The 14 Traits of Terrifying Villains

Villains. 

Dark. Menacing. Mysterious.

Or maybe a better description would be forgettable, cliché, and laughable.

If we're being completely honest, the latter description is probably a more accurate depiction of most villains we see most of the time.

But I’m not sure about you, but I like villains that make me feel emotions that are something rather than annoyance and mild amusement.

I like villains that make me feel the amount of fear and revulsion that gets me on my knees begging the author for a happy ending.

And as a writer who enjoys those types of villains, it is correct to assume that I want to write those types of villains in my stories.

If you’ve ever tried writing these types of villains yourself in the past, then it’s probably also correct of me to assume that you’ve had quite the ordeal doing so.

Your supposedly frightening villain is about as threatening as a Koala bear baking muffins.

How do you actually create and write a character that is frightening to the reader? What exactly about a character makes them so horrifying? And how do you execute that in your own stories?

In this video I’m going to be going over fifteen characteristics that when applied to villains instantly makes them feel so much more than a simple component for the hero. 

So they will feel more like a death sentence that the hero must somehow escape and overcome.

*you don’t have to add all fourteen of these characteristics to your villain. Add as much or as little as you want. Or you can use all of them, but just divide them between multiple villains. This is just to give you some ideas and insight if you feel like your villains are lacking in any way.

Also, yes, this video was meant to be published last month during the villain theme of the month, but due to some difficulties it was delayed. But it's finally out now! Three weeks late... heh.

For future videos, they will be coming out every-other week on Wednesdays. I wish I could make a video every week, but I need to get my driver's license. So thanks for your patience! Hope you enjoy the video!

Take heart, be courageous, and keep writing!

~ Kathleen Ramm