Writing Compelling Villains Your Readers Will Love To Hate
Imagine the crew gears up, they make their journey, and when they arrive ready to fight, there’s no one there. Consider an “office drama” with no one spreading drama or a world with super heroes but no super villains.
Villains drive the story. Most of the time you can see them as a personified version of evil things like greed, hatred, and violence but people love a good villain. Darth Vader, The Joker, Hannibal Lecter, and more. They’re not just evil though, they’re compelling. So how do you make a compelling villain?
Tips to write a compelling villain
Give them Strong Motivation
If your villain does bad things for no reason they will seem shallow and kind of just childish. Your villain should have a reason for their actions. They want power, control, revenge, or in their mind they’re doing the world a favor by getting rid of the good guys.
Give them a strong motivation and then create depth by showing us why they want these things. Do they want to control things because if they just could have controlled a situation a loved one wouldn’t have died? Do they want revenge because they feel wronged, like they didn’t get something they were destined to have? Tell us about it. A compelling villain has to have a reason.
A Compelling Villain Is More Than Just “Evil”
When your villain is well-crafted and multi dimensional you can add even more depth to the story and the overall theme. Now, not only is it good vs evil, but it’s also a wider narrative on the intricacies of life and what might push someone to become a villain. Your villain doesn’t need to be fully evil, but they also shouldn’t be able to explain away every bad decision until they look like a good guy. Rather, your villain should be complex and engaging. Just a big mix of “what happened to you?”
Create a Connection Between Villain and Hero
You might think your villain should be a “foil” or complete opposite of your hero but by having them share traits, your readers can watch in wonder as they both react differently to the same event. For example, the hero loves someone and will do anything to protect them but won’t cause harm.
On the other hand, the villain loves someone and will cause harm in order to protect them or, in a rescue opportunity, will only rescue that loved one despite having the ability to save others. There’s a fine line between compelling hero and compelling villain and it all matters what side the character steps to.
Give Them A Memorable Presence
People love to quote the villain. Give them a sense of humor, witty sarcasm, great style or an interesting talent not related to them being evil (like being a really great dancer or a skilled bee keeper).
Don’t Overexplain Their “Evilness”
The character will show they are evil without ever needing to be called “the villain" or describing them as “evil”. In the same way you don’t need to tell your friends that you’re funny, clever, or kind, your readers will come to these conclusions on their own when they see how your character treats others, understands situations, and acts on their motives.
Bring it all together
The compelling villain has the power to create nuance, depth, and tie the theme strongly to the plot. Starting with an interesting person, giving them motive, flaws, their own version of morals, and lots of bad decisions and you have a villain readers will love to hate. Do you have tips on writing villains? Share with us in our Discord Community and share your story on StoryForge!
