What is an Antivillain? How to Write a Complex Bad Guy
Write a Complex Bad Guy, Too many novelists construct villains who do horrible things simply because they are the bad guys. He might be in a melodrama, donning a black hat and a cape and twisting his handlebar mustache.
A melodramatic villain, on the other hand, is a cliché by definition – predictable, unrealistic, and only present for entertainment purposes. Whizzing at the bad guy when he walks on stage may add to the fun, but such characters don’t work in serious fiction.
Book writing company, Subtlety and true motivation are required to create a realistic, credible villain.
Enter the villain, whose acts are so subtle that readers may not realize he is the villain until he displays his true colors.
Enter the texture with activities so fine readers may not even understand he’s the villain until he shows his actual shades.
(Note: I use the male pronoun to refer to both genders here.)
In real life, as in your narrative, true villains are unaware that they are villainous. They do not believe they are wrong; rather, they believe their acts are justified.
Villains have explanations for their actions, and those reasons are not always positive. This does not mean they are always correct, but they are rarely wrong.
What is an Antivillain?
Some people, including many experts, refer to fictional characters as Antivillains. I don’t.
A villain is a villain to me, and the more detailed you can make him, the better. Write a Complex Bad Guy, While the name Antihero is valid and should be studied, I believe Villain is the better term for your evil man.
What some could call an Antivillain and assign even more infamous subtleties to, I would simply call the right kind of villain.
The best, most credible villain can be a basically honorable, charming enemy with sometimes heroic intentions but questionable — and ultimately terrible — tactics.
Their activities are occasionally morally unclear, leaving the reader to wonder if they are actually well-intentioned or hideous.
Book publishing agent know, Readers should be able to identify with your antagonist. His actions (albeit horrible) are reasonable, and his reasons are largely decent – unless they aren’t.
Forget Antivillains: Make Your Villain Complex, Even Likable
Want to truly turn a narrative on its head and keep readers turning the pages? By refusing to represent your villain as completely evil, you can avoid jokes and straw men.
Too often, we find villains that hold opposing viewpoints on, say, a social problem to the author or main character. Fine. That’s a formula for battle and strife.
However, the mistake is to then portray the villain as a disgusting human being. Make him a good spouse and parent, and perhaps a helpful and giving person. Someone you’d like to be friends with.
Nonetheless, he is the villain since he is on the other side of the hero’s problem. However, the reader likes him!
Isn’t this something we see all the time? Someone diametrically opposed to our viewpoint opposes our noble purpose.
We want to dislike them and cast them in a negative light. When we meet them, though, they are pleasant. That is difficult. That is everyday existence. That makes for an excellent story.
The wicked must still be destroyed, and justice must triumph. But not because the story’s antagonist is ugly. Rather, despite the fact that the reverse is true.
This way of thinking about your antagonist makes him more multifaceted and, frankly, more interesting. It also encourages you to write with greater finesse.
In his own opinion, the villain’s goals are good, or at least justifiable, but he must fail in the end.
4 Types of Complex Villains
Noble
This type behaves because he believes it is his obligation to do so. He’s only carrying out his responsibilities. Of course, he’s still wrong, but he doesn’t see it that way.
Examples:
- Harry Potter characters Dracus Malfoy and Regulus Black
- Breaking bad stars Jesse Pinkman and Mike Ehrmantraut.
Pitiable
Readers feel sorry for this character because he did not start out as a horrible guy. But he believes that bad times necessitate desperate means, so he goes all in.
His character journey can be dramatic since he is frequently psychologically traumatized to the point where there is no turning back.
Examples:
- Stephen King’s Carrie has a character named Carrie.
- Frankenstein’s Creature
- Darth Vader and Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars
- Loki from Thor
- The Master from Doctor Who
Well-Meaning
Have you ever met someone who means well but does everything they can to make matters worse?
His intentions are excellent, but he will go to any length to achieve his goal. Sometimes he realizes how wrong he is, and his character development turns redemptive. Or he could go all in and become even nastier.
Examples:
- Les Miserables’ Javert
- A Song of Ice and Fire’s Lady Melisandre
- Thanos from Marvel Comics
- The Blacklist’s Raymond Reddington
Villain in Name Only
In many ways, this character resembles the hero. In fact, they may be seeking the same goal, but for opposing reasons.
He’s not really a bad guy at heart. His motives are mostly good, and he’s intelligent, but he’s dangerous — especially because he’s nice and no one suspects him.
Examples:
- Many of Sherlock Holmes’ villains
- Dr. Connors in Spider-Man: Homecoming
- Hogan’s Heroes’ Sergeant Shultz and Colonel Klink
5 Tips for Creating an Effective Villain
A good or bad guy is essential for strong fiction; he may make or ruin your plot. The more threatening your opponent, the more compelling your hero.
Your rival must:
Have a realistic and sympathetic backstory.
This provides him with justification for being who he is and doing what he does.
Have strong motivations.
Show what motivates him – his Why.
Potential stimuli include:
- Anxiety
- Curiousness
- Desire
- Hunger for power
- Revenge
- Integrity
- Love
- Morals
- Dignity
- Justice
Potential threats include:
- Roughness
- Abuse
- Injury
- Illness
- Genuine tragedy
- Losing
- Desperation
- Military combat
Exhibit power.
He will go to any length to achieve what he wants. Avoid turning him into a butcher. That is not a worthy opponent for your hero.
Force your protagonist to make difficult decisions.
Because your villain appears to have largely good motives, it’s often difficult to know if he’s nice or bad, posing a problem for your hero.
Remember that the more deserving his opponent, the more heroic your main character becomes.
A truly authentic villain rivals your hero for the same goal — but for different reasons.
According to writer and writing instructor Joanna Penn, it’s critical to make the struggle actual and the hero’s antagonist appears unstoppable. This drives your main character to make difficult choices, ultimately leading to heroism.
Cause the protagonist to grow.
Increasingly severe challenges build the muscle required for a protagonist to become genuinely heroic.
Allow your enemy to release his full arsenal on your hero. His response will reveal a lot about how he’s changed — or not.
Time to Get Started
Don’t undervalue your villain. Spend as much time on him as you do on your lead.
Too many authors build a fabulously evil but one-dimensional villain and then wonder why their story falls flat.
Create a villain who will surprise both your hero and your audience. Make him real, familiar, convincing, credible, and even appealing.
Write a Complex Bad Guy, My character arc worksheet can help you get to know your villain if you’re an Outliner.
If you’re a Pantser (like me), you might not have the patience for that and would rather get right to work. Follow your instincts.
I’m eager to see what you reach up with! need any type of help asks freely ” Book Writing Company“.
