Activity

Okay, folks, I want to talk about VILLAINS.

(Wow, so surprising.)

I was wondering why some villains have the power to terrify us while others are more like a tired and sarcastic uncle in background. I see lots and lots of complex & sympathetic baddies (Kylo Ren, Loki), and tons of deranged psychos (Thanos, Mother Gothel, the White Witch), but very few villains who are genuinely terrifying.

(As much as we all love Loki, golden reindeer horns and Shakespearean monologues about ants and boots don’t exactly conjure skin-crawling moments and sleepless nights.)

(And let’s be honest, Bilbo Baggins in THAT scene of LotR is more horrifying than Sauron in the entirety of the trilogy.)

(Don’t pretend you don’t know what I mean.)

To be clear, I don’t think the scare-factor equates a good villain — that would effectively scratch out most of my favorites. However, while beloved and unfrightening villains abound, there’s nothing like finding a deliciously creepy baddie to give you shivers in all the right moments. (Nimiane from The Hundred Cupboards, anyone? Madame Defarge? Ruin from the Mistborn trilogy?)

So here’s the ultimate question: What makes a villain frightening?

I have my theories, but I’d like to hear what you guys have to say. What pushes a villain over the edge of “huggable baddie with a tragic past” or “sarcastic psychopath we all secretly like” and makes them really truly scary? And how can we utilize those qualities in our own villains without going overboard, into the realm of gratuitous horror?

Let’s talk, people.

@Daeus-Lamb @Kate @R-M-Archer @Corissa @Eden-Anderson @Noahlitle @Cassandraia @literatureforthelight @germaine-han @Noodle-mum @Oh glory I can’t remember anyone’s tag…