Writing Great Villains – Three Character Archetypes to Create Memorable Villains

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How to Write a Villain – We break down strategies for writing bullies, masterminds, and psychopaths, with examples from The Karate Kid, The Usual Suspects, The Silence of the Lambs, and more.

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Chapters:
00:00 - Intro — What Makes a Villain Great?
01:12 - The Bully Villain
08:33 - The Mastermind
14:20 - The Psychopath
21:04 - Takeaways

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HOW TO WRITE A VILLAIN

There are many different ways to write a villain. In this video, we break down three types of villains, with tips and tricks on how writers use them to communicate malevolence and malfeasance.

THE BULLY

The bully is one of the oldest villain archetypes – they're a jerk who uses brawn or beauty to beat down others. The bully is not generally meant to be a sympathetic villain; however, writers can subvert their archetypal characterization by utilizing a redemption arc, in which they have them recognize the error of their ways and go on to protect others. This strategy adds a level of emotional complexity in villains – which is capable of transforming them into unlikely heroes, much like Johnny Lawrence in Cobra Kai.

THE MASTERMIND

If you're wondering "what makes a great villain?" look no further than the mastermind. This villain is characterized by their attention to detail and ability to exploit weakness. Keyser Söze from The Usual Suspects is a great example: he orchestrates the strings of the story and masterfully tricks other characters (and the audience). The secret to "how to write good villains" lies in the ability to challenge heroes; masterminds do this by confronting them with moral questions and games of life or death.

THE PSYCHOPATH

Crafting villains is no easy task, especially when dealing with mental illness. The psychopath is a villain who lacks empathy and has a penchant for violence. Our villain analysis in this section looks at Hannibal Lecter, who is characterized as a "pure psychopath" in The Silence of the Lambs. Our tips for writing villains like Lecter include: considering backstory, immoral actions, and foils. When done well, they can add emotional impact to your villain.

VILLAIN WRITING TIPS

The perfect villain is every writer's dream. They instill fear in the hero/the audience and terrorize the narrative by raising the stakes. If you're hoping to write a great villain, consider the three types we outlined here, and look to the many examples we reference in the video!


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♬ SONGS USED:

"Outsider" - Alistair Sung
"Solving Puzzles" - Alistair Sung
"Plains" - Alistair Sung
"Runways" - Stanley Gurvich
"Fite Nite" - Bill Conti
"Bonsai Tree" - Bill Conti
"Cobra Guy" - Leo Birenberg & Zach Robinson
"Dojo Tradition (Instrumental)" - In This World
"Arrival at School" - Mark Mothersbaugh
"Conspiracy Theories" - Jean Pol Cornelis
"Distant Worlds" - Theatre Of Delays
"Exploring the Garden" - Alistair Sung
"Ace Degenerate" - Leo Birenberg & Zach Robinson
"A Battle in the East" - Rhythm Scott
"Secret Garden" - Alistair Sung
"Glass" - Claudio Laucci
"I Have a Plan" - Borrtex
"Still Need Syndrome" - Yarin Primak
"Main Title" - Michael Kamen
"Verbal Kint" - John Ottman
"The Story Begins" - John Ottman
"The Greatest Trick" - John Ottman
"New World" - Ian Post
"Mercury" - Alon Ohana
"Dark Blood" - Jimmy Svensson
"War Banner (Instrumental)" - Cody Martin
"Max" - Elmer Bernstein
"Main Title" - Howard Shore
"The Asylum" - Howard Shore
"Cosmos" - Theatre Of Delays
"Deep Blue" - Stefano Mastronardi
"All Star" - ANBR
"Unwind" - Mansij


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