Your method of showing his state will depend somewhat on how greatly you will delve into his past. You may want to writ a Les Mis and turn every minor character into major character who requires extensive chronicling, and this can be good, but there are limits to how much you can do this. You may have to show his past, his character, his struggles through short but highly revealing events. If you took the long route, it would be easy. You would show his inward struggles the way you would your main character’s. If you can’t spare so many chapters on his past, you will have to be more tricky. Events are usually the best way to fashion character and there is no exception here. Let us pursue an example. “Mr. Villain has been outlawed and resides in the ruins of the mountains with his fierce but loyal band of renegades. Along comes a reckless band of aristocrats in gilded carriages. When scouts report to this villain the apparent position of the travelers, his eyes light with ruthless fire. Down swarm the bandits. There is a sharp resistance by the gallant men of the party of whom all are speedily killed by the bandits. Springing into the carriages, the ruffians proceed to cary away all valuables and yank out the annoyingly resistant women, knives to their necks. The villain/captain upon seeing them, orders with unexpected fervor and ferocity that the women be let completely alone, that not even their jewelry be taken. Being fearful, the men obey. Booty taken and carriages flying away like deer in the chase, they proceed back to their mountain recesses. That night, in the captain’s private office chamber of the cave, one of the officers gives his report to the captain. After several minutes of discussion in which the officer notices the captain to be absorbed in his own thoughts, he broaches the question which has been deeply plaguing him on the cause for the captains order. With eyes of fire brighter than that behind him but a face which in all appeared solemn and cynical, the captain replies slowly,’I could not forget my sister. How could I?’ The last sentence seems wrathful and he clenches his fist. After a few moments the intruding officer feels his presence a sacrilege and eagerly retires.” Now then, this would only fill a chapter’s length but we learn a vast amount about the villain even thought there remains an air of mystery which is actually good. And not only that, but we included a fight scene! Dramatic situations are always good opportunities for defining character.

Ok, when you think of a villain do you automatically think of the stereotypical villain covered in filth with a shifty glare and bad breath? Probably most do. I, however, think that truly great villains are the ones that act like everyone else. The ones you would never suspect. The ones that are charming and charismatic and are written so well that you fall in love with them and want to protest with the author that they made a mistake in who they picked as the “bad guy”. I like the villains that have just as winning a smile as any main character ever did. I like the villains that speak with a wistful touch of sadness when they think of their past. I want the villains that are so convincingly real and down to earth that you’re just as surprised as the main character is when they show their true colors.

That’s what makes great villains in my opinion.

HC

As for making the lie immediately evident and killing off a minor character (love the way you put that lol) I think that is also a excellent plotline. I really love writing stories containing a lot of tragedy and treachery. Call me morbid if you like, you wouldn’t be the first. 😀

Both scenarios are very diverse. I guess it would just depend on the way you are writing the story.

HC

Oh and by the way, Daeus, I thought of a literary villain that fits your category of conflicted, I think. Captain Nemo, from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Have you read it? He was my favorite character. I know, I’m not supposed to love the villain, but I pitied him so desperately in the end that I couldn’t help it. There was and is no doubt in my mind that he did very wrong things— but you have to wonder what his backstory was, and what drove him to do what he did. If you’ve read it, you’ll remember you never really find out why he was where he was, or why he went around sinking ships and killing thousands of people, except maybe a few vague references to some tragedy, or some terrible thing in his past that called for revenge.