7 Qualities That Make for a Great Villain
Your story is only as good as your antagonist
Darth Vader, Thanos, Lord Voldemort, the White Witch, the Joker, Hannibal Lecter, Annie Wilkes, Cruella De Vil, Shere Khan, Nurse Ratched — what do all these characters have in common?
Not only are they the villains of the stories in which they appear, in virtually every case, they are far more memorable than the heroes who oppose them. They’re more powerful — at least at first — more determined, more resourceful, more relentless, and, despite their evil deeds, more charismatic.
Seven simple ingredients
All of us are capable of recognizing a good villain when we see one, but what is the secret to creating such a compelling figure?
As different as the above-mentioned characters appear on the surface, all great villains share a few qualities in common. Once you understand what they are, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of how to create such a character and be in a better position to diagnose what isn’t working about your villain and how to fix it.
#1 An obsession:
This is perhaps the most obvious characteristic of every villain. Typically, villains are obsessed with a handful of things: 1) power, 2) wealth, 3) sex, 4)…
