Read Time: 4 minutes
Ever catch yourself rooting for the bad guy?
That’s the power of a well-crafted villain, and it stems from backstory.
Today, we’re exploring the dark art of creating antagonists so compelling, your audience might just question their loyalties.
Now let’s get into it.
The Power of Sympathy in Villainy
Nobody wakes up and decides to be evil.
The most memorable villains are the ones who make people think, “You know what? I kinda get where they’re coming from.”
So your villain needs key elements to showcase their sympathetic backstory, including:
- Relatable Motivations: Give your villain a goal that people can understand, even if they don’t agree with the methods.
- Tragic Past: A dash of heartbreak or injustice can go a long way in explaining why your villain turned to the dark side.
- Flawed Reasoning: Show how your villain’s past experiences have warped their worldview, leading to misguided actions.
Blockbuster Examples
- Thanos (Avengers: Infinity War): This big purple baddie wanted to save the universe from overpopulation. His solution? Wipe out half of all life. Extreme? Absolutely. But his motivation? Weirdly relatable.
- Killmonger (Black Panther): Abandoned as a child, grew up in a rough neighborhood, wanted to help oppressed people worldwide. His methods were violent, but his backstory made us understand his anger.
Balancing Act: Sympathy vs. Villainy Types of Impossible Choices
Here’s the tricky part: You want your audience to understand your villain, not start a fan club for them.
Keep their actions villainous, even if their motivations are sympathetic. It’s all about that moral gray area.
Blockbuster Examples
- Thanos (Avengers: Infinity War): Motivated by preventing universal resource depletion, Thanos’s goal seems almost noble. His method? Genocide on a cosmic scale. We get his logic, but his actions are unforgivably cruel.
- Killmonger (Black Panther): Driven by a desire to liberate oppressed people worldwide, Killmonger’s cause feels just. But his violent coup and plans for global warfare remind us he’s no hero, despite his sympathetic origins.
Integrating Your Backstory
Don’t info-dump your villain’s entire life story in one scene.
Reveal it piece by piece, like breadcrumbs leading us deeper into the woods of their psyche.
Blockbuster Examples
- Thanos (Avengers: Infinity War): We first see him as a ruthless conqueror. Later, he mentions Titan’s fall. Only in a pivotal scene do we glimpse young Thanos witnessing his world’s destruction, revealing his twisted savior complex.
- Killmonger (Black Panther): Initially just a dangerous mercenary. Then, he claims Wakandan heritage. Finally, we see his childhood in Oakland, understanding how abandonment shaped his vengeful worldview.
Develop Your Villain’s Past with AI
Ready to give your antagonist extra depth? Use this customizable prompt with your favorite AI assistant:
/ copy below and edit the bold text in [brackets] /
Imagine you’re a master storyteller known for creating complex, sympathetic villains that challenge perceptions of good and evil.
Consider these key elements for your villain:
• Genre: [Insert Your Genre(s)]
• Central Story Conflict: [Briefly describe the main conflict of your story]
• Villain’s Name and Role: [Name your villain and describe their role in the story]
Now, develop a sympathetic backstory for this villain:
1. Relatable Motivation:
• What drives the villain? What goal or belief motivates their actions?
2. Tragic Past Event:
• Describe a pivotal moment from the villain’s past that shaped their worldview.
3. Flawed Reasoning:
• How has the villain’s past led them to a misguided conclusion or belief system?
4. Redeeming Quality:
• What positive trait or action might make people sympathize with the villain?
5. Villainous Action:
• Describe an evil act the villain commits, stemming from their backstory.
6. Internal Conflict:
• What inner struggle does the villain face due to their past?
Create a brief outline of the villain’s backstory, incorporating these elements. Show how their past shapes their present actions and motivations, making them a complex and somewhat sympathetic character while maintaining their role as the story’s antagonist.
That’s it for this Saturday.
If you’re finding value in TSS, please share it with a fellow storyteller.
See ya next week!
— Dave