How to make a good villain

[The_real_cal_howard]

I'm currently listening to MasakoX's DB Villain how-to, and I wanted to know everyone else's opinion. What do you think it takes to make a good villain? What makes up your favorite villains? It doesn't necessarily have to be complexity, because people like Bowser, Ganondorf, Frieza, and The Joker aren't that complex, yet are beloved. It's just whatever it takes in your eyes to make a villain that's memorable. Points if the villain can be your favorite character, even more if it's not because he's complex.

 

[Schnee_One]

What's the type of villain?

That's the big question.

 

[Thundereld]

In general it's a certain appeal that a good villain gives you like the personality,their specific way of behavior,their design.Cool powers that should go well with some of the previous mentioned traits and the way that use their powers(if they have any powers,if not then with their fighting style and weapons).That's my opinion and nice thread.

 

[Thundereld]

Motives,the way they think and backround might also play an important role

 

[Vizorus69]

Try making them feel relatable. The Joker, for example, is just an insane person doing whatever for the heck of it. Bowser is relatable to basically every virgin in the world. Ganondorf just want power. Etc, etc.

 

[Huesito88]

depends

 

[The_Everlasting]

What's the type of villain?
That's the big question.

^^^ This

Are they Lawful, Neutral or Chaotic Evil? What's the exact goal in each alignment?

 

[Megamangohan]

Just have a villan that wants to destroy everything. He isn't a villian if he likes to do good.

 

[DMUA]

There are two paths.

Either make them so ridiculously evil that they're awesome, in the same vein as Dio Brando or Frieza, or make them well developed and understandable in their actions, like The Anti-Spiral, who is paranoid about the survival of the universe, and in fact, when he's dying, says to Simon "Think about something other than yourself", and The Beast (inFAMOUS), who was killing many many people, but saving everyone he possibly could have.

 

[Lightbuster30]

Morally Right Villains. As in: Villains who are actually doing the right thing, but going about it the wrong way. Oh and backstories. I'm a total sucker for freudian excuses.

 

[Megamangohan]

or have a villian who masks himself as the good guy, but in reality is just trying to do evil, like Ghestsis

 

[Lightbuster30]

There are two paths.

Either make them so ridiculously evil that they're awesome, in the same vein as Dio Brando or Frieza, or make them well developed and understandable in their actions, like The Anti-Spiral, who is paranoid about the survival of the universe, and in fact, when he's dying, says to Simon "Think about something other than yourself", and The Beast (inFAMOUS), who was killing many many people, but saving everyone he possibly could have.

 

[Warren_Valion]

What makes a good villain?

Relatability, charisma, and well-developed backstory go along way.

What makes a memorable villain?

Having the villain have big impactful moments that truly resonate with the characters and plot.

 

[DMUA]

Fandom screwed you over.

 

[Lightbuster30]

Sometimes I like a good villain who isn't even a villain, just morally questionable. To elaborate: these villains aren't villains in a traditional sense, they just happen to serve as the current obstacle for the hero. The villain technically wouldn't be evil per say.

Villains who are being antagonistic to help the hero in secret are kinda cool too.

 

[Newendigo]

It really takes many points to make a Villain, the type of protagonist, the type of characters, the type of said series,.

Characters such as Bowser, Ganon and Joker are loked, but for are greatly different, and are loved for they own traits.

Is not something that you can just make and apply to everything.

 

[Megamangohan]

What makes a memorable villain?

Having the villain have big impactful moments that truly resonate with the characters and plot.

also villians that push the hero to their limit

 

[Vizorus69]

What makes a memorable villain?

Having the villain have big impactful moments that truly resonate with the characters and plot.

also villians that push the hero to their limit

Although, that could make people hate the heroes, because, well.

Oh look, my hero is gaining new power that has never been achieved before and OMG OMG OMG, he's so cool. *Cue fangirl scream.

 

[ByAsura]

I like slasher villains who are practically invincible, but do have a limit, also ones with actual durability rather than just extreme endurance.

 

[Kisaragi_Megumi]

For me,the villains is must have their personal conflict and dilema,have a motive why they doing this, questioning their morality,what their side,pure villain or in protag but in wrong way,and lastly white,black or grey characterization.Thats make the villain more epic and more development and awesome.Example :

1.Meruem

2.Reinhard Heydrich

3.Altair

4.Donquixote Doflamingo

5.Charlotte Katakuri

6.Amakasu M asahiko

7.Stain

 

[Iapitus_The_Impaler]

the type matters, obviosuly. believability is important tho

 

[Kisaragi_Megumi]

@Ia

Thats counted too.

