In order to create a compelling villain, you need to have a reasonable argument for why they should be the bad guy. You also need to make sure that your antagonist is strong enough to defeat them before the protagonist can achieve their objective.
Good and bad are always in competition with each other. Without bad, there would be no good to emerge. Similarly, a superhero is only as good as their villain. Without a ruthless antagonist, the superhero is nothing. Bruce Wayne would not be the iconic billionaire he is without the Joker. Norman Bates was essential to “Psycho"s success because he was the terrifying villain. ..
The hero’s story is about how they overcame obstacles and became the best they could be. The villain’s story is about how they thwarted the hero’s goals and became the worst they could be.
The antagonist is the most significant character in a story because without their actions, the possibility that gives meaning to the storyline would not even exist. Without their fight, the story would not have a beginning, middle, or end.
In order to make the story more compelling, it is important to have a villain that has a weak motivation. This will make the antagonist’s justification for working against the protagonist more compelling, and the story arc will be more compelling.
Dr. Jordan Peterson believes that when one person is arguing with another or having an argument in their head, they essentially caricature their opponent’s perspective and try to make it as weak as possible and laugh about it, and then come up with their argument and destroy the straw man and feel that they have obtained the victory, but it’s a very poor way of thinking.
When you think, you take the opposite position from your suppositions and make your argument as strong as you can, and then you pit your point of view against that strong iron man, not the straw man. You battle it out.
When the antagonist is portrayed as weak and having clear illogical motivations, the protagonist is used to reinforce convictions while making the antagonist a straw man. The antagonists’ perspective is caricatured and everything they stand for is showcased as useless. A strong side or viewpoint is not presented to allow the viewer or reader to consider the opposing side.
The protagonist’s point of view is strong, moral, and without flaws without a strong debate. In this scenario, the antagonist serves no purpose, and the story as a whole suffers as a result.
Superman was created in the 1930s and 1940s. In the 1980s, when he first appeared, he could only leap over buildings and stop trains. After a few years, he could ingest hydrogen bombs and juggle celestial bodies. Superman always dealt with dire circumstances without any trouble, easily. ..
The all-powerful deity or the “Gary Stu” model is not intriguing at all. Kryptonite was introduced later on in order to weaken him and give him vulnerabilities which gave his character some substance and depth.
A strong antagonist is one of the most important elements of a good story. They can make or break the plot, and they often play a role in the central idea of the story. An admirable baddie requires a lot of dimensionality, just like many of the elements that make a fascinating hero interesting. ..
Since the villains lack motivation and strength, many storylines lack a captivating antagonist. Inadequate nemeses are typically just cruel or malevolent and lack motivation and strength. These plots fall short because they don’t allow viewers to go through inner strife that would challenge their viewpoints.
The audience is left with little to no sense of purpose or excitement when a villain is displayed as being pure evil for no discernible reason. This causes the story to be cliché and overly simplistic. sticking with the subject of superheroes for a second, there’s a reason why people remember and resonate with Thanos’ idea of eradicating half the universe, rather than a random CGI army marching on our heroes.
A good story doesn’t just focus on the bad guys. The argument is already biased if the antagonist is only understood as the story’s bad side. Strong arguments from engaging nemeses reveal a fatal flaw inside the protagonist’s logic.
Jordan Peterson makes a compelling case in another one of his lectures explaining why people enjoy watching antagonists. He says people watch antiheroes and villains because they yearn for the incorporation of the monster within them, which gives them strength of character and self-respect.
It’s impossible to respect yourself until you grow teeth. Once you grow teeth, you realize that you’re somewhat dangerous and/or somewhat seriously dangerous. That doesn’t mean that being cruel is preferable to not being cruel; rather, being able to be cruel and then choosing not to be cruel is preferable to not being able to be cruel. Because in the first case, you are nothing but weak and naïve, and in the second case, you are dangerous but you have it under control.
This type of person is often called a “hero.”
Some antagonists are unique. Despite being despised by society and by the masses, they are still capable of dominating the world. Outcasts typically have no authority, in reality however, these antagonists challenge that notion. To thrive in a hostile environment, you need to be extremely intelligent which is an intriguing quality.
The Joker is an antagonist with this element who represents the antithesis of everything that Batman is and represents. He has a reason for being the way he is, which helps the audience empathize with him.
Batman’s relationship with the Joker is more complicated and intimate than his relationships with the other villains in his rogue gallery. ..
