How to Create HATEABLE Villains (Writing Advice)

Learn how to make villains that audiences will love to hate. Examples from Game of Thrones, Rocky IV, and Titanic.
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[@JimCroz]

I doubt there’s ever going to be a villain more hateable than Joffrey. Such a fantastic performance from the actor.

[@ludovico6890]

The danger of trying to make a villain funny is that he often comes off as annoying rather than menacing as a result.

[@BlackSailPass_GuitarCovers]

Klaus Schwab.

[@Pirelli913]

I just want to point out: Hate the villain - don't hate the actor or actress portraying the villain. You hate the villain because they acted phenomenally in the role. I've heard stories of Lena Headey (Cersei from Game of Thrones) receiving hate at meet 'n' greets because people don't like the character she played. Learn to separate fantasy from reality. Even the woman who played Dolores Umbridge in Harry Potter (Imelda Staunton) I saw her in an interview on The Graham Norton Show and she's quite charming and funny.

[@MrWebweaver]

A few others are Joaquin Phoenix’ character in Gladiator, Edward Longshanks in Braveheart and Ramsey Bolton from later seasons of Game of Thrones.

[@skevoid]

I think that Homelander is an amazing villain, Antony Starr really nails the role.

[@Katerinamor]

Let us not diminish the skill and talent shown by Jack Gleeson in playing Joffrey... What a spectacular performance and what a hateable character. He was fantastic!!

[@pauljacobs435]

I think 'self righteousness' is probably the cornerstone of 'hateability.' Nurse Ratched embodies this IMO, though she does have some complexity. But even 'simplistic' villains such as Joffrey has this to a degree, given that he sees himself as entitled to do anything he wants and that anyone who resists him is in the wrong and need to be punished.

[@archstanton664]

I think a villain never getting their comeuppance is what makes me hate them the most. The real life villains in politics, the justice system or corporations getting away with heinous acts comes to mind.

[@WilliamReginaldLucas]

Great examples! Surprised Delores Umbridge didn’t make the cut on this one, Potterheads hate her more than they hate Voldemort 😂

[@MelanieNLee]

As a hateable villain, Dolores Umbridge of the Harry Potter series immediately comes to mind. I believed that she worked hard and earned her position as Undersecretary to the Minister of Magic, but she did NOT earn her appointment at Hogwarts, and she proved herself to be the "anti-teacher" at the school, preventing the students from learning. Although she portrays a paper-thin charming face to some, she reveals herself as vicious, punitive, cruel, power-mad, unfair, and racist. We've all known someone like her in real life. During Voldy's reign, she revels in threatening "Mudbloods" with Dementors and imprisonment, and she falsely uses the locket to tie herself to a pureblood wizarding family--both actions involving lies.

[@auzell1449]

6:25

[@saffronjuice]

A recent example for me is Jack Horner in the recent Puss In Boots movie. The character was just an asshole for the sake of it with no care for humanity, and he honestly felt refreshing for me with the trend of redeemable/morally grey villains these days.

[@shellsterdude]

I really like the tack that "John Wick" took where the villan (the son) is extremely hateable, but he is backstopped by a relatable villan (the father).

[@samhutchison9582]

What I like about these villains, aside from the simplicity, is the relatability of the situation. It reminds us of the unfairness we all face in life. It's the direct or indirect bully. The jerk boss. The economy that lets morally corrupt layabouts become rich by default and lets hard working honest people be poor. We relate to the situation where we see unfairness and feel utterly powerless to fix it. That comeuppance allows us to release some of that same tension in our real lives vicariously.

[@ScrambledAndBenedict]

You know what's especially genius about Caledon's death in Titanic? Is how flippantly Rose says "He put a pistol in his mouth. Or so I read". She cared so little about him she didn't even bother to look into it, or confirm it, or anything. She just read it and thought "Huh. Neat." He's not even worth the energy it would take for her to hate him. She doesn't get any pleasure from it, or relief, or satisfaction, or anything: he's worth so little to her that she just didn't care what happened to him.

[@jacksonconley5117]

David from “The Last of Us” is a perfect example for this video. They never explained how he earned his power, he manipulated his people into eating each other, he tried to rape Ellie, and he implies that he’s done it multiple times. The moment Ellie kills him brutally was so satisfying to watch.

[@user-rv4wn5qk7q]

Commodus from Gladiator is also an example of hateable villain.

[@thearisen7301]

I'd add a villain who was a friend/leader but then betrays the protaganist & the reader.

[@zachcurtis1283]

A hateable villain doesn't necessarily have to be the most evil, he mainly just has to be purely antithetical to the protagonist's goals. For example Lord Cutler Beckett in the pirates of the Caribbean trilogy is technically the good guy because he's upholding the law and he's trying to defeat the pirates who are criminals, but it's the pirates we are made to empathize with through the story. This makes Beckett, the lawful character, the villain of the tale. And due to his deviousness, is very hateable indeed.