The Villain Writing Formula: How to Craft a Truly Unforgettable Antagonist

​The antagonist is one of the most important elements of a great story. A compelling bad guy can make or break a story, adding depth, tension, and conflict that keeps the reader engaged from beginning to end. Crafting such a villain is easier said than done, but that’s what I will be discussing today!

Today, we will cover some actionable steps for writing an unforgettable bad guy. Let’s dive in!

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Step 1 - Establish the Antagonist’s Motivation

Motivation is key for every character, including the villain. You, as the writer, need to have a clear idea of why the antagonist is doing what they are doing before trying to fit them into the story. That means coming to grips with their end goal before you start plotting scenes with the antagonist.

Too many beginner writers create a fill-in character, one that plays the part of the bad guy, but their real motivation isn’t established until much later. The problem with this method is that the writer doesn’t know their motivation until then, which means that the actions of the antagonist will force them into a corner, giving the most logical and predictable motivation.

If you want to write a compelling antagonist, you need the motivation established early on, if not for the reader, for yourself. By having that motivation in hand, you can easily understand what the antagonist’s next step is. In doing so, you can reveal the antagonist’s motivation at any time in the story and it will have an impact on the characters, the story, and the reader.

I should also say, take note of your genre and target audience.

Some writers create simple antagonists with simple goals because they understand what the audience wants and what best fits their story. The antagonist in a young-adult action adventure will be fundamentally different from the antagonist in an adult mystery-thriller.

That’s another reason why this step is so important. If your antagonist is only there to create conflict, they will lack the qualities that make them unique and enjoyable. Add depth to your story, and give purpose to your antagonist. Everybody is the hero in their own story, a phrase I am sure you have heard many times, and in the antagonist’s mind, they are the protagonist. Give them the same treatment as you would your protagonist.
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Step 2 - Develop the Villain’s Personality & Backstory

With that said, that means you also need to give your villain a background that created their motivation and shaped their personality. A backstory is required for almost any antagonist that’s had a life before the first chapter of the novel. One that adds logic to the decisions they make, the logic that the reader can at least understand if not agree with.

First, let’s discuss personality.

The personalities can differ from genre to genre, once more it comes down to establishing what kind of antagonist you want for your story or what the readers would expect of the story. Personality is established in the same ways you establish the personality of your other characters; their looks, dialogue, and actions.

The best times to demonstrate a character’s personality are times of conflict. Your villain might be quarreling with a henchman, conversing with a side character, or fighting the protagonist. Sometimes the results of their actions are another way of understanding their personality without even including them in the scene.

For example, whether it is the battlefield or the scene of the crime, what remains is the result of the antagonist. The protagonists can learn a lot from the marks the antagonist leaves behind and so can the reader. Every chapter and scene is an opportunity to add depth and detail to your story, so you can start building your antagonist before you even show them in the story.

As backstory, it’s something that you establish more for yourself than the reader. You can use one to develop the other, for example, you can craft a backstory that will help explain the motivation and personality you have already established or vice versa.

Once more, what you create doesn’t have to be included in the story in its entirety, but it will certainly help keep the important details in mind. I recommend that you establish all of this during the planning phase and not after you jump into the story. Any contradictions are annoying to correct, and embarrassing to overlook, and every writer can agree with that.
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Step 3 - Give the Villain Flaws and Vulnerabilities

Nobody is perfect, least of all the antagonist. I’ve often talked about the fact that every character is flawed, they have shortfalls, and they are not unbeatable or inescapable. Even the scariest antagonists are defeated in the end, you need only look at most horror movies with the physical antagonist.

There are times they lose, there are times they fall.

With that in mind, every writer needs to look at the flaws that best suit the antagonist. These flaws can be minor, from the way they look to the way they speak. They might even be afraid of something that the reader isn’t!

The reason this aspect of the antagonist is so important is that too many writers focus on the villain's strengths and have the protagonist beat them at what they are good at. Yes, that’s what it comes down to in many stories, but in great stories, the antagonist is flawed. The antagonist is often brought down by their more human failings, their ego, or their cruel decisions catching up with them.

I believe this comes down to conflict in its purest form.

When an aspect of the protagonist is challenged, they struggle to overcome it. This leads to character growth. Either the protagonist becomes stronger in the more real sense, or the metaphysical sense. This character growth is usually the step, or one of the steps, that leads toward the character’s victory in the end.

However, the antagonist usually differs. When something challenges the antagonist’s core weakness, they tend to falter, hesitate, or even crumble. This also occurs throughout the story, by which time the mighty antagonist and the underdog protagonist are on more even ground, but it’s usually the hero’s strength of character that has them win out over the antagonist.
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Step 4 - Create a Dynamic Relationship with the Protagonist

One of the major reasons you include an antagonist, if not the reason, is that there is a dynamic between the antagonist and the protagonist. I don’t mean that they have great banter, or something like that, although it is an idea.

I mean the antagonist is there is a counter to the protagonist, a lesson for them to learn, an interesting character that has them question a certain value or their understanding of some aspect of life. The more basic stories have it as good vs evil, but the more complex stories challenge something a bit more impactful.

Here is an example of two interesting dualities; Sherlock and Moriarty, Batman and Joker. Sherlock and Moriarty, these two are very similar. Both are geniuses, but one uses his brains to bring down the bad guys for the love of the mystery and even a sense of justice. The other uses their intellect to pull off devious crimes, feeling joy when a plan works out.

It’s an interesting duality because the two are similar in many respects, but not when it comes to their moral compasses.

Then there is Batman and Joker. A popular pair, Batman trying to create order and justice, and Joker trying to create chaos. Many discussions have been made about the duality of these two, but it’s well-known that Joker challenges Batman’s value of not killing the enemy.

It’s dynamic relationships that make these antagonists a lot more memorable and a lot more popular. The conflicts are usually a lot more thought-provoking and captivating as a result.
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Step 5 - Making the Villain Memorable

In all aspects of the character’s creation, you should strive to make the antagonist memorable.

Once more, don’t think of the antagonist as a simple role to fill, it’s just as important as the protagonist. The antagonist needs to have their moments of victory, their moments of failure. There can even be moments where the antagonist’s feats are admired and respected by the reader.

Qualities can be found in everyone, even the bad guy.

If you take advantage of all the steps I previously discussed and give your antagonist memorable moments, moments that show off their qualities, their flaws, and the moments that establish them as the antagonist, you should have no problem making an unforgettable antagonist.
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My Thoughts

Whenever I plot a story, I like to work with antagonists that aren’t completely evil. The most captivating antagonists in literature usually have a tragic backstory, and as cliche as that is, it still works well when properly handled.

Another important step, although not one I feel should be a part of the formula as it entirely depends on the kind of character you want to write, is including values that everyone can agree with. For example, the antagonist might be a horrible person, but they do draw the line somewhere.

Sometimes, the events of the story can blur this line, pushing the antagonist to be better or worse at times. These are wonderful moments and I try to include one or two in the story if I really like the antagonist.

If you are an experienced writer, what advice would you give to beginner writers? What makes a villain great in your eyes? Let me know in the comments below!

Thank you for reading and as always,

Good day, goodnight, and happy writing!
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