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When people think of fantasy stories, heroic protagonists facing down mighty dragons and dark lords come to mind. They enjoy seeing the hero prevail after enduring setback after setback. But what if you flipped the script? That is, instead of focusing it on the hero, you have a villain protagonist?
What exactly does a villain protagonist mean? In simple terms, the big bad is where the plot centers around. But when it comes to fantasy, it is much more than that. Imagine what it would be like if you read a story where everything revolved around a villain like Emperor Palpatine or Sauron. You’ll see things that you would never see with tales that focus on the good guys, giving you a plethora of opportunities to craft interesting plots.
Using the villain as the protagonist enables you to explore how he perceives the world and others around him. In other words, you delve into his psyche, giving your audience a chance to understand why he does the things he does. Sometimes these stories lead to sympathy for the villain or increase hatred of him, especially if he is presented to be a cold, calculating character with no remorse whatsoever.
The best part about featuring stories around the villain protagonist is that you get to explore themes and other ideas that you otherwise couldn’t using the good guys. For example, you can showcase elements of his personality that led him down the path that he is on today, shining a light on what made him fall in the first place. If you do it right, it can be a gold mine in terms of storytelling potential.
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Seeing the hero character vanquish the wicked monster wreaking havoc upon the world brings nothing but happiness to the audience, especially after all the hardships and troubles he’s suffered. Because of his actions, the world is again at peace. But what would happen if instead of prominently featuring the hero, the villain takes center stage?
The villain protagonist becomes the main character instead of the hero. Thus, it becomes his story to tell. The actions and decisions he makes throughout his tale shape not just who he is but the world around him. Most of of the time, they will have a negative impact which shouldn’t be surprising since it is a story centered around the big bad.
In this vein, the villain’s journey mirrors that of his enemy, the hero. He starts off with a goal in mind and unlike his foe, it becomes an obsession that drives every choice he makes through his story. He experiences both triumph and defeat and sometimes he learns from the mistakes he makes though other times he doesn’t, choosing to ignore the lessons from them.
Instead of seeking friendships, the villain protagonist searches only for allies who will help him reach his goal. He has little desire to foster meaningful friendships, believing that using others is just a means to an end. He cares about allying himself with those who will help, not hinder, him.
The audience expects the hero to win, since good is supposed to emerge the victor in the long running war with evil, but should the villain prevail if he plays the role of the protagonist? Or is he fated to lose at the end just when everything he’s dreamed of is finally within his reach? When constructing a story with the big bad as the protagonist, only you can make this decision yourself.
What makes stories that revolve around the villain so fascinating is that you are seeing something from a wholly different perspective. This means you learn a lot more about the character who is trying to take over the world, far more than you could using the traditional hero. This is a goldmine in terms of storytelling potential but only if done correctly.
Common elements of stories with the villain protagonist showcase how and why he wound up doing the things he does. This means you gain valuable insight into his mind, how he thinks, the reasons for doing what he does. Does knowing more about him condone the atrocities he commits in the plot itself since you understand more about his psyche? That question is one that is explored in these type of stories.
By having the big bad take center stage in the story, it adds far more dimensions to his character than relegating him to a mustache-twirling mischievous cretin who delights in causing chaos all over. Some stories even put him in a sympathetic light, portraying him as someone of a wholly different character before his descent into madness. Maybe he suffered the loss of his parents at the hands of a murderer when he was a child and his overwhelming grief eventually gave way to a borderline obsession at finding their killer. He took matters into his own hands and believed that finding the person responsible will bring him a peace he has long sought.
By highlighting key steps in his journey, the audience sees elements of who the villain protagonist would eventually become sprinkled throughout. Sometimes he is depicted as a tragic figure, other times as an amoral character who has a lust for power and possesses a steadfast determination to do whatever it takes to get it, no matter what it costs not just him but other people as well.
An interesting note to add about exploring this particular type of story is the question of whether there’s a point where he can still be saved. That is, before he made that irredeemable choice to boldly become the monster people thought he was. Only he can make that choice himself despite the people who were still in his life at that point attempted to stop him, believing he still harbored that good somewhere in his ever-growing black heart.
When structuring a story around the villain, there is a plethora of themes you can use but you can do them in a different fashion. Stories with the heroic protagonist explore many positive and negative themes, showing how they impact not just the characters themselves but the world around them. With the villain as the protagonist, you can turn them on their heads and shine a different light on them.
One element that appears in many tales is that of war. In traditional stories, war is depicted as a last resort to stop the villain from winning, after many attempts at finding a diplomatic solution ended in dismal failure. The heroes band together and fight his underlings in various battles. With the villain, war could be presented not just as an opportunity to bring his dream to fruition but to show how he believes he is trying to save the world from people who don’t care as much about it as he does.
Many, not all, villains have some degree of tragedy in their lives. While the previous section touched on how such a profound experience set them on the path they’re on, it also exemplifies the power of choice. The hero character used the losses he incurred to make him stronger and more determined, the villain protagonist chose to use it to punish the world and everyone in it instead of finding a way to accept it and move on with his life.
When it comes to environmental themes, the big bad is typically depicted as a character who abhors nature, viewing everything about it as something that can be exploited. From trees to ore, he has many things to use in his war against good. With him in the driver’s seat in terms of the plot, you can showcase that he doesn’t necessarily view it in that light. Maybe he has his own reasons such as believing that the other side wantonly wastes them or isn’t using these resources to their fullest potential.
The villain protagonist is certainly a compelling twist on the archetypical tale of having the good guy be the main player. Instead of having the audience root for him, they could root against him or be filled with curiosity as to how he became the monster that they would later see in the story. If used correctly, it can take him to a whole new level!
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