Have you ever thought about what makes a good villain?

I think about it all the time. One of my absolute favorites is Moriarty from the BBC series Sherlock. The actor has filled out the role in compelling ways, to be sure, but it’s more than that. It’s the writing. Moriarty works so well as the hero’s adversary because the two are so well matched.

The show’s hero, Sherlock Holmes, describes himself as a “consulting detective.” The police go to him when they’re “out of their depth.” This puts him on the “side of the angels” so to speak. Moriaty, on the other hand, is described as a “consulting criminal.” Criminals seek him out when they need help, which makes him, occupationally, Sherlock’s counter. His opposite. The dark to his light.

But they’re not really so different. Each act outside the law more often than not, and while both can step into various roles–pretending to be the average citizen when it suits their purposes–they each despise the idea of being ordinary.

While their differences set them against one another, it’s their commonalities that make them such ideal adversaries. It’s a brilliant way to construct a power struggle, and a great template to look to as a growing writer. 

But what if your story needs a different kind of villain? What if, by virtue of the characters involved or the structure of the story, an equal-but-opposite kind of villain doesn’t work?

It’s a problem I’m trying to wheedle through myself. My hero is, by her very nature, stronger than anyone else in the book. She’s not all-powerful, and I think that’s important, but engaging her in combat would not end in victory for anyone, even the cruelest of villains. 

Which leaves me with a problem. There must be a power struggle between my villain and my hero, but how do I create a compelling conflict between two characters who are not evenly matched? 

Imagine our hero standing at the top of a very tall staircase, and our villain staring up at her from the bottom. The author’s job is to get our hero down a few stairs, and our villain up a few stairs, so they are standing at eye level with one another and can engage properly. If we don’t, our hero will simply be punching down, and that’s destined to be a very unsatisfying squirmish.

If the staircase were reversed and our villain stood at the top, we’ve created a beautiful struggle for our hero. The story will show our protagonist climbing those stairs by any means, bloodied and tired, determination leading them to the top where, at long last, they face off with their great antagonist. It’s a struggle that makes for a David and Goliath kind of story. Another great template for storytelling. 

But when it’s our villain who doesn’t present a proper challenge, we have some work to do. We must even the playing field, and we do that by giving our villain advantages the hero doesn’t have. 

MAYBE WE GIVE OUR VILLAIN:

A secret weapon

The first guy that comes to mind when I think of villains who have a long way to go before they can physically touch the hero, is Lex Luthor, a business man (or mad scientist depending on which incarnation you’re following) who wants to take down Superman. 

Because he’s human with no superpowers of his own, he’s been known to wear an armored warsuit that makes him stronger. It’s equipped with advanced weaponry and gives him the ability to fly. 

While he isn’t naturally as super as Superman, these advantages give him a leg up and offer the audience a fight worth watching.

While we’re talking Superman, it’s also fair to note that whenever he was defeated, it seems kryptonite had a role to play. Consider this then: Your villain’s secret weapon doesn’t necessarily have to make them stronger. On the contrary, secret weapons work just as well by targeting our hero’s source of power and neutralizing it. In going that route, we move our villain that much closer to an evenly matched conflict.   

A powerful team 

Two is always better than one and that’s not only true for heroes. It’s true for bad guys as well. And by filling out our villain’s support team with a crew of folks who have various strengths, it’s possible we can make up for the chasm between our hero and our villain. When we’re constructing our team, we need to give our characters strengths that will allow them to collectively close the gap on our hero. 

Leverage

When it’s impossible to take down a hero with a villain’s natural giftings, we might look at ways to attack the hero from within. What is their weakness, their Achilles heel? Who or what is it that they care about most?

If we give our villain access to that thing, we can use it to leverage our hero into any number of problematic scenarios, maybe even into weakening themselves. 

While Davy Jones isn’t exactly a hero in Pirates of the Carribbean: At World’s End, he isn’t the worst of the bad guys either. That role goes to Lord Cutler Beckett. But as a mere human, Beckett has to do something big to ensure Davy Jones, a supernaturally cursed monster, remains loyal to him. He decides to seek leverage by stealing Jones’s heart. Beckett keeps it under guard, guns threatening day and night, and in return Davy Jones does his bidding. 

A very effective–and villainous–way to position two unmatched characters on even footing.

Something the hero wants

Bait is always helpful. While there are similarities here to leverage, there is a subtle difference. 

Instead of giving your villain access to the hero’s most valued possession, by baiting them you’re offering up something they want. Something the hero believes will make them better, stronger, happier, or more complete.

Determining what a villain will use as bait is also good for our hero’s character development. What is it that will draw our hero out at an inopportune time? What will it take to get them to risk defeat?

I think of Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade, an adventure revolving around a search for the Holy Grail, a cup rumored to offer eternal life to those who drink from it. After watching two characters meet their end in hungry pursuit, Indy has a chance to reach for the cup. We see the desire in his eyes, the craving for eternal life just out of reach, and though Indy is at his heart a good guy, he isn’t above temptation. Every character has wants and needs, even our heroes. 

If our villain has access to such bait, they should certainly use it.    

The inside track

The math just works here. If your villain and hero are racing for the same great prize, and if your hero is faster, it might help to give your villain a shorter path to run. If they have to cheat to make that happen, all the better. It’s a very villainy way to keep the race close.

Emotional attachment to the hero

If your villain and your hero have an attachment that makes the defeat of the other painful for them, it ups both the stakes and the tension.  

In Star Wars: The Last Jedi, the entire plot was built on the emotional attachment between Rey and Kylo Ren. While they were more evenly matched in strength and skill than the scenario we’re examining here, they’re a great example of the importance and heaviness emotional attachment brings to a battle scene. 

You can use this same strategy to make victory painful for your hero. Their reluctance is a great benefit to the villain.

I’ve given you just six strategies for closing the power gap between a stronger hero and a weaker villain. The important thing to remember is that the hero/villain relationship will only work if there’s a good chance the hero loses. The possibility of loss makes the journey compelling and there are countless ways to manufacture that.

Tell me, who are your favorite fictional villains and why are they so memorable?  

Shannon Dittemore is an author and speaker. Her books include the Angel Eyes trilogy, a supernatural foray into the realm of angels and demons, as well as the fantastical adventure novel Winter, White and Wicked. Its sequel, Rebel, Brave and Brutal is due out January 10, 2023.

Shannon’s stories feature strong female leads grappling with fear and faith as they venture into the wilds of the unknown. She’s often wondered if she’s writing her own quest for bravery again and again.

It’s a choice she values highly. Bravery. And she’s never more inspired than when young people ball up their fist and punch fear in the face.

To that end, Shannon takes great joy in working with young writers, both in person and online at Go Teen Writers, an instructional blog recognized by Writer’s Digest four years running as a “101 Best Websites for Writers” selection.

For more about Shannon and her books, please visit her website, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.