A Guide To Writing Evil Characters

In this Film Courage video, we present a guide to writing evil characters (based on a culmination of interviews)
0:00 - Intro
0:26 - 1. The Conflict In Every Human Heart
1:34 - 2. Where Do Writers Go Wrong?
6:39 - 3. Lure Of The Darkside
8:26 - 4. Evil Characters We Root For
16:01 - 5. Techniques For Creating Empathy
22:17 - 6. Karma Deflector
24:16 - 7. Dark Vs Light
31:22 - 8. A Few More Examples
34:41 - 9. The Most Powerful Evil Character
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#writing #screenwriting #screenwriting101

[@djm754]

The simplest description of an anti-hero is this: A Bad guy who is up against worse bad guys.

[@UnlimitedGreenWorks]

Welcome back shakespeare, we miss you

[@djm754]

Siru_325 Ah, yes. Parting was such sweet sorrow.

[@thisguy9536]

Then there is bat man

[@djm754]

@@thisguy9536 I don’t think Batman is generally considered an anti-hero, some creators have pushed him into that direction, but he’s overall good guy, working for good goals.

[@poweroffriendship2.0]

Nah! I think anti-hero is a definition of a hero who had to overcome his flaws.

[@eatme982]

This video in a nutshell "Ogres are like onions."

[@Phanto5692]

They're smelly?

[@goldeneddie]

@@Phanto5692 Yep - and they make you cry!

[@anthonythegreat72]

Ahhh...they have layers!

[@thisguy9536]

Lol

[@CH-tv1cy]

Or maybe like cake

[@butter_nut1817]

Am i supposed to take writing advice from the writer of sharknado...? Yes please.

[@liampezzano]

I wish I had even an ounce of the command of irony that he must have.

[@milesgarrison6583]

6 movies in 6 years? Yup. Lol

[@SolarTwinLunarKing]

Learn from everyone you can.

[@thedudelives]

That’s like saying should I take business advice from the Kardashians? Only if you want to make hundreds of millions of dollars in business.

[@hereswhathappenedanimation455]

And what have you written?

[@amandaschoolcraft5274]

I'm an aspiring writer and I watched this out of curiosity. You litterally just handed me the last puzzel piece needed to finish my story. Thank you!

[@filmcourage]

We love to hear feedback like that! Our best to you as you finish your story.

[@StevenOsburnHollywood]

You can do it!

[@edenbell3512]

literally same

[@roger8654]

Dont be an aspiring screenwriter. Be one!

[@helenarosno]

Same, I had to pause the video and write a key scene to finish the main antagonist’s development

[@UCUCUC27]

"an anti hero is someone who was a hero but then becomes a villian" err no a anti hero is just a protagonist who lacks traditional heroic traits

[@negavenom]

Like John McClane, before die hard 5

[@ipotatosenpai7002]

Yea

[@timothyw98]

Randel Mcmurphy from One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest

[@unknowngaming1432]

Technically heros are the villains to villains. But I see what you mean.

[@victorialadybug1]

Both can make an anti-hero.

[@QazwerDave]

Character's attorney. that's brilliant !

[@geraldfrost4710]

not the judge, not the not the jury...

[@Lazarusrizing]

Yes. I thought so too.

[@jblue1622]

Great Villain: interesting character/personality, design, mannerisms, choices, power and ideas that "tortures" or challenges the good characters in the story in a few different ways, that makes us think even a little bit about villains as an archetype, there's no simple thing here, there are lots of great examples but clear way beforehand why these examples worked so well and became so iconic other than a lot of work went into them and they were given a chance

[@kirkyturki1546]

Very good advice, I bet you've written some good villains

[@meg-k-waldren]

And I love this topic of villainy. Best antagonist I love are the ones where technically their motives and actions might even be justified. The polarizing villain, that some would hate but others could easily side with.

[@AnyDayNow360]

Markus relaying about being the character's attorney and pleading their case to the audience will certainly stay with me. I appreciate the entire collection but wow!

[@N2CatCrew]

Good job on compiling the interviews

[@filmcourage]

Thanks for watching!

[@kelinleeheller]

@@filmcourage I wish though that the sources for these interviews were cited. I'd like to go deeper with some of them

[@filmcourage]

@@kelinleeheller Hi Kelin, here's a playlist that contains many of these videos and some new ones - bit.ly/3sUxQLJ

[@kelinleeheller]

@@filmcourage thank you! Love the channel ❤️

[@Kit5une131313]

26:30 "Harvey Dent is a guy who starts out good...and he becomes evil." Half-evil, actually. :)

[@doibantikov2486]

"Never been a decent portrayal of Hitler" False, Downfall portrayed Hitler amazingly. He was a real human being in that film. Didn't believe it at the time, but by the end I actually felt sorry for the guy.

[@BarBar_Binks]

Yea that Fegelein keeps trolling him

[@jesperburns]

Oh lol, we're not even German but it's just shown as Der Untergang (The Downfall) over here.

[@sarahmoreirautzig5525]

Yeah, Downfall shows Hitler as just a guy who lost everything. Amazing movie.

[@tiredtypes1260]

It is an amazing masterpiece that takes a concrete preconception of a man and shatters it completely. I do not support Hitler’s actions but I do support the art.

[@thereseember2800]

Hitler had heard about “superior beings” (called Aryas), but he thought that they were a race, rather than a spiritual level that a human being could spiritually attain. His deep ignorance regarding attempts to create an “Aryan race” led to catastrophic suffering and abject evil, as well as his own horrific downfall. An Arya has spiritually perceived the direct perception of emptiness and, because of this, can access laws that appear supernatural to humans. An Arya is no longer considered a human at this point and regarded as a ‘superior being’. As they further purify obscurations, they become an Arhat. Later, an Enlightened Being.

