Villains

[Isleh]

On of my favorite villians is Magneto, especially the one portrayed in the last two movies.

He knows the good guys, he was friends with them, and in a way still is. But their ideals are so vastly different, yet so very close at the same time, it drives him to do things to achieve those goals (slaughtering all the humans on earth using his own former friend for instance)

Minipulation of the heroes is the best of the best traits a villian can have. Knowing that if the need arises they can even side with him against a greater evil.. and then you can exploit them further, things like that.

I love the movie Die Hard and the blowing stuff up didn't do it for me. It was the antagonist Hans Gruber.

He has depth - He hints at several things about himself without really saying anything. "Armani, I have several myself"

Knows what he's doing - He has planned everything out to the last detail "You asked for a miracle, I give you the F.B.I."

Cool headed - When he meets John MaCane unexpectedly he immediately falls into the "Hiding office worker" routine.

This is the type of bad-guy who would not stay on the Death Star when there is a actual threat of it's destruction.

[Ekade]

I'm talking in general...we think of movies and books a lot when we think of villains, but those are often exagerrated. I am interested in more realistic villains and what motivates them, as uncomfortable as it can be to think about.

At the core I think it is a convincing of ones self that they are entitled to take something from someone else for their own pleasure/gain.

Some people take pleasure from giving, some from taking. Some try to take more than others are willing to give. That is where the line is crossed to "villain".

The other element of "Villain" that seems to be consistent is "the ends justify the means."


On the topic of realistic villain. Tarkin is a good example. He convinced himself that blowing up planets was a good thing for the galaxy. He was blinded by what he perceived as the "greater good".

Is Jabba a villain? Or is he just a happy Hutt trying to have a little fun? Is it his fault that he is a hideous blob. The ladies never return his calls.. so he makes them into slaves and watches them dance over his rancor pit. They don't have cable in his neighborhood. A brother needs entertainment, doesn't he? He's just a businessman, right? Gives people jobs and all that.

[Ekade]

I love the movie Die Hard and the blowing stuff up didn't do it for me. It was the antagonist Hans Gruber.

/amen

I loved Hans Gruber. That was an awesome villain.

Hans Villain Traits:
- Brains
- Ambition
- Ego/Cockiness
- Confidence/Cool
- Mastermind/Planning

I love watching a villain's plan unfold in a story.

[Ekade]

A villain is..

A creature of purpose.. in it's purest form.

[Krusshyk]

So what you are saying is that Whar needs to slide a little more... Im all over it. If you are willing to watch as he spirals into the heart of darkness, He will become a great Hero-Villain. The mental issues are already in place, there is a motive, and room for him to push the envelope (watch it bend)

AND he is missing a thumb! Physical deformity is a great motivation for evil!

[Kahuaria]

yes thank you guys, i dont' idolize the man i'm just a fan of psychiatry and the conditions of the human mind.

[Hashum]

I like a villian that's very intelligent. And that usually also ends up being his down fall. Much like Thrawn. You're so over confident that some little body guard ends up getting you when an entire army was unable to beat you. It's classic.

After that I would vote for selfish. Their goals and ideal's must dominate their thought process. Nothing can stand in their way without paying a price. And because no one elses opinion matters I like it when they're often condisending to his lackey's.

[Ekade]

I like a villian that's very intelligent. And that usually also ends up being his down fall. Much like Thrawn. You're so over confident that some little body guard ends up getting you when an entire army was unable to beat you. It's classic.

After that I would vote for selfish. Their goals and ideal's must dominate their thought process. Nothing can stand in their way without paying a price. And because no one elses opinion matters I like it when they're often condisending to his lackey's.

http://www.eviloverlord.com/lists/overlord.html

#24: I will maintain a realistic assessment of my strengths and weaknesses. Even though this takes some of the fun out of the job, at least I will never utter the line "No, this cannot be! I AM INVINCIBLE!!!" (After that, death is usually instantaneous.)

#48: I will treat any beast which I control through magic or technology with respect and kindness. Thus if the control is ever broken, it will not immediately come after me for revenge.

[Hashum]

I like a villian that's very intelligent. And that usually also ends up being his down fall. Much like Thrawn. You're so over confident that some little body guard ends up getting you when an entire army was unable to beat you. It's classic.

After that I would vote for selfish. Their goals and ideal's must dominate their thought process. Nothing can stand in their way without paying a price. And because no one elses opinion matters I like it when they're often condisending to his lackey's.

http://www.eviloverlord.com/lists/overlord.html

#24: I will maintain a realistic assessment of my strengths and weaknesses. Even though this takes some of the fun out of the job, at least I will never utter the line "No, this cannot be! I AM INVINCIBLE!!!" (After that, death is usually instantaneous.)

#48: I will treat any beast which I control through magic or technology with respect and kindness. Thus if the control is ever broken, it will not immediately come after me for revenge.

Yes but to do so would create the perfect villian that we're trying to avoid. The villian must be flawed after all, because good must triumph over evil.

[Ekade]

87. Total commitment is essential. If I discover that I have not truly and completely gone over to the Dark Side, I will immediately suspend all world-domination efforts until that last morsel of Goodness can be expunged.

http://www.sff.net/paradise/overlord.html

[Ekade]

ooh... SCORE!

Guidelines for Evil Empresses:

2. I will not fret over the comparative beauty of the Hero's True Love or any Beautiful Yet Innocent kinfolk. They may be attractive enough, as peasant wenches or quivering maidens go; but I am The Evil Empress, and there is no comparison.

5. While seduction has its place in my arsenal, I realize that "evil" and "skanky" are not mutually inclusive. Royal Dressmakers unable to realize this fact will be flayed alive in the presence of their replacements.

