Post by jetty on Jul 26, 2012 14:37:21 GMT -5
I posted this on my other site, decided it may do some good here as well.
To start off, I'm going to show you the most common type of villain I see.
"Hello! My cat is evil and insane. She is really dangerous, but also beautiful. When she was a young, she killed off her family."
No. You see, there is nothing wrong with the fact that the villain killed off her family. However, if you want to be a real villain, you cant simply say you killed off your family. Everything happens for a reason. So ask yourself, what caused your character to kill his or her family? It wasn't just because you wanted to, it happened because something lead up to it. You see, no one is ever born evil. Sometimes, characters may be born withe a particularly malicious personality, but that doesn't make them villains. In fact, at such an early age, personalities can change depending on the circumstances. There is an exception to this, if your character is a psycho, however we'll get into the villain type a little later. For now, all you need to know is that the MOST IMPORTANT part of being a villain is having a good backstory, no one said it had to be original, just dependable as to why your character is evil. Keep in mind that tragic pasts and insanity do not excuse your villain for his or her actions. What they are doing is wrong. Period. They're villains. However, villains can be likeable, and it is often the most likeable villains that's are the most dangerous.
Now, another step to playing an evil character is understanding evil. Duh! Good guys obey the rules, bad guys break them. Easy right? Wrong! The way you understand evil varies upon the different personalities of your characters. There are some who believe that what they are doing is right. Take the character Tigerclaw for example. He wants power because he believes the current characters in power are weak, and he wants his clan to be strong. To him, what he is doing is for the better of the clan, for others, it's just plain wrong. Some other characters have even called him a monster.
Then you have those who know what they are doing is wrong. Some might care, but they have a reason to do it. Some probably don't care, and enjoy what they are doing. Again, we will get on to villain types next. Always be sure to play to your character's personality. How you understand evil is pretty much dependent on just that.
Another extra thing before we move on, villains don't have to look evil. They can look normal and even sweet as an angel and still be deadly. Another thing is sanity. Sane villains are often the most interesting, but are among the hardest to play because of the limitations and automatic restrictions your characters sanity may put in place. Sane character often push their roleplayers skills to ghd limit and challenge the brain as you struggle to cope with both dangerous situations, being evil, and staying sane.
On to the next section! Types of villains. Now, there are many types. Much more then I care to list. But many villains I see are freestyle, which means they don't fit in any specific catagory. They simply act evil in whatever way they can. These characters are often the least advanced and have poor backstories. Not often well developed, freestyle villains are usually hastilly made up characters that are given a name and simply thrown into the game just so the roleplayer can act cool and try to be evil. But that's not true evil. Now I'm not saying freestyle villains are wrong. I've seen plenty of freestyle villains who are actually quite excellent and interesting to roleplay with. Even I have a few freestyle villains, when I don't have the time to make up a good long novel of a backstory and im just ready to jump straight into roleplay. But freestyle villains are pretty much just mutts, and don't worry, ive had my share of wanting to be cool moment's where I just mixed up several types of villains to make one giant one, but they always die off because they get boring after a while. Every villain has to have a limit or a weakness in order to stay interesting. I should know. Lets run through a few catagories.
The psycho. Often the hardest to play because it's hard to imagine them with limits or weaknesses, but they have them. These are the types of villains that don't care about anything. They don't care who gets hurt or who dies, even if it's themselves. Some known what they are doing is wrong, some don't, but big point of it is, they don't care. About anything. Period. All they want to do is inflict pain and terror upon anything and everyone they can find. These types of villains are open to relationships, however, it isn't smart, because most allies of this dangerous villain often end up dead. Joker, from Batman, would be a great example.
The tragedy. Now, I often cant help but feel bad for these types of villains. These villains were born with dreams and hopes. And those dream's and hopes were often shattered at a young age, leaving their mind to deteriorate and fall into dissaray. Thinking there is nothing else left for them, these characters often become evil without even knowing it until it's to late. They often have emotional weaknesses and can be reasoned with for pity, however, all to often, become too cold hearted for their own good. Another time this woukd happen is if the character is in desperate need to do something, and the only way to do it is to resort to evil. Take Mr. Fries from Batman for example. He turned to evil because he was desperate to save his dying wife. He didn't want to be evil, but eventually, it got so bad, there was no turning back.