[@roflcopter9423]

Why doesn't anyone ever mention Salieri from Amadeus? One of the best transformations into a villain I've seen. He even comes full circle to regret his actions!

[@DarkTider]

It's an awkward subject, since the movie and the play the movie is based on drags a historical person through the mud by spreading lies about a real life person who quite admired Mozart in reality, and publicly praised him, even if Mozart was nowhere close to as popular as Salieri.

[@jdovma1]

I don't disagree with the idea that villains can believe what they are doing is right, I just believe that is one avenue to creating a captivating villain. Johnny Ringo is a great example of how internal conflict can create a blanket hatred that requires no motivation for the villains actions other than lashing out. The Joker is an even greater example of how a nihilistic philosophy can produce funhouse mirror-like motivations that turn the protagonist's world view on their head. And Hannibal Lector is another great example, where the villain is an enigma; his motivations are a product of his own dark moral code. I think we've veered too far into needing our villains to believe they are right. We need more Vice Character in our world. Because "some men just want to watch the world burn." And others are looking for a "revenge... for being born."

[@bangoskank493]

jdovma1 Michael Biehn as Ringo is one of the best villains ever put on screen. And Val Kilmer as Doc Holliday is one of the best anti-heroes. Love their scenes together. "It seems Mr. Ringo is an educated man. Now I really hate him."

[@c.morganfree1970]

I think what they're trying to get at is "you shouldn't write a villain as if he knew he was the bad guy of the story" Every character should have a motivation but it doesn't have to be too obvious. They don't have to believe they're doing right but they at least have to think they shouldn't be dead because of their actions. Remember your villains are also human...unless they're not lol In the end your question should boil down to "Why are they doing what they are doing?"

[@c.morganfree1970]

I forgot to mention but you should definitely watch a video talking about why joker is such a good villain. He actually does believe he's doing right and that everyone's like him if they're pushed to it. That's why he goes after Batman and why he makes Two Face. To prove that even the best of men can become "evil". He has a clear motivation: The heart of Gothem. That's the main reason I find humour in the saying "some men just want to watch the world burn" when referring to Joker. He doesn't just want that but wants to prove something. Joker is quite the complex character that most people don't give credits for.

[@rashmika9742]

I also love the character of Light Yagami from Death Note, who could fulfil the villain role excellently (even though he's not technically a villain in the series.) Light believes the world is morally bankrupt, but that nobody is willing to take on the god-like power that he has. He knows it'll turn him insane, but he thinks that taking on the power makes him superior to others. His morality is so twisted, because crime really does decrease in Japan. Ryuk is also a great character because he creates such chaos and destruction. The only reason for him doing so though is that he was bored. I think when writing a villain, we also need to consider psychopaths, sociopaths and people who may not have a need to justify things to themselves (or if they do, the justification isn't rational.)

[@chronorust3359]

Negan from The Walking Dead is a good example as well. From the comics especially.

[@bangoskank493]

Peter Russel: "The hero is an anti-hero, it's Harvey Dent. ... a guy who starts out good, and becomes evil." Uhhh, that's not what an anti-hero is. At no point in the movie is Dent an anti-hero. He's a good guy, then a bad guy.

[@ETBrooD]

You're right, when Harvey became Two-Face he didn't have a good cause anymore, so he can't be an anti-hero. Anti-heroes are machiavellian, doing bad things for a good cause.

[@jacobstaten2366]

Bango Skank he's a vigilante like Batman, only he's killing people. The only time he does anything bad is to try and kill Gordon's family. From there, he would have gone back to people who deserved it.

[@prater6513]

Bango Skank, You missed it.

[@TheRezro]

@Very Serious You are incorrect. Anti-hero is defined as "hero who lack heroic attributes". It usually referee to few cases: - Coincidental heroes who just happen are on good side even if they are monsters, like CIA agents. - Survivors who main goal is to service and in some cases it mean helping, like Mad Max. - Or ex-villain who switch side for some reason, but they still wouldn't mean to harm, like Black Siren. What people call Machiavellian hero is separate category overlapping with anti-villain (it is a villain who is good) and generally classification here depend on circumstances as it is true gray zone.

[@TheRezro]

@Persona Quanta Punisher is a anti-villain. It is what make him a good character in opposition to shitty 90's "anti-heroes" (usually not deserving the name). He simply kill more evil ones then himself, but he never would call himself a good person or especially not a hero. Speaking as side note not understanding that fact lead to bad depictions of Batman. Outside Golden Age Batman what was a proto-Punisher and used guns, Batman is primarily a detective. Gordon understand that he conceal his identity for safety reasons, but he can trust him because Batman in fact has licence and obey law. It is main reason why he doesn't kill as law enforcer. But it also doesn't mean that he is stupid of would not put down criminal if needed like a police, but in opposition to police he is way better trained and equipped so he usually doesn't need to. Not understanding that fact lead to two extremes, either Batman is insane because he refuse kill criminals even if that would save someone life (Killing Joke.. what is good but dated), or he is insane because he kill everyone just without use of the gun (BvS).

