(Nope. It’s not really about a fictional monster. I really had some social commentary when writing some of these. Not that it matters.)
Surrounded by wealth
And extravagance
He sits in his castle
Never needing
But always wanting
While his brethren
Starve and scramble for life
He has more wealth
Than one man needs
Earned through work
And thought
Yet more he gathers
To fill his stash
That could solve a hundred problems
On nights he leaves
To hit the town
Indulging his own vanity
Buying shiny baubles
And the newest toys
Followed by the obsessed
And reveling in the lights
Yet he is not truly loved
By those that starve
And wish to take his place
He becomes a symbol
Of the enemy
As the world rots
And starves to death
Times are getting troubled
He refuses to aid
And risk a drop in wealth
He continues to rise
While his brethren fall
Pleading for help
And being denied
He earned his way
The system is his friend
It is not his fault
That he succeeded
Where others failed
A bevy of excuses
Of why he should not be a villain
What will the Great Hoarder do
When the system crumbles
When the wealth he has
Is no longer coveted
Becoming a worthless stash
Symbols of a dead regime
That placed a price on living
While this is a niche character type, there are probably some tips to making it work. I mean, advice on any subject is helpful, right? We’ll see how this goes because 7 might be hefty challenge on this one. Wish me luck.
If you want the villain’s origin to be a surprise then you have to make sure they come off as a local. The clothing has to be from that world. The way they talk and their knowledge needs to be near perfect. I say near because there should be some subtle hint that there is something off. This way, the reveal has impact.
In regards to the hint, I don’t mean to make it clear they are from another world. I mean to have there be a sign that they are hiding something. This is done for all kinds of secret origins, powers, and plans. Maybe they get flustered in a certain situation or there is an aspect of the world they hate more than one would expect. For example, the character could really despise a certain food that’s popular, which wouldn’t raise many eyebrows. Yet, you learn it reminds them of the only food their mother gave them back in their world and they have issues. Keep in mind that it doesn’t have to be that silly.
Having them act superior to the locals isn’t necessary, but it would make sense given they are a villain. This works primarily with a character who is out to destroy or conquer. If they come from a world of technology then they could easily see magic as inferior, which is different than a hero who sees it is as equal or better. It doesn’t have to be blatant either. Perhaps it could be a simple coldness towards the fate of the locals as if they are tools or not even real.
The moment the reveal is made does NOT mean you suddenly introduce a bunch of other world tech. One will wonder why the villain was keeping all of the weapons and advancements a secret. You could solve this by saying they were designing everything prior to the reveal, but that can bring up another question. Why would they be a clear villain if they didn’t have their superior armory ready? Each item needs an explanation for its existence too because you can’t just have computers appearing in a magical world.
A question can come up on if other characters know this secret before the reveal. It depends on the situation though. Having secondary villains makes sense if they see the main one as a deity or superior. They might want access to the tech too. On the other end of the spectrum is them learning the truth and seeing their ally/leader as an outsider. I would say the level of xenophobia in the villain ranks will be a big deciding factor here.
Not every villain from another world knows how to build a nuclear bomb . . . or even a firearm.
The way they came to the new world should be considered and can be a key factor in them going evil. If they were died and then reincarnated then they may be traumatized by remembering their own demise. This could lead them to believe the new world is fake and they’re dreaming while in a coma. Those that are simply plucked and transported may decide they are chosen to be gods or kings, which could tie into them having no power in their previous life.
Surprisingly, I found a once used teaser from Legends of Windemere: Warlord of the Forgotten Age. It involved Nyder, so I thought it wouldn’t hurt to skip the origins for a week and post this related one.
Terenezza Hopkins from ‘May I Ask For One Final Thing?’
I’ve talked quite a few times about heroes who come from another world. This is the whole ‘Isekai’ genre where a normal person from our world is either transported or reincarnated into a magical one. Something I stumbled onto a few months ago was the same thing happening with a villain. Not always with them being the main character either, but that can happen.
