And villains are no different—they have beliefs, morals and values as well, even if they are slightly skewed.

So, all villains have something they believe in—Cruella de Vil believes puppy skins are the height of fashion and Scar believes he should be king. However, the difference between a non-sympathetic villain and a sympathetic one is that the reader must be able to empathize with your sympathetic villain’s belief. Even better if your villain and your reader share the belief.

The indomitable and long-winded Victor Hugo created two great exemplifiers of this concept, and we’re going to look at both of them now.

Case Study #1: 

Javert, who as far as I know has no first name, believes in one thing alone—the LAW. He believes criminals should be punished and that only by serving the law can people be safe and happy. This is a relatable belief because most of us believe the same thing, admittedly on a spectrum. But what makes Javert an antagonist instead of a hero cop is that he takes his belief to extremes. People cannot be redeemed in his mind, he refuses to move past justice and give mercy. He hunts down a good man who has done his penance, all because he cannot see anything beyond the law.

Case Study #2: 

Claude Frollo is similar to Javert in many ways, but Frollo believes in purity. He wants to purge corruption from the world, and he sees corruption “everywhere except within” (to quote the movie). As far as Frollo is concerned, he is a good and pure man and everyone else is bad. This is again something we can all understand to a certain extent, we are all hypocrites about one thing or another. We also believe we’re all fundamentally good people, so we can understand Frollo and his motivations.

Apply This: 

Give your villain something they can believe in and then work out how this can be made evil. Adherence to the law is a good thing, but when taken to extremes it turns a good man into a villain. Wanting to see purity and justice in the world is a good thing, but when mixed with pride and hypocrisy it becomes twisted and evil.

Maybe your villain wants justice for their wronged family, but they become obsessed and they can no longer distinguish between vengeance and justice. Maybe your character believes the only way to redeem themselves is to assassinate the king. Maybe they believe they’ve been shamed and they have to regain their honour. Try to tie their belief into their backstory, since most peoples’ beliefs are tied to their personal history. For example, if a villain grows up with their father constantly demeaning them, the villain may do everything he does to “prove” something to his father, because he believes he isn’t good enough.

Ingredient #3: A Likeable Personality

Case Studies: Loki (Marvel Cinematic Universe) + Smaug (The Hobbit)

Why It Matters: 

We’ve got a good base for a sympathetic villain, so now we’re going to begin adding a little bit of flair—beginning with a healthy dash of “likeable personality”. After all, a character cannot be sympathetic if they are not likeable. Unfortunately for us, likeability is highly subjective. We all find different people likeable, and nothing exhibits this more than our favourite characters. You can tell a lot about a person from their favourite character.

But there’s good news! Everyone is different, but sometimes a particular character strikes a chord with huge amounts of fans. Villains in particular strike that chord, so we’re going to look at two popular villains well-known for their likeability and see what tips we can pick up.

Case Study #1: 

We’re going to turn now to the God of Mischief himself, the best character in Marvel’s lackluster Thor films. Loki is a wise-cracking, silver-tongued, ambitious, malevolent mass murderer. And somehow he became everybody’s favourite villain. In fairness, the only movie he actually plays the villain is The Avengers (in other films he ranges from mild inconvenience to reluctant ally). So, what made him so likeable, even though he murdered eighty people in three days? It all boils down to a few personality traits that make him wonderfully likeable, which we’ll discuss in a moment.

Case Study #2: 

Smaug is by no stretch of the imagination a sympathetic villain, but he is most definitely likeable. He has wit as sharp as his claws, a pile of more gold than he knows what to do with, and a penchant for telling riddles while waiting to eat his victims. He has a magnetic personality, which fires the reader’s imagination and leaves us glued to the page, watching in horror as our hobbit hero takes him on.

Apply This: 

So what makes these two characters so likeable? Let’s take a look at four personality traits that readers always enjoy.