The schemer. These are dangerous because you often don't know they're there until your dead. These are the types of villains that act all good and righteous until the time comes to reveal themselves. They often have split personalities and live a double life. They plan every detail out to the last second and leave no room for error, as they are often obsessed with getting everything right,and usually go absolutely crazy when something goes wrong. Take Riddler, from Batman. He plans everything in advance, hiding until it's time to put his plan into action, almost positive it will work, having looked over every last detail. However, when Batman manages to escape his traps, Riddler often breaks down in despair over the thought that he might have missed something important. These villains are perfectionests that are often the most successful, however it only takes one tiny thing to bring their plans to ruin.
The terrorist. These villains are intent on only one thing. Fear. They want everyone to fear them, and those that don't fear them, they want dead. Though they aren't much for perfections, they enjoy scheming and are often the most devious of the villains, relying on stealth and surprise, along with their own ability to inflict pain and fear. These villains don't often kill, preferring to prolong their victim's life through a little suffering here and there. They make excellent torturers and are not to be estimated if you value your life. An example would be Scarecrow, from Batman. I assume you know I like Batman by now?
The idol. These villains are similar to the more guile villains, however prefer to focus on one thing. Power. They don't care how they achieve it, nor do they care how many people are Burt or killed. However, they do care for their personal self, and like schemers, they plan, though usually only simple plans, not drawn out, scrutinized plans. Like schemers, these characters don't often reveal themselves, but are often the leaders. Slowly, they build up what one might call a cult, a group of other characters that the character has gained control over, usually credit to brainwashing. Over time, this group builds while the villain steadily breaks them away from whatever group the villain is seeking to take control of, then rebels against the main force in an attempt to take over. These villains are common, however, often not very dangerous, especially if they can be picked out at an early stage, like schemers.
The satanic. When you see the word satanic, do you thin Satan? You should. These characters can be terribly dangerous, probably more so than any other villain, should they choose to be. However, only to those not affiliated with them. These characters are safe to have relations with as long as you know your boundaries. Displeasing these characters will often result in death, and the villain wouldn't care one bit. They don't often have feelings, and may be described as an empty shell with no heart or soul. They kill because they can, not because they want to or have to. In fact, they do everything because they can, not because they want to. They follow those in charge without question, if they happened to have proved their superiority, but should they become weak, this villain wont hesitate to kill. These characters don't plan, and sometimes, don't even think. They simply do because they can and if they cant, they wont do it. They are practically incapable of emotion, pity, love, happiness, and often opperate like a machine, rather then an actual living being. While it may seem like these villains are only good for following orders, they often make the most powerful and cruelest of tyrants, incapable of feeling pain simply because they can't comprehend it, uncaring of death, and utteely without pity, these particular villains are often more feared then the terrorists simply because of the sheer power they possess.
The monster. A character that kills for the good of the world. These characters don't believe they are evil, in fact, they ten to think of themselves as heroes. They believe life to be cruel and unforgiving, and seek to save others from Life's evil clutches by ending their lives. They often scar themselves to keep track of their kills, or as they say, how many people they have helped. They can be quite dangerous, but they often don't act like it. They act as if they are taking pity in their victims, claiming that they should not worry, it would all be over soon. These characters are usually the most twisted, and the most deadly. They have likely killed several times more then any other type of villain, and aren't afraid to do it again....for the good of the world and all it's inhabitants.
Keep in mind, that certainly wasn't all the villains. In fact, it was only a small part of the massive list of catagories. But those are the types I've seen around the sight the most often, and I just felt the need to explain what they were so that you could recognize them. As I mentioned in the very first part of this guide, each and every one of these catagories require a complex, detailed backstory. Even the psychotic need a decent back story, howeber it doesn't have to be as detailed as the other villains and can even be made up to the characters point of veiw. But the psycho is the only exception. Remember, insanity and a tragic past doesn't excuse your character's actions.
One last thing, every villain needs a goal or objective, with the exception of the satanic and the psycho. The schemer can hardly plan anything without an objective. ^^ Oh, and by the way, the schemer doesn't necessarily have to be for power, that's more of an idol thing. They can plan for anything.
