# Writing Villains for a Story **URL:** \ **Category:** Writing and Content\ **Created:** [July 5, 2018, 2:54pm UTC](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/writing-villains-for-a-story/40702 "2018-07-05T14:54:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![ElvesForTheWin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/choiceofgames/user_avatar/forum.choiceofgames.com/elvesforthewin/32/102849_2.png) [@ElvesForTheWin](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/u/ElvesForTheWin)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2018, 1:12pm UTC](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/writing-villains-for-a-story/40702/41 "2018-07-06T13:12:25Z")
That’s perfectly alright if they have a _reason_ for doing it besides the tragic background clique. For example : maybe the villain needs to destroy Earth because he needs to build an intergalactic highway through it or something like that. I’m sure your story will be awesome anyhow 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![will](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/choiceofgames/user_avatar/forum.choiceofgames.com/will/32/132033_2.png) [@will](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/u/will)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2018, 1:21pm UTC](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/writing-villains-for-a-story/40702/42 "2018-07-06T13:21:11Z")
More like he’s the God of Time and he wants there to have never going to have been time. ---
**Author:** ![greatnes\_personified](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/choiceofgames/user_avatar/forum.choiceofgames.com/greatnes_personified/32/60878_2.png) [@greatnes\_personified](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/u/greatnes_personified)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2018, 6:50pm UTC](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/writing-villains-for-a-story/40702/43 "2018-07-06T18:50:27Z")
> [@Blank](#): > > Struggles to finally kill the mc and let’s them live and curse themselves for it later,refuse to rob people who clearly can’t afford, and goes out of their way to avoid casualties Aren’t villains supposed to be scary, the only thing scary about the villain you’re describing is that failure might be infectious ---
**Author:** ![Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/choiceofgames/user_avatar/forum.choiceofgames.com/blank/32/52555_2.png) [@Blank](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/u/Blank)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2018, 7:20pm UTC](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/writing-villains-for-a-story/40702/44 "2018-07-06T19:20:45Z")
Not necessarily a villian can be described as a individual who goes against laws or a society Every villian is the hero of their own story ---
**Author:** ![greatnes\_personified](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/choiceofgames/user_avatar/forum.choiceofgames.com/greatnes_personified/32/60878_2.png) [@greatnes\_personified](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/u/greatnes_personified)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2018, 7:28pm UTC](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/writing-villains-for-a-story/40702/45 "2018-07-06T19:28:21Z")
Name one memorable villain that is simply this and nothing more ---
**Author:** ![Zombiefan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/choiceofgames/user_avatar/forum.choiceofgames.com/zombiefan/32/65412_2.png) [@Zombiefan](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/u/Zombiefan)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2018, 7:29pm UTC](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/writing-villains-for-a-story/40702/46 "2018-07-06T19:29:22Z")
> [@greatnes\_personified](#): > > Name one memorable villain that is simply this and nothing more Thanos is the first character that popped in my mind ---
**Author:** ![greatnes\_personified](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/choiceofgames/user_avatar/forum.choiceofgames.com/greatnes_personified/32/60878_2.png) [@greatnes\_personified](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/u/greatnes_personified)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2018, 7:31pm UTC](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/writing-villains-for-a-story/40702/47 "2018-07-06T19:31:43Z")
Did he have no deeper malice no ruthlessness was he pitiful ---
**Author:** ![Zombiefan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/choiceofgames/user_avatar/forum.choiceofgames.com/zombiefan/32/65412_2.png) [@Zombiefan](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/u/Zombiefan)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2018, 7:34pm UTC](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/writing-villains-for-a-story/40702/48 "2018-07-06T19:34:34Z")
Well he thinks that by destroying half the universe he is actually saving it by balancing it. He is not a character portrayed in blackshade. He is a grey coloured character because he actually mourns for pushing Gumorra off the cliff. ---
**Author:** ![Zombiefan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/choiceofgames/user_avatar/forum.choiceofgames.com/zombiefan/32/65412_2.png) [@Zombiefan](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/u/Zombiefan)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2018, 7:36pm UTC](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/writing-villains-for-a-story/40702/49 "2018-07-06T19:36:28Z")
> [@greatnes\_personified](#): > > Did he have no deeper malice Talking of malice, he is destroying the half universe so that he can rule the remaining half. But that’s why he is the antagonist, isn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![greatnes\_personified](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/choiceofgames/user_avatar/forum.choiceofgames.com/greatnes_personified/32/60878_2.png) [@greatnes\_personified](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/u/greatnes_personified)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2018, 7:37pm UTC](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/writing-villains-for-a-story/40702/50 "2018-07-06T19:37:51Z")
Malice not pitiful remove him from list ---
**Author:** ![No\_This\_Is\_Patrick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/choiceofgames/user_avatar/forum.choiceofgames.com/no_this_is_patrick/32/223713_2.png) [@No\_This\_Is\_Patrick](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/u/No_This_Is_Patrick)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2018, 7:38pm UTC](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/writing-villains-for-a-story/40702/51 "2018-07-06T19:38:37Z")
Thanos wasn’t destroying half the universe to rule it. He even says at the end he’s going to rest when he’s done. You see him do this at the end of the movie. ---
**Author:** ![Zombiefan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/choiceofgames/user_avatar/forum.choiceofgames.com/zombiefan/32/65412_2.png) [@Zombiefan](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/u/Zombiefan)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2018, 7:43pm UTC](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/writing-villains-for-a-story/40702/52 "2018-07-06T19:43:51Z")
Yeah, I forgot. I read a damn spoiler blog before watching the movie. It said that Thanos destroys half universe and keeps the half to himself. That thing has been burned on my mind. But, that he is not going to rule what is left just makes him even more dastardly and badass. AND one of the best villains of all time ---
