Villains. They've done bad things, killed people, made a play for world domination. But we love them anyway. Why?
What makes these villains different from the ones we hate? Dolores Umbridge (Harry Potter). President Snow (Hunger Games). Marauders (X-Men).
There are some villains that you spend the whole story waiting for them to die a horrible, violent death in a way only a revenge-porn society can crave a terrible end. Villains that make us grind our teeth, just trying to get through their scene so we don't have to look at their stupid, smug face anymore. But there are also villains that we look forward to, maybe even secretly cheer for. The ones we don't want to see fail.
So where's the line? What are the criteria for putting a villain in a "you're bad, but you can still sit by me" as opposed to the "you can die now, thanks," group?
Here are my thoughts:
Villains We Love
1.) Everyone loves a laugh.
Give me a villain that makes me laugh, and I'm more likely to put him on my side of the cafeteria table. This humor can come from a variety of sources:
a.) Wit. Some villains just have great lines. Loki: "You'll kill me? Evidently there will be a line."
b.) Annoyance. This is one of my favorites. I love it when villains are annoyed. Think Scar (Lion King). "I'm surrounded by idiots."
c.) Delivery. Sometimes the villain just says the something in exactly the right way that it just feels funny and satisfying. King Humperdink (Princess Bride): "I think you're bluffing."
2.) They have a line they won't cross.
A great villain isn't two dimensional, they are the hero of their own story, and they have a valid (if only in their own mind) argument for why they do what they do. If that's the case, then there is usually something they value, some line they won't cross. This keeps them from sliding into pure evil, nothing redeemable to like here.
This line could be certain people they won't hurt (no women and children) or it could be as simple as keeping their word when it's given.
3.) You can see where they're coming from.
Magneto (X-Men) is my favorite for this one. Also Killmonger (Black Panther). These are villains that have done bad things, but you can understand what drove them to it. This is usually a case of do you agree that the ends justify the means.
4.) They're not as bad as...
If you put a villain next to an even worse villain, that that villain becomes less...villainous, by comparison. This is usually about the time the original villain switches sides and fights with the heroes against the bigger bad.
Villains We Hate
1.) Rapists.
Spike was so loved by the fandom that the writers needed to do something to cut through all that adoration and make him a villain again. Hence the sexual assault scene. It was the only think Spike could do that could put a dent in his fan club. I remember reading that James Marsters was really upset about it. He's turned down roles that required scenes like that, and he didn't see that one coming.
2.) Too much smug taunting.
This could be me, but I really hate the evil genius trope. Now, this can be mitigated with one of the above techniques for making a villain likable, but without one of those tropes, I despise series/books/movies where I'm forced to watch the evil genius thwart the hero and wallow in "I'm better than you" mockery. It makes me want to punch them in the face, and fast forward/skip those scenes. (I'm looking at you, Pilant (Bones)).
This can be done well if you combine it with humor. Also, as long as there's some back and forth with success, hero scores one, villain scores one, it can be less irritating.
3.) No personality.
A two-dimensional villain can be satisfying when they're defeated, but they're also just boring. I felt this way about Voldemort (Harry Potter). He didn't make a lot of sense to me, so he just became super-evil guy who tried to kill a baby. And failed.
Your Thoughts?
What villains do you love? What villains do you hate? Why?
Nicodemus is an interesting villain from the Dresden Files. I'd say he's definitely evil. He has some decent lines, but nothing terribly clever to make him endearing. And I've definitely had moments of severe hatred.
ReplyDeleteHowever, he doesn't really get so smug that I want him wiped off the page.
And he is definitely interesting. Maybe that should be another caveat. If a villain is really, really interesting, then that fascination saves them from "hate them and want them wiped off the face of the book/series" and makes them an enjoyable (if not loved) villain?