[@Timberwolf410]

*smiles the moment Pamela brings up Regina from OUAT* Regina's character arc and story are amazing: She starts off the cliche villain ("I will destroy your happiness, if it's the last thing I do), and the viewer (just like her father) might think that's she's going too far and should turn back. The question now becomes, "What could Snow White have done that was so terrible?" since at the beginning most viewers would know the Grimm Brothers' version or the Disney version of the story where Snow White was simply considered prettier and fairer than her, and you're like, "Okay, but this hatred is like, turned up to 11, and seems to go FAR past just something so superficial. What gives?" And then the backstory kicks in and you go, "OH, oh okay. That's UNDERSTANDABLE and that really, really stinks and yes, she is right to be so angry, especially when you pair that up the over controlling mother and self-esteem issues, and the fact that she was SO CLOSE to the freedom and love that she craved so desperately." Then it's like a gear shift- "Snow White DID ruin EVERYTHING!" But the beautiful thing about Regina is that throughout the show, she changes. She doesn't still the static villain and actually learns from her challenges and mistakes and opts to change for the better, ultimately becoming the hero of her own story, putting a spin on that saying, "Every villain is the hero of their own story." (:

[@michaelr3583]

This seems more like a synopsis of how to write evil characters we root for more than a true explanation of how to write a well rounded villain

[@devonhayes2209]

I said to myself "I'm just gonna watch a little bit." *watches full video as well as 2 more*

[@wellnative1]

Devon Hayes I listen to it over and over again as I work around the house! 😊👍🏼

[@danielbridges8508]

The best villains I've ever seen on screen have been the ones who are charming, in that they are able to make the audience want them on screen longer. Heath Ledger's Joker, Christoph Waltz in Inglorious Basterds, Negan from Walking Dead...every time they're not on screen, you WANT them on screen. Even though you don't want them to win the battle, you wanna see them again because they are so fun to watch on screen.

[@shadowwhogames6063]

Calvin Candie and Anton Chigurh also come to mind. Wildly different but utterly captivating villains

[@rosolenn]

The Brazilian movie 'City of God' develops some evil characters really well.

[@danholmesfilm]

Water White says "I am awake." 11:24

[@alexman378]

I was thinking the same.

[@frostyfingers9282]

Love the crux of his point hinges around that quote, and he gets it wrong. 🤦‍♂️

[@MacSmithVideo]

They are all giving the same advice, but ignoring the fact that there are plenty of great, one-dimensional, evil-for-evil's-sake villains.

[@filmcourage]

Hi Mac, who are some of the villains you are thinking about? Any examples you can share?

[@MacSmithVideo]

King Joffrey is the first to come to mind. Hans Gruber is one of my favorites. Vader is basically a monster for the first two Star Wars movies. Various villains from Disney movies like Scar (maybe he has some relatable backstory, but he's mostly just a bad guy.) And even though they aren't particularly well written, everyone knows slasher monsters like Freddy Krueger. These guys will make any "greatest villains" list.

[@MacSmithVideo]

Also, villain backstories can often be disappointing and damage the character.

[@TheMogul23]

Joffrey is more complex than simply being evil. Sure he is a horrifying monster but we are given clues as to how he got that way. We can see that his mother has spoilt him into believing that he is the centre of the universe and must be obeyed and that his 'father' has instilled a sense that 'might makes right' and that violence can solve problems. He is weak and frightened and desperate to live up to the role they have created for him. His cruelty stems from his desire to be seen as powerful and his fear that he will never be taken seriously. Deep down he knows he will never be loved so seeks to be feared instead so as not to acknowledge his own weakness and failings. Hans Gruber is simply very good at his job. Sure, he has a casual disregard for human life but he takes no pleasure in evil. It's simply a means to an end. If his crew were less murderous you could easily flip Die Hard and make it an Oceans 11 type heist movie his Hans as the antihero protagonist.

[@malcolmstumpf6482]

A)The Xenomorph in Alien. It's not even 'oh, it's just a hungry animal', it never eats its prey. It spends its short life killing for no reason. It's also very phallic and penetrative, but the sexual symbolism is too much to get into in a comment but if it had a deeper backstory, it couldn't function as a symbol like that. B)Noah Cross. Chinatown is looked at as a screenplay masterpiece, and the villain is absolutely despicable. He definitely doesn't think molesting his daughters is 'right', he just thinks having money completely separates him from morality. There are plenty of other villains that similarly just don't believe it matters that they are bad. This IS different from thinking you are good. C)Micheal Myers from Halloween. The reboot that attempted to give him a sympathetic backstory is generally regarded as terrible, and that's because Micheal is senseless, random violence personified. He's something you survive, not understand. This is a lot like the Xenomorph but i wanted to mention him because there's a lot of other villains that are more symbols than characters, and in the right story that's ok. Because those stories are entirely about how the protagonists handle their situation. D)The rapist-murderer bad guy in I Saw The Devil. For the main character to have such a transformation, he needed to be up against someone truly awful. He also acts like a normal person at points, unlike the other characters i mentioned. He clearly feels fear and other emotions, but he has no clear internal justification for his crimes.

[@stevenbosch429]

William Faulkner also wrote detective stories. In one of them, which won a prize from a mystery magazine, had a detective, Uncle Gavin. captures a murderer because he discovered the killer's weakness: his arrogance. After the denouement the Sheriff talks to Uncle Gavin and asks him, "you claim to be a book man. What book says, 'Man fear thyself, thy arrogance? Isn't that what that charm on your watch chain says??" "They all do," Uncle Gavin replies, "the good ones, I mean.".

[@kitkatcoz]

I'm getting into this very late in life and feel I need to cram as much valuable information as I can in as much time as I have. In this video, Marcus Redmond gave me one of the best pieces of information I've gotten to date. What a gift. Thank you all for your generosity in sharing your talents and insights.

