I don’t know about you, but this is an area in my writing where I’m constantly learning how to do better. Most of my stories’ villains have the same motivation, and almost all of them are the most shallow, petty people I’ve ever seen. (And I wrote them myself! If the writer is disgusted by their own characters, that can’t be a good sign.) Writing villains is tough, and creating one that’s compelling is even tougher. So what are some ways to write believable, compelling villains? Let’s take a look at some examples…

Backstory, Backstory, Backstory!

If you grew up with the show Phineas and Ferb, you’ll recognize this quote from Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz. If you remember—or if you haven’t seen the show—after trapping his nemesis, Dr. D launches into a lengthy monologue explaining why he created the “-inator” that he did that day. Usually, it relates to his horrible childhood and how his parents played favorites with his younger brother. This is actually a great place to start when writing your villains: give them a backstory. How were they raised? What hardships did they face? How did that shape them into the villains that they are today?

Relatability

I think one of the most complex and compelling characters from the Marvel Cinematic Universe is Loki. Ah, yes, the God of Mischief. The villain who won a bigger fanbase than the six heroes who defeated him. But why is it that Loki is one of the most well-known and beloved characters in the MCU? I think it’s because he’s relatable. The feeling of being an outcast is one that every human being experiences at some point in their lives. Give your villain something that they can have in common with your audience, and you might just have people begging for you to make a spin-off series about them.

Foiling

I’m not sure if you’d consider Aaron Burr the villain of Hamilton, but he’s the best example of foiling the hero that I can think of. When I say foiling, I don’t mean that the villain beats the hero. I mean that they are a reflection of the hero, in this case, Alexander Hamilton. Both of these characters are orphans, lawyers, politicians, and soldiers, and both of them want to achieve greatness. But the way that they go about it is different: Hamilton tends to get “overexcited” and “shoots off at the mouth,” but Burr prefers to “talk less, smile more.” Hamilton isn’t going to “throw away his shot,” and Burr is content to “wait for it.” Give your villain a similar goal to your hero, then twist the means that they use to achieve that goal.

Threatening

President Coriolanus Snow is the formidable adversary of Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games trilogy. Now, if you haven’t read the books or watched the films, you may be wondering why an old man would be terrifying to a teenage girl. In answer to that, I say that he is a master at the art of threatening. He knows Katniss’s weak spots and how to hit her where it hurts. He’s a ruthless dictator who is not averse to removing the people who have the potential to jeopardize his iron grip. He keeps Katniss on her toes, wondering when and where he’ll strike next. Make your villain enough of a threat, and your readers will be in the trenches with the hero, wondering when the next hit will come.

Actions, Not Words

Even if you’ve never seen Star Wars, I’m sure you’ve heard the name Darth Vader at some point in your life. (Or at least his most well-known quote, “No, I am your father.”) The strong silent type, this ruthless Sith Lord’s actions speak volumes about his character and the lengths that he’ll go to achieve more power. His favorite tactic is using the Force to choke his enemies and even his own subordinates to gather intel or to simply get what he wants. This is just another thing to keep in mind when writing your villain: make their actions speak louder than their evil monologues and wicked cackles.

Suffice it to say, there is a lot more to writing villains than just making them bad people. I hope that these tips help you in writing your villains, from evil queens to wicked dictators!