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Poor Villain? - Page 2

It really depends on who it is and how the character is portrayed. A lot of time the main hero annoys me so I'll either like the sidekick or the villain better.

I know on my other RPG which is based on a book series, I play an evil book character. I know from now on when I read the books, I'm going to have my sympathies with her. And because it's inevitable that she will die at the end of the series, I'll probably be upset because I'm just a dork like that and really get into books.

Villain Poor

I do belive that villains are underestimated...they all get their .... kicked in the end. In real life is not that way so i really what to read or see some story where the villain is wining on all fronts.

Poor Villain? UFO & Writing Art Education Sciences

Truth be told there is no good and evil, yet rather the way people perceive a certian person. In example Jesse James, he was considered an outlaw by most people in that age, but in truth he was a hero to his people because he stood up for what he thought was right. Also in another example General Custard was supposed to be a hero when in fact he was a racist muderer who hated indians and sought nothing but to kill them and in the end he got what he deserved,. no hero would kill weak or defenseless people for no reason but a villain will.

Page 2 Villain Poor

I want to discuss two books: Wicked:The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West and Grendel, both of which are re-tellings (sort of) with the villains in the role of protagonist. Both are deeply philosophical and psychological and are character driven. In both, the author does a great job of tugging at the reader's sympathy. Grendel is never really portrayed as a hero, but he is not portrayed as evil either. When the Shaper, an Anglo-Saxon scop, sings about him and his ancestry back to Cain, Grendel realizes they see him as evil. He cries as he sees his actions from their perspective. It is only after they shun him that he begins his 12 year war on Hart (Herot). Elphaba (every Munchkin's green nightmare) was born green and suffered prejudice because of her skin color. She also had differing religious and political beliefs, which put her on the fringe of society. It was her polical inclination that, even when she was on the cusp of becoming what Glinda did, drove her in the opposite direction. And believe it or not, it was a desire to do good things, to end racism, that put her in that tower on the day that fateful water bucket melted her. What a world, indeed!

Another note: Though the reader knows the outcome, he doesn't want it to happen. Is that sympathy enough for you?

Villain Poor

What about Hannibal Lector?I think in the few cases there is such a thing as the likable villain... you know you should hate them but you root for them anyway!

I think at the bottom of most villains there is still a person and this is why we like to read a little of their history and find out what made them how they are, but deep down I think we all love the bad guy because we like to have someone to hate.

Sauron from LOTR is a perfect example of a villain who we know little or nothing about, we know he was a wizard corrupted by power but thats about it, still we hate him because pretty much every story needs the villain they are integral to the any story going all the way back to lucifer after all how else do we define the good guy?

Poor Villain?

I've read a couple of short stories where the main character turns out to be the villain. You are shown the depth of the character, their loves and hates. Then you see that all the hard work they've done, everything they've sacrificed from a different point of view. It makes me think that, all of us, in someone elses eyes are villains. In the books I enjoy the most there is no good and evil just opposing sides and every side has its heros.

Poor Villain - Page 2

The best villains for me are the ones you feel sorry for not the ones that are heartless or ruthless. Everyone has a villain in them and they want to relate to what is being done by the villain.

Poor Villain Sciences Education Art Writing & UFO - Page 2

Proper character development requires the villain to have a purpose. The occasional trope of "Just wanting to watch the world burn" Is fine, but I prefer they have goals and reasons for doing what they do. I think the authors that participate in Warhammer 40k's Horus Heresy do an amazing job with villain development.