[@filmcourage]

Hi Kathleen, welcome to the channel. It's never too late. Sending you our best.

[@thisguy9536]

What was the advice ?

[@reepacheirpfirewalker8629]

One of the problems with a "evil" character is not exposing them for who and what they are. I have seen so many shows and so many times they showed their hand by certain looks either from the person in question or the lingering way they seemed to eye up their prey. One of the things that make me cringe is when someone playing a charlatan hearing the actor saying this bad guy thinks he's a good guy. He has levels on him. I think for myself the one I liked written that way that Lex Luthor was written for Smallville. He had moments when he was someone acting on behalf of someone else without seeming any type of guile. But other ones where he showed his colours. I loved how Clark and he were friends they seemed to be good friends. I had a forth grade teacher was rotten to the core. And she took every instance to make fun of and belittle me at every day and every hour that she could. If anyone I ever knew as a evil wicked person was ever to have been known wasn't as bad as her. If her character was written based on what she did to me I am sure people would have to assume that it was a complete fabrication. But I know if people who were in that class were to see it they would agree that what was on it wasn't a fabrication.

[@reepacheirpfirewalker8629]

It's funny, remembering my ex-teacher and how she reacted to me, I remember a good friend of mine from the 3rd grade asking me what I did that pissed her off so much. I shrugged and said that she hated me from the first minute that I walked into the class. I was actually 2 or 3 days late for school because my dad brought us to Texas then drove over to California to go to Disneyland. Maybe she thought we were welfare cases or something going over there. My dad had been blessed with some money to visit family members and my sister had to have an operation in Texas. I know she kept implying that my dad was a drunk which was why I didn't have money for the school lunches among other things.

[@keysersoze5032]

Lex Luther is a character that believed that they were doing the right thing by going after Superman. Superman was dangerous to the world and Luther thought he needed to be stopped.

[@Chaogardenx]

What about characters that know they are bad characters, like the Joker?

[@alexman378]

The Joker is different in that, he knows he's bad, but he thinks that life doesn't matter. In his comic portrayals we see him sometimes addressing the reader, meaning he knows he's a character, that's why he does all these things, because they're meaningless, nothing really changes. And he finds it funny how Batman and everyone else takes things so seriously. In the Dark Knight, he says that everyone is inherently evil, and the only thing that stops them is society's rules. Rules that it doesn't take a lot to break, and even Batman does it to win in the end. So if everyone in reality is just an actor, that means that he is the true representative of humanity's true face, or at least it's what he thinks. Meaning that he can't be "evil" if he's just acting the way he views humanity to really be. And if everyone is an actor, he laughs because everyone is so stupid to not realize that they go through their lives obeying a system that denies their true nature, which is why he keeps acting out, to make them see what the world truly is like. Like when he says that if the lawyer doesn't die, he's going to blow up a hospital, and when pushed, an average citizen and a cop try to kill the lawyer. He fancies himself more of a force of nature, or a metaphor than a man. That's why he's a good foil to Batman, partly because he did the same thing Batman did. He devoted himself to an ideal, he was unstoppable, incorruptible in his beliefs (he can't compromise when bullied or offered money, which is where most criminals respond to) and became something more than a man. For example, when he was being pumelled by Batman, he defeats him by turning his strength against him. Usually Batman easily intimidated people for answers, but the Joker is not scared and he actually laughs when beaten. Batman loses by that point because out of context in the interrogation room, you see this tall, buff, imposing, scary figure beating up a guy who's probably mentally unhealthy, not defending himself at all, didn't actually initiate a physical contact, wasn't violent at all and was just explaining the way he views life and society. Who's the bad guy in that imagery if you know nothing else about either of them or what lead up to this?

[@ryanbarker5217]

i think it's important to distinguish the difference between a character's perception of themselves as opposed to how the audience perceives the character. sure, it's interesting that the character doesn't see himself as the bad guy, though that has nothing to do with the fact that he's the villain.

[@ryanbarker5217]

i would say the plot point was achieved wherein the nadir for the protagonist was reached.

[@jblue1622]

Oscar Rubio see Movies with Mikey The Dark Knight that will complicate your view on The Joker

[@Chaogardenx]

Thankyou!!!!! never heard of that channel @jblue1622

[@bradl.602]

They completely ignored force-of-nature villians. They don't need relatable cause to be well written. The Joker is a villain without good cause and is well loved by fans.

[@robertjohn8711]

Brad Lee The joker is trying to prove the world is just as if not more insane than he is.

[@ghostofdeath7388]

@@robertjohn8711 weak argument the kills for fun

[@keysersoze5032]

Depends. There are depictions of the joker which gives his backstory and allows us to see why he turned into a villain. And then there’s the force of nature Nolan joker who was still given slight characterization so you know what type of person he truly is.

[@meg-k-waldren]

Thanks for the uploads. Dimensionality in characters means alot to story, and I use your videos as contant reminders because it's easy to forget when in the groove writing a script.

[@Kpictures_NYC]

I love the complexities of character. Often it’s simple but not easy to do.

[@Raycheetah]

Londo Mollari and G'kar in the series Babylon Five are a great example of two characters whose "villain" arcs cross as the story progresses. Londo starts as a likeable buffoon serving his empire as it fades in power, and G'kar as a militaristic fanatic who hates Londo's people for their enslavement of his race. Eventually, their paths meet and then diverge, moving on in opposite directions, Londo becoming the villain and G'kar the noble philosopher. Great show! =^[.]^=

[@missaliciaful]

Absolutely brilliant and inspiring. Awakened many ideas for other stories I am working on. Thank you so much.😊

[@ketimporta7799]

Awesome video, guys, good job, so many new resources that are invaluable. Well done!

