A great story doesn’t just feature the protagonist, it has an antagonist. Serving as the villain, the antagonist attempts to take the world by force but not just anyone will do. When it comes to fantasy, the perfect candidate to be the big bad of the story is the feared dark lord, a being who wields immense power and is to be feared.
In fantasy, dark lords take many different appearances from Darth Vader to Sauron. They all look terrifying and that is precisely the point. They showcase how power corrupts the soul, forever destroying what was good in their heart, thereby giving them a twisted appearance that unnerves all those in their presence.
The dark lord sits atop his empire and he’s there for a reason. He has a terrifying arsenal of powers under his command, powers that inspire fear in both friend and foe. The cruelest ones have extensive knowledge of the spells of necromancy and use the undead to create practically invincible forces.
The most powerful dark lords have the mind of a strategist. Take Darth Sidious for example. He bided his time and posing as the kindly Senator/Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, he was able to lay the groundwork for the Clone Wars and then played both sides during the war to amass more power until the opportune time came to destroy the Jedi and replace the Galactic Republic with the Galactic Empire.
This is article number thirteen in the series poring over the various fantasy characters. If you like this article and want to see what else we have, we have plenty more on our blog page!
In fantasy, the dark lord is the personification of power. He cast aside what goodness he had — if he had any at all — in the pursuit for power. Once he received his desire, it transformed him, turning him into someone practically unrecognizable from who he had been once. His newfound appearance is a reflection of his dark soul.
It is said that the eyes are the gateway to the soul and that truism is especially valid when it comes to that of the dark lord. Having sold his soul for ultimate power, his eyes take on a sinister hue as seen in media. Red and orange-colored eyes are popular choices, revealing his affinity with the darkness.
With power corrupting the soul, the flesh of the dark lord is ill-suited to house such malevolence. The smoothness of the skin gives way to wrinkles and lines, giving him a crag-like appearance. Lustrous hair fades and his youthful skin becomes old and decrepit.
In some cases, he chooses to wear armor all over, as if to protect his body. The armor he wears becomes an extension of himself. He sports a helmet that barely conceals the evil lurking within, striking fear in the hearts of his enemies and his body is attired in metallic garments that make it impossible for someone to deliver a mortal blow.
One interesting thing about the voice of the dark lord is that it still remains honey-tongued even after his transformation into a monstrous creature. He uses the power to sway people to do his bidding, even if it is against their will or that they don’t know that they are being manipulated. His voice was and is one of his most powerful tools he has at his disposal and he makes great use of it.
Befitting his title, the dark lord is more than a worthy opponent for the protagonist. With him comes a smorgasbord of powers that dwarf many wizards and other magical folk and he will use them to his fullest extent whether he’s on the battlefield or battling someone one-on-one. To his enemies, he is terrifying to behold and to his followers, he is but a god.
One power you are certain to see with this sinister figure is that of black magic. This form of magic holds many terrifying spells such as a black wave that temporarily paralyzes all targets in the immediate vicinity. Black magic is cruel by nature and the dark lord gleefully uses it to torment his enemies and their cries of pain fill him with joy.
The dark lord makes good use of both fire and lightning powers. With the former, he uses it to help bring the machines of war to life and to wreak havoc upon the natural world. As for the latter, he uses it to strike a blow against his opponents, forcing their armies to scatter as to avoid being electrocuted.
Many dark lords perform various experiments with their abilities to create new powers and spells that will serve them well. They rely on their trusted arcane texts for guidance and use test subjects, namely their minions, to see how their experiments fare and make the necessary modifications before bringing them out into the open. These powers range from being a fusion of two existing ones to a whole new class of powers never seen before.
The deadliest power the dark lord has at his disposal is the ability to raise the dead. This effectively makes an army appear out of nowhere that will only do the bidding of their master. The undead is notoriously difficult to kill which makes them a great asset for the dark lord but that isn’t the only reason for their existence. They sport weapons that make them quite dangerous, one being the power to turn the living into the undead, swelling their ranks.
There’s a reason why the dark lord is the protagonist’s deadliest enemy. Though he may possess powers no other being would dare learn, that isn’t the only reason why he is the greatest threat to the hero. It is because he is one of the smartest beings to ever walk in the world and he uses his brains to devastating effect.
This sinister character has the mind of a cunning strategist. That is, he devises plans and schemes only he can think of and he executes them with alacrity. They are twisted and befitting of his character. Some dark lords have patience in spades, choosing to give their nefarious plans the time they need to come to fruition.
One of the greatest examples of the strategist nature of the dark lord is seen in Middle-earth in the Second Age. After Numenor sends a great fleet to challenge Sauron, the dark lord, knowing that his servants alone cannot defeat Numenor, willingly allows himself to be captured and transported to the maritime realm. It isn’t too long afterwards that he wins over the king and some of his top advisers and over the next several decades, he becomes the power behind the throne and he uses it to great effect to persuade the king and his people to move against Valinor, knowing that such an attempt will end in failure.
The typical dark lord drafts grand campaigns in his bid for world domination and alliances are a crucial component of his strategy. He allies himself with the malcontents of the world, offering them false promises of giving them their heart’s desire with the intention of not following through on his promises. For those who refuse, he applies pressure on them until they bend the knee to him.
Another element of his strategist mindset is the use of threats and coercion to bend people’s wills to him. Blackmail is a key arsenal in his toolshed as he uses the incriminating information he has on people to force them to do his bidding. He recognizes that doing so will generate nothing but enmity towards him but he doesn’t care, as long as they do what he wants, he’s content to let them hate him.
The dark lord is an iconic figure in the fantasy genre. With his immense powers, he is a terrifying force to behold on the battlefield. Ambition and an obsessive lust for power pulses in his black heart and he will do everything in his power to achieve his goals, no matter the cost and that makes him the protagonist’s most feared adversary.
The typical dark lord takes on a twisted appearance. Largely a reflection of his corrupted soul, his grotesque appearance fills the hearts of both friend and foe with fear. In some worlds, he is clad entirely in armor that he himself developed which makes him practically impossible to slay.
As the manifest representation of evil, this malevolent character wields an ungodly amount of power. He can summon the undead at will, send forth plumes of flames that incinerate everything in their path, or create black clouds that blot out the sunlight. Only those with steadfast courage can face him on the battlefield and be unfazed by his powers.
The dark lord concocts schemes to get what he wants, as per his strategist mindset. These schemes range from blackmailing people to applying various pressure on them. He will do everything in his power to make it happen, regardless of the fallout. For him, victory is his overarching objective.
With how popular the dark lord is, it’s no wonder this character appears in numerous tales across the genre. He makes for a riveting character and is a superb counterpart to the heroic protagonist. You can’t go wrong with featuring the dark lord in your own story!
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