Believe in the Villain

I was laying in bed the other night, thinking of a new story idea and it got me wondering about heroes versus villains. If we all had a choice, we’d want to be the hero. I mean, we grow up used to it, right? Everyone wants to be the hero. The hero is liked. The hero saves the day. The hero always wins, and the villain? They lose. They’re defeated.

But what’s a story without a good villain? Whether it’s a tangible villain for your hero to defeat or an intangible villain for your hero to overcome, a good story has a villain, conflict, trials, and struggle.

Without the villain, the hero can’t be a hero. We may hate villains for the awful things they do, but without that evil, the good of your hero can’t shine through. The villain teaches us lessons that the hero can’t do on his own. If the villain decimates a town, the hero can step in with compassion for the townfolk. If the villain hoards food out of greed, the hero can show the importance of sharing. The villain helps highlight the wrong so the right of the hero can be amplified.

Honestly, I don’t think villains get a lot of credit. I’ve gone through some stories where the villain’s motives aren’t highlighted. The terrible things they do is highlighted, but their story or reasons for their terrible actions isn’t.

In writing, you have to think of your villain as the hero of their own story, because they don’t see themselves as a villain. But something else you can ask is “what do they teach?” What “evil” trait are you trying to portray to your readers to warn them not to follow that path? That’s what villains do, isn’t it? Show us what paths to not take. Path of bitterness. Path of vengeance or rage.

I titled this post Believe in the Villain because I believe in the purpose of the villain. They’re just as important to stories as your hero is. I hope, moving forward, you’ll see that too.

So, believe in the villain. They may be flawed, evil, scary, or do wicked things, but without them, you’ve got no story.