Villainy: What makes a Villain Villainous

There are so many stories in the world, countless tales of heroes and their quest for good. But one of the things that pretty much makes the story is the villain. Yes, "a memorable villain, a terrible foe, a cunning opponent, a vile scourge. The presence of a worthy villain makes not only for a good story, it tells us about the quality and nature of our hero" (www.Wordpress.com). I decided I would do some research and ask around as to what makes a us love to hate these bad guys. So here is a list I devised of different things that can make a villain really cool, and very dastardly.

(A rendering of an archetype of a villain as a late 19th century businessman).

Number 1

Complexity:

So, this one is very broad, but ninety percent of the people I asked said this is what makes a villain good. It is also the key part of any character, it is where they came from, what happened to them, their flaws and what life they have lead. For villains, it is how these events shaped them and how they handled it that really makes them who they are. I think that a more diverse and complex background is what makes the villain, or any character for that matter, very interesting. It shows that they are real, painfully real. These villains have flaws and failures that make them stronger, but if those flaws are exploited, they tend to break down, like any other person. It also shows how we may relate to them and how they could exist in real life to an extent. I believe this rule to be the most important to the villain.

(Azula, Avatar: The Last Airbender).

Number 2

Clarity and Control:

Okay, lets get something clear, there are villains we love and villains we hate like Professor Umbridge (admit it, you wanted her dead more than you wanted Voldimort dead). I think what makes a good, and slightly likable villain, is control and a clear goal. Don't get me wrong, Umbridge was a very effective villain, she was just too effective and not very likable. A more likable and maybe more capable villain has a reason for why they are trying to get what they want. Even more so, they show control and temperance as to what is going on around them. They know the opportune moment as to when they should make a move. They are patient and cunning, they aren't some brat that lets their emotions get the best of them as they traipse around the world whining and demanding things that they eventually get one way or the other. No one likes a brat. That is why villains who have a clear goal that they are willing to wait and struggle for are the best. 

(John Harrison, Star Trek: Into Darkness).

Number 3

Manipulation:

In my opinion, a villain that is truly dastardly, is the one that gets into the minds of their foes and twists with them. Villains that make the hero think that they are in control when the villain is actually just playing the poor fool. These villains don't always have physical prowess, but they make up for it with mind power. These villains need to be in control and they need to know all the facts, or it drives them insane. You can never trust them because of their cynical nature, and they always have ulterior motives. They also seemingly don't have a heart, but they do, and it makes their character so much better when you see that side of them.

(Ben Linus, Lost).

Number 4

Insanity:

This whole rule kind of ushers in a different type of villain altogether. This villain, doesn't quite have a clear goal, they are ambiguous, and they quite plainly just love to wreak havoc and cause anarchy. Whether they have a background or not, it doesn't matter, all they care about is "watching the world burn". These villains do not think that they are insane, as that is the true mark of insanity. They believe that what they are doing is perfectly sane and they are justified within their reasons. They are truly just manic, yet the chaos that ensues can be awe-inspiring at times, (kind of makes us a bit crazy too).

(The Joker, The Dark Knight).

Number 5

Resolute and Determined:

They won't stop, they will not give up. It's quite an admirable quality. They mean business. They do not shy from showing with brutality that they are a force not to be reckoned with. They will go through drastic measures to prove a point (Darth Vader destroying Alderaan). No matter what, they will stop at nothing to achieve their goal, and they don't care who gets in their way. Not only this, but they may tend to become insubordinate in order to obtain their desires, so much as to overthrow their superior, (assuming they have superiors).

(Bane, The Dark Knight Rises).

Number 6

Untrustworthy:

This one is just the icing on the cake for most villains. Of course it is granted that villains will be untrustworthy, but it just hurts more if all they do is back-stab people that actually do (or did) care for them. Not only is it just uncool, but it really just hurts where it counts the most. Usually the untrustworthyness is like the gateway feature that leads the individual into villainy. Lets not forget the cruel scene of Scar pretty much killing Mufasa, and then on top of that, making Simba feel like crap for the whole death, then trying to usurp the throne, things don't get much worse than that.

(Scar, The Lion King).

Number 7

Mystery:

This one is not usually preferred, but I think it can be done right. It is pretty much the opposite of complexity, which makes it a big "No no", however I think that there is an extent of mystery a villain can have before his background is actually shown. Things do need to be explained, but sometimes it's fun just to wonder who the heck this villain could actually be. But if the villain is just a "shadowy figure mired in shadows moving silently in the shadows behind more shadows." (www.Wordpress.com), then that is just no character at all. This is like Darth Maul in The Phantom Menace, sure he kind of kicked butt and he did have that wicked lightsaber, but previous to his origins explained nearly ten years later, he was just a mystery. Mystery can be used effectively if little tidbits of information are gradually released followed by a large plot twist. Then this catharsis of ambiguity and the intake of information make it all the better.

(Amon, The Legend of Korra).

Number 8

Then there is this guy:

Who knows what his problem is, but we all like it. Does he have a plan? Does he not have a plan? He is a consulting criminal who is probably insane. The scary thing is, he could be a real person. He is unbreakable unless broken by himself. Seriously though, this guy has nearly all of the attributes of a villain. I will not go too much in depth of the madness that is James Moriarty because.......well, that is a whole other post in and of itself.

(James Moriarty, Sherlock).

Did I miss anything? (Probably). Let me know if there are any other attributes that should be on this list, or any villains that you just love, and if you are willing, attributes of a nice Hero would be much appreciated.

Thank You everyone!