Creating Evildoers: How to Write a Compelling Villain

Writing a villain can be a complex and fascinating process, as every villain is driven by their own unique set of motivations and experiences. This article explores the intricacies of crafting a memorable villain, from understanding their psychology to writing their actions and behaviors in a way that resonates with your audience.

Writing a Villain: Beyond the Surface

Unlike protagonists, villains do not have to be the center of the story to be compelling. A villain is a character who, for their own reasons, holds goals that place them in opposition to the central protagonist of the story. Even characters who appear to be evil, such as a sociopath, sincerely believe in their actions. In their mind, they are not villains but rather heroes fighting what they see as the greater evil.

The Motivation Behind Turning to Evil

Assuming a person can turn evil is a myth. Rather, a character may perform actions that you, as the reader, consider evil. This is because each person has their own moral boundaries, or break point, which defines the threshold at which they would give in to their darker impulses. These boundaries are not universal; they are as unique and individual as the character themselves.

Ask yourself, what would drive you to embrace an evil path? What events in your life might make you decide to step over this threshold? This introspection helps you better understand your villain's motivations and creates more depth in their character.

Character-Based Villainry

Writers often base their villains, as well as their protagonists, on personal experiences and beliefs. This is true regardless of the genre. Constructing a villain from a real-life figure who embodies your vision of evil can be a powerful tool. Through extensive research, you can gain insight into the persona of your villain, helping you craft a more believable and relatable character.

Remember, a villain is a protagonist in their own story. They believe they are doing the right thing according to their own moral compass. This perspective is vital when you're writing a character who is deeply rooted in a moral struggle or who is driven by a skewed sense of justice. It helps in making the villain more human and less like a caricatured supervillain.

Evildoers and Moral Ambiguity

One of the most compelling ways to create a villain is through characters who start off as good people but make bad choices that lead them down a path of evil, either through mistake or purpose. These characters often create moral ambiguity, leaving the audience unsure of whether to root for them or despise them. The challenge lies in making these characters' actions understandable, even if they are not morally acceptable.

To address this, add a moment that clearly reveals the villain's true nature. This could be a single action that, in the grand scheme of the story, is small but significant. This pivotal moment should be enough to solidify the villain's evil intentions in the audience's mind. A prime example of this is the character of Walter White in the TV series Breaking Bad. After hesitating and watching his partner pass out due to drug use, Walter leaves the scene, allowing his partner's girlfriend to choke to death. This decision exposes the true extent of Walter's evil.

By allowing your villain to perform a small but horrendous action, you provide a clear and definitive moment that shows the audience just how far the character is willing to go. Without such a moment, your audience may continue to see the character as flawed but mostly virtuous. However, with this key moment, the audience can no longer ignore the villain's true character.

Conclusion

To write a compelling villain, focus on their underlying motivations, their personal beliefs, and the events that push them to their breaking point. By creating a character who is complex and multi-faceted, you create a villain that is both relatable and terrifying. This approach not only enriches your story but also allows your audience to engage more deeply with the narrative.