Board Thread:Off Topic/@comment-24534644-20170124093450/@comment-5426254-20170125145115

@SYUTK A tip for writing Card-Carrying Villains is to imagine that what they're doing is a passion for them, and that they feel alive and free doing these things, unrestrained by moral codes. Just like how heroes doing good out of passion is a thing, so too are our villains.

My first villain was originally designed to be an unrepentant punching bag so that my first protagonist would accomplish his revenge. But then I decided to try and make him more realistic, and somehow he became more like a Joker-esque figure that always troll and does things just to see his victims get emotional. I then wanted him to be a polarizing character, in that he does all these horrible things to remind us of how evil he really is, but with enough charm and awesomeness to gather enough of a fanbase to start bickering with the other parts of a fandom - A Base-Breaking Character that incites Flame Wars. My current plan is to have him win for some time after his death, and trigger character development in the protagonist.

Another villain I have planned is a CEO. Unlike stereotypical ones who just sit in the darkness and lie and cowardly escape, this CEO has principles defending why he does things. He's arrogant, brash, and offensive, roasting everyone on sight that he dislikes, not unlike recent figures in the media. Also a great warrior that believes in the power of determination. To make him more realistic, I'm planning to give him a softer side that he often comes into conflict with - a Byronic Villain, perhaps.

My two most recent ones are an automaton assembled with so much rejected Atlas tech and firepower designed to be a menace to Mook hordes and a sociopathic ex-military terrorist that loves chaos on a grand scale - and fighting in wars. A female Ali-al Saachez, if you will.

So, what do you think? Do they make for interesting villains?