“If you can’t play the good guy, sometimes you’ve got to play the villain.”
Creating a memorable and believable villain is just as important as penning a protagonist that readers find likeable and engaging. Sometimes even more so – everyone loves the bad guy, right? But, in a world where the bar is increasingly being pushed higher on the back of so many enigmatic and complex baddies, how are authors meant to stand out from the crowd? Fret not, we here at What We Reading have pulled together some of our best tips on how to write a villain readers won’t forget in a hurry!
Three-Dimensions
Another way in which villains come across as cliche and unbelievable is when they are presented as single-minded and obsessive over things such as ‘power’, ‘domination’ or ‘taking over the world’. In the real world, filled with the types of villains most readers find far more interesting, these baddies come with far more complex layers and motivations.
When it comes to writing a good villain, taking the time to explain the motivations and reasons behind their goals is absolutely crucial. They do not engage in their behaviour ‘just because’.
Choose Your Theme
Before they begin writing their big villain, most writers begin by picking a theme they want to convey across the story. For example, if courage is one of the key themes you want a protagonist to jostle with, having a villain that either juxtaposes or challenges that is key. Perhaps as the hero becomes braver the more they progress, the more timid their counterpart appears. Alternatively, the villain may constantly embody or exploit certain fears the protagonist has been shown to hold.
It’s the job of the villain to oppose the protagonist and raise the stakes of the story as much as possible. It’s important for a villain to act as a contrast to the hero and, by sticking to a particular theme throughout, this is a great strategy that will ensure they are strong and consistent.
Check Out The Hero vs Protagonist Differences
A Compelling Backstory
Once you have the theme for your story and villain set, developing a compelling backstory to explain their motivations is a great way of further building out their character. Once again, this backstory should be engaging enough for a reader to be interested in reading about, but also serve as a believable justification as to why they behave in the way they do.
For example, Joe Goldberg from Caroline Kepnes’s You’s stalking and murderous ways come from history with the women he loved all walking out of his life. The lack of control he had in those situations drives his obsessive need to control, even if that means killing in order to stop them from leaving again.
Avoid Cliche Dialogue
As long as there have been villains in literature, there has been a long list of cheesy lines ready for them to blurt out. We’re all familiar with some of the classics such as:
- “You can’t possibly stop me.”
- “You can’t stop me!”
- “You’re too late!”
- “Did you really think you would xxx?”
The problem with all of these is that they are all so overused to the point of being completely cliche. And the problem with cliches is that they are a surefire way for a villain to lose all of their threat or believability.
Instead, take the time to flesh out a dialogue between villains and protagonists that feels natural and flows within their personalities. A good strategy would be to watch or read interactions between villains in your own favourite books, shows or movies before going back and comparing them with the dialogue you’ve crafted.
Emotional Logic
With a consistent theme and an enthralling backstory, emotional logic can be used as a way of further explaining why a villain is the way they are. An example of this would be something similar to Joe from You, where a shy and innocent child is corrupted by the same sorts of events throughout his life.
Not only does emotional logic demonstrate to a reader how a villain can go bad, but it also humanises them in a way that is relatable to them. If done well, they might even begin to challenge the preconceptions and attitudes readers have towards them, making them even more layered and that much more interesting.
What’s more, this strategy is a great way of reflecting a villain back against a protagonist. With villains and heroes often mirroring each other, a logical and even understandable path can raise the challenge of the hero one day ending up in the same position. It puts a greater sense of jeopardy onto the protagonist and an added stake for readers to enjoy.
Vivid Description
The best villains in literature are described by authors using vivid descriptions. Cliched ways of describing antagonists and villains such as by explaining their ‘soulless eyes’ or ‘pale skin’ sometimes aren’t going to cut it as a way of presenting your villain as unique and engaging.
Instead, pick out some small things that capture a villain’s personality and motivations and hammer those home. For example, does your villain have a twitch or way of walking that you as an author can use to make them feel totally unique?
Multiple Adversaties And Accomplices
One of the best ways of making your villain seem like a big deal is to show that there is more to their existence than the protagonist. Sometimes interactions with a protagonist can make a villain constrained, they might have to act a certain way or present themselves as something other than what’s on the surface.
By introducing a slew of accomplices and adversaries for them to interact with can be a great way of showing the full range of a villain’s character. Think about Voldemort in the Harry Potter series, how much of his character do readers get from his interactions with his Death Eaters, other wizards and the Muggle world?
This strategy gives authors so much more creative freedom and eliminates any concerns they might have about diluting the finely-tuned chemistry and dynamics between a villain and a hero.
Check Out The Antagonist vs Villain Differences
Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