1.     Humour—people love humour, and we especially love snarky wisecracks. Both Loki and Smaug possess an amazing sense of humour, which immediately makes them more likeable in the eyes of the audience.

2.     Intelligence—no audience wants a dumb villain, so we immediately admire, and like, any villain that shows themselves to be of above average intelligence. Both Loki and Smaug have exceedingly cunning minds and no qualms about putting them to evil uses.

3.     Charisma—it's hard to describe charisma in any way that makes sense, but both Loki and Smaug just have this charm about them. They both know how to sweet talk their way out of things, they both know where and when flattery and politeness work.

4.     Finally…a Handsome British Actor—ah yes, the final essential ingredient for creating a sympathetic video. They must be played by an at least moderately good looking British fellow with black hair…I’m only mostly joking.

However, humour, intelligence, charisma, and British good-looks are not the only way to make a character with a likeable personality. For example, you could make your villain shy, or you could make them bubbly and excitable, you could give them a strong moral compass (even if the compass is a little off). Experiment as much as you want and play around with different personality types, see what fits the character you’ve created and the story you made them for.

Ingredient #4: Good Deeds

Case Studies: Professor Snape (Harry Potter) + Darth Vader (Star Wars)

Why It Matters:

 Our recipe is looking good now, we have a healthy base of sad backstory, a pinch of beliefs and values, and a sprinkle of likeable personality. But what’s next? Well, my dear readers, the next step to creating a wonderfully sympathetic villain is to let them do good deeds.

Now, I’m not saying your villain needs to go around handing out balloons and lollipops to every kid he sees (it’s probably better he doesn’t). But your villain should do a few good deeds over the course of your tale. Why? Because your villain still has little sparks of good in them, and every time they do a good deed it makes them a little more sympathetic. Maybe he spares the hero’s life, or accompanies a woman on a night to keep her safe, or spares someone he was meant to kill. This is especially important if you’re setting your villain on a path of redemption, these good deeds are their stepping stones to becoming heroes again.

Case Study #1: 

Today we’re joined by Professor Snape of Harry Potter fame. Snape manages to walk the fine line between “villain” and “highly-abusive-but-ultimately-good-guy” with a good deal of finesse. I’m not sure whether he is a redeemed villain, or an antihero, but since he plays an antagonistic role in six out of seven books, I’m classing him as a villain. (I casually await stabbing by HP fans). Snape is a highly unpleasant individual, an archetypal antagonist whose sole purpose is to thwart Harry and make his life miserable. But as the books progress, we see him begin to do good deeds. He protects Harry, trains him in magic, and aids his quests. We see his love for Harry’s mother, and eventually realise he isn’t a horrible monster (except he still is, good deeds only get you so far in life).

Case Study #2: 

Now we turn to a time long ago and a galaxy far away and examine Darth Vader. Vader becomes a sympathetic villain the minute he turns against Emperor Palpatine and saves Luke’s life. His good deed is what finally turns him from a despicable villain into a misguided father again. Without this good deed, Vader’s arc—and indeed the whole plot of the original trilogy—would be altered astoundingly.

Apply This:  

What good deeds have your villains done? Did they refuse to fire on an innocent civilian? Does she show mercy to your hero? Or simply help a lost child find their way home? Good deeds build up a repertoire of trust between your villain and your reader, showing the reader that there is more to this character, which they will discover if they keep turning the pages.

Ingredient #5: Somebody to Believe in Them

Case Studies: Zuko (Avatar: The Last Airbender) + Magneto (X-Men franchise)

Why It Matters: 

Our Ultimate Sympathetic Villain is almost complete, but we are still missing two essential ingredients. Our villains need a tragic backstory, something to believe in, a likeable personality, good deeds, and someone who believes in them. Why do they need someone to believe in them? Well, when we are creating sympathetic villains, one of the vital ways to make them sympathetic is to give them someone who believes in them. Someone who sees them for what they could be, instead of what they are. This encourages our readers to view our villain the same way—to see the potential for good in them.

