This is the person behind all things wrong in your Hero’s world. Generally Villains are dark characters, dressed in black. A good example of this is the Necromancer, who calls upon the dead to do his bidding.
On the other hand, your Villain may be a person in power (King or Queen), who has become corrupt and is using his power for evil and greed rather than the good of the society. A corrupt King/Queen may be one of the most difficult men/women to overcome as they have many followers and a lot power at their disposal.
The Villain may also be a loner, the unbeatable warrior that no other has been able to overcome, thus causing much bloodshed with his many challengers falling before him.
One thing we need to consider is what made our Villain evil? Was it a traumatic life experience? was it a bad influence in his life? Or is he under the influence of another, causing these evil actions.
Another thing we need to consider, are you writing from the perspective of the hero? Or are you writing from the perspective of the villain. Writing from the Villain’s perspective can be as much fun, if not more fun than writing from the hero’s perspective, and allows you to break away from the stereotypical Hero and cause havoc and disaster.
WORKSHOP: Who is your Villain? Is your Villain a warrior or a spell caster? Is he a man with religious or political power to get others to do his bidding? Why is he a Villain? What has he done to become a Villain and why does your Hero feel the need to stop him? Research these points to create your own Villain.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
The Villian
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Isn't there a saying that the strength of your hero is dependent on the strength of your villain. A hero needs to be tested as much as possible otherwise it will not be satisfying to read. A superior villain makes a superior hero. Or something like that.
ReplyDeleteI love stories that provide insight into the "good" side of the villian - always an interesting book when you're not quite sure who to support!
ReplyDeleteAgreed Jen! Im a big supporter of the super villain story! It adds a different perspective to what could be a bland story otherwise. But on the other hand, you don't want to push it too much, there still needs to be obstacles and not an instant Goku on steroids apocolypse. If people are pushed too much in one direction, they will want to go the other one <:)
ReplyDeleteI completely agree Erica, and this is a statement I have heard before. What good is a hero if he has no obstacles to conquer! And the harder the obstacle, the more interesting it is.
ReplyDeleteJen, I do appreciate when an author has that different approach to the villian, however I personally find alot of the time that the storyline gets tangled, and by the end of the story you aren't really sure what to believe or who to back. When done correctly though, it makes for a hell of a read.
Matthius, not sure about this Goku business but you have raised a very valid point. Alot of the game developers are finding that with games such as infamous or prototype, that the gamers involved are less inclined to want to do the evil side of the game if pushed in that direction, the same applies to the Hero though.