Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
conflict and opposing the Hero), serving as a cautionary figure for the
audience.
Directly Confronted
While for much of the story the Villain is protected by Henchmen, by the
story's climax the Hero must have the opportunity to directly confront the
Villain, who very often represents the final obstacle to resolving the main
conflict. The audience has been itching for this throughout the story, and
if you don't eventually pay it off, it can be quite a letdown.
Every rule has its exceptions, of course. Luke Skywalker and Grand Moff
Tarkin don't meet each other in Star Wars . And in Star Trek II: The Wrath of
Khan , Kirk and Khan are never in the same room or even on the same
ship—all their verbal interactions occur across a viewscreen. (Though it
can and has been argued that their respective ships, battling back and
forth, represent physical stand-ins for the Hero and Villain themselves.)
In a game, it's almost non-negotiable that if you've established a solid
Villain, the player must eventually be given the chance to directly defeat
him, and in as cathartic and satisfying a way as possible.
Final Thoughts on Villains
One last observation regarding the Villain: not every story has a Villain, or
at least not necessarily a character who embodies the Villain energy. But
there is always some source or cause of the main conflict.
Sometimes it's nature (like in Twister or The Poseidon Adventure ). Occa-
sionally it's an animal or creature motivated only by instinct ( Jaws , Cujo ).
And sometimes the source of the main conflict is something within the
Hero himself—a destructive element of his own personality that blocks
him from fulfillment and happiness ( Sideways, The 40-Year-Old Virgin ).
But story-driven video games almost always feature a character who
embodies the Villain role, since games are generally about physical con-
flict as opposed to those stories that are purely emotional or psychologic-
al.
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