Looking for Tips/Hints on Writing Villains

Hey guys!

I wrote a short story a few months back where my monk was acting as the antagonist. A sort of “good guy turned villain”. I read back through it, and she really has a lot of life as the antagonist. At one point, she disarms the protagonist, sucks his weapon through a Void portal, then opens another to drop it on his head. She remarks, “Returning your weapon was a foolish tactical decision, but that was funny.”

Perhaps it’s because that was a short story, and I had time to think, whereas RP is far more reactive, but I believe she was the best antagonist I’ve ever written, because she actually had a per-existing personality, so she wasn’t just “menacing and tough”.

So, do you guys write villains? Do you have any tips for giving them life and making them fun for your readers/players? Making them more than “menacing and tough”?

I write sympathetic villains.

People who have been sucked into cults or organizations in the line of duty. They don’t realize how far down the rabbit hole they’ve gone. They think they’re the good guys.

However, I’m contemplating a different flavor of villain or maybe anti-hero where he was once a gentle but socially awkward person who was blamed for and punished for a crime he didn’t commit. His only crime is being in the wrong place at the wrong time. He’s served their time but society has not forgiven him and sees him as a monster.

After years of failing to redeem himself and earn forgiveness he’s been consumed by depression, hatred, guilt, and spite. He’s decided to become the monster that society thinks he is because he’ll never be redeemed so why try?

He blames people for victimizing him and is out to visit his agony on others until people become so angry they hunt him down and put him out of his misery.

This type of character’s weakness is a compassionate truth-seeking type of hero rather than a might makes right type.

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When it comes to portraying characters in general I tend to have in my head a summary of their personality traits, that I can best surmise how they’d act in the most efficient manner.

Essentially set up guidelines for how the character tends to behave. I imagine for you this should be pretty easy, seeing as the character you wish to use already seems to have a lot of development; at least from what I’m getting from the op.

Addendum:

How exactly the character is being used can also change the methods used somewhat. I’ll probably elaborate on that later.

To add to my original point, personality is among the most important thing here; as it often is. How a person is influences how they act, be they a hero, villain, or otherwise. I’d also suggest exploring their motives and the progression leading to where they are now.

This is all assuming you’re trying to write a villain with layers, which you seem to be to me.

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