forum How do you make readers root for the villain?

Started January 16, 2018 by SolarisBlond

tune

I'm writing a story where every other chapter is written in the protagonists and the villains POV, how would I make the villain seem like a good guy, at the same time bad?

Well, it really depends on what this villain is DOING, but you want to justify their actions through motivations. The key here is that these motivations MUST have a strong root in the backstory. For example, I once read a book that dealt with multiple universes. The villain was sent to a desecrated universe when she was young and the 'doppleganger' of her boyfriend's father tortured people. When she went back, she killed her boyfriend's father because of her experiences. Like, it's a bad thing, but you can see where it is coming from. Backstory is KEY when dealing with villains. Make sure their actions could be seen as justifiable–not entirely, but just enough that the reader can't HATE them.

I hope this helps, at least a little bit!! :DD

GENIUS–

The villain has to have something relatable that the reader can relate to, and unconsciously form a bond with. Think of the reasons why readers love the heroes. Are they charming? Witty? Funny? Smart? Brave? Put these characteristics into the villain. Also, it helps to have the villain be the narrator, so the reader understands the motive and intent behind their decisions, even if they're only narrating for part of the story. If this is not possible, then I recommend having a lot of scenes that include interacts with both the hero and the villain. One more tip I have is to make the villain have a really sad backstory that the reader can't help but sympathize with. They were the best kid in their class. The sweetest, most lovable. But then his mom got into drugs, and his life spiraled downhill. One day she beat him until both his arms were broken and he could only see through a sliver in his eye. The villain ran away and never came back. Things like that make the reader feel awful.

Make them relatable.

I agree with making the villain relatable and unconsciously bond with, but also make them human. Give them flaws, internal conflict, problems in their own life. Making them look good is also a small factor. Give the villain something that the reader can sympathize with, get them to show empathy. Every villain is a hero in their own mind.

Well, the simple way is to make the hero less interesting or deep than the villain. Dull people are rarely as popular as well-written ones.
Another way is to just make your villain fun. Like Loki in MCU, or Gabriel in 'Supernatural'
You could also give your villain a reasonable motivation or point. Looking back, you'll often find that villains are in the right, or arguably so, when it comes to their cause.