Villains we love to hate…
Every good story needs a good villain…
A Bookish Musing on the Dark Side of Every Good Story
Darth Vader. Cersei Lannister. Captain Hook. Petyr Baelish.
Some of the biggest villain names of all time, and honestly some of my favorites to this very day.
The truth is, I love to hate a good villain. A well-written villain has a way of staying with us, despite not being in the forefront. In fact, in the best cases, they do their best work in the shadows. While the main character shines loudly, I think the best villains work in the quiet. In the way their jaw ticks. Their eyes narrow. The way the silence between words says so much more than the words themselves.
The thing about villains is, whether you love them or hate them, they always stir up some kind of emotion. How many times have you thought to yourself, "I'm so glad that person's gone," after being emotionally dragged through an entire series? We've all been there, reading a book and thinking, "I just cannot wait for this person to disappear from the plot."
Recently, for me, it was Jack Barlowe from Fourth Wing. Ughh, what a jerk.
But here's the thing. Every protagonist needs an antagonist. Because just like in life, sometimes it takes a really bad person to show you exactly who you don't want to be. Someone who challenges you to do the thing you were afraid of just to help someone else. To speak up in a world that would prefer you to be silent.
It's because of a good villain that a protagonist becomes brave enough to become a hero.
As much as I hate to admit it, every story needs a good villain. But remember, while we sit at home seething over their actions, even the Jack Barlowes of the world have a story to tell. Villains aren't just born villains. They're forged…through dark pasts and trauma.
The truth is, we've all faced our own forms of villains in this world. Maybe not so wicked-witch-of-the-west obvious, but we have. We've all been made fun of. Discouraged. Manipulated. Made to feel small, or weak.
Sometimes it's our villains who shape us into the people we are. Not because they were easy to face… but because they weren't.
The truth is, even in reality, our villains make us stronger.
With love, Jasmine