So, the concept is that the protagonist is up against a villain who has been brought over from another world. Like an Isekai hero, this enemy possesses enhanced powers and special traits, which makes them a challenging threat. This requires the hero born in the world needs to grow stronger in a way that matches this person who has basically been given cheat codes. It ends up being done without them either knowing or understanding the full situation until later. After all, the villain doesn’t typically walk around shouting they are from another world.
The odd thing is that the reader can swiftly notice something is off even if the villain isn’t revealed as being from elsewhere. It really depends on the author being subtle or not since it can be covered fairly easily. Yet, I notice it’s more common to have this Isekai’d villain act superior and dismissive to nearly everyone in the world. While a hero in their position is stronger and tries to be inclusive, the villain seems to use their strength as a reason to be openly egotistical. This ends up being done even when they are losing and have yet to demonstrate their power. I guess this shows part of their villain mentality is to think they are automatically better while heroes know they have to learn about their new world.
A villain from another world has a big challenge with the reveal. You need to make them appear to be from the new world while still having a few hints that there’s something a little weird. Otherwise, the reveal either feels like a last minute decision or it falls flat due to being obvious. There’s always the decision to make uncovering where this person came from as part of the story. I think that would clear things up because you start off knowing they appeared out of nowhere, but not necessarily Earth. Means you’re preparing people for a reveal without exposing too much.
One thing I like about this concept is that it can allow the villain to be ignorant of the world they are in. It makes one wonder why they want to conquer or destroy, which can boil down to them simply hating where they are. This also means their ignorance is entirely by choice. With heroes, they are lacking in knowledge and go out of their way to learn everything. A villain is more likely to not care about anything that doesn’t pertain to their goals, which results in an information gap. Given them being extremely powerful, this is where a weak point can be created.
I don’t know if I’ll ever use this type of villain even though it’s intriguing. There is a plan to show there is a connection between Earth and Windemere, but I’m still not 100% certain I want to do it. At least not overtly because I think two future characters still need to have this origin. Anyway, I don’t really want to try a villain like this because it doesn’t feel right for my world. This type of antagonist really needs to be handled a certain way and with a world that focuses on them. Otherwise, they’re going to lose some of their specialness because there are other villains from that world. Maybe I’m looking at it wrong though.
What do other people think of villains coming from another world?
I found this a surprising holiday since I know most adults refuse to openly goof off. We really are a weird species if we have a holiday specifically to remind people to have fun and be silly. Doesn’t sound like we normally live a healthy life to me. For today, I’ll be enjoying time with my son. That means Pokemon Go, cartoons, and watching him get into trouble in a video game. It’s a one-player and my entertainment is him blindly walking into areas with 95% confidence and 5% prep. Sometimes I work on a puzzle when he’s playing. If my son wasn’t here, it would be Pokemon Go, writing, and other things depending on the weather.
I’ll admit that I don’t know if all or any of that counts as goofing off. Silliness does ensue as long as stress isn’t high.
I’ve ended the week with a sore throat and maybe a little cold. Can’t be surprised since the weather dropped back to frigid after being warm. The wind made the temps a mess all week, which created one of those types of cold that wears you down. Had to be around a few people who had colds and haven’t learned to cover their mouths. So, I guess this was inevitable. Thankfully, I have a bunch of throat drops . . . Also, jellybeans, but that’s not any help here.
Now, I didn’t get very far with ‘Phi Beta Files’ last weekend. I finished the penultimate information and started the finale outline. Then, I got caught up in preparing for an upcoming event, emergency cleaning, surprise errands, and mostly had the energy for June blog posts. Probably for the best because I still can’t figure out how to work the initial mission for Phi Beta, which leads to them upsetting their main enemy and kicking off their final year of the academy. Thought about them being sent to help with a hostage situation, but they realize they’re the decoys. So, they’re going to make a mess and still succeed. Just need my brain to be in the right space to work it out. Exhaustion, stress, and a cold isn’t helping.
Work got crazy too because there were a few schedule changes. Not to mention some other situations that had us constantly thinking on our feet. This left me exhausted by the time I left, but I still went on to spend time with my son on the days he was with me. The days he wasn’t had an appointment and I tried to get Pokemon in without freezing my butt off. Honestly, I wasn’t truly exhausted until I woke up on Friday and the sore throat kicked in after my shower. It came and went all day too. I just hope I’m not sick when it’s time to leave for the father/son trip. That’s a ways off, but you never know.