**Author:** ![Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/choiceofgames/user_avatar/forum.choiceofgames.com/blank/32/52555_2.png) [@Blank](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/u/Blank)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2018, 8:11pm UTC](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/writing-villains-for-a-story/40702/53 "2018-07-06T20:11:59Z")
Captain cold a dc robber part of a group they spend more time upholding their code of no neccsary harming then actually committing crime ---
**Author:** ![greatnes\_personified](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/choiceofgames/user_avatar/forum.choiceofgames.com/greatnes_personified/32/60878_2.png) [@greatnes\_personified](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/u/greatnes_personified)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2018, 10:14pm UTC](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/writing-villains-for-a-story/40702/54 "2018-07-06T22:14:19Z")
> [@Blank](#): > > no neccsary harming So they just go for the unnecessary killings, just joking can’t find a point to argue (CALLING ALL PESSIMISTS NEED HELP SEEING THE NEGATIVE) ---
**Author:** ![Sovereign2Lilith](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/choiceofgames/user_avatar/forum.choiceofgames.com/sovereign2lilith/32/11280_2.png) [@Sovereign2Lilith](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/u/Sovereign2Lilith)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2018, 10:25pm UTC](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/writing-villains-for-a-story/40702/55 "2018-07-06T22:25:01Z")
Villains should be smart, always two steps ahead of the protagonist, mysterious, and an actual threat to the protagonist. I liked Spade from the original Teen Titans tv show (not the cartoony version they have now). Nobody knew who he was, and he was always manipulative and one step ahead. Here’s a video where the character is scared because the villain wants her and she doesn’t know why. So, I think some mystery in a villain is good. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/fEh5lWKNKac/maxresdefault.jpg "Never Woke Up by Katy Towell") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEh5lWKNKac) I also like in the classic horror films where the monster villain is unstoppable. No matter how hard the victims run, the monster can keep up with them just by walking. They always survive the attacks at the end of the movie and are ready for the sequel. Like in Silent Hill where the nightmare never ends . Or like how you can’t escape Freddy Kruger because you have to sleep. However, it does have to be done well when trying to have an ‘unstoppable’ villain in an interactive game, so the player won’t be mad. If you are going for a redemption route, a villain should be self aware and know that they are not good people, because there’s a certain point when you’ve done so much bad that your sob story doesn’t matter. Like in the My Lovely Daughter game . If a villain’s motives truely make sense then they’re probably not a villain. I prefer having an event or power that is the antagonist like the apocalypse or war. Outside of superhero stories, you don’t have clear cut heros or villians. Like in the zombie apocalypse, everyone is kind of a scummy and changed. ---
**Author:** ![greatnes\_personified](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/choiceofgames/user_avatar/forum.choiceofgames.com/greatnes_personified/32/60878_2.png) [@greatnes\_personified](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/u/greatnes_personified)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2018, 11:10pm UTC](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/writing-villains-for-a-story/40702/56 "2018-07-06T23:10:56Z")
Any good CS games where the villain kills you in the end and it’s only your next mc who can win against him ---
**Author:** ![E\_RedMark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/choiceofgames/user_avatar/forum.choiceofgames.com/e_redmark/32/221568_2.png) [@E\_RedMark](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/u/E_RedMark)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2018, 11:25pm UTC](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/writing-villains-for-a-story/40702/57 "2018-07-06T23:25:54Z")
making playing the 1st mc…totally pointless lol ---
**Author:** ![greatnes\_personified](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/choiceofgames/user_avatar/forum.choiceofgames.com/greatnes_personified/32/60878_2.png) [@greatnes\_personified](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/u/greatnes_personified)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2018, 11:31pm UTC](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/writing-villains-for-a-story/40702/58 "2018-07-06T23:31:42Z")
Builds anger, the first mc only for prologue and 2 chapters, although the mc dies their actions don’t disappear and because of totally unique hero ability (stealing it from my hero academia) the next mc is far stronger than the first ---
**Author:** ![lovinglydull](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/choiceofgames/user_avatar/forum.choiceofgames.com/lovinglydull/32/142619_2.png) [@lovinglydull](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/u/lovinglydull)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2018, 11:33pm UTC](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/writing-villains-for-a-story/40702/59 "2018-07-06T23:33:09Z")
Three things: - Villains do not usually see themselves as villains, unless they are severely self-loathing or a caricature of sorts. Pol Pot didn’t see himself as a murderous, regressive tyrant who helped destroy his nation’s economy. Stalin didn’t see himself as a paranoid egomaniac willing to kill longtime friends over percieved cracks in loyalty and eradicate every trace of their existence. How does your villain see themselves? How does their goal and the lengths they go to in order to achieve it look in their eyes? - What makes them a villain instead of simply an antagonist? What line have they crossed that has turned them from respectable to despicable? A good antagonist is relatable, but an effective villain is someone you don’t _want_ to relate to. - Establish the villain as a threat to your protagonist(s), and maintain that threat. It’s a difficult balance between making your villain competent and giving your hero the ability to actually succeed, but if the villain doesn’t seem threatening, the urgency of the plot is lost. ---
**Author:** ![E\_RedMark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/choiceofgames/user_avatar/forum.choiceofgames.com/e_redmark/32/221568_2.png) [@E\_RedMark](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/u/E_RedMark)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2018, 11:34pm UTC](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/writing-villains-for-a-story/40702/60 "2018-07-06T23:34:08Z")
muh…I don’t like games that keep changing MC or hero…stick with one and let me level up . I mean you pretty much cut the attachement string mid way…I kinda hate that . Also…2nd MC stay in the shadow of the 1st MC…humm…yup . Don’t like that kind of thing . [Previous page](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/writing-villains-for-a-story/40702.md?page=2) [Next page](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/writing-villains-for-a-story/40702.md?page=4)