Hope you enjoyed my guide! Feel free to add on!
To start off, I'm going to show you the most common type of villain I see.
"Hello! My cat is evil and insane. She is really dangerous, but also beautiful. When she was a young, she killed off her family."
No. You see, there is nothing wrong with the fact that the villain killed off her family. However, if you want to be a real villain, you cant simply say you killed off your family. Everything happens for a reason. So ask yourself, what caused your character to kill his or her family? It wasn't just because you wanted to, it happened because something lead up to it. You see, no one is ever born evil. Sometimes, characters may be born withe a particularly malicious personality, but that doesn't make them villains. In fact, at such an early age, personalities can change depending on the circumstances. There is an exception to this, if your character is a psycho, however we'll get into the villain type a little later. For now, all you need to know is that the MOST IMPORTANT part of being a villain is having a good backstory, no one said it had to be original, just dependable as to why your character is evil. Keep in mind that tragic pasts and insanity do not excuse your villain for his or her actions. What they are doing is wrong. Period. They're villains. However, villains can be likeable, and it is often the most likeable villains that's are the most dangerous.
Now, another step to playing an evil character is understanding evil. Duh! Good guys obey the rules, bad guys break them. Easy right? Wrong! The way you understand evil varies upon the different personalities of your characters. There are some who believe that what they are doing is right. Take the character Tigerclaw for example. He wants power because he believes the current characters in power are weak, and he wants his clan to be strong. To him, what he is doing is for the better of the clan, for others, it's just plain wrong. Some other characters have even called him a monster.
Then you have those who know what they are doing is wrong. Some might care, but they have a reason to do it. Some probably don't care, and enjoy what they are doing. Again, we will get on to villain types next. Always be sure to play to your character's personality. How you understand evil is pretty much dependent on just that.
Another extra thing before we move on, villains don't have to look evil. They can look normal and even sweet as an angel and still be deadly. Another thing is sanity. Sane villains are often the most interesting, but are among the hardest to play because of the limitations and automatic restrictions your characters sanity may put in place. Sane character often push their roleplayers skills to ghd limit and challenge the brain as you struggle to cope with both dangerous situations, being evil, and staying sane.
On to the next section! Types of villains. Now, there are many types. Much more then I care to list. But many villains I see are freestyle, which means they don't fit in any specific catagory. They simply act evil in whatever way they can. These characters are often the least advanced and have poor backstories. Not often well developed, freestyle villains are usually hastilly made up characters that are given a name and simply thrown into the game just so the roleplayer can act cool and try to be evil. But that's not true evil. Now I'm not saying freestyle villains are wrong. I've seen plenty of freestyle villains who are actually quite excellent and interesting to roleplay with. Even I have a few freestyle villains, when I don't have the time to make up a good long novel of a backstory and im just ready to jump straight into roleplay. But freestyle villains are pretty much just mutts, and don't worry, ive had my share of wanting to be cool moment's where I just mixed up several types of villains to make one giant one, but they always die off because they get boring after a while. Every villain has to have a limit or a weakness in order to stay interesting. I should know. Lets run through a few catagories.
The psycho. Often the hardest to play because it's hard to imagine them with limits or weaknesses, but they have them. These are the types of villains that don't care about anything. They don't care who gets hurt or who dies, even if it's themselves. Some known what they are doing is wrong, some don't, but big point of it is, they don't care. About anything. Period. All they want to do is inflict pain and terror upon anything and everyone they can find. These types of villains are open to relationships, however, it isn't smart, because most allies of this dangerous villain often end up dead. Joker, from Batman, would be a great example.
The tragedy. Now, I often cant help but feel bad for these types of villains. These villains were born with dreams and hopes. And those dream's and hopes were often shattered at a young age, leaving their mind to deteriorate and fall into dissaray. Thinking there is nothing else left for them, these characters often become evil without even knowing it until it's to late. They often have emotional weaknesses and can be reasoned with for pity, however, all to often, become too cold hearted for their own good. Another time this woukd happen is if the character is in desperate need to do something, and the only way to do it is to resort to evil. Take Mr. Fries from Batman for example. He turned to evil because he was desperate to save his dying wife. He didn't want to be evil, but eventually, it got so bad, there was no turning back.