Speaking of my son, he got a big award at school. He was one of their honorees at the ‘Breakfast of Champions’. This is done every year where teachers, admins, guidance, and office staff nominate students who stood out. My son’s guidance counselor nominated him for being kind, friendly, helpful, and maintaining his integrity. Basically, he’s a great kid who brings positive energy to the school. My son got a framed picture connected to the event to take home. He doesn’t want it posted here because he’s embarrassed if it goes too public. Needless to say, I’m really proud of him.
This weekend is going to be time with my son, which will include Pokemon, studying, and starting the packing list for our trip. He’s opted to take the SAT, so I got him a digital study guide with practice tests. I’m not pushing him hard to use it because I know that will get him to shut down. Told him to do a few questions every day he’s here for like 30 minutes. This way, he doesn’t start panicking. He has plenty of time to study and it’s really hard to do that for a test like this. All you know is that it’s about math, reading, and writing with no specifics.
Next week, I have a few appointments and events. It should be just as busy as this week, especially since it’s the last full one before Spring Break. I’m trying not to burden myself with massive amounts of stuff at home. The weather is brutal on my energy and body, especially my lungs. If it isn’t the cold, it’s the pollen. There’s also the big life event coming up in a bit that I need to prepare for. Spent most of last Saturday working on stuff for it, which stressed me out. That’s probably another reason why I didn’t get very far with writing projects. Light at the end of a brutally long tunnel might actually be coming into sight soon.
Television-wise, I recommend ‘Cross’ on Prime for anyone who likes crime shows and doesn’t mind some graphic content. I’m going to watch ‘Brooklyn 99’ now, which is kind of funny. I’ve gone from a cop drama to a cop comedy. No idea what I’m going to tackle after that though. My son and I finally reached season 2 of ‘One Piece’, which is our focus for now. Means we’re not touching anime for a while, but we won’t be able to watch Netflix while away.
Goals of the week:
Help son study for SAT and other tests.
Play Pokemon.
Tinker with ‘Phi Beta Files’ if I have the energy.
In the anime shown above, the main character makes a sacrifice, but it isn’t his life. I don’t want to give spoilers, but it is effectively his future. He makes a decision to sacrifice his future in order to defeat a powerful enemy and save the world. There are ways for him to recover what he lost as the story continues, but this is still a sacrifice at that moment. To be honest, I haven’t read or watched beyond this storyline. I only know what people have told me, which is obvious since the main character needs to stay in the story.
Anyway, this makes me think of other things that can be sacrificed besides ones life:
Time– This comes off as a weird one, but it keeps coming to my mind. It can range from giving up years of life without dying to simply spending time assisting with an adventure. I think this one is very subtle and gets overlooked, but there’s rarely attention given to it when it’s the latter. We don’t think about how some heroes or their allies have prior lives, which they left to accomplish their goals.
Money– This is similar to time in that we don’t think about it unless the author brings direct attention to the sacrifice. For example, billionaire heroes spend fortunes to create their tools and make other positive changes to their society. This isn’t overtly mentioned beyond us knowing they can do the things they do because they are rich. We do notice if one of them sacrifices their entire fortune to save the world and is now so poor that they can’t be the same type of hero. To be fair, I guess this category requires the most amount of suspending disbelief, which could make this sacrifice harder to pull off.
Power– This is the big one that I thought about putting first, but it seems the most obvious. Instead of sacrificing their life, a hero gives up their powers to either save or protect. I don’t mean a little bit of power, but all of it. One series I was heavy into ended with the main hero realizing the only way to win was to give up the powers they had dreamed of and cherished for their entire life. They do it and are left a powerless person, but still a hero. This is what made me think of this topic too because it isn’t something we see often. Heroes might give up a little power or find a way to regain it, but this story ended with the character losing it for good. I find this to be a bigger sacrifice than ones life because you have to continue living without being able to achieve the same heroic feats as before. The urge to save and protect is still there, but not the powers to do so. It creates a fascinating story of a hero who needs to find a new way of doing things.
