How do you create a memorable villain? While there's no guaranteed recipe, we've isolated some characteristics that recur in some of the best movie villains."-The world is changing."In this episode of Page to Picture, we tackle how to write a villain."-Here he comes." We'll be identifying and breaking down three villain archetypes. For each type, we'll evaluate their defining characteristics and examine how writers have tackled these villains previously.
It's a very nice suit. It would be a shame to ruin it. We've imported the screenplays into StudioBinder to see how these villains actually get written on the page.
We'll be spoiling the following movies. Let's get started. First up, The Mirror.
These are the villains that are the opposite of the hero but also share certain traits, values or methods. They are two sides of the same coin. This is Magneto to Professor X. Kylo Ren to Rey.
And Voldemort to Harry Potter. Here's K.M. Weiland's definition. Mirror characters tend to share several qualities and are used to complement and highlight each other's traits.
Because of this unique and close relationship, mirror villains are best utilized when not only creating external conflict within the plot but also internal conflict within the development of the hero himself. For a fantastic example of a mirror villain, let's look at The Dark Knight written by Jonathan and Christopher Nolan. Start by assigning parallel traits to the hero and villain."-You complete me."Both Batman and the Joker are relative outsiders to their own kind.
The Joker lays out this comparison on page 86."-To them, you're just a freak. Like me. They need you right now. When they don't, they'll cast you out. Like a leper." Next, decide how the villain will challenge the hero's sense of purpose. Do they challenge the hero's worldview or sense of morality? Here's Christopher Nolan on the Joker's role as the mirror.
He's a very human monster. As the Joker does things in the story, it tests the characters. He forces them to confront things about themselves. The Joker forces Batman to break his one rule of no killing by making him choose between saving Harvey or saving Rachel.
Don't worry, I'm gonna tell you where they are. You'll have to choose. He's at 250... She's on 52nd Street and she's on Avenue X. That's just who it was. Which one are you going after?
Rachel. But being the mirror villain, the Joker knew he would pick Rachel and tricked him to the wrong address. No! This sequence of events ultimately pushes Batman to question his very purpose.
I was meant to inspire good. "-Not madness, not death."The Joker also challenges Harvey Dent's sense of morality in this scene."-Oh, and you know the thing about chaos? It's fear."Harvey succumbs to the Joker."-You live, you die. Now we're talking."And becomes a villain of his own. So when writing a mirror villain, remember to assign parallel traits and determine how the villain will challenge the hero's sense of purpose. Moving on. Villains that are more felt than seen.
The looming threat. These are the villains whose threat is constant despite their limited presence in the story. And yet the danger they pose hangs oppressively over the hero.
Think of the Eye of Sauron. The Zodiac Killer. Two Vallejo killings, now there's one in Napa. Why Napa? What the hell is he doing?
In some cases, we never see them at all. Like It in It Follows. This thing, it's gonna follow you.
This villain archetype requires a lot of imagination from the audience. Which, when done right, can create an even more terrifying or imposing threat. A great example of a looming threat villain can be found in 7. Return of the King by Andrew Kevin Walker.
Let's see how Walker builds a character that we almost never see. First and most obviously, the goal is to keep the villain absent as much as possible. In Walker's script, John Doe makes two brief appearances before his grand reveal.
On page 61, Doe poses as a photographer. Get the f*** out of me! Get out of me!
Get out of me! "-Get out! Jack! Jesus Christ! I got your picture, man! Oh, yeah? And on page 71, Mills and Somerset are ambushed after they discover his apartment. Mills. It's not until page 103 that John Doe officially presents himself."-You're looking for me.""-Hey! "Out of 132 pages and an over two-hour movie, we're only seeing John Doe for a very small fraction of the time. So, in order to keep him a looming threat from the beginning of the film, we need to focus on showing the aftermath. Even though we don't see the villain, we can witness what they are capable of. Here's screenwriter Andrew Kevin Walker on this approach. It was in the script that you didn't see the things happen, and that just seemed to me more horrifying to have to sit and imagine what it was like if you were forced at gunpoint to eat as much spaghetti as possible. For all the horrific violence in Seven, we see very little of it actually occur. This again activates our imaginations and makes us part of the storytelling. For example, here's how Walker describes the pride victims crime scene to paint a horrific scene in our mind. In the sink, objects covered in blood, a pair of scissors, a hypodermic needle, first aid tape, and gauze bandages, a bottle of anesthetic, a straight razor, and a tube of super glue. The other way to sustain a looming threat is to hear from characters who have experienced the villain firsthand. This way, you continue to add to their villainous mythology while still relying on the audience's imagination."-He had a gun."On page 94, we get this nightmarish eyewitness account."-He put that thing on me. Oh God, oh God."Just like Walker said, it can be more horrifying to not see these things happen. Next, the motivation behind these villains is usually ambiguous. Not knowing why these events are happening has two direct effects. One, It creates anticipation from the audience to learn the truth. And two, it helps maintain the villain's power over the hero."-What do you have? Look at the photographer upstairs."Who is left struggling to understand."-No fingerprints.
