Photo credit to Elemental Child
(check out their crowns, they're beautiful but so expensive *sobs*)
Everyone loves a good hero, right? But I always thought that a great villain makes for a better hero. Sure we love to root for the underdog and the oracle quest, but I love reading and learning about the villains that our heroes are fighting against. Maybe I'm like secretly chaotic neutral or something, but I love a good villain and a good villain story. Actually I want there to be more YA that's like a villain origin story. Wouldn't that be cool?
But there are all types of villains, Alexa.
And to that I say:
I know
So here are the top two kinds of villains I love the most:
The Kick Ass and Take Names
Now I love this kind of villain. Why? Because I'm an incredibly aggressive potato (try to get that picture in your mind) and so when I see villains being violent and ruthless, I'm totally alongside them. Does that put me in a bad light? I don't know.
Maybe?
But still, I love seeing villains that are a huge part of the action and fight hand in hand with our heroes. It's also a huge plus if its a lady because lady kick ass villains are the best kind of villains. These kinds of villains don't give a hoot about who you are and what you stand for. They have a goal and they're going to do whatever it takes to make it to that goal. I mean all the better for us hero rooters to cheer on our protagonists right?
These kinds of villains are usually my favorite villains in action packed or fast paced novels. They add a lot of flare and fun.
The Emotionally Unstable and Morally Ambiguous
Out of ALL the villains ever, this is probably my favorite kind. I love getting to the end of a novel or a series and being able to somewhat sympathize with the villain or the antagonist of the story. Weird right, that I want to question whether the villain was really good or bad. They just make such interesting characters! It makes the story into more of an ensemble piece than just a hero's journey and I don't know something about that kind of dynamic is incredibly enticing to read.
I can totally like a book with The Kick Ass and Take Names villains, but if there's the case of The Emotionally Unstable and Morally Ambiguous villains then I'm more likely to love the book. It just shows us that the villains aren't just personification of injustice and evil--it shows us that we can all be villains if we let ourselves become that way. Making a villain that is human and morally ambiguous just creates such a heavier and denser dynamic than just having a clear cut and cliche villain.
Plus I also like seeing the villain and the hero becoming weird frenemies.
Are you fond of villains? If you are what's your favorite type?