A Physical Trait– We get close to sacrificing ones life, but this is more about giving up a limb, organs, or sense. This is typically done in the spur of the moment and possibly on a smaller scale than others. I find this tends to be when the person is takes a hit for someone else or tries to save everyone, but can’t entirely get out of the way. This can be risky for authors since it can be perceived as them not having ‘the guts’ to kill off a character. On the other hand, you now have a hero or ally who needs to adjust to a disability, which can be inspiring.
Mental Stability– I don’t know how I would write this, but I know it’s possible. A character pushes themself so hard that they go crazy or simply break. That or they tangle with a telepath and win by snapping their own sanity. Anybody know how this one would work?
(Another silly poem about food? Guess I was hungry a lot when I was in my big poetry phase. Although, this seems to deal more with sleeping than eating. Doesn’t feel like I hit the mark as far as title and actual poem. I have no idea where the name came from.)
I tell of Princess Nadia Bocaj
The last of her great line
Who ruled these frothy halls
Known far and to the left
As the House of Gastramore
She sleeps within her hall
Among her pillows and her sheets
Nestled like an angel
For an entire year of slumber
That only she may break
Her hair is long and black
While her skin is ghostly white
Her servants tend her needs
Grooming as she snores
Waiting for her to wake
A year will pass
Before her lids rise up
And her lips open very wide
To release a violent shout
Summoning her chefs at once
Her chefs are well-prepared
They spent the year with smarts
Toiling over new creations
Maintaining their old favorites
Knowing their skills will soon be tested
Princess Nadia Bocaj is hungry
Since she’s burned off all her weight
She is nothing more than bones
It is time for her to feed
And feast before she sleeps again
The scene that made me think of this topic is from ‘One Piece’. Oden was a leader who sacrificed his life to save his retainers and people. He also sacrificed his dignity before that by dancing in the street every day for a while. Anyway, I know I’ve seen scenes like this in other stories, so I got to thinking about this ultimate sacrifice.
Since we are raised to believe that life is precious, giving it up to save others is a big decision. In fiction, we see many characters do this without hesitation. They feel that it is their destiny or it is better for them to die than others. Whatever the reasoning, it is fairly common for heroes, mentors, and other heroes to die in the hopes of helping their allies survive and progress in their adventure. While we might never do it ourselves, we can understand where the action is coming from.
This can go for villains as well. Even though it is done for darker results, there are loyal henchmen who will give up their lives for their masters. The main antagonist typically won’t do this unless their goal is something they don’t care about living to see. For example, a villain who wants to destroy the world might stay with the device that will do so to make sure it goes off. The interesting thing is that a reader can still understand what is going on and why. The villains are as determined as the heroes to win, so they will do whatever it takes.
All of this is why I think a sacrifice needs to be built up. The character doesn’t have to be shown as loyal and dedicated though. Those traits makes it more believable for them to do it without hesitation. Yet, a character who is unsure of themselves can still do a sacrifice and make it work by them openly wrestling with what they want. A shock death out of nowhere doesn’t really work here because the character needs to have been established as being capable of a sacrifice. It could even be to prove they aren’t selfless, which is harder to pull off.
There is something to be said for the accidental sacrifice too. I won’t say I don’t like this one, but it tends to be done for either comedy or comeuppance. I find this very difficult to pull off well because it can be seen as an empty shock death or the author having run out of ideas for the character. This is because it comes as a surprise to everyone and there isn’t the usual nobility one would expect. I’ve seen some people say it doesn’t really count as a sacrifice because the character didn’t mean to do it. That brings up the debate on if intent is necessary for such an act.
This is a plot event that I use a few times because I feel a sacrificial death can have a lot of meaning. It can get the survivors to think about their own actions and strive to become stronger. Basically, it’s a useful catalyst for growth, especially when you remove a more powerful character. Now, the remaining heroes no longer have this high-level ally to depend on, so they have to grow. I’ll probably use it plenty of times, but I am going to limit it to series where it makes sense. For example, it doesn’t really work for Darwin’s adventures.
So, what do people think about a character sacrificing their life? Is it an overused trope?
Legends of Windemere 