I don't really have a model. For villains, I usually find most interesting the ones who are sympathetic, who do not see themselves as villains. The ones who you can kinda see and understand where they're coming from, though that doesn't mean you condone it. Either that, or people who are just complete and utter psychopaths who like to inflict pain for the sake of it, with whom there is no reasoning.
Well, there's that. Or a backstory that explains why they are the way they are, perhaps a history of having been persecuted or mistreated themselves, which would otherwise make them people to feel sorry for had they not reacted by turning evil. Although I also like heroes who are so flawed that the line between hero and villain is a bit blurred, where maybe the hero really wronged the villain in some way that the reader must think the villain is in the right, but the hero became better while the villain became worse or refused to forgive them, thus setting the path for vengeful murder.
Guilty-driven heroes. I know what you mean! ;0) In this case, choices are what make a villain hero and a hero villain. Thanks for bringing that up. :0)
I don't have an answer for you, but I must say I am intrigued by your question. And by the responses.
I agree with those who say they need to find a motivation for the behavior. I tend to overanalyze, so I am always looking deeper into someone's character.
Darth Vader is a useful prototype, but Palpatine is even more interesting--absolute power corrupts absolutely and all that.
Palpatine is the Emperor from the orginal Star Wars trilogy. In the prequels he is the senator who convinces Amidala to call for a vote of no-confidence, thus promoting himself into a position of power, ultimately declaring himself emperor. (My facts may be bit off, but that's the basic story.)
The Emperor (Palpatine) is the one controlling Darth Vader, at least at first, and the one who ultimately is Luke Skywalker's true enemy.
Um - sorry to jump in, but redemption, in my opinion, must be an option, or the villain isn't a rounded and believable character. Voldemort was really flat to me.
And I don't think Snape is a villain, because he takes that option. Not everyone would. For instance, I don't think Dumbledore does (now HE'S a chilling villain!), and Harry never even sees that he needs it.
Your point in making Dumbledore a villain is... a punch in my face. *lol* You're absolutely right, though. That makes me come to the conclusion that a villain must have a chance for redemption in some POV, and that's reeeeeeealy interesting. Thanks! <3
Um - I don't have a model villain, and that may, I suppose be to my writing's detriment. But perhaps not! After all, no one thinks of him or herself as a villain! I tend to try to see my characters as real, rounded human beings and to listen to what they tell me. I think, really, there's a bit of me in all of them. I do think a villain has to have a reasonable motive. In the novel I'm working on now, the villain is motivated by pride and his capacity to hold a grudge; he genuinely thinks certain members of the family he harms are his inferiors. And, in his society, he has a reason to think so.
But he's just the catalyst to the action. The real conflict is within my young protagonists' souls - what they feel they must do in order to live with themselves, versus what they must do to fit into their society. That's the type of conflict I like. Villains just push the external action along, I think.
No, it's not - it's an original novel that started as s fanfic novella twenty years ago. But now it's completely mine. You can find the first two chapters on my blog, under the tags "original fiction" and "science fiction". I'd be interested to know what you think of it - I'm certainly enjoying your fanfic novel, and I think you have all the tension you need without any obvious villains. So it can be done! Thanks for friending me, btw; I've reciprocated.
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Thanks for answering. :0)
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Curious that you turn to that or to fanatics for models. Interesting.
Thanks, Juno. :0)
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I agree with those who say they need to find a motivation for the behavior. I tend to overanalyze, so I am always looking deeper into someone's character.
Darth Vader is a useful prototype, but Palpatine is even more interesting--absolute power corrupts absolutely and all that.
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Who's Palpatine?
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The Emperor (Palpatine) is the one controlling Darth Vader, at least at first, and the one who ultimately is Luke Skywalker's true enemy.
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Not a big Star Wars fan. :0P
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I think there must be a reason for wanting to watch the world burn. A person who feels wronged by the world, like Voldemort? *thinks*
Redemption, for a true villain, shouldn't be an option. Otherwise, we'd have Snape as a villain! We can't have that.
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And I don't think Snape is a villain, because he takes that option. Not everyone would. For instance, I don't think Dumbledore does (now HE'S a chilling villain!), and Harry never even sees that he needs it.
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But he's just the catalyst to the action. The real conflict is within my young protagonists' souls - what they feel they must do in order to live with themselves, versus what they must do to fit into their society. That's the type of conflict I like. Villains just push the external action along, I think.
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I'm also very intrigued by your young protagonists! Is this fanfic?
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The villain I'm trying to create isn't for fanfic, either. I'll wish to start working on a original fiction, too.
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