Let’s face it, every story has a villain including within the hero themselves. These villains come with a lot of interesting qualities. I find fantasy and sci-fi villains especially fascinating because it’s what I love to write. When you build a fantastical world, a character in its own right, you provide this awesome world with creatures and inhabitants both good and bad. Deep within the utopia of fantasy and sci-fi and all its magical power and scientific tones writers can explore the the push and pull of life cycles and evil.
Great villains in the fantasy and sci-fi genre generally have their own unique story that make them what they are and more. Great villains always have their own moral compass in which no one can identify with but their followers. This moral compass is completely justifiable in their minds and there is no other thought process or emotional response of empathy, sympathy or compassion that will break down their purpose.
What makes great fantasy and sci-fi villains so high risk? The stakes great villains in fantasy and sci-fi throw at the hero, whatever their purpose is, makes them not just a threat to the hero of the story but to the whole world and universe as a whole. The reason they are so risky is because of their single-minded thought process and narrow-minded point of view. Great villains can’t see beyond their own desires, wants and needs and this what makes them dangerous and a threat to everyone around them including their own followers.
The best of the best villains don’t ever give up. They will come at you time and time again. They must win at all costs, destroy as much life on their path to their ultimate goal and most of all increase their power to achieve it. They have discovered evil ways to exploit their powers and with no moral compass use it for their own benefit. Everyone should fear them, including their own minions. They are careless, without feeling, physically powerful and psychological masters in manipulation. In fact, the greatest fantastical villains always have the best evil lines in attempts to annihilate their opponent – the good guy/gal we’re rooting for.
When writing Samar for the BaSatai Series I wanted to take a very human emotion of jealousy and the sense of entitlement and explode it into a catastrophic circumstance based on revenge. Samar’s character is so complex in that her bitterness overpowered her reasoning and she turned without thought or emotion against everyone. It was within her already and was triggered by rejection. Her creation as a villain complete as she reveled in the terror of uncertainty she created with the blood curse.
Great villain psychological manipulation lines
Star Wars: Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back: Darth Vader – “No, I am your father.”
Harry Potter: Lord Voldemort – “I’m going to sit and watch you die, Harry Potter. Take your time. I’m in no hurry.”
Game of Thrones: King Joffrey Baratheon – “I’ll tell you what. I’m going to give you a present. After I raise my armies and kill your traitor brother, I’ll give you his head as well. Sansa Stark: Or maybe he’ll give me yours.”
The greatest villains revel in control both physical and mental. There is no redemption in villainy – win or lose, live or die. Great fantastical villains choose to use fear and terror as part of their purpose as well as their own superior physical strength.
Characteristics of great fantasy and sci-fi villains are:
- Superior Physical Strength – they are gym junkies
- Unique Powers – they find themselves with a unique skill/ability that no one else has and use it to terrorize
- Mental Manipulation – masters of psychological warfare
- No Moral Compass – everything they do is for their own purpose and benefit
- Lack of Emotional connection – no compassion, no empathy, no sympathy
- Harnessing the Darkness within themselves – their personality is bitter, angry, jealous, vengeful, selfish and controlling
- Selfish Control Goals – it’s their way or the highway
- Social Power – the ability to rally followers & armies of minions willing to die for them
- Merciless – they will destroy anything that gets in their way including their own crew
- Attractive or Unattractive – their looks mean nothing
- Interesting backstory – they were born to be a villain whether by their own personal inclination or by circumstances that changed them
- Narrow-minded – they see one purpose and one purpose only
There is no turning back for villainous characters as they team up with their followers to suck dry the humanity of the worlds around them. In fact, great villains thrive and grow more powerful as the creatures/inhabitants around them are destroyed or are weakened in fear.
This is where having a great hero jump in as a worthy opponent will excite readers.
If a villain is on a path of redemption, he’s in fact a hero. If Darth Vader, Lord Voldemort, Joffrey Baratheon all changed course their story would be in a whole different arena.
A villain is a villain because they cannot look back, turn around or undo what is already done. They can try but I doubt it.
About Suzan
Suzan Battah is an award winning Screenwriter/Director, Film Producer and Author. Her award winning story BaSatai is being developed into a graphic novel with USA artist, Joshua Sloniker. Suzan is currently on Patreon providing fans of her work with behind the scenes details of the graphic novel and new chapters of book 2 as they are produced. She is an avid Fantasy/Sci-Fi fan and loves reading new and exciting books. Suzan loves dogs, dancing like no one is watching, all things creative and reading historical romance. She’s a big health and fitness fanatic, is terribly afraid of heights and struggles when a cockroach is nearby. Her favorite TV shows are Vikings and Outlander. She has too many favorite films to list. Suzan loves to travel the world even though she gets overwrought from the motion of the plane ride and plans to share the BaSatai story at comic conventions internationally. She does think she tells funny jokes, though some people may disagree. Suzan is a big believer in following your dreams and allowing your imagination to take you to places. Her motto ~ “Failure and Success are married. They never divorce and only get stronger.” ~ Suzan Battah
Horoscope: Scorpio.
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