Case Study #1: 

Zuko, from Avatar: The Last Airbender, and his uncle Iroh are perfect examples of this. Iroh is hugely influential in Zuko’s transformation from evil Fire prince to member of team Avatar. And it’s all because Iroh refuses to give up on his nephew and acts as a constant support, constantly pushing him towards the light. Fans of ATLA adore Iroh, and because we adore Uncle Iroh, we believe what he says about Zuko. We believe that Zuko has a shot at redemption because Iroh says he does. And so Zuko becomes sympathetic, not just through his own personality and actions, but because of the personality and actions of Uncle Iroh.

Case Study #2:

 In the same vein, Professor X consistently expresses his view that Magneto is a good man at heart and can be redeemed. Throughout the films, he makes it his personal mission to redeem Magneto and bring him back to his former position among the X-Men, a mission which has varying levels of success. As with Iroh and Zuko, Magneto is sympathetic not only because of his tragic history and likeable personality, but because Professor X has convinced us that he is a good person.

Apply This:

 Who believes in your villain and their goodness? Perhaps his mother, who has never stopped loving her son? Or maybe the hero, our villain’s former best friend? Having a character who is important to the reader and believes in the goodness of the villain is imperative to creating a sympathetic character. Consider who in your cast is uniquely positioned for this role and weave their relationship with the villain into the plot.

Ingredient #6: An Opportunity for Redemption

Case Studies: Gollum (The Lord of the Rings) + Black Widow (Marvel Avengers franchise)

Why It Matters: 

We have finally come to the last step, the final ingredient that I believe is vital to sympathetic villains. They need a chance for redemption, an offer to come to the good side.

Now, this doesn’t mean that your sympathetic villain needs a redemption arc—a villain does not need redemption in order to be sympathetic. However, they do need at least one offer of redemption. Whether or not they take it is up to you and the character you’ve created. Let’s take a look at two examples and examine how a redemption offer can enhance your character.

Case Study #1: 

Gollum is the horrible, corrupted former bearer of the Ring and he has several redemptions over the course of Frodo’s quest. After joining Frodo and Sam as a guide, Gollum begins to change. He slowly morphs back into his pre-Ring self, a hobbit-like creature called Smeagol. Smeagol is mischievous, but still a good person who wants to help Frodo. He even grows to love his new “master” for his kindness and lack of judgement and cruelty. Time and time again, Frodo offers redemption and Smeagol appears to take it—until a fateful argument the “old” Gollum and the “new” Smeagol have by a lake. The final offer of redemption, which Smeagol urges Gollum to take, is ultimately rejected and Gollum decides to betray Frodo to the giant spider, Shelob. He is offered redemption, but ultimately rejects it.

Case Study #2: 

Despite never being seen on screen, Natasha Romanov—aka Black Widow—has what I personally believe is one of the best redemption arcs in Marvel canon. Nat goes from being a hardened and brainwashed assassin, to being a hero who sacrifices her life for those she loves. Though her transformation mainly happens in backstory, we are given an account of the redemption offer she was given. Hawkeye was ordered by SHIELD to hunt her down and kill her, but instead offers her a chance to change her life. She accepts and joins Hawkeye, despite the fact that SHIELD does not trust her.

Apply This: 

Consider at what plot points you can add in an opportunity for redemption. Maybe your villain saves the hero’s life and the hero offers him the chance to join their cause. Or maybe a particular event rocks their world and they are forced to evaluate their life. You can make this moment as grand or as small as you want, and the villain has the choice to accept or turn away. The important thing is giving your villain the chance to be redeemed.

So there you have it—the six ingredients to creating amazing, well-rounded and sympathetic villains. It boils down to the same tactics as any other good character—a watertight motivation, a solid backstory, a fanfiction-worthy personality, and a good arc; there's just a few twists to be made here and there to create a particularly good sympathetic villain.

Who is your favourite sympathetic villain? Do you have any other tips to add?