Characteristics of a Good Villain

In literature, the villain is a standard character. He or she may be the antagonist in historical narratives or literary fiction. In either case, a villain is a cruel, malicious individual. In fiction, the villain's motivation is often hidden from the protagonist. Listed below are some traits of a good villain.Characters who act in opposition to the protagonist
In fiction, characters who act in opposition to the protagonist are called villains. These antagonists may be single characters or groups. A group villain may have a clear leader. Characters acting in opposition to the protagonist often create the most tension in the story. However, not all villains are necessarily evil.In fiction, villains usually have less noble qualities than the protagonist. For example, a movie like "American Psycho" may feature a deranged serial killer as the protagonist. The main character, Patrick Bateman, murders innocents over the course of the story.Characters with hidden motives
Characters with hidden motives are an increasingly common feature of popular fiction. For example, in the classic tale of Snow White, the Evil Queen attempts to murder her stepdaughter Snow, who is younger than her. In Mean Girls, the evil queen turns on the protagonist Cady because she likes Aaron Samuels, and in Miss Congeniality, the villain Kathy Morningside tries to bomb a group of young, intelligent beauty pageant contestants. Luckily, media has begun to produce more complex villains in recent years. They are now physically and mentally diverse, as well as characterized by multiple layers of motivations.Mentally ill characters have long been used as villains in fiction. The only difference is that such characters are often not violent, so the writer must develop other motives for their behavior. This means that the character's backstory and dreams must be developed and his or her dialogue tailored to the character's needs.Characters with scoundrel traits
A villain is a character with a derogatory and degrading personality who is the main antagonist of a work of fiction. The word villain comes from the Old French "villanus", meaning "peasant." During the Middle Ages, it was a synonym for a serf or plantation worker. In the Harry Potter series, the villain was a teleported character who was possessed of many derogatory qualities.Characters with humanist traits
Humanist traits often occur in villains in fiction. For example, a humanist villain may be passionate about a noble cause but may be too generous in their actions. Such a villain would be a great example of the anti-hero. They might even sacrifice themselves in order to achieve the same goal.Humanist traits can also occur in characters who were once good people before they became villains. These characters should not be classified as Heroes but should fall into the Charismatic or Friend of the Hero category. Sometimes, a good character turns into a villain due to a brainwashing or forced cause.Characters with Byronic traits
Byronic traits are found in many fictional characters. Damvatore is one example. Others include cynics such as Michael Lee and Slim Charles, and self-destructive characters such as Nick Sobotka. These characters are often self-destructive and self-aware, but not always evil. In fact, some of these characters can even be considered heroes.A classic example of a Byronic character is Heathcliff, the protagonist of the classic novel Wuthering Heights. His character is full of ambiguity and is often interpreted as a Byronic Hero. Though he is a charming and charismatic character, his past is unresolved, and he holds grudges and rage.