Writing Villains

[whaley]

This topic has probably been made before, but I needed a fresh thread I guess.

So, I thought this could be where we discuss our villains for a while. What are their motivations? What’s their villainous style? Their strengths? Weaknesses? Why is the hero connected to them?

I am actually working on a villain (I was working on the character bio when I got the idea just now). He is kind of a spoilery villain, so I’m not going to give much info, but he is Marcel’s million-year nemesis. In both definitions of the word nemesis. 🙂

And that villain sparked another question, which has been asked before, but I wanted to know your opinion.

Can a villain be just evil, or is that not as interesting as a conflicted villain? Which is better?

Also, which do you gravitate towards?

@keilah-h @godlyfantasy12 @freedomwriter76 @esther-c @loopylin @highscribeofaetherium @smiley @power @folith-feolin @koshka @everyoneelsei’msorryiforgotyouatthemomentpleezeforgivemeiloveu

“Everything is a mountain”

[MineralizedWritings]

@whalekeeper

Y’know I think pure evil villains can be really intriguing, as long as they have a reason for being why they are. And although they can be partially a victim of circumstance, I think it’s important to show where they made decisions to become evil.

I mean take somebody like Loki, I don’t know a lot of his backstory, but the guy really says some straight up evil stuff that doesn’t come from any sort of just ‘oh no! Sad backstory! He went the wrong direction!’it’s just him being evil for the sake of it 😅

Although it is important to not overdo villains into disturbing territory (depends on audience you knew that lol) There’s plenty of people irl who have zero regard for human life, so it isn’t far off to write somebody like that.

"And so I left this world just as I had entered it. Confused."

[Allison]

@whalekeeper

Ooooh! This is great! Hmm. I guess a evil villain can be just as exciting as a conflicted villain, depending how you write them. Right now my villain (Rosie Anne Walker) is more conflicted. Rosie, the presidents daughter in 20xx in very evil. Rosie’s mother, Jovie, wanted her daughter to stay beautiful forever because that’s the way Jovie thinks people will listen to her only child. So Jovie had Rosie undergo an operation, to make her beautiful forever. It worked and it didn’t. Rosie is now beautiful forever, but now she is crazy and driven to do evil. Her motivation is to make everyone obey her, if they don’t well.. that’s another story. Her style? She does everything in secret, blaming it all on her father, Tom Kane Walker. Her strength is beauty, her weakness is certain words, they make her have uncontrollable shaking. The hero is connected to her, because Rosie is in charge of the kidnappings of the heroes parents.

Its a lot, but that is my villain. Rosie Anne Walker. 🙂

"Would you kindly...?"

[Anonymous]

@whalekeeper Personally, I believe an evil villain can be just as intriguing as a conflicted villain, so long as they still have a backstory that explains at least a little bit of how they got there.

Some people, sadly, just truly aren’t conflicted about the evil they do, and they do it gladly. Everyone is born a sinner, but people who are evil to be evil truthfully still choose that path, it’s not like it’s forced upon them.

 

For my own stories, I probably have a balance of those who are and aren’t conflicted.

Characters like Hitchens, Frida, Kurt, Franz, Hans…they have no conviction about the evil they do, and they truthfully embrace their sin proudly and truly don’t care if what they’re doing is wrong or not. (though one of the ones I listed does began to feel conflicted later in life 😉)

Characters like Dietrich, Erich, Adolphus, etc…they DO feel conflicted about it, and it leads to their eventual redemption.

 

So yeah, I have a balance!!! 💖

[Smiley]

@freedomwriter76 @acancello @mineralizedwritings @whalekeeper

Eeeeeeehhh I love this forum!!!

I have a reputation in my house, for loving the villains

Ursula is the best part of the little mermaid in my opinion XD

anyways I’m neutral on the topic, I think both villains are good

Anyways here are some outfits I dedsighned for my Charries in my new fanfic (Which I can’t tell to much about XD)

I totally didn’t take any inspiration from Descendants XD *whistles*

here’s the first one

Do me a favor…. Tell Cress I meant it
-Thorne

[Smiley]

And the other one

Note these charries aren’t really villains… well they sort of are, it’s confusing XD

Do me a favor…. Tell Cress I meant it
-Thorne

[Smiley]

Tell me which one is your favorite

Do me a favor…. Tell Cress I meant it
-Thorne

[MineralizedWritings]

@smiley

Cool! It reminds me of Wanda, but that’s probably because of the color scheme lol

"And so I left this world just as I had entered it. Confused."

[MineralizedWritings]

I like the first one best!

 

"And so I left this world just as I had entered it. Confused."

[Smiley]

@mineralizedwritings

Yeah, I took some inspiration from Wanda

the green is probably my favorite, but… I love them both

drawing fashion is so much fun

 

Do me a favor…. Tell Cress I meant it
-Thorne

[hybridlore]

@whalekeeper

I think conflicting villains are the best, because I guess I like to deal with morality and the gray area, if that makes sense 😉 Personally I think evil villains are a little overused, but then again so are the villains with a horrible backstory or who were abused, stuff like that, so haha I don’t know what side that makes me on. Maybe I just prefer antagonists? 🤔

 

@smiley

Ooh nice!! I really like the top one! ☺️

WE ARE REVIVING THE PROTECTION SQUAD! *steals Joseph, Julian, and Sabina from Ellette*

[MineralizedWritings]

@smiley

Ikr? So much fun!

"And so I left this world just as I had entered it. Confused."

[Smiley]

@mineralizedwritings @hybridlore

thanks!!!
also I spelled designed totally wrong XD

Do me a favor…. Tell Cress I meant it
-Thorne

[whaley]

@mineralizedwritings

I agree, if you’re going to have an evil evil villain, make sure, he’s actively villainous, and doesn’t just have a title, yeah?

@acancello

Ooh, what about the operation drove Rosie crazy evil? Or is that spoilers?

@freedomwriter76

Balance is good 😉

Yeees, sometimes I’ll see people questioning villains who search for power or money, or hurt people for gain, saying, why?? Get to the source!!

And I’m like… They’re evil right?? 😂 Not all villains have tragic childhoods – and even if they did (which, like you said, starting points are important), that doesn’t justify their actions. Sin’s the real source.

@smiley

I like the first one too ❤ And did you know tho, I’ve never watched Descendants?

@hybridlore

Ah, the much-discussed Gray Area. I think it’s okay to touch around there, as long as you aren’t getting the good guys and bad guys all muddled up

And antagonists are great! So much potential for back-and-forth power dynamics ❤

“Everything is a mountain”

[Smiley]

@whalekeeper

I haven’t actually watched it I uh…. Read the book version that Disney made

*me hides from embarrassment* XD

Do me a favor…. Tell Cress I meant it
-Thorne

[Author]

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