Villains are regularly seen to be the bad buys in books and movies, but I love them. Here are the 5 top villains we wish we could write in 2020!
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Top Villains: Why We Love Them
If there is one type of character that I have always been hooked by, it is the villain. Those who write a villain that sticks within the minds of viewers, readers, and audiences can display a high level of writing skill and talent. As a writer, when you write a villain for your novel or script, it is not as if you can simply create a vile character that will be hated by everyone. Instead, villains need to be crafted and honed.
In cinema, literature, and theatre, there have been scores of noteworthy characters who have captured our imaginations in such a way that we come back to them time and time again. For one, I have always been someone who has a soft spot for the ‘bad guy’. Rather than booing and hissing as they take the stage, like in a pantomime (look this up readers from the US), I openly applaud and whistle as they make their entrance. I have always been that way.
Have you always loved villainous characters in stories or movies? If so, comment below and share which character it was and why you loved them.
When I write a villain or an Anti-Hero, one of the key things I focus on is the need for the audience or reader to like them in some way. Even if the character’s actions repulse the reader, they need to see some redeeming characteristic about them that makes them human. In my debut novel, Inside Iris, I have a villainous state and government. It may not be a character in itself, but its overbearing spectre hovers over every aspect of Iris’ life.
Yes, Hexingham, The Authorities, and The Security Forces have all become somewhat villainous, but they didn’t start that way. The dystopian world created in Inside Iris didn’t start that way. Throughout the Iris Trilogy, and the Hexingham Chronicles (to be released in Mid-2020) I share how the state was initially set up to be an alternative utopia from the corrupt governments and state that came before it. Within the birth of Hexingham and The Authorities, there were good intentions. However, throughout time and with the ‘needs of the many’, a villainous state emerged.
This is a creative writing advice and tips blog that I have been looking forward to writing for some time. However, I didn’t want to rush into it. I needed to give the topic and subject matter time to breathe until I could settle on five villains I wish I could write in 2020. When I finish The Iris Trilogy, I will write an adult fiction novel. There may be ideas in mind for a memorable villain. When I write that villain, I will have the following five characters in mind.
Click on the image to see the fiction books I have released so far. Both Inside Iris and Anna’s Awakening are available for purchase on Kindle and paperback from Amazon.
Villain One: Darth Vader
Since I was a young boy, I loved Star Wars, Star Trek, and other science fiction movies that helped my imagination to explode at such a young age. My uncles and cousins were huge cinema fans and were introduced to movies like Bladerunner, Dune, and Close Encounters Of The Third Kind with little choice – not that I’m complaining!
The first villain I was introduced to was the archetypal Darth Vader. I will always remember the first time I heard James Earl Jones‘ voice along with the signature electronically enhanced breathing of the Sith Lord. With emperor Palpatine in the background, like a puppet master pulling strings, I always viewed Vader as one of the most well-written villains.
Even from a young age, I was always able to see that Darth Vader had a good side within him, which was revealed with Luke in the latter movies. The constant inner conflict he had concerning Luke and trying to get him to join the Dark Side was compelling, and still is.
Darth Vader’s Top 5 Character Traits:
- The Force,
- Strength,
- Speed,
- Ruthless, and finally,
- Loyalty to Palpatine.
This archetypal character is one of the characters who impressed upon the imagination of millions of sci-fi fans! Comment below if you feel the same about Darth Vader.
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Villain Two: Annie Wilkes
In my teenage years, I fell in love with numerous Stephen King works through TV and movies. The one that will always be burned into my mind is that of Misery and the well-written villain, Annie Wilkes.
Annie is as a psychopath with multiple personality disorders, whose personality is made all the more terrifying by her violent mood swings, rapidly switching between sweet and caring to become blind with fury.
One of the complex areas of Annie is that she has a stringent moral code that she follows and expects others to do the same. However, she feels that she needs to correct and punish those who fail to follow her principles. As a lady who regards herself as a devout Christian, Annie believes that God often speaks to her and instructs her. She detests swearing and even uses child-like replacements for the swear words that Paul Sheldon and others might use.
Annie Wilkes has an obsession with the Misery Chastain novels, written by Paul Sheldon, and has difficulty distinguishing between those words and the real world. Being a recluse, who lives by herself, Annie has regular bouts of depression and appears to have severely low self-esteem at times throughout the story.
Annie Wilkes’ Top 5 Character Traits:
- Rage,
- Manipulative,
- Split-personality,
- Sadistic, and finally,
- Obsessive.
This character is a character that many young writers should use when looking for a villain to write or use to shape a villainous role. What are your thoughts on Annie Wilkes? Comment below.
Click the image to views Scott’s debut novel, Inside Iris, on the Amazon purchase page. Get a copy ahead of Iris Trilogy Book 2, Anna’s Awakening, coming out in 2020.
