Villains - the thing you either love to hate, or hate that you love.
Or maybe you find yourself trapped in the middle of this tug-of-war, occasionally rooting for the villains only to look towards the heroes later. Villains by far are the most complex characters in fictional works and manage to pull at your heartstrings when portrayed correctly.
I believe one of the main factors that creates the likability of a villain lies in their motivation. A villain who seemingly has no motive usually has no appeal to a crowd who just labels them “villain” and gives them no attention whatsoever, but then, there are villains that make you question whether or not they are truly villains. And of course, there are your “opportunists” who change teams depending on what appeals to them the most, sometimes operating out of greed. In order for an audience to like a character even if they are morally bad/ambiguous, they have to feel some sort of connection to them (I’ve noticed a lot of the times there is no real connection other than the fact they are so called eye candy. People like their appearance and so, excuse every action they’ve committed in the past, completely ignoring what they’ve done).
By no means am I a professional when it comes to writing or analysis of characters, these are just observations I’ve picked up after indulging in many fandoms throughout the years. Some of you may not agree with me and that’s completely fine, after all, the whole point of this is to prove a point: people have different views/perspectives.
Someone who is considered a villain to me, may not be one to you. Someone who I think can receive a pass may be a monster in your book. It’s all a matter of how you see things.
So, one of the biggest questions I ask myself is where the line is drawn for heroes and villains. What makes someone “evil”? I assume some answers will surround the fact villains are manipulative (generally, not always), have a tendency to break laws, have no issue with killing, etc. This becomes an issue when people who claim to be heroes start committing acts that could be considered villainous. Yet, people tend to overlook the fact the heroes are acting out because of the title they carry and throw everything onto the villain saying that the hero would not be acting that way if the villain wasn’t around. That statement has truth to it, but, the villain is simply *pushing* that aspect of the hero out meaning that it had always been there, all it took was the right person and the hero snapped. How come the hero doesn’t get slandered most of the times? Why is everything pinned on the villain?
Of course, I too find myself falling in love with villains despite the fact they are morally bad. Prime examples being Dazai Osamu (who can be argued as a villain during his run in the port mafia - Bungou Stray Dogs), Dodge (Locke and Key), Magneto (who can be argued as an anti-hero), Michael Corleone (The Godfather, and Maven Calore (Red Queen Series). As an aspiring writer, I also have my own examples of villains who I give my best attempt to make sympathetic, someone who makes you question if they are truly villainous (Examples used being Styx and Mirage from my WIP).
What do all of these characters have in common?
They want something and do not always use good means to gain it. If they wish to gain something that is defined by society as something morally good, but they reach that goal through questionable means, they cease to be a villain and take on the role of anti-hero. If they want something that can be considered bad but are sympathetic (meaning their motives make you feel bad for them), they are anti-villains. An example of an ambiguous character would be Marvel’s Loki who in the movies is first portrayed as a villain, then earns redemption making him worthy of a tortured character role. Loki’s comic counterpart however is a different story because- Loki is.. Loki. They often do questionable things while at the same time aiding the young avengers in many of their endeavors which begs the question of what makes them acceptable into hero society even after everything they’ve done? Is it because of their backstory? Or their attempt to be good?
How come we rarely see heroes who fall, but constantly see villains trying to be good? Villains becoming good has become a trope while fallen heroes are considered a plot twist. Why? The answer I’ve chosen to believe is very simple actually. It’s based on the fact that heroes earn more praise, so, when a villain changes to the hero’s side, it’s more of a “aw cute” moment because they had a change of heart. But the second a hero changes their side, they become a devil no matter the motivation behind it. If you stop to think, in reality these villains wouldn’t change sides. They are adamant about their motives and are too stubborn to admit defeat. The only time it becomes understandable is when the villain was chasing after something but in the end was mistaken, they are proven to be taking the wrong path (who, again, is set in place by the heroes morals and society’s rules). A fallen hero however comes as a shock because of what they once believed in. Their morals were so strong, so pure, that people disbelieve them betraying their ideals.
An example? Maven Calore. (Spoilers ahead!)
Although perceived as a fallen hero, Maven was far from it. He has always been a villain at heart, but used manipulation and lies to convince everyone on his chessboard to play his game. Now, I might get bashed for saying that Maven had always been a villain at heart, after all, his intentions were not to do this from the start. No, Maven was used like a pawn by his mother. She was the one who convinced Maven to dethrone his father, exile his brother, and dispose of Mare. However, keep in mind that the decision to massacre all new bloods was solely MAVEN’S idea and not his mother, nor did his mother influence this decision. Some may say that Maven only reached the conclusion that he would be with Mare through the murder of her people (yeah, messed up, I know) because his mother had once convinced him that he always could get what he wanted, he just needed to take the necessary steps.
You can’t blame Maven for his actions, even if they are crooked according to our standards. He saw the world in a different light since his youth, overshadowed by a brother who was seen as better than him, and through Red Queen we see that mistreatment as clear as day. Maven is treated as a backup plan, never the first. When you are forgotten, you are quick to listen to someone who tells you that you could be the flame, not the shadow. He easily falls for his mother’s trick and becomes the character we become acquainted with - a stage actor. Maven manages to construct a world of lies that shatters when Mare discovers of his plot, too slow to stop his ascension to the throne. In the beginning of the book, it is far too easy to fall for Maven and his charms (which, I did, he was by far my favorite until the big reveal). At first, nothing appears to be wrong, all his actions just appear to be of someone who is afraid, perhaps even traumatized by constantly being left out, the black sheep of the family. After finding out he had been the puppet master all along (with the help of mother dearest), his questionable actions in the beginning become clear signs of his betrayal and Maven becomes a hypocrite. Part of me believes that Maven might have been crying out for help to Mare, while another part of me believes he was wicked to the core. He repeatedly told Mare to hide her heart, that people would use it to their advantage. Why would he say that? Perhaps he was trying to speak from a personal level, his weakness became his mother’s greatest strength, he didn’t hide his heart and was in turn used. Or, he said it to toy around with her, play it off as something charismatic that would later eat up at Mare when all is revealed.
Whatever the case, his massacre of new bloods paints him both as a psycho, but at the same time: human.
Maven seeks love. That is the whole point of his scheme. He’s killing new bloods by the dozen to attract Mare out of the shadows and claim her for himself. It’s a desperate cry for help hidden by blood and hangings. As a society, we do not excuse his actions of mass murder, but feel pity for him.
Hence why villains are *amazing* characters. You fail to realize you feel bad for a man who does nothing but hurt. But his reality is his perspective, he grew up one way and can only respond in such way, being manipulated since youth means that he sees that as socially acceptable. Can you truly blame him for doing it? Can you blame him for falling into his mother’s trap?
I think that’s about it for Maverick’s little spiel, I might do other parts someday so if you want me to speak about anything specifically, feel free to comment. This post might get a re-vamp later where I expand into the other characters I mentied i.e. Dodge (who has no clear motive?), Dazai, etc.
Thank you for taking the time to read this! I hope it was alright haha.
Here’s a tid bit on heroes!
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