[@behnzo1988]

Loved this one. Very helpful

[@brunaskrzypekbadalotti9349]

I don't know how I took so long to get to know this channel, the videos are amazing! So many insights and knowledge from great people and instructors. Definitely is helping me a lot with my stories.

[@ryanbarker5217]

yeah, just be careful on what advice to take. some of these kinds of videos feature outright charlatans doling out the worst 'advice' you can imagine. even the better ones can be full of questionable 'wisdom.'

[@connorforce01]

That first woman has some sort of vibration in her mic that makes her sound like a Turian from Mass Effect.

[@patch2932]

4:31 "this thing happened to me fifteen years ago and now I'm exacting my revenge..." That is *so obviously* a reference to Sweeney Todd!!

[@SM6Band]

This was really good advice! Thank You so much!

[@a.sam.2976]

Denzel in "Training Day"... "King Kong aint got shit on me"!

[@kainejoyes2981]

Really great - thank you for sharing this xx

[@thedefenestrator2994]

This is really incredible information. I have many characters who walk the line, or are the villains who are the hero in their eyes, and the eyes of their people. This has given me what I've been looking for to make them real.

[@karaeidsvik7306]

Thanks for these great talks. I learn more here than I did getting my writing degree.

[@lionkingmatiouz3441]

Very informative Thank you Film Courage ;)

[@TheKeithvidz]

i've written and planned a number of future villains, varies opinions here is fuel to any good writer

[@einsteindarwin8756]

Great vision. It summarizes everything in my life. I’m ready to write it and stop loving this life.

[@stephen1Oace]

invaluable piece!

[@adriansherlockdamondark.1094]

This is why Goldfinger is the best Bond movie. Goldfinger has a real passion and obsession for gold, it distracts his mind, he has ambition that is admirable and a great sense of humor. Lines like "in every field of human endeavor, Man has succeeded... except one: crime!" That makes him exceptional. His line to Bond "No, Mr Bond, I expect you to die", laughing as he says it, is one of the best ever. He is outrageous, inspired and funny... and completely believable.

[@ksi8276]

This was incredible

[@fatimazouak7609]

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you very much for this Video!!! I am right now making a concept for my Novel and I am really greatful for this, because I knew I didn't want my villian to be a flat character, but also didn't knew how to create an interesting Antagonist. While watching this I really found my villian and it helped me a Lot, so again a huge Thank you!!!

[@filmcourage]

Awesome Fatima! We love to receive comments like this. Thank you for that. And our best to you as you move forward with your novel.

[@Shiyounin]

Dude never stops moving his hand while he talks and that bug landed in his hair anyway. THAT is conflict.

[@dennyduane]

This is AWESOME!!

[@filmcourage]

Thanks Duane. Keep an eye on tomorrow night's video. (5pm PST) It's a segment from Eric Edson's character lecture where he talks in depth about the adversary.

[@danielfake8269]

That’s why Thanos in Infinity War is such a good character. He has good motives, he wants to save people. The villain side of his character is his belief that the only way to save people is to wipe out 50% of the universe and that he believes that some people must be sacrificed in order to save others.

[@axeltrujillo5693]

We both looked into the abyss, the only difference is that you blinked

[@geraldfrost4710]

"When you look into the abyss it's not supposed to wave back!" T Pratchett.

[@chrism6764]

Trying to make a bad character likeable is exactly the problem I'm wrestling with now. This video is exactly what I needed.

[@HerrMatom]

Hell, you just gave me an idea for one of my Villains! Thank you very much!

[@TomorrowWeLive]

20:05 I've noticed the same thing! I just don't find villains convincing or compelling in a realistic narrative. Most of my characters don't fall squarely on one side of the hero/villain divide.

[@user-pk1ss6cm9d]

wow. markus gave some really great advice. and its so true

[@jeremybrake6718]

great video

[@filmcourage]

Thanks Jeremy

[@DTipps]

All very interesting ideas to consider when writing. But I was taken aback slightly when I realised I was listening to advice from the guy who wrote Sharknado.

[@miguelpazos2334]

Priceless. . .

[@geraldfrost4710]

story I'm writing: Scene one, the main character shows how he as a vampire takes his meals. Scene two, the main character goes home and waters house plants that will never see daylight. And he's a romance writer. Scene three, things start getting weird... Villains? Bring 'em!

[@LaneCarter]

11:24 I believe the line is "I am awake."

[@williamjones7718]

Point 2: Plead the case... That is powerful.

[@kieranarmstrongproductions4743]

People seem to say “every villain is the hero of their own story” a lot. I think a better way to think of it is “every villain thinks the story is about them”, simply because they see their moral compromises as something that the invisible audience can sympathize with. Hank Schraeder from Breaking Bad is a good example

[@SaraX2024]

The Dark Magician example is the typical relationship between a narcissist and an empath. Perfect!

[@ArabKatib]

Thank you.

[@richhenry7540]

Great point on the Hitler character thing. He isnt saying Hitler wasnt bad or evil. His opinion is if youre going to play the character thats how you should approach it. But if this interview became mainstream people would accuse him of defending Hitler.

[@jimmybopped1154]

One little critic about this video is they use the phrase “feel sorry for” and “sympathize” and I don’t think that’s how you can build a truly relatable or enduring character. Instead, a character should be made of someone to “feel bad with” or “empathize” with. What makes this different is you are relating your personal struggles to someone which allows the audience to become more closely attached to them instead of rooting for a character because you as an individual or an audience “feel bad for” a character.

