Villains can be some of my favorite characters . . . Hans Gruber. Saruman. Sauron (of the Silmarillion era) is probably my favorite villain ever.

Gaston of Beauty and the Beast is an interesting villain just because, in a lot of ways, he’s an everyman. A narcissist, sure. But an everyman.

Lots of different things can make a villain interesting. His particular plot, his powers, his intelligence, his scheming, and his deceptions can all can make a villain stand out.

Today, I want to discuss a villain’s MOTIVATION. This also can make a villain stand out.

First, let’s note that your villain’s motivation will be the most obvious thing that can either lend him sympathy or make him horrific in the mind of a reader or viewer.

It’s the motive that will help readers connect with and understand him, or possibly condemn him and shudder in horror.

So, what are the things that motivate villains?

• GREED/MONEY. Paltry and simplistic, sure. But greed is Hans Gruber’s motivation, and he’s one of the great villains of all time. What makes Hans so great is his quick wit and the complexity of his scheme to hide who he is and what he’s really after.
• POWER. Enter Sauron. Where things get complex here is . . . Why does your villain want power? What does he want to DO with it? Sauron wants a Middle Earth that runs like a machine . . . well-ordered, mechanistic. He’s a smith/craftsman, after all. He thinks that’s for the ultimate good.
• REVENGE. A great complex motivation, morally speaking.
• TO RIGHT A PERCEIVED WRONG. Where this differs from the revenge motive is that here, the villain has no personal grudge. This motivation genuinely borders on altruistic. To what extent do good ends justify horrible means? That’s a question to explore with this motive.
• GLORY/FAME/TRIUMPH. Who doesn’t want to feel like a winner?
• “SOME MEN JUST WANT TO WATCH THE WORLD BURN.” Psychopaths are common villains. It’s hard to make them unique, but they always pose a palpable threat, because they can be unpredictable and are willing to sacrifice things other people wouldn’t be. Psychopathic villains make for a tense, suspenseful ride. If you DO manage to make a psychopath unique, like the Joker (The Dark Knight), you’ve struck gold.

Who are your favorite villains?

Check out the character spotlight of my villain, Zalski Forzythe, here.