No witnesses of any kind. I don't get it."On page 116. Mills and Somerset finally get some answers."-I won't deny my own personal desire to turn each sin against the sinner."In the final sequence, just like he has from the beginning, John Doe has the upper hand."-What? We want you to shoot him!
"-No! No!"-You come vengeance, dude."-No, it's all right, you tell me."-You come... Raph. Mills is lured into Doe's tangled web in a way he never expected.
So remember, one way to tackle writing a looming threat is to keep them absent as much as possible and build their mythology through their actions, first-hand perspectives, and unclear or unknown motives. Let's move on to our final villain archetype. The villain protagonist.
This is simply a protagonist who exhibits villainous traits. They're the quote-unquote hero, but also the bad guy. These are characters like Alex in A Clockwork Orange.
I'm singing in the rug! Patrick Bateman in American Psycho. I have to kill a lot of people! And Tony Montana in Scarface. Wanna play games?
Yes! Okay. Happy birthday, buddy. Say hello to my little friend! In Paul Thomas Anderson's There Will Be Blood, our villain protagonist is Daniel Plainview, an oilman whose ambition is so excessive it becomes his ultimate downfall.
Ladies and gentlemen, if I say I'm an oilman, you will agree. Now, you have a great chance here. Bear in mind you can lose it all if you're not careful. When creating any protagonist, villain or otherwise, they need certain elements including a goal, an antagonist, ...an agonist."-You have abandoned your child! Get out of here, devil! Out, devil! Out, sin!"And a character arc. Daniel pursues wealth and power until it eventually corrupts him completely in a negative change called a full arc.
K.M. Weiland describes a fall arc as such. The protagonist in a fall arc will reject every chance for embracing the truth and will fall more and more deeply into the morass of his own sins. His story will end in insanity, oppressive immorality, or death. For deeper dives into these character arcs, you'll find a link to our four ending series in the description.
Now, with a character arc chosen, the most important consideration when tackling a villain protagonist is the balance between sympathy and villainy. Villains, by definition, are bad people who do bad things. But for a villain protagonist, they should possess some redemptive quality to keep the audience invested in their journey.
Here's P.T. Anderson on his approach to writing Daniel's character."-When I set out, I was trying to write a movie about fighting families. "-There's brothers fighting, but at the center of it is this father and son."Plainview's sympathy comes from his intense desire for family and his villainy is born out of his even stronger desire for wealth and power."-I have a competition in me. I want no one else to succeed."In the very first sequence, we witness Daniel's solitary yet pure ambition. He literally drags himself through the desert to cash in a bit of silver. On page 6, an accident makes young H.W. an orphan. And Daniel takes him as his own. Which would be a purely selfless and admirable act, if Daniel didn't go on to use H.W. as a salesman's prop. I'm a family man. I run a family business. This is my son and my partner H.W. Plainview. "-We offer you the bond of family that very few oil men can understand."Despite this exploitative relationship, Daniel appears to genuinely care for his adopted son. He confides in him and mentors him in the oil business."-This is what we do. And we don't need the railroads and our shipping costs anymore.
You see? "-Yeah."-You see that? "-Yes. Then on page 57, Daniel gallantly rescues HW."-Were you hitting the herd?
Tell me! "-I can't hear my voice. But he then leaves him to celebrate a marvel at riches that await him. I'll be back. I'll be back in a minute. You wait here. I'll be fine. You wait for me here. What are you looking so miserable about? There's a whole ocean. of oil under our feet. No one can get at it except for me. This is a pivotal moment in Daniel's character arc. Choosing business over family, he takes a large step away from sympathy and towards villainy. On page 79, Daniel sends him away to a school for the deaf. I have to go and have a word with the conductor. I'll be right back. I'll be right back. "-What are you talking about? Have you gone crazy, Daniel?
I heard what you said. Why did you say it? "-Don't tell me about my son."-Why are you acting insane and threatening to cut my throat?
"-Don't tell me about my son. Now, prior to all this with his adopted son, on page 67, Daniel meets Henry. "-Can I help you? "A long lost brother he never knew he had. But after discovering him to be an imposter, Daniel spirals further and becomes a murderer. And 20 years later, at his lowest point, rich and alone, Daniel goes off the rails Completely. Whatever sympathy he may have earned is dashed away in this final sequence. With his son... You're an orphan from a basket in the middle of the desert. And I took you for no other reason than I needed a sweet face to buy land. Did you get that? As well as his murderous impulses, which he now does without remorse. "-I'm finished."As you write your own villain protagonist, remember to give them a complete character arc and to find a balance between sympathy and villainy. No matter which villain archetype you choose to write, there are a few characteristics that are always important to focus on. And remember that this guide is just a jumping off point. A villain might fit more than one archetype. Or defy expectations. Ooh, that's a bingo! What types of villains should we cover next? Let us know in the comments. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti. Pfft! Pffft! Subscribe to our channel, click the bell to stay in the loop. Now, go explore your dark side. What was it you said to me before? Yippee-ki-yay, mother******.