[@MaxwellsWitch]

Umm pure evil characters can be done, but they are hard to make because pure evil people are rare. So not many people really understand what a pure evil person, let alone a character, looks like. Like 99.9% of the time, people have their own rationales and reasons for doing evil things. Most people either want to make their lives, or the world, better to some degree. What about a person that doesn't want to make the world a better place? A person that wants to make it much, much worse. I mean the person that does it out of pleasure and not revenge. Someone who does evil solely to desecrate what is good. These characters are usually defined by their actions more so than their backgrounds. Yeah, you guessed it, I'm referring to the Joker from Nolan's The Dark Knight. Also I would argue Walter White from Breaking Bad is a pure evil character. He discovered a part of himself he didn't think actually existed. When he discovered that part, he fell in love with it.

[@darienwhite6223]

Shader Kitty comment favorited by the creator No replies and 3 likes

[@garlandthompson5970]

I've actually always been intruiged by this, but in a non metaphoric sense. Clearly, we have true villanous people in this world such as murders, and humans who commit violence upon others because it genuinely fills a rotted piece of themselves with pleasure in ways that suit their psychosis. We have them everywhere and yet I've never seen anyone take this concept and apply it to film (or novels) in a way that isn't grandized in the way that Joker and Batman are epitomes of Order/Chaos fighting for the soul (or underground rule) of Gotham as a representative of a humans duality and morals. Is it the medium that needs to have a Thematically logical portraylle of the evildoers? Or is it because that amount of realism would instill sense of discomfort to the audience since it's a commonplace danger?

[@faarsight]

I think that the issue is that such people either actually do kind of have sympathetic backstories as to why they are doing what they are doing or they have some kind of mental issue which can be hard to write about. If they have some kind of sympathetic backstory it could be something like they feel betrayed by the world and society at large for some reason and therefore decided that they 'just want to see the world burn'. If they have a mental issue that comes with the problem of trying to accurately portray such complex mental issues and even psychopaths (for example) are complex human beings with motivations for doing what they are doing. Even if those motivations can be twisted. If someone is psychotic or otherwise suffering some similar mental problem (like maybe a tumour in the wrong place in the brain) then just by virtue of this it kind of makes us sympathise with them. And even most psychopaths don't go around murdering people all day. Most realise that it is in their best interest to play by societies rules. They can be incredibly destructive to people they encounter but they can also be seen as incredibly charming and nice when they want to (at least some of them). Long story short no one is really just purely evil. People are complex and if you just distil a character down to one single motivation and defining character trait you will write an uninteresting stereotype. And since most people don't have direct experiences of encountering people like this (at least not knowingly) it usually requires a lot of research to get it right when trying to write about "purely evil" characters because you can't just rely on your own experiences.

[@timothyw98]

The drill seargent in Full Metal Jacket is just pure stark raving mad and plain nasty when there isn't much need for him to be so crazy. Or even the Fletch the music teacher in Whiplash didn't have much of a good reason he was just wall to wall horrible.

[@gnarthdarkanen7464]

@@timothyw98 Full Metal Jacket was actually a pretty accurate portrayal of a drill instructor. These guys have two goals... First, to weed out whoever enlisted but doesn't have the mental metal to hack the job... This is a part they don't normally tell you about, but it's a very real aspect, to push every mental button and all the physical pressures as hard as possible until you're broken down... Second, for those that survive boot', they have to have built up their bodies and mental training enough to handle marching straight into Hell itself... There's every reason at any time, the fresh recruits will leave his instruction and land in the middle of the worst zone of war on the planet. In point of fact, R, Lee Emery (who played that drill sergeant) was hired for having been a drill sergeant for something like EIGHT YEARS in real life... They really do shout and swear at you like that, use those kinds of insults (he may have trimmed the more corn-ball and flat out disgusting for presentation to the camera)... ;o)

[@DaftRebel]

29:49 this guy talking to camera always encourage me to write!

[@jwhaler82]

"Villains think they're doing the right thing." Yeah, I agree with that.

[@MegaAlcoholics]

Has Peter Russell watched The Dark Knight all the way through? Harvey Dent isn't an anti-hero he's the supporting protagonist who descends morally to the supporting antagonist to illustrate the fallout from the Batman/Joker conflict. Magneto is an anti-hero, Clint Eastwood's man with no name is an anti-hero, Tony Montana is an anti-hero while Wolverine who's often called an anti-hero is a reluctant hero.

[@jeanleon3537]

The Difference between good and evil is just the point of view.

[@Loki-ir5py]

Some great advice but peter russle's was my favorite im trying to understand my villain and why she became evil i under stand more now about good and evil darkness and light than i did before an this will really help me when im finally writing my first novel

[@filmcourage]

That's awesome, congrats Loki! We are proud of you.

[@carynschmidt5061]

Pamela Jaye Smith lost me when she started talking about chakras. She shouldn't just assume everyone knows what she's on about.

[@globalx-wing7286]

To be fair, these are just clips of interviews, there are lot more of those conversations that weren't shown in this particular video.

[@CelestialDraconis]

I'm writing a short novel and regarding your take on creating empathy for the antagonist, should I actually include that element? Is empathy a good way to make the antagonist more interesting and 3 dimensional? Because there's situations where you want the readers to absolutely loathe the villain and want him to die a brutal death at the end. If you take the empathy route, you lose the satisfaction of killing the villain, and instead be replaced with a bittersweetness and pity for the villain. Which route do you guys think packs a bigger punch?