The schemer. These are dangerous because you often don't know they're there until your dead. These are the types of villains that act all good and righteous until the time comes to reveal themselves. They often have split personalities and live a double life. They plan every detail out to the last second and leave no room for error, as they are often obsessed with getting everything right,and usually go absolutely crazy when something goes wrong. Take Riddler, from Batman. He plans everything in advance, hiding until it's time to put his plan into action, almost positive it will work, having looked over every last detail. However, when Batman manages to escape his traps, Riddler often breaks down in despair over the thought that he might have missed something important. These villains are perfectionests that are often the most successful, however it only takes one tiny thing to bring their plans to ruin.
The terrorist. These villains are intent on only one thing. Fear. They want everyone to fear them, and those that don't fear them, they want dead. Though they aren't much for perfections, they enjoy scheming and are often the most devious of the villains, relying on stealth and surprise, along with their own ability to inflict pain and fear. These villains don't often kill, preferring to prolong their victim's life through a little suffering here and there. They make excellent torturers and are not to be estimated if you value your life. An example would be Scarecrow, from Batman. I assume you know I like Batman by now?
The idol. These villains are similar to the more guile villains, however prefer to focus on one thing. Power. They don't care how they achieve it, nor do they care how many people are Burt or killed. However, they do care for their personal self, and like schemers, they plan, though usually only simple plans, not drawn out, scrutinized plans. Like schemers, these characters don't often reveal themselves, but are often the leaders. Slowly, they build up what one might call a cult, a group of other characters that the character has gained control over, usually credit to brainwashing. Over time, this group builds while the villain steadily breaks them away from whatever group the villain is seeking to take control of, then rebels against the main force in an attempt to take over. These villains are common, however, often not very dangerous, especially if they can be picked out at an early stage, like schemers.
The satanic. When you see the word satanic, do you thin Satan? You should. These characters can be terribly dangerous, probably more so than any other villain, should they choose to be. However, only to those not affiliated with them. These characters are safe to have relations with as long as you know your boundaries. Displeasing these characters will often result in death, and the villain wouldn't care one bit. They don't often have feelings, and may be described as an empty shell with no heart or soul. They kill because they can, not because they want to or have to. In fact, they do everything because they can, not because they want to. They follow those in charge without question, if they happened to have proved their superiority, but should they become weak, this villain wont hesitate to kill. These characters don't plan, and sometimes, don't even think. They simply do because they can and if they cant, they wont do it. They are practically incapable of emotion, pity, love, happiness, and often opperate like a machine, rather then an actual living being. While it may seem like these villains are only good for following orders, they often make the most powerful and cruelest of tyrants, incapable of feeling pain simply because they can't comprehend it, uncaring of death, and utteely without pity, these particular villains are often more feared then the terrorists simply because of the sheer power they possess.
The monster. A character that kills for the good of the world. These characters don't believe they are evil, in fact, they ten to think of themselves as heroes. They believe life to be cruel and unforgiving, and seek to save others from Life's evil clutches by ending their lives. They often scar themselves to keep track of their kills, or as they say, how many people they have helped. They can be quite dangerous, but they often don't act like it. They act as if they are taking pity in their victims, claiming that they should not worry, it would all be over soon. These characters are usually the most twisted, and the most deadly. They have likely killed several times more then any other type of villain, and aren't afraid to do it again....for the good of the world and all it's inhabitants.
Keep in mind, that certainly wasn't all the villains. In fact, it was only a small part of the massive list of catagories. But those are the types I've seen around the sight the most often, and I just felt the need to explain what they were so that you could recognize them. As I mentioned in the very first part of this guide, each and every one of these catagories require a complex, detailed backstory. Even the psychotic need a decent back story, howeber it doesn't have to be as detailed as the other villains and can even be made up to the characters point of veiw. But the psycho is the only exception. Remember, insanity and a tragic past doesn't excuse your character's actions.
One last thing, every villain needs a goal or objective, with the exception of the satanic and the psycho. The schemer can hardly plan anything without an objective. ^^ Oh, and by the way, the schemer doesn't necessarily have to be for power, that's more of an idol thing. They can plan for anything.
Hope you enjoyed my guide! Feel free to add on!