I have an affinity for the villainous. For the evil counterpart to life. They are often clever, cynical sarcastic, and just plain wonderful to think about. I love shows like Criminal Minds because it delves into the villain. Why they do what they do.
I have been a long time fan of Harry Potter. I am one year older than the series, but it's shaped me far more than I think my older brother has. One of my favorite aspects of Harry Potter is that Lord Voldemort is a villain that has a reason to be a villain. His muggle father abandoned him because of who he was, he was forced to live a life without love. It ate at him, this abandonment. Tom Riddle was more than just an orphaned boy, he was alienated by his own family. While you may say 'oh why isn't Harry Evil then, his family hated him?' yes and no. The Dursleys were absolutely horrid, but his parents died for him, and the Dursleys find their separation more emotional than you would think. I really believe that Petuina's hatred was driven by jealousy. It got in the way of a relationship that could have been much better. Harry knew love from both parents, and found the Weasleys, to whom, one more kid didn't matter. Molly had enough love for the entire population of China to feel loved.
In addition, I like Loki a lot. Maybe it's Tom Hiddleston and his amazing acting, or maybe it's the fact that he has a reason to be evil. He suffered a horrible identity complex. He didn't know that what he was born as, was something he had been taught to hate. He didn't find it out from his parents either. He found it out because he was curious and looking at the weapons (I am not recalling anything about the weapon he was looking for). Thor was first in line, and he may have always felt lesser than his brother, be he was loved by his parents and his brother. But they also lied to him.
I feel like when writing a villain/antagonist, it's very important to make sure they have a reason to be evil. A backstory that creates them. Villains that have a reason are able to draw more empathy from your readers/viewers, because there's no emotion that no one hasn't felt at one point or anther in their lives.
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