[@ThrottleKitty]

If you've ever read The Walking Dead comics, Negan a HUGELY popular character is a perfect example of this. For a large part of his arch, everyone wanted to see him killed. But, it never happened, instead he was "defeated' and convinced to joined the Protagonists. All because of how relatable he is.

[@ninjaturtlefan2003]

It really depends on what you want. It sounds like your villain will die in the end so if you want the moment to feel triumphant, maybe you shouldn't try to empathize him. The best option for that would be have the villain be understandable and maybe even compelling. The hero's journey might also be paralleling the villain's. What if they both have similar motivations so it seems like the hero might take the same route as the villain. That way when the hero kills the villain, then we know he has conquered his evil impulse(s). Sometimes a villain can be compelling in how determined he is in getting his goal. We know they don't have the same morals as the heroes so its interesting to see how far they will go to accomplish their goals.

[@gnarthdarkanen7464]

For what it's worth (and I know I'm late to the party)... The short answer to your question is a general-form "yes"... Empathy is a good way to make ANY character more approachable, more tangibly interesting, and more 3-dimensional. It's also NOT the ONLY way... For your personal situation (short novel, and it looks like the villain dies horribly) I would suggest getting into the villain's personal character arc as early as you can. Somewhere in his introductory narrative is where you should probably fill in that "empathy part" of any backstory for this guy. (not trying for insensitivity here, just short for comments-reasons) Make his "fall from grace" arc as approachable as you can, the point being that literally any of us (audience/readers) COULD fall into the same "trap" or end up taking that same bad road. It might ALL even hinge on one lousy choice one lousy night when he clearly wasn't in a good frame of mind to make the decision... AND somehow, that one choice tainted his character just slightly or added a callous where he'd been so sensitive up until then. Afterward, it's just been one step after another until he's literally unrecognizable from his original, happy, warm, fuzzy, congenial, even (dare we say?) loving individual self of the past... From that arc, you flesh out the "how did he turn into a dastardly son of a bitch?" and can re-introduce this character as the miserable, vicious, cold blooded and constantly hate-spewing, rage focused horror that he presents to the protagonist(s)... Filling it out is a lot of work, and then condensing it to fit into your novel will take up space. It certainly makes for a more "believable" villain. But before you dedicate a whole lot of effort (and potential re-write) to it, you might sketch out some outline points on the matter and take a close look at what you will add to the story over-all... Sure, a story inside a story (even complete with a moral) can be more than a cheap "Inception" reference. It's a note to the wary, not to make rash decisions in the worst times of your life. It's a cautionary point "there but for the grace of God..." kind of stuff, and can hold a certain internal impact for the audience/readers. And that extra work can really pay off, in the case that someone recognizes just how many hurdles it took to compose so much more breadth and depth to the characters when you might not have to for a good story, separating yours into the category of Great Stories... BUT... The shear mass of content can be trouble. You can't usually get by spewing a whole different plotline in the middle of a book. It might work for campaigns in D&D (my forte) but novels (and novellas specifically) tend to be a little more pointedly on subject, and readers can be more distractable than Players at a table full of dice...(we tend to deal with chatter at the same time as the game with little or no problem...lolz) So any introductory backstory for the villain either has to be REALLY condensed into a "short short ULTRA short version" or REALLY well crafted and unique in its presentation. A good stand-by for villainy-exposition is the use of various other characters who "know something" about the villain whether or not it's useful to the hero (for the audience's sake). In any case, for the short and sweet of it, a good solid study in psychopathy or actual records and documentation around mental disease could be an easier way to go. I hear Compulsion is fairly popular these days... AND I hope (in case you made it this far) you don't take offense to a GREAT WALL OF TEXT... or that you at least found it interesting. :o)

[@greenspringvalley]

These interviews cover a wide spectrum from insightful artists to formula focused pulp writers to flakes. Some of the writers are wise and others are blowing hot air.

[@joeydeluca6771]

Anyone who has seen Legend of Korra: they have very compelling villains like Zaheer and Kuvira because these people are justified to themselves. They have what seems to be a sound rationale when they are explaining their plan, showing that they truly believe their actions are for the greater good

[@sqrvision]

I definitely agree. That series explored better villains than comparable like Marvel. I personally believe Amon and Zaheer are better examples of that!

[@filmtorres]

That guy Osmond (1:46) needs to see 'Downfall'.

[@dieharddemon8745]

That Peter Russell guy is so obnoxious. Maybe it's bc I'm listening on headphones but when someone starts off on a whisper, then SHOUTS, then whispers again it's hard on the ears and it's irritating.

[@jesperburns]

As if he's talking to small children.

[@temudgin62]

Yes! I literally was just about to comment on that. "Why are you whispering!? You're not an actor, this isn't a play. This is a lecture/interview!" I'd be annoyed if he was my professor, doing this in class. He thinks he's up for an Emmy or something here.

[@roosterandguppy2373]

What is amazing to me is that you and others who upvoted your comment are annoyed by how Russel is giving you information...., Why the F*CK do you care HOW he is telling you this information for free? Did you already know the shit he is talking about and his voice somehow offends your delicate sensibilities? Are you dumb or are you the type that likes to take a shit on a bouquet of roses because you are allergic to the pollen??

[@movienight1826]

He is the reason why I stopped watching this 27 minutes in and gave it a thumbs down. His ham-fisted attempt at some sort of showmanship is patronizing, not to mention annoying AF.

