How to Write Anti-Heroes and Villains
In my last post, I talked about the role of anti-heroes and villains in the Hammer horror film series for Dracula and Frankenstein. Now let’s discuss how you can write more effective anti-heroes and villains in your novels and screenplays …
How to Write Anti-Heroes
If a character does unlikeable things, give him a good reason for why he does it, and humanize him wherever and whenever possible. Make sure the people he is up against are even more ruthless and cruel, more awful in every way, so that your anti-hero looks good by comparison.
A great example of this is Clint Eastwood’s “Man with No Name” in his famous spaghetti westerns. Clint’s character is a total badass and mercenary opportunist, but the people he goes up against are even worse.
What makes his anti-hero likable is that he has traits his opponents lack: a sense of humor and a moral code, a compass that keeps him from ever having to hate himself. There are certain things Clint won’t do, even if it prevents him from reaching his goal. This keeps him from becoming a true villain, no matter what crimes he may commit. Despite his flaws, he still has a heart.
We see this type of character time and time again in noir and crime capers. More recent examples include Johnny Depp’s portrayal of “Captain Jack Sparrow” in the Pirates of the Carribbean franchise, and Billy Bob Thornton’s “Lorne Malvo” in the Fargo TV series.
How to Write Villains
The key concept to remember when writing villains is that the villain believes he is the hero of his own story. He is not there just to twirl his mustache and laugh while doing Very Bad Things for no discernible reason. That’s not a credible villain, that’s a cartoon character!
Villains should be the twisted mirror image of your hero. They are what your hero will become should they let their ego control them and surrender to temptation. Just as Darth Vader is to Luke Skywalker, and Belloq is to Indiana Jones. That is why so many confrontations include the villain telling the hero, “We are the same, you and I. Only I am not afraid to get what I want.”
The False Mentor and Other Traitors
Sometimes a villain presents himself to the hero as a False Mentor, friend, or ally. Examples include Chancellor Palpatine in the Star Wars prequels, Saruman in The Lord of the Rings, etc.
The hero stays blind to the warning signs because they love the villain, or value him for some other important reason. Perhaps they think they can change him, lead him back on the right path.
This creates wonderful opportunities for conflict, and plenty of ways for the reader to get to know the villain far more intimately than they might were he not as present in the hero’s daily life.
Despite the hero’s best efforts, the villain cannot be changed, and when the hero tries too hard, the villain throws off his disguise and makes his true nature clear. The story then becomes the epic struggle between the hero and his former mentor/ally/friend.
Redeeming the Villain
When a greater evil than the villain himself is present, writers have another option: What if the villain realizes the true horror of what he has done? It is in this moment that one of three things can happen:
- The hero seizes the moment to defeat the villain while he is distracted, then takes on the greater evil (boring).
- The greater evil destroys the villain, either from sensing the villain’s wavering commitment, or from not caring about the villain at all (slightly less boring).
- Or, in the most satisfying version, the villain realizes the error of his ways and joins the hero to redeem himself (How awesome is that?).
It is at this point the villain must sacrifice himself for the hero, for the greater good. That does not mean the redeemed villain should win the final battle for the hero, merely that they should make it possible for the hero to win. The hero must still do the heavy lifting, or the ending becomes less satisfying. Not as bad as a deus ex machina, but still, not quite right.
Let’s look at Return of the Jedi for an example: During the final battle in the Death Star’s throne room, Emperor Palpatine unleashes his force lightning on Luke Skywalker. Darth Vader is overcome by guilt, by shame, and decides he cannot let his son perish anymore than he can continue to serve his monstrous master.
Vader kills the Emperor to save Luke, but that makes Vader the hero when the original trilogy is supposed to be Luke’s story, not Vader’s (despite what any revisionist history the prequels might have imposed).
How much more satisfying would it have been were Vader to have sacrificed himself wounding the Emperor so that Luke could have given Palpatine the final blow? It would have made Luke much cooler because then he would not only have saved his dad from a life of evil, but killed the most awful tyrant the galaxy had ever seen.
Further Reading
Sympathy for a Good Villain by Drew Chial (blog)
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Question: Who are your favorite anti-heroes and villains? What draws you to them?
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