Why I’m Drawn to Villainous Characters

Villains are a mainstay of storytelling, and I’m certainly not immune to their appeal. I am sure that I’m not the only one whose favourite character in a book or movie is often a villain. There’s just something so alluring about these villains that make me hold them above any of the heroes on my ranking ladder. 

I find that villains are the characters that bring much of the suspense into the story. Not just in the sense of their rivalry with the protagonist, but more so with the fact that they often have no limits as to how far they’ll go to get what they want. Villainous characters often have little to no moral compass at all. As such, for them, the line between what is right and wrong is blurred or entirely nonexistent. They have this sense of recklessness when it comes to pursuing their target. A villain’s lack of moral compass combined with their reckless abandon makes for an incredibly unpredictable plotline. 

I particularly enjoy villain romances for several reasons. As mentioned, villains have this relentless and limitless drive when it comes to what they want. When the object of their pursuit is a person, can you imagine the fiery intensity with which the villain would pursue this individual?

While a hero might certainly fight to some extent to win the person they love, I doubt they’d go as far as murder or any other unethical activities to gain their affections. Romances with villains also make for some intense scenes of love with the looming threat of death from the villain. I’ve always found that the sheer intensity of dagger-to-throat romances brings a plot to another level for me.

A villain’s unpredictability helps drive the story and contributes to some unforgettable scenes. In one book I read, a villainous character had two goals: one, to gain a certain girl’s affection, and two, to gain his full power. To accomplish his first goal, he took advantage of her vulnerable emotional state to trap her in an eternal marriage bond while she thought he was curing her grief. At another point in the book, he used his current power to give that girl he loved a literal heart attack and threatened to kill her if he wasn’t given the remaining power he was after. When a hero professes their love, you can depend on their sincerity in the matter, but with a villain, you never know when they might abandon that love for the sake of a secondary goal. 

Another characteristic about villains is their talent for emotional manipulation. For instance, this quote from Finale by Stephanie Garber, makes me sympathize with the villain, while also proving his wickedness, “I know what I did was wrong. But if you’re looking for a sad story where I justify what I’ve done, you’re not going to find it. I’m the villain, even in my own story. But you were supposed to play a different role.” Imagine being on the receiving end of that quote. Would you feel any remorse? As a villain fan, as much as I’m aware this character is a complete monster, I felt terrible for him during this scene. We know they’re not perfect. They’ve got flaws and, in some cases, a tragic backstory that tries to paint them innocent. The heroes are likable characters on their own, and for any flaws, any obstacles they overcome, they’re offered sympathy. With our villains, however, since the story is already against them, it’s hard for them to be presented in such a way that readers pity them. 

When it comes to the villains I’m drawn to, one quality they usually have in common is their dark, cruel humour. As much as I know it’s a bad idea to be drawn to such things, sometimes you really can’t help but let yourself be reeled in. I mean imagine the hero making a heartfelt monologue followed by the villain’s debut with two slow claps and the line, “Now, that was a pathetic speech.” This humour in Stephanie Garber’s Once Upon A Broken Heart contributed to the villainous side of this character and it’s a great element that adds to his intrigue. 

Something else I admire about villains is their complexity as characters. They aren’t flat-out evil without emotions. This more vulnerable side of villains is often displayed in villain romances, like in the novel mentioned above. Though villains tend to present themselves as tough and heartless, its intriguing when their vulnerability is displayed: 

He was still indescribably breathtaking, but it was all the tragic beauty of a sky where every single star was falling. His hair was a storm of broken gold. His eyes were a mess of silver and blue. Once Upon a Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber

Just as heroes have obstacles and conflicts in their lives that are faced behind closed doors, the wicked antagonists have their own as well. This side of the story is explored well in many books, and movies as well. Some great examples are Disney’s remakes of some stories showing the villain’s side of the tale, such as Maleficent and Cruella. Maleficent had her wings, a major part of her character, stolen from her by someone she trusted, and Cruella was an orphan who grew up on the streets of London. Despite how wicked both the villains were in their hero story counterparts, one cannot help but love them. Villains will always be my favourite characters. Their complexity, motives, humour, and intensity bring an incredible sense of appeal around their characters, and at the end of the day, they’re fiction anyway