The Joker is a character who is antithetical to Batman, and just like Batman, he uses his dark humor and twisted sense of humor to contrast what typically stands for something lighthearted and positive (the clown) with something that is dark and sinister. This is exactly how Batman transforms a shadowy symbol—something that frightened him as a kid and haunted him throughout his life (the bat)—into something inspiring that the people of Gotham could really turn to for help. The Joker is a character who represents the antithesis of Batman, and just like Batman, he uses his dark humor and twisted sense of humor to contrast what typically stands for something positive (the clown) with something that is negative and dangerous.
Bruce Wayne is a very vulnerable person, and if he falls in love with someone, it could be very dangerous for them. For example, if he falls in love with the girl who is the enemy of Batman’s enemies, she might be targeted by Batman’s enemies.
In “The Joker”, the audience learns more about the history of the well-known character, leaving them speechless. Before “The Joker” in this movie, viewers were unaware of the character’s background story and what made him the way he is. The movie addressed that question while showcasing many dark undertones, leaving the viewers to question who they should sympathize with towards the end.
After learning that Joker’s mother had become pregnant, Batman’s father attempted to protect his marriage and seemingly ideal household. Many scenes about the backgrounds of the characters can be seen from varying perspectives. Batman and the Joker are far more alike than you might realize in this regard. It’s not far-fetched to say that if Batman had been his stepbrother instead of the other way around, he may have become The Joker. ..
After a loved one is wrongfully taken from them, some antagonists may seek vengeance in an attempt to make the person who took their loved one pay. This type of love is often characterized by an unending quest for revenge, which makes it difficult for the individual to let go. This difference can make these individuals stand out. ..
Killmonger is a black American who grew up in Oakland, California. He joined the Navy SEALs and served in Iraq and Afghanistan before leaving the military to become a mercenary. When he meets Ulysses Klaue, Killmonger is working as an associate of the thief, Erik Stevens. However, when Killmonger turns on Klaue, we learn that he has a much deeper resentment against Wakanda and its people. Killmonger believes that Wakanda is a racist country that only cares about its own interests, and he wants to take it over so that its people can have a better life. ..
It has been revealed that T’Chaka, T’Challa’s father and later the ruler of Wakanda, was in fact Killmonger’s dad’s brother. This information came to light during a dispute between the two men, where T’Chaka intended to sell Wakandan advanced technologies to militant organizations across the globe. Unfortunately for T’Chaka, Killmonger had other plans and witnessed his father being murdered as a result. Young Killmonger was left alone and abandoned by his home country, which only made matters worse for him. ..
Some antagonists are cunning. They are skilled at manipulating the systems necessary to achieve their goals, and they have a deep understanding of the people they are trying to manipulate. Savages who rashly break into residences and shoot at random people are less fascinating than schemers who plan every move.
Jim Moriarty is a criminal who specializes in consulting with other criminals in order to entertain himself. He does this by playing games with Sherlock Holmes, a nemesis of his, in order to see if he can outsmart him. If Moriarty fails, the people he’s consulting with may die. ..
Sherlock was able to continue tormenting and torturing the reputed detective after making his identity known to him in one of the show’s most memorable moments. He even stole the Crown Jewels to drag the detective further into the streets.
Sherlock and Moriarty are two of the most brilliant minds in history, but their rivalry is more than just a battle of wits. In the new series, Sherlock is portrayed as being outmatched by Moriarty, who seems to be able to manipulate him at will. This could have serious consequences for the detective’s investigations. ..
Sherlock outplayed Moriarty because he had the assistance of his brother, Mycroft. Eurus, Sherlock’s sister, might have been the real brains behind a number of Moriarty’s schemes.
The debate between Sherlock and Moriarty is still going on to this day because they both had different ways of thinking and their rivalry was very compelling.
A compelling antagonist is one who is good at what they do, has a motivation for doing what they’re doing, and has a compelling backstory. Generally, villains who are more sympathetic cause the audience to re-evaluate their morals and what they stand for, and stimulates thought. People are drawn to these sort of antagonists because they aspire to embody the monster within them and to possess some of the antagonist’s traits, such as bravery and strength. ..
Villains are a popular topic of discussion, with many people enjoying watching them on screen or reading about them in books. Some people may see villains as exciting and compelling characters, while others may see them as evil and dangerous. Whichever view someone takes on villains, there is no doubt that they are a popular part of storytelling. Some of the most well-known villains include Darth Vader from the Star Wars series, Hannibal Lecter from the novel and movie Hannibal, and Kingpin from the Daredevil series. Each of these characters has their own unique story and character traits that make them memorable. Other great villains include Loki from the Marvel Comics universe, Scar from The Lion King, and Joffrey Baratheon from Game of Thrones. Which villains are your favourites? Let us know in the comments below! ..
