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What do you like in a villain?


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I like a villain who isn’t evil for the sake of being evil. I don’t like one dimensional mustache twirlers. I want to see what their reasoning is, and it doesn’t always have to be huge deep reasons. Humans kill for 3 main reasons: Money, Sex, Revenge, or some combination. Sometimes the simplest reasons in a villain’s behavior  are the most effective.

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One of my favorite traits is relatability. First, the villain is introduced as such, but then the cause of the antogonist becomes increasingly more relatable as we are given insight into the character, so much so that it ceases to be a villain in relation to the hero. And we end up with two opposed characters forced into a difficult situation over a conflict that is outside their control. Everyone likes to see the stereotypical villain get its due. But, when you have two understandable characters that you have grown to like, and know one of them may die in the end. That is more interesting for me.
Meanwhile, the hero is given some contrast to balance the sterotype with some interesting flaws that can sometimes border on the "villain" side of traits, I mean questionable traits, not without reason, but still questionable.
Now, this is not always the case, everyone has their own reason in my stories, but there also some amoral pieces of **** with no hope of redemption as well. It is all about making the conflict of interests interesting.


Sometimes, the conflict will not turn out as expected, and third or fourth element will be introduced into the narrative. To turn the expected resolution into a symbolism that manages to convey a message outside the expectatives of most readers, that is fulfilling to both the story and the readers. Something valuable to learn from beyond the boundaries of the story.
Meaning that I like plot twists, upon plot twists, upon plot twist. But I am fair. So, I will often foreshadow or leave a tiny clue for the smart readers out there. So, they can feel "smart" in case they resolve the puzzle before I unveil the narrative.
But, yeah. My stories are like a giant mutidimensional puzzle that is translated like a complicated equation in my head. An equation I don't even know how to solve, sometimes. Because of the so many pieces I've added, simultaneously interacting with one another and putting at risk everything I've built. I love it.
Bulding a multidimensional story like a massive mosaic, with so many plot points floating in the air. The challenge when the whole thing seems unresolvable, and you can begin to smell the smoking gun in your hand and feel the pretty sizeable hole in your feet. And then inspiration hits and every piece of the puzzle falls into place to bring the story full circle, as if it was by design. And you experience some sort of literary orgasm. But I digress.

Another thing I appreciate in my "villains" is intellect and cunning. Most of the main antagonists I've conceived are brilliant, so brilliant in fact that they become blinded by their own intellect. Especially, character who commit wrongs for the right reason, these fall within the category of cunning tricksters. So, are they villains or are they not? The only thing I know is that they know all good story needs a point of conflict, and they offer themselves to "help" events into motion. I love these type of characters. But their interaction in the story is minor and they are often secondary because of their vast foresight and wisdom pertaining events that are yet to unfold. Lots of charisma for these type of characters, too.

Speaking of charisma. My characters feel pretty human, so they have the full spectrum of emotion. They are changing through the story, and they change each other. They are not characters on itself. But they are living creation for me. So, their development depends on the resolution of the narrative. They can progress the same way they can devolve. And they challenge me to become a better creator, because their makeup is challenge in and of itself.

I love them. But yeah, these are some of my favorite traits in villains.

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I like villains who seem like they are bad but are perhaps portrayed in the wrong perspective. Are they really the villain or just seen as the protagonist? Just because a character is a protagonist doesn’t mean they’re the hero. They’re just the one in the center of the story.

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