Every fairytale needs a good, old-fashioned villain1

We're not supposed to love the villains; Karate Kid is about Ralph Macchio, not Billy Zabka (unless you're Barney Stinson), but sometimes, we can't help it. A good villain is easy to hate, and a great villain is one we love to loathe.

It should be noted, however, that I abhor the stock-variety, "I'm evil because I'm evil" villains. They bore me. Without the chance of redemption or a flicker of humanity, what reason do I have to be involved?

It is my belief that a good villain should act as a counterpoint for the hero. It's what makes Khan so fearsome - he is merely the other side of the coin. We can hate Khan for taking those same values we admire in Kirk, and twisting them to create something we consider despicable. BBC Sherlock's Moriarty is so great because he, like Sherlock, only wants to entertain himself. Where Sherlock is a consulting detective, Moriarty is a consulting criminal. They both want to escape boredom, and can only do so by engaging in an epic battle of wits.

So, let's get to the common trope. "Villain" might bring forth the image of a slimy, weasel-faced man, twirling his moustache and maybe petting a cat. Maybe he's a psychopath, or a sociopath. He could be a mobster, or a pimp, or a Sith Lord. He's wearing a hockey mask, and he's got a chainsaw, or he's got clown makeup on. Truthfully, there are so many villain tropes that it's hard to pin down what any one of us may be thinking.²  It all depends on which villains one is exposed to, and which ones resonate with us. My favourite villain might not be yours.

Not every hero/villain story needs to be dark and dreary.
There are villains in comedies too. And in spoofs. 

Frankly, there is no way to tell how to make a good villain. Every audience is different, and every hero is too. Moriarty wouldn't work well against Harry Potter, and Leatherface might not work against Captain Kirk. If you choose to start your story with a hero, ensure that the villain is anathema³. Allow him (or her) to be similar in some respects, and completely different in others. Harry Potter and Voldemort are both orphans who grew into brilliant children. Moriarty and Sherlock are both stunningly intelligent. Khan and Kirk both care deeply for their crew. But neither of these duos share the same moral code, and as such, they are enemies.


So let your villain breathe; let him, or her, come to life. Two dimensional characters aren't fun, regardless of which side they're on. Don't assume that by making your villain abhorrently evil, the audience will care for the hero's plight. Allow them to be human, and maybe, just maybe, you'll create someone we can love to hate.

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1 This is a quote from the Season 2 finale, "The Reichenbach Fall", of Sherlock (BBC). "
2 For more information about villain tropes, head to TV Tropes 
3 Anathema is defined by Merriam-Webster as "someone or something intensely disliked or loathed"