How to Write a Good Villain (With Examples)

• Feb 12, 2026
• 6 min read

• Tags: Character, Fiction, Fiction Writing, Novel, Novel Writing, Type of Characters

Just as every story needs a protagonist, it also needs a villain to give the protagonist (and the plot) purpose. However, just as it is easy to turn a protagonist into a perfect, seemingly flawless character, it is easy to portray a villain as a one-dimensional character with no redeeming qualities. 

Here are some tips on how to write a villain who is human and believable, and who adds value and nuance to your story.

Defining a villain

Who exactly is a villain? 

A villain is traditionally defined as a person with malicious intent who serves as a foil to the protagonist. Their objectives often result in harm to individuals, society, or a civilization, and it falls to the protagonist to stop them and ‘save the day’.

In recent times, the definition of a villain has become more nuanced. Villains are often people with their own ‘origin story’ that describes the trauma they faced that made them negatively oriented individuals, and in postmodern society, villains can also be large corporations that seek to make money at the cost of human life or the environment.

Here are some tips (with examples) on how to create nuanced, multilayered villains who are not caricatures, but believable characters.

A strong origin story

Contrary to popular stereotypes, most villains are made, not born. Here are some points to keep in mind when crafting a believable origin story that marks the beginning of the character’s transformation into a villain:

1. What were the circumstances around their birth, and did they have a normal or traumatic childhood?

2. What was their relationship with their family (if any) like?

3. Did they have friends, and if so, what was their relationship with their peers like?

4. What were some defining events in their early life that set the foundations for their transformation into a villain?

5. Was there a moment of ‘no return’, when they made up their mind to follow a villainous path? What finally caused the scales to tip?

Example: Coriolanus Snow, the villain of the Hunger Games series, was not always villainous. His journey as a villain began with his own negative experiences in his youth and the loss of a love interest, which in turn made him bitter.

What are their motivations?

Shaped by their formative years or a specific incident (elaborated on in the origin story), villains usually have a particular motivation that guides their dastardly actions. Here are some tips on how to frame the same:

1. What does your villain love? What are their attachments and goals that they seek to achieve?

2. What kind of world does your villain envision, and how do they intend to create the same?

3. What does your villain despise and plan to rid the world of?

4. What are your villain’s core values or beliefs that guide their actions?

5. What are their prejudices?

Example: Tom Marvolo Riddle (also known as Lord Voldemort) from the Harry Potter series was an orphan who was abandoned by his father and whose mother died soon after giving birth to him. He grew up in an orphanage and started his student life as a poor but brilliant young boy. His hatred towards Muggles (non-magic people) was fuelled by his sense of injustice against his father and his father’s Muggle origins. This went on to fuel his life-long vendetta against Muggles and Muggle-born witches and wizards, and formed the baseline of his campaign towards ‘pureblood’ magic supremacy.

Avoiding stereotypes 

Most villains are painted as having stereotypically ‘dark’ interests, and are portrayed as dressing in stark colours that very clearly set them apart from the other ‘good’ characters. Here are some ways to avoid painting your villain as a one-dimensional stereotype and give them regular characteristics that make them more well-rounded and believable:

1. What are their hobbies and interests outside of plotting world domination or overall doom?

2. Do they like animals, and if so, which ones?

3. What is their dressing style like? How do they present themselves physically?

Example: Dolores Umbridge from the Harry Potter series is a unique villain because, in a characterization that goes against the grain, she is of small stature, loves dressing in pink, and has an immense fondness for cats, all of which give her a personality outside of her obsession with blood purity and sadistic nature towards students. This is an especially powerful characterization as it shows that regular people can be villains, too.

Villains are human, too

Finally, it is important to remember that villains are human, too. They might not be all bad and might have some redeeming qualities or human frailties, which can be the chink in the villainous armor. Here are some tips to explore the same:

1. Do not portray your villain as an invincible character. Explore their fears and insecurities and how these inform their motivations.

2. Find out what your villain struggles with (example: low self-image, insomnia, or mental health issues).

3. Portray your villain as someone who has made mistakes in planning and pursuing their dastardly goals.

4. Does the villain ever have moments of remorse?

5. How does the villain perceive the protagonist, and are there ever moments that hint at a potential connection or future friendship or relationship between them?

Now that you have all the tips you need, it’s time to get started on writing a layered, nuanced villain who will add great value to your story. Happy writing!

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Tanvi

With a foundation in Life Sciences, Tanvi enjoys curating technical writing tips tailored for ESL students. When she's not translating complex concepts into bite-sized nuggets, she can be found playing with dogs or painting landscapes.