7. My slinky sorceress' robe will have a chain mail foundation garment, at minimum.

8. I will not be put off by the Hero's rebuffs of my sexual advances. If he doesn't succumb, I won't fly into a jealous rage. Instead, I'll shrug my shoulders, send him on his way, and have him picked off as he exits the fortress.

10. Sex is certainly a weapon at my disposal, but then so is a blaster. If it is not clear which weapon I should be using, I will opt for the blaster.

11. I, and my elite guards, will never assume that we have managed to confiscate all weapons or escape aids from the captured Hero. Interrogations in my private chambers will only be conducted if the Hero is completely nude. This will satisfy a number of objectives at once.

12. I will promote chivalry and urge my minions to exhibit proper behavior at all times when it is not counterproductive to my schemes. This increases the chance of running up against only chivalric Heroes, as well as increasing the surprise factor when I ditch the pretenses and get really vicious.

14. If the Hero is an old lover of mine (and they almost always are), I will remember just why he is a former lover, and keep it in mind as I destroy him.

19. I will wear form-fitting clothes rather than flowing gowns: they're just as, if not more, flattering and are less likely to snag on something or catch fire at the moment of triumph or escape.

22. My Amazon Hordes will wear full body armor, rather than three small triangles of chain mail, which are reserved for dress occasions.

28. If I married into the title of Evil Empress under duress then my very first order of business must be the disposal of the Evil Overlord, since he must already know he can't possibly trust me as far as he can throw me.

29. If I married into the title of Evil Empress under duress, then using the Hero to free me of the Overlord does not obligate me to abdicate my throne.

30. If I am competing with other Overlords, Empresses and High Priests for ultimate domination, I will assume they have access to this and other lists and the brains to listen to them.

33. Unless immortality comes with Absolute Power, I'd better be grooming my Evil Offspring to take the reins someday. It's better to carefully feed their growing lust for power by gradually increasing Imperial responsibilities than have them plotting my untimely demise.

34. If I am unfortunate enough to have a Beautiful but Innocent Daughter, as opposed to a Beautiful but Wicked Daughter, I will unconditionally love and nurture her, and be as supportive as possible of any budding romantic relationship with potential young Heroes. This will a) delay Heroic action while I study his strengths and weaknesses, b) cause emotional conflicts within the Hero that will encourage fatal hesitations or mistakes, c) provide another chance for my daughter to see things my way before I'm forced to eliminate her.

39. I will learn the various arts of self defense and not rely solely on muscular minions to protect me.

40. The appearance of weakness can be as useful as the appearance of strength. I will exploit the double standard for all it's worth.

46. I will identify any phobias or nervous habits I have and undergo therapy until I can overcome them. It would be Just Too Vexing to be chased from the scene of my Ultimate Triumph because someone dropped a snake from the air vent.

[Isleh]

I like a villian that's very intelligent. And that usually also ends up being his down fall. Much like Thrawn. You're so over confident that some little body guard ends up getting you when an entire army was unable to beat you. It's classic.

After that I would vote for selfish. Their goals and ideal's must dominate their thought process. Nothing can stand in their way without paying a price. And because no one elses opinion matters I like it when they're often condisending to his lackey's.

http://www.eviloverlord.com/lists/overlord.html

#24: I will maintain a realistic assessment of my strengths and weaknesses. Even though this takes some of the fun out of the job, at least I will never utter the line "No, this cannot be! I AM INVINCIBLE!!!" (After that, death is usually instantaneous.)

#48: I will treat any beast which I control through magic or technology with respect and kindness. Thus if the control is ever broken, it will not immediately come after me for revenge.

Yes but to do so would create the perfect villian that we're trying to avoid. The villian must be flawed after all, because good must triumph over evil.

Not perfect, just realistic and realistic does not mean they can't be larger than life.

[E-bo Obi]

The "best" villians for me are the ones that are just like you. They live in your community, they aren't overly noticeable. They like to run things from behind the scenes. Maybe they have a front with a really nasty looking character or crime boss and everyone thinks that that guy is the big man. But in reality its the soft spoken rich lady down the street who hands out candy to your children at halloween and just paid for renovations to your local park.

Thats a villian I like. A manipulator? Sure they are the master of it. Will they ever take a fall? Perhaps if someone doesn't take the fall and rats out the head guy. Then that guy turns on em. But by the time all that gets sorted out the real brains is sitting on a beach in Spain rebuilding the organization from a new base of operations.

I'm like high tech spy special operations bad girls. I think women make the best villians personally.

[Hashum]

The "best" villians for me are the ones that are just like you. They live in your community, they aren't overly noticeable. They like to run things from behind the scenes. Maybe they have a front with a really nasty looking character or crime boss and everyone thinks that that guy is the big man. But in reality its the soft spoken rich lady down the street who hands out candy to your children at halloween and just paid for renovations to your local park.

Thats a villian I like. A manipulator? Sure they are the master of it. Will they ever take a fall? Perhaps if someone doesn't take the fall and rats out the head guy. Then that guy turns on em. But by the time all that gets sorted out the real brains is sitting on a beach in Spain rebuilding the organization from a new base of operations.

I'm like high tech spy special operations bad girls. I think women make the best villians personally.

Ah yeah, it's all about the Godfather here! Got to be the best bad guy other. Brilliant master mind, and really thinking he's doing it for the good of the family. Got to love it!!

[warsloth]

*takes notes, and wonders if anyone noticed Whar's recent activities*


I think all that there are natural born villains, and created villains.

A created villian may be someone who was good, and has lost his/her ability to rationalize things, and right and wrong becomes this right or that right. A villain is made in the mind. Denial and the loss of definition for right and wrong are at the heart of making mistakes, bad descisions and eventually a path to evil.
everything consciously done requires a descision.