How to Write Villains Readers Love to Hate

Writing villains can be one of the toughest parts of the gig. We need them to be believable but terrible. Frightening, or at least intimidating. We want readers to fear and hate them. As the saying goes, "the protagonist is only as good as the antagonist."

Come forth, ye devious minds, and we shall explore what makes a good villain.

MOTIVATION

The first step to any good character, as writers know, is fleshing out and getting into the character's head. Though readers won't see through our villain's eyes (unless you're writing that kind of story), we should know the villain's backstory, how they think, and what motivates them to do what they do.

Motivation, for some, can be difficult. It may be hard to not only envision but fully embody what makes a person do horrible things, so the motivator sometimes appears as "well, because they're evil."

No one quite thinks of themselves as "evil," though. Even if they consider what they are doing a "necessary evil," they themselves are not "evil." To them, their motivation is a result of a truth or a fantasy twisted out of hand.

Consider revenge: how many protagonists and antiheroes are motivated by a wrong that was done to them? At what point do their actions, those "necessary evils," make them a villain? If they were seen through someone else's eyes, would they be the antagonist?

Or consider altruism, or justice. At what point does making the world a better place translate to destroying everything they think is wrong with it? When does deciding justice go too far?

The most terrifying villains, to me, are ones who consider their motivations "good," "justified," or "necessary." Their conviction and reasoning becomes chilling when readers realize their full faith in it, no matter how unthinkable it would be for us. Don't be afraid to dive into those gray areas and find what makes your villain tick.

OFF-SCREEN VILLAINY

Figuring out our villain's motivation is only part of the equation. Another pitfall is that we sometimes only consider what a villain is doing on-screen. We have all the villain appearances mapped out, how viciously they shall taunt the protagonist.

This puts us in a cycle of random encounters that don't do our villains full justice or create a background threat that should be felt throughout the book.

Though our readers won't be privy to all this background work (don't worry, we can tell them in the interviews 😉), we the writers should know what our villains are up to behind the curtain. We always know where our protagonist is and what they're doing to drive the plot forward. What's the villain doing in the meantime? Certainly not twiddling their thumbs!

One thing I like to do is map out each move the villain makes throughout the story, even if readers won't see those details. Once we have that figured out, we can visualize what causes ripple effects and the ever-present aura of danger for your protagonist.

A SOLID PLAN / PROTECTIONS

No one plans for failure, so let's not set our villains up for it. Assuming they're meant to be a threat for a good chunk of the story/series, they'll either have a solid, well-thought plan with backups, or at least protections between themselves and the protagonist (think: armies, security, wealth and status, etc.).

We don't want there to be holes the heroes can easily poke through or escape with. Besting the villain needs to be a challenge—a multi-layered endeavor with some failure along the way, because the villain won't always lose. Sometimes the villain will win because they planned well, or because they have a strength the protagonist does not.

Keep an eye out for a lack of contingencies in the villain's plan, as well. The villain likely won't hinge all their success on one factor; imagine what backup plans and safeguards they might have, until it creates a struggle that you must work alongside the protagonist to outsmart.

HENCHMEN MOTIVATIONS

In some cases, the main villain may not be present, but their henchmen are. To avoid that pitfall of "evil just to be evil" henchmen, our villain's lackeys will need a motivator too.

What drives the henchmen to follow the villain?

Is it fear of what the villain will do to them or their loved ones? Respect for the villain's strengths? Cowardice because they'd rather be on the winning side? Did the villain promise them something the heroes can't? Do they believe in the villain's cause so much that they're willing to risk their lives for it, or have they been manipulated by the villain's charm?

The henchmen's motivation(s) will not only ensure our evil cronies don't fade into the background of the story, but it creates another layer of believability for our villain. People don't typically follow someone "just because." What does the villain have over the henchmen that they're willing to do horrible things in the villain's name?

In addition, henchmen are a useful way to contribute details to our villain without an evil monologue. Protagonists may gradually pick up information about the villain by listening to or, ahem, making the henchmen talk.

FIND THEIR LIMITS

While it's important our villain is strong enough to stand against the protagonist (and occasionally best them), they won't be invincible. Like everyone, they will have weaknesses, limitations, or even boundaries they won't cross.

What those are is completely up to the writer, but any limitations should make sense for the villain as a character.

Consider your protagonist's weaknesses: maybe they aren't the best fighter but make up for it in strategy. Maybe they're not the most charming and can't win people to their side. Even a noble trait, like loyalty or love, can be a weakness if exploited.

You know what motivates your villain; now what holds them back? What weaknesses have they had to overcome or make up for? What lines do they refuse to cross in spite of everything else they've done? What do they consider sacred enough to never touch?

Even someone who commits awful acts might cherish nature, family, a personal set of values. All of this serves to make them well-rounded and more believable.

To crank things up a notch, having our villains cross their own boundaries to achieve an ultimate goal can make them doubly terrifying. If they would never sacrifice family, for example, but end up doing so because their family got in the way of a master plan, that tells the reader we're entering a new threat level perfect for climaxes or raising the stakes in general.

Enjoy these tips? Feel free to share this post and/or let us know in the comments what you think makes a great villain! 😈