By Jacklyn Walters
They say life isn’t black and white. It’s grey.
That’s what makes writing an immersive fantasy story so difficult.
Fairytales are easy—there’s a good guy and a bad guy, there’s a clear lesson to be learned. There’s a linear path to follow. Fairytales are black and white.
You’d think the fantasy genre would follow the same playbook. Fantasy stories are adjacent to fairytales, after all. “Far off places, daring swordfights, magic spells, a prince in disguise,” and all that. But if you’ve been with us for a while, then you know we stand on business. And by “business” we mean the fact that the best fantasy novels are the ones that shine light on the complexities of life. Because, at its core, life is grey.
Morally grey.
The best villains are, too.
Which means you’re going to need a really good one if you want your story to shine.
The trick to writing a truly devastating villain is to grant them the same range as your protagonist. When we talked about side characters, we reflected on how easy it is to become obsessed with our protagonists. Understandably, since the story does primarily follow their story and goals and growth.
But if you spend too much time on the good guys, you might end up with some half-baked bad guys. Not the stoned kind, those ones at least serve as comic relief. No, we’re talking about under-developed villains. Surface-level villains. And any surface-level character is someone readers don’t care about.
Plus, your MC deserves a formidable opponent.
Writing a villain follows a similar structure as writing a compelling side character (so if you haven’t already, give that blog a quick read). But the best villains require just a little bit more character development.
Whether you’re going for devious, saucy, or downright cruel, any dynamic villain requires three elements: backstory, redeeming qualities, and similarities to your MC.
These are the pieces that pull readers in. They’re the difference between people reading your story and being immersed in your world. So let’s break down why these elements are so important to your story, and why they’re critical for your villain.
Backstory
Most people don’t start off bad, both in real life and in fantasy stories. At least not fully bad.
But seeing as novels never start at the beginning of a story, you can’t just take it from the top. Especially with your villain. Typically we’re plopped right in the midst of tragedy, or chaos, or dismay for our protagonist. We aren’t face-to-face with our BBEG—the worst of the acronyms, btw—until at least a few chapters in, and by that time we know they’re, well, big and bad.
Whether your piece lends to one big lore dump or a slow reveal throughout the story, readers are going to have some questions about our evil main character (EMC, moving forward) and they deserve answers.
And the truth is, we love hearing about villain origin stories, both in real life and in our reads, and for good reason.
The first is simple—we all love a bit of gossip. Learning what turned a decent person into an awful one is just too good to gloss over. We want all the juicy details.
The second is that it gives us a glimpse into their brains. It helps us understand their motives. And it helps soothe the parts of us that wonder whether we could ever turn that bad and, if we could, what might be the straw that breaks our back?
Don’t skimp out on your villain’s backstory. They may not be the main event, but they are a big plot mover. Let us in on the milestones that made them that way.
Redeeming Qualities
Even the worst people have good qualities.
Yes, even the person who just popped into your mind.
If you look back at historical villains—which is very scary and extremely necessary but ultimately a topic for a different blog—you’ll notice some eerily similar traits. Charming demeanor. Excellent public speaking skills. A society in jeopardy. A failed art career. Okay maybe that was just the one time.
My point is, these people rose to power because they were captivating. People didn’t just tolerate them, they believed in them.
The same should be true of your villain.
It would be impossible for an EMC to reach the level of villainy required of the role if they were solely meek, talentless, and cruel. For a villain to be truly formidable, they need some sort of power.
That power may lie in magical inclinations or physical strength. It may be dashing good looks or generational wealth. It may be wit or general trickery. It may be an entirely misleading facade. Whatever it is, they must have some quality that draws us in (or at least convinces us why someone else would be inclined to join their evil ranks). If they were weak, they never would’ve become the force they are today.
The short of it: Give your villain a charming smile or give me death.
Similarities to Your MC
No one can get under your skin quite like a close friend.
They know all your little quirks, the weird things that bother you. They know your passions and which buttons to push to get you to work harder toward them. They know your motivations and deepest fears. They also have a collection of all your worst photos and questionable texts.
The best antagonist is someone who knows you to your core.
That’s why the best villain for your MC is someone similar to them.
They don’t need to be close, per se. But sharing traits will make the parts of your story you’ve been struggling with fall into place.
When your MC and your EMC are similar, they reveal things about the other within themselves.
Giving your villain similar traits to your MC instantly makes your characters more complex, your conflict more consequential, and your plot more convincing. The Big Event isn’t just a single problem orbiting around the MC, but a living, breathing entity that consumes both characters.
Have them share motivations or passions. Write them as two sides of the same coin. Give them a common goal.
Leverage your villain as a mirror to your MC. A distorted mirror, sure, but a reflection nonetheless.
If your story is lacking dimension, look at your villain. Pay close attention to whether they read more like a real character or just a caricature.
They may not be the star but they are central to your story. Make them worth their time in the limelight.