We continue our discussion about favorite villains from speculative fiction.
P. J. Hoover
My favorite literary villains are the ones who change to the good side at the end. The ones who find the redemption they are looking for and decide to help the main characters reach their goals. I recognize that many times this happens when there is another antagonist also (double antagonist, anyone?), and the good and the bad unite against a new common enemy. I’m drawing a blank on examples, but if the commenters have any examples of this, I’d love to hear them. The only examples I can think of come from sci-fi movies: Darth Vadar being the most well known in Return of the Jedi and also the Captain in Titan AE.
Jo Whittemore
My favorite literary villains are the ones with no sense of self-preservation.
They have no fear and no care if they live or perish, so long as they achieve their desired result. This can be applied to robots, zombies, and any mindless drone. In particular, the giants-turned-ogres from Patrick Carman’s Land of Elyon series frighten me. They’re ruthless, they smell like rotting brains and they just want to eradicate all other species, consequences be damned. These are the toughest to battle because they literally will fight to the death, and if they’re bigger and badder…you’ve got your work cut out for you.
Parker Peevyhouse
I like the “ticking clock as antagonist,” as in Jeanne DuPrau’s The City of Ember. It’s so ominous when the lights start going out in that story. But as far as traditional villains go, I love Mr. Croup and Mr. Vandemar from Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere. They’re really funny, and that makes them even more unsettling. Here’s a sampling of their dialogue which I will use to convince you to agree with me:
“Talking of the marquis, I wonder where he is. He’s a bit late, isn’t he, Mr. Vandemar?”
“Very late indeed, Mr. Croup. As late as he possibly could be.”
Mr. Croup coughed sententiously and delivered his punchline. “Then from now on, we’ll have to call him the late marquis de Carabas. I’m afraid he’s ever-so-slightly–”
“Dead as a doornail,” finished Mr. Vandemar.
Parker Peevyhouse
lindajoysingleton
Joni Sensel
Chris Eboch
Nick
Greg R. Fishbone
I like antagonists who make a strong case for their point-of-view. Even if it’s totally wacked, it adds a layer to see the MC struggling against that. President Snow does this a little in Catching Fire. He’s still creepy and we hate him, but he’s not just an madman fighting for control. From his pov there are good reasons for him to be in charge. I like it when the author develops this.
I so agree, Liesl. When these types are done well, it’s great to see!
My favorite kind of villains are the ones who started out as good people, but turned evil before the book starts. Bad guys with a back story, if you will. They’re multidimensional, and as a reader you might even feel the slightest bit sorry for them. You know why they’ve turned and there’s also a reasonable chance of redemption. But it never happens. Heck, Anakin Skywalker is a terrific example of this. It suggests that circumstances can create villainy. Everyone has that seed of badness in them, and all it takes is the right combination of events to germinate.
I think it also makes the audience struggle with hating the bad guy if they know there is/was some good in him. It adds an extra dimension of interest to the story, as you say, if there’s a possibility he could be turned back to the side of light. It reminds me of the whole “Snape: Friend or Foe?” debate.
I love all of these!
PJ – I totally agree with you!!! (And totally Mogget from The Abhorsen Trilogy! Awesome awesome yet believable transformation! One of my favorite “complicator” antagonists – you know not really evil, but certainly not helping the main characters).
And I completely agree with the antagonists who don’t care what happens to them. That makes them a thousand times more unpredictable and dangerous.
And the non-entity antagonists? There is something chilling about them (like a countdown) because there is absolutely no feeling and no reasoning with them.
Fantastic antagonists! I love them all.
Antagonists are really cool when you stop to analyze then, aren’t they!