6 Traits of Great Villains
Conflict is what stories thrive on. It doesn’t have to be a significant, overwhelming, world-ending conflict. It doesn’t have to be a violent conflict or even something terribly important. There just needs to be some sort of obstacle, even a minor one, that must be overcome in order for the story to thrive (or even exist). No one presents conflicts quite like villains, and they’re the topic of today’s conversation. See, while almost every villain presents a conflict, not every villain is going to be great. What is it, then, that makes a villain great?
1. Untouchable
There should be a reason the villain is still living. Is the story’s villain surrounded by powerful friends? Is there a fear that the villain’s death would create a power vacuum that could lead to a different, more powerful enemy? Maybe your villain is an all-powerful being with nigh-on unlimited power. Perhaps the identity of the villain is completely unknown, thus making the foe unassailable. Whatever the case may be, the story’s audience should have an understanding of why the story’s villain is still out there, living and breathing rather than being dead and buried.
2. Fallible
Untouchable is a strength for villains, but let’s talk about a weakness that makes villains great: mistakes. Villains should not be absolutely perfect. Their plans shouldn’t always go exactly according to plan. It’s better to have a villain who can adapt to failure rather than never experience a single failure, as this makes the foe more relatable and real. Not only that, but it gives the protagonists a chance to win some of the battles, even if they’re just smaller ones. Additionally, the ability for an antagonist to adapt and have backup plans helps keep tensions high, even if it seems like the heroes have finally drawn up a plan that’s bound to succeed.
3. Relatable
Speaking of relatability, a great villain should be relatable to some degree. Even if the audience disagrees with the ultimate conclusion drawn up by the antagonist of a story, the path that is taken to reach that conclusion should make some semblance of sense. Personally, I find that the best way to strike a great balance is to have a villain with good goals, but terrible methods. Make the question “do the ends justify the means” rather than “is this right or wrong”.
4. Good Qualities
Rounded-out villains are better than single-minded ones, so a great villain should have at least a couple of good qualities. This could be something as significant as a loved one or as simple as a hobby. Maybe your villain takes care of a small garden or enjoys whittling small figurines. If a villain has something that keeps them grounded in this way, it doesn’t just improve relatability, it adds something positive to an otherwise grim persona. It makes the audience think: “Hm, maybe this baddie isn’t all bad.”
5. Inspiring
Mindless henchmen following a terrible leader are frustrating to watch, at least for me. Where in the world do wicked villains find so many henchmen? Are there really that many people out there willing to do atrocious things for a little money, all while knowing they’ll be throwing themselves at someone like Batman? It’s far more believable and enjoyable when the antagonist’s followers are people who believe in the villain or the vision presented by the villain. Yeah, sure, they're in it for the money, but they also believe in their leader. Regardless of morality, the leader is inspiring. The henchmen also shouldn’t be mindless in their loyalty. If they’re following the antagonist for a reason beyond money, then there’s a chance that some of the henchmen can be shown better reason by the heroes.
6. Take No Prisoners
My final note on what makes a villain outstanding is that protagonists do not have any plot armor when the villain is still in play. The villain will behave logically and intelligently. If someone needs to die, that villain will do what’s necessary to kill that person. If killing an enemy is merely convenient, the villain won’t just let them live without a justified and intelligent reason. I think that this is something the majority of us can all agree on, right? Villains just letting heroes go for no reason at all is positively ridiculous. Also, murderous villains taking prisoners for no reason at all is equally frustrating.
Conclusion
I tend to complain about the villains pretty frequently when I review fictional stories because, let’s face it, too many villains are just abysmal. They serve the plot and the plot alone, with motives that make very little sense and actions that make even less sense. Give me villains who are just as well-rounded and consistently written as the characters in their stories and I’ll get excited. Give me villains who take prisoners and let them live without justifiable reasons and I’ll give you one of those sweet sweet stars… but only one.