Creating a Dastardly Villian

First, I love the word dastardly. :)

Now back to the post. The villain, the antagonist, the person who keeps the hero from moving forward. The villain is important, even more so than the hero in some respects. If you want a good book, you need a good villain. One that strikes fear in the heart, of not only your hero, but your reader as well.

 I've always liked the villain, writing him at least. However, he was often cliche and one dimensional so I've been working on creating a memorable villain.

One thing before I start, the scariest kind of villain is the one who seems so normal, but so evil. Someone who is insane and a villain has the advantage of being unpredictable,but isn't as scary as someone sane doing dastardly things. He knows exactly what he's doing and he still does it. His thoughts might be slightly twisted but he hasn't gone over the edge.

 You want the secret to a memorable villian?

Make him human. Easy as that. :)

 Let's break it down. A “Dastardly Villain” is a complex, convincing, and memorable antagonist.  He, She or It must:

Have a story goal. Everyone has one, including the villain. This goal is even better if it contradicts the hero's story goal, or if they get in each others ways because of their story goals. Give it depth, maybe the villains goal isn't to take over the world, but to get a new promotion.

Give him motives, your villain shouldn't do anything without motives and should have a consistent motive in every scene.

Suffer through Inner/External Conflicts (in every scene) that threaten his success/story goal (why do you think the villain hates the hero? he's one more thing that threatens success.)

 Be well-rounded and fully developed  

 Experience growth (but not as much as the Hero)

 Have an individual identity (what makes your villain different?)

Fail to achieve the story goal in the end  (I know.  So sad.)

A Villain must be memorable without being overpowering. (It’s the Hero’s story, after all.)  A Villain must also retain at least one minor, redeeming characteristic.

 Remember:  vulnerabilities humanize your Villains and make them interesting. They also give your Hero a shot at winning in the end.


How does your villain show his humanity? I like to have a few smaller things and a larger one. Such has my villain, Krale, loves tea. That's small, but it makes him more human, he's not all about power, he enjoys the little things. A common thing is to have the villian care about someone or something(an animal) to show he has a heart. I'd only do this one if it fits in with my character.

http://amadeo-amadeo.deviantart.com/art/Jafar-197986165

One last thing, description. Two ways to do this. A normal looking person with one or two cruel qualities. Or an all out fierce looking villain. Think Jafar from Aladdin, or a centurion scared by battles, a king gaudily dressed with fierce eyes.

Here are a few examples:
(1) If it hadn't been for his eyes, I wouldn't have remembered him. His eyes were fiery as he took in the country with a sweeping gaze. He never blinked, which must have been why he reminded me so much of a serpent.

 (2) He moved slowly, deliberately. He seemed old and weak, but moved with a strength that showed he needed no one. The cruel lines that formed around the corners of his mouth were the only hint that this man was not as grandfatherly as he seemed. I sensed a quick temper simmering under those calm blue eyes. I did not want to cross the line, the line that turned the tranquility into fire.


 I came up with these on the spot, these first two are normal looking men who are really villains. The second one has contradictions in the description, I rather like that. The first one is comparing the man to something seen as bad, a snake. A kind of cheat to get the reader to start giving him a personality without me saying much. Another example of this is naming the character after someone famous I only do this with minor character, such as a mouse I named Romeo in one of my stories. It gave him a depth he didn't have.

 Here's an example of an all out looking villain:
(3) His eyes burned with a hatred that no man would wish to experience. His hair came to a sharp point near his temples that added to the cruelty carved into his features, hardened by the dreads of war. This man was not one you wanted to cross, nor meet under any circumstance. Let alone the one I was in now.

How do you describe your villain? What techniques do you use? What do you do to make your villain memorable?

Oh, and to help me out, which description do you like the best?