 

[Gemmysaur]

Believable, relatable, a tad bit likeable and just brings an oomph factor to his every appearance.

 

[Ryukama]

Believable, relatable, a tad bit likeable and just brings an oof factor to his every appearance.

Fixed it for you

 

[TurboTriangle601]

A pragmatic and intelligent one.

 

[Christian_Higdon]

It depends.

Sometimes you can have a villain who just wants to be evil for the heck of it. These villains love to cause chaos and ruin everyone's days.

Example: Frieza. He destroys planets for fun, and laughs at other's expense.

There's also those villains who have morals. They can be a tad bit dark, but the villain can have a backstory, something to gain, or just pure hate towards one.

Example: Bowser. He has a shady history, and just wants Peach, along with more power. Also, his burning hate towards Mario really shows.

Then there's the villain who doesn't even know what he/she is doing. The villain who is a big threat to the planet, and can wipe out humanity, when really, it's fighting out of fear and self-defense.

Example: Shin Gojira. The lyrics here describe what i mean. Shin Gojira isn't that guy who means any harm, and doesn't even know what he is doing. He just attacks out of fear, and the people harming it don't really know that.

 

[Tincan123]

It depends.

Sometimes you can have a villain who just wants to be evil for the heck of it. These villains love to cause chaos and ruin everyone's days.

Example: Frieza. He destroys planets for fun, and laughs at other's expense.

There's also those villains who have morals. They can be a tad bit dark, but the villain can have a backstory, something to gain, or just pure hate towards one.

Example: Bowser. He has a shady history, and just wants Peach, along with more power. Also, his burning hate towards Mario really shows.

Then there's the villain who doesn't even know what he/she is doing. The villain who is a big threat to the planet, and can wipe out humanity, when really, it's fighting out of fear and self-defense.

Example: Shin Gojira. The lyrics here describe what i mean. Shin Gojira isn't that guy who means any harm, and doesn't even know what he is doing. He just attacks out of fear, and the people harming it don't really know that.

Bro how could you forget DIO

 

[Christian_Higdon]

Because i didn't need to mention him.

 

[ShiroyashaGinSan]

Two ways: One a "I'M A ************* FORCE OF NATURE!!!" kind of villains, the ones who are defined by actions, not words. Like Kefka Palazzo for example, is a piece of shit with little to no development yet he is so goddamn entertaining. He is so evil that you can't be helped but charmed by him. They are basically plot device, yes, but they are entertaining enough to be fascinated or even rooting for them.

Two, a "human" villains, the ones who are relatable and in a way human. They are not just doing what the plot demands them to and they have a quirks that can be superficial, but it adds so much to the character than others think. One of the example, believe it or not, is Yoshikage Kira from JoJo. He is a serial killer, yes, but he also likes 11am katsu bread, he likes walking in the park, he wants normal life and he doesn't want any trouble or problem. The third one, at least for me, is relatable. You don't need to create a sympathetic villains to have human villains, you just need to add more of them than just being a bad guy and make his backstory, not just an excuse to be a villain.

 

[Arigarmy]

IMO relatability, perspective, and ambiguity between one's own moral compass is a great way to incorporate a real villai. Something like Funny Valentine (or Jobin Higashikata, Kira's pretty overrated IMO but still #3) and Griffith are more enjoyable to me than just straight being born evil and doing evil things because evil. I mean yeah they're fun, but I wouldn't count that as a key quality thing.

Like, Funny's goal with Jesus is to better his country and its people compared with Gyro to haul it back to Italy or for Johnny who just wants to be happy (and also not crippled). Griffith is also a case of perspective as he saw Guts as a blockade to his own goals and future since he finally bested him. These are understandable conflicts and reasons, the only real criminal or villainous thing are the methods used to reach these goals. Whether its heavy underground criminal activity (Jobin), mass sacrifice, or actually lets not talk about what valentine and griffith did, moral ambiguity I think shapes a villain and asks if they are really a villain for their endgame goals.

Jobin is shaping into one of my favorite antagonists period because he expands on the whole moral ambiguity thing I go rock (human) hard for. I don't think I need to go in-depth though, it'd be easier to just read the manga.