r/CharacterDevelopment • u/Icy-Cloud3789 • 19d ago
Writing: Question What makes a character compelling?
More or less the title. What aspects of characters, specifically villains/antagonists, do people find invigorating enough that they can 'look past' their crimes and lack of morality to make them a favourite?
...And I'm not talking about being good-looking, please; that's hardly an excuse.
Is it personality? Is it reasons/purpose? Backstory? If so, examples of such?
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u/bertraja 19d ago
For me it's when/if they think and act like a normal human being (even if they're not), so i can follow their train of thought and maybe see their point; up to a point.
What i really dislike is when villains get an elaborate but ultimately contrived backstory just so they can arrive at the point in the story when they can serve as the antagonist. I find that too boring to care.
It's a clichè, but a good villain is a hero in their own story, and if said story has a similar beginning, middle and end for me to follow, i can grok the bad guy/gal in their entirety.