Comments on: Anti-Villains & Why We Love GOOD Baddies

By: Mikka

Mikka — Sun, 14 Jul 2024 07:58:47 +0000

Hello! Writer-in-progress here. I have a few questions, and have trouble distinguishing anti-hero and anti-villain (in part because anti-villain is a new concept to me). I don’t know if you’ve seen/read/heard of him, but Itachi Uchiha, from “Naruto”- is he an anti-hero or an anti-villain? There are so many layers and facets to his entire story that I’ve confused myself on which he is…
My main inquiry is regarding a character of my own, and I write him in three subtly different ways across my works. The main constant is that he’s terminally ill and set to die before turning 30.
The first: He targets people who use their status and authority to avoid the consequences of their actions, and conftonts them with irrefutable evidence and proof of their crimes. Then gives them the option to turn themselves in and accept those consequences… or he’ll do it for them in the most thorough, gritty and aggressive way possible.
The second way I write him: Still targets authority figures, whether they’re on the side of the law or not, and blackmails them, keeping their dirty laundry locked up in the porverbial closet, but he uses that money to help people who need it- especially if they’re unable to get that help any other way. The only technically illegal thing he’s doing in the story’s setting is the blackmail.
And third, he is purely chaotic-neutral, but his moral compass is defined by his younger brother, how his actions and decisions will affect the younger brother in the future and doing everything he can to make sure that after he’s gone, his brother and brother’s loved ones will be well taken care of and happy. He’s morally grey and willing to cross lines, so long as it doesn’t make his brother hate him or disappoint his brother.
In some works, I manage to fit all three “sides” of him into the story.
Between the three ways I write his character, what’s more anti-villlain vs anti-hero? And which does the 3-in-1 fall into better?

By: paulandpaulasbooks

paulandpaulasbooks — Sun, 24 Sep 2023 22:46:55 +0000

I have my teenage son reading my book which was originally a dovetail into another writer who is no longer writing. But I was revamping it and it was put on a site that has what I call brutal love stories and I asked the AM if there was an area for family and she said yes – when the character left the prehistoric Scot land I took it into a land that is mystic, time travel, morphing, magic, technology,nature, animal welfare, justice. with a hero that needs growth and that is achieved but it also has a never ending story to it which can have spin offs. My monsters are also victims. I have a tendency to want my characters to be redeemed. The site was taken over by another site but I was sent back to the woman who recruited me and am waiting for a reply.

By: paulandpaulasbooks

paulandpaulasbooks — Sun, 24 Sep 2023 21:38:37 +0000

This was a great analysis – I just wrote a fantasy where my villains were victims – my problem is I have a hard time killing anyone off so I try to stick to kids stories but this one evolved into a family oriented with wrong doing eventually made right for most I just need to find a niche –

By: Kristen Lamb

Kristen Lamb — Wed, 20 Sep 2023 20:10:46 +0000

In reply to Author Jan Sikes. Any time! It was a great question and I am always honored to see you in the comments.

By: Author Jan Sikes

Author Jan Sikes — Wed, 20 Sep 2023 17:40:25 +0000

In reply to Kristen Lamb. Thank you for your wonderful response, Kristen!

By: Kristen Lamb

Kristen Lamb — Tue, 12 Sep 2023 18:10:49 +0000

In reply to Brian Dale Pope. That IS a great example!

By: Brian Dale Pope

Brian Dale Pope — Tue, 12 Sep 2023 18:00:44 +0000

A great example of anti-villain (IMHO) is Red Redington from The Blacklist.

By: Kristen Lamb

Kristen Lamb — Sun, 10 Sep 2023 23:18:02 +0000

In reply to Michelle Knowles.

I didn’t put it in this post because I was saving it for another. The difference between the anti-villain and anti-hero is very warbly. YOU as the author have to decide which she is. If she is a villain (even an anti-villain) then she is on the “bad team.” If she is a MAIN CHARACTER then only two teams (GOOD and BAD). She can be a villain and an ally, but that is a subplot, not the core story.

IF she is not an ally or a henchman (for the baddies) then you need to choose. If she is the MC, then BY DEFINITION she must be an anti-hero.

Ultimately, even if the audience ADORES your character, if she is an anti-villain…ULTIMATELY the audience has to no longer be rooting for her and your MC-turned-HERO will defeat her plans. (As much as I loved Shelton in “Law Abiding Citizen” he eventually went too far).

So YOU choose if she is the MC (hero) or the Villain (Core Antagonist). Then you craft the goals and such to suit the role.

Because as dreadful as Deadpool is, as much as he does terrible things…he does them to REALLY TERRIBLE PEOPLE (so we can root for him even those his motivations are utterly selfish).

Conversely, as NOBLE as Thanos might believe he is, most people can NEVER really be on the side of wholesale genocide.

I hope this helps you? We can layer characters to be SO DEEP that there is no real way to tell. A great example is Battlestar Galactica. Who was REALLY in the right? Humans or Cylons? No correct answer and that is why it was SO DARN GOOD.

By: Kristen Lamb

Kristen Lamb — Sun, 10 Sep 2023 23:10:37 +0000

In reply to Michael Billington. What a great suggestion. I will have to look up that book!

By: Kristen Lamb

Kristen Lamb — Sun, 10 Sep 2023 23:10:02 +0000

In reply to joylennick. LOL, I LOVE IT! Thanks for sharing.