Villain Three: Negan
The third villain I’d love to write is that of Negan in The Walking Dead. I have been a massive fan of this franchise and the universe that has spawned from it. However, in my opinion, Negan has to be the most intriguing villain in the entire series.
Formerly the founder of Rick Grimes’ enemies, The Saviours, Negan recently appeared to become one of the ‘good guys’ in his current character arc. However, when we first met Jeffery Dean Morgan’s character, I was enthralled by his demeanour, his dialogue, and his ruthlessness. It is clear that the Negan character, and the storylines that spawned from him, added depth to the series of The Walking Dead.
When we see Negan unfold throughout the multiple series that he has been in The Walking Dead, we get to know some of his back story. This is something that I knew was there and couldn’t wait to hear. When we have a character name a barbed wire-wrapped baseball bat, we know there is a reason for it.
Negan’s Top 5 Character Traits:
- Charismatic,
- Brutal,
- Sense of Humour,
- Strategic, and finally,
- Manipulative.
This complex and enthralling character is one who just had to make it into my five villains list. If only I could pinch him for a novel of my own!
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Villain Four: Magneto
When it comes to considering a character with a mammoth and rich backstory that can be used as an example as to how to write a villain, it is Magneto or Max Eisenhardt.
I have always had a keen interest in World Wad II, especially the horrific treatment of those whom the Nazis imprisoned in concentration camps in Europe. This harrowing portion of human history is one that has and will continue to be shared throughout time. From within this barbaric world, came Max Eisenhardt, who later became Magneto of the X-Men.
Young Max Eisenhardt began his life in WWII, Germany. Though his young eyes, he witnessed the worst atrocities the human race could inflict upon one another. While he may have survived, the death of his family at the hands of the Nazis, scarred him at a young age. Max then landed in Auschwitz, where he was reunited with a young girl called Magda.
Both Max and Magda grew into adulthood within Auschwitz, but Max continued to urge his fellow captives to fight for their freedom. This eventually led to a revolt against their Nazi captors. During this revolt, Max and Magda managed to escape from Auschwitz and flee to a small city nearby.
This history and backstory for Max and Magneto are compelling, and it clearly shows the benefits of planning a character in detail. This is especially true when you write a villain. We can also consider how to use real-life, historical settings to write and shape our stories.
Magneto’s Top 5 Character Traits:
- Charismatic,
- Vengeful,
- Irrational,
- Ruthless, and finally,
- Self-professed Freedom Fighter.
I chose Magneto because he is so rich with backstory. Max’s upbringing and brutal treatment at the hands of the Nazis shaped him as a character. To me, the treatment of the mutants is a mirror for what happened to him at Auschwitz. This memory fires his desire to be a freedom fighter for the ‘mutant cause’.
What are your thoughts, guys? Comment below.
Click on the image to view promo content for Scott’s upcoming novel, Anna’s Awakening. This is book two of The Iris Trilogy, due to be published in Feb 2020.
Villain Five: Joker
I have saved my favourite villain I wish I could write until last. As you can see in the thumbnail image, that is Joker.
The Joker is the criminal mastermind who lives for nothing but chaos and anarchy wherever he goes within the city of Gotham in the Batman franchise. His hunger for chaos and destruction, as well as plotting the downfall of Batman and everything he stands for, really appeals to me.
Joker’s clown-like appearance and maniacal personality, give him an appearance and presence within the comics and the movies that stay with the audience. Joker’s brutality and psychopathic personality is so notorious that the Gotham criminals fear him more than Batman himself. Joker was considered so terrifying to other criminals within Gotham that they were even willing to share Joker’s location with Batman to get him off the streets.
Joker’s Top 5 Character Traits:
- Homicidal,
- Psychopathic,
- Ruthless,
- Sadistic, and finally,
- Manipulative.
I will be honest and say that I am biased in relation to Joker. He has always been my favourite villain and my love of the actor Jack Nicholson came from him playing Joker in the Batman movies I watched in the 90’s. From that portrayal to the amazing Heath Ledger performance in The Dark Knight and Joaquin Phoenix’s recent role, I love The Joker!
What are your thoughts on Joker? Who is your favourite villain ever written? Comment below.
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Top Villains: The Takeaway
When we write a villain, we can only hope that our likeable, despicable character can someday make it into someone’s memorable list. I doubt that George Lucas or Stephen King knew they had created a titanic evil genius when they wrote Darth Vader or Annie Wilkes. What they did know was how to construct a character who both terrified and intrigued us in equal measure.
I will always remember the first time I heard Annie Wilkes call Paul Sheldon a ‘dirty bird’, heard Darth Vader’s breathing, and Negan use ‘eeny, meeny, miny, moe’. Those moments are burned into my imagination and will continue to have me hooked for years to come. Comment below with the moment that a villain captured your imagination.
