Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
Villain as Hero
As discussed, modern, three-dimensional Villains don't consider them-
selves to be evil, or even Villains. They think they're good. They believe
they are right.
And this, by the way, doesn't just apply to Villains.
Every single character
in a well-told story feels justified in their beliefs and actions. Everyone
does what they have convinced themselves is the “right” thing to do, and
they will have reasons to back up their positions. After all, what can be
most terrifying about human beings is our ability to rationalize just about
any belief or action.
In fact, more than just thinking he's good and right, the Villain is actually
the Hero in his version of the story. He faces his own conflict (usually em-
bodied by the Hero and the Hero's allies) and fights to overcome these
threats to his own goals, happiness, and/or fulfillment.
During my GDC tutorials, one of the exercises that attendees say they
find most interesting is one in which I ask them to take one of their favor-
ite stories, and write up a first-person synopsis of the entire narrative from
the Villain's point of view. With well-written Villains, it's amazing how easy
it is to see their perspective, and to even start to take their side a bit. Try it
yourself sometime!
This isn't just an academic exercise I reserve for when I'm lecturing. It's
something I do, at least in my head, when I write. And not just for Villa
ins—for every major character. The story, when seen from any character's
point of view, should still hold up.
Growth and Change Optional
Unlike the Hero, who has a defining characteristic of changing and grow-
ing over the course of the story, the Villain may or may not go through any
such metamorphosis. In fact, what makes a character a Villain instead of a
Hero can be something as simple as an inability or outright refusal to
change her views or to grow out of a negative emotional state such as
hatred, jealousy, or vengefulness.
Occasionally a Villain sees the light and ultimately transforms into a
heroic figure, or at least moves a bit more down that path. Most times,
though, she remains bad to the finish, often ending up punished, con-
sumed, and even destroyed by her own negative intentions and actions.
This can reveal another purpose of the Villain (in addition to generating the