[@temudgin62]

@@roosterandguppy2373 because it's irritating when the volume goes from one extreme to the other. I have to constantly change the volume. Maybe my laptop sucks but I don't have that issue with other speakers. HOW you deliver information is actually important. When it comes to effective communication, it is arguably more important than the content itself. I'm not surprised you don't understand that though considering the way you communicate (curse words, name calling, etc.)

[@TheEmoSpider]

11:25 I'm pretty sure Walt actually said like "I am awake"

[@tibbar1000]

Markus Redmond was awsome here!

[@johnlaycock9974]

Shylock from the merchant of Venice is my favorite example of a villian. You feel so much simpathy for him.

[@Urdarbrunn]

Yeah, this is a necrothread, but I have a hard time even thinking of Shylock as a villain. From Act 3: "If you poison us, do we not die? And if you wrong us, shall we not revenge? If we are like you in the rest, we will resemble you in that. If a Jew wrong a Christian, what is his humility? Revenge. If a Christian wrong a Jew, what should his sufferance be by Christian example? Why, revenge. The villainy you teach me, I will execute, and it shall go hard but I will better the instruction." It was established earlier than he had not only been ridiculed by Antonio, but also physically assaulted and spat on. As a Jew, he doesn't have the same legal protections but does have a contract, one that Antonio (with the terms laid out, a pound of flesh closest to his heart) did not have to sign. Shylock may or may not have been justified in pursuing the contract after the shipment was lost, but it was an attempt to claim some semblance of power in a community where he had very little.

[@maxwellington9425]

1:44 dude sounds like Ledger's Joker. I can't unhear it now.

[@cameronmcgee2527]

God damnit, I’ve had enough of avoiding The Godfather. I’m watching Part 1 and Part 2 as soon as possible so that I can watch this god damn video!!!

[@lilacDaisy111]

Tarzen, the villain of _Outlaw Country_ is the most fascinating "scary bad guy" I've seen, but I have no idea why he went down the bad path of murder and mob. All we know he's murdered his gym teacher in high school because he was always bad. I'm usually bored by bad guys so much, I have to fight not to skip their scenes, but I'm fascinated by Tarzen's weakness. What he wants most is for his smart, small-time gangster nephew to be his protege and is deeply hurt by his independence.

[@victorialadybug1]

"No villain is all bad." Let's talk about Sauron.

[@thisguy9536]

Voldemort

[@renarddubois940]

I have something for lonely villains that never had the choice.. Asterion (the minotaur), Fenrir, Smaug are my three favorite villains of all time..

[@timothyw98]

While we on the subject of lonely villains, you could argue Daniel Plainview in There will be blood is lonely given how he ends up at the end.

[@StMunro1]

And he’s human not a beast like the other’s

[@matthewsawczyn6592]

8:14 - If you only knew the POWER of the Dark Side!

[@sarahmoreirautzig5525]

I think it's not so much about a villain seem him/herself as 'good', but rather as just. Some great villains of film, videogame, literature, etc. are actually amoral, they simply don't believe at all in a concept of good and evil (i.e. Hannibal Lecter, my favourite 'villain'). Lecter seems to be completely evil to everyone around him, but he doesn't see himself as either good or evil, he just do what he believes to be just.

[@alchemicpunk1509]

2:30 Oliver Masucci in Look Who's back.

[@DaftRebel]

"you either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain"

[@Kserijaro]

>Sharknado >Thinks he can give good tips >FML

[@geraldfrost4710]

I know, right! It's just that, um, he's written more movies than I have...

[@timothyw98]

Walter White had intentions for becoming a meth dealer but it became all about his ego and narcissism in the end and he went full blown villian.

[@Phoenix5365]

They like to talk about "The Dark Knight" a lot. They're really missing the fact that the greatest blows against the organized criminals and government corruption are dealt by the Joker.

[@lillycameron5123]

Sometimes it’s scarier or more menacing to not have a reason and doing things just because you can. When playing RPG games often you character is the “good guy” but you still can lockpick, steal, sleep with whoever and the reasonings is because you can so it’s not far off to think bad guys can do the same.

[@Waqulah]

It amazes me how people who have such amazing insights into human nature can also be completely clueless to real world. But then nothing extraordinary comes from moderate mindsets grounded in reality but zealot obsessions of ideology.

[@afterthesmash]

I came closer to emphasizing with the main characters in _Trainspotting_ than I did with the two bozos in _The Wolf of Wall Street._ I was pretty disappointed that Jonah Hill was rescued from that ham sandwich. Would have been a perfect, fitting end. Scorsese was clever enough to allow that film to play on both levels. If you wanted to identify the DiCaprio character, you could. But there were plenty of pointed clues that you could instead simply choose to view the two main characters as irredeemable, and that was fine, too. I chose the second door.

[@SnakeRoadComicsOfficial3677]

To quote "Every Villian is the hero in their own story"

[@juliansonyacook3687]

They're not addressing psychopaths or narcissists who have a personality disorder. These villains don't have empathy, remorse or care about anything. And they are quite prevalent in our society. EG. American Psycho. That doesn't mean that they are 2D characters they are actually more complex, and their want is power and ability to feel alive, as quite often they don't understand human emotions and find themselves trying to mimic them. Their wounds are simply their genetics, the way they were raised by their parents, or a combination of both. Not sure what the blonde older lady is talking about but I can guarantee she hasn't heard of psychology. Would love to hear tips on how to write this character in as a secondary character.

[@Arrogan28]

Sorry for my ignorance, feel like as an screenwriter myself, wondering who the woman in the orange sweater is. She says quite a big, but can see her at 25:00 mins for example? She has a way of explaining the same concepts with such great lists/examples that just listening to her makes my characters get better...