Joker from DC and Loki from Marvel (Yahoo Image Search)
(Originally posted on July 29, 2013. I still stand by this, but I definitely wrote the post before I every put Stephen Kernaghan on paper. He kind of stands out as the true monster of my villain gallery. Pretty sure I revisit this from time to time with most people saying they want ‘misunderstood’ villains or those with some humanity.)
Say what you want about Disney, but they always have great villains. Scar, Jafar, Hades, and Maleficent are only a few and most people can quickly rattle off most of them. The heroes are remembered easily because their names are in the title. The villains have to be memorable for being evil and that’s always a challenge.
As a writer, I try to put a bit of humanity into my villains. That spark that shows they aren’t 100% evil and monstrous. Even my demons and vampires have some type of human flaw. This isn’t to say the full monster villain is worthless because it depends on the story. If you need a rampaging destroyer then giving him a sense of doubt might not be a good idea. A love of kittens would make him seem like a joke. Still, your main villains typically require intelligence and cruelty with something that can hook the reader into their story.
A way that I once looked at it is that the hero and the villain are competing for my attention when reading. Am I more interested in the hero’s tale or the villain’s tale? I always want to have moments where I’m fascinated by the villain and part of me believes he or she will succeed. This is why I think it’s more of a challenge to write a villain, but it’s a lot more fun because they can do whatever they want at times. Burn that village to the ground? No problem. Punt baby elves into a dragon’s mouth? You got it. Cheat on the final test? Sure if that’s the story you’re going for.
I can’t actually pinpoint a specific villain type that I like, but I know my one requirement. I need my villains to be entertaining. I don’t even need depth because the rampager can be entertaining if done correctly. Definitely all in the writing and it’s more important for villains than heroes because villains are the reason the story is happening. Without them, the hero has nothing to go up against.
So, what do you look for in your villains?
Legends of Windemere 
I look for someone who is a villain, rather than an antihero, even if his or her goals are relatable. Mr. Freeze/Victor Fries’s situation was pitiable and his goal of revenge was relatable. But he was still a villain. Thanos is an interesting villain as is Darkseid. I also liked Saruman’s villainy in LoTR, because he didn’t start off as a villain.
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Good point on many current villains being more antihero. Just one flip of perspective and they’d be the protagonist.
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Yeah.The Rock’s Black Adam movie is proof of that.
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My villians are typically very smart and devious. They can be charming and engaging but always have their own agenda in mind. They are cold blooded and focused on destroying their advisories. I look for the sam in other writer’s villains.
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Those sound really tough to write.
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Well, one of them is Lucifer.
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I have a hard time describing it, because they are so variable. Your broad description of being entertaining might be the best way to describe it.
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Variable is a good way to put it. Especially since people have different preferences.
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A villain to me is someone who is going after a goal, without regard for the harm to others. They don’t let the damage they’re doing stop them from getting what they want.
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Are they always aware of the damage? Maybe not knowing would make them an accidental villain.
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They do know the damage and choose to cause it because there’s something they want. That’s what makes them the villain instead of a clueless person.
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