forum Is my villain a good villain?

Started August 05, 2018 by @ElderGod-Icefire

tune

Okay, okay, I know, Villains aren't good. What I mean is is she a villain with motives, and reason, and whatnot…sorry if I'm not making sense. Here's her link: Ravenna I'm mainly just wondering/hoping she's not an awful, cliche villain. Thank you!

I like her! Her backstory seems a bit jumbled (what royals are left in the court if the royal family was killed?) but I’m sure it makes sense in your head and will be perfect when you write it out. Overall, she seems pretty well rounded!

The thing about your villain is that she seems underdeveloped. Of course, some people do posses the uncanny amount of tunnel vision as she does, but usually…no. Every trait you've given her, every mannerism, flaw, appearance, and even nickname could all be summed up as "villain." Smirks a lot? That's the only physical mannerism you've given her, and that's nearly every cliche villain out there. However, I'm not saying she should never smirk. What I'm saying is more of a question: who is she underneath her motivation, underneath her villain-y? What's her actual personality like? What does she do when she laughs? What makes her laugh? Does she ever second-guess herself? Does she feel she's doing the right thing? What type of friend is she? What type of lover? Does she like animals?

The thing most people forget is that a villain is a person first. A villain is a hero in their own mind.

Along that same note; here are some other things you could think about.
-How did losing her entire family in a single accident make her feel? How did that change her motivations for the throne? how, over the hundred years of her life, has she dealt with any of those emotions? has she forgotten? or has she channeled them into rage?
-What is the deal with the elementals? Why did she react the way she did with them?
-Why did she wait 100 years to make her attack? Did she not have enough power until then? Is she waiting for a flaw in the current ruling family? did she ever try taking back the throne before?
-Has she always been patient? or is it something she has had to learn over the past century?
-She seems to be an extremely powerful magic-user, even in her youth? how did she get this way?
-What exactly is her relationship with the shadows? Are they like children to her? friends? tools?
-You mention she enjoys sewing. How does that fit into her character? Is it something she does to de-stress after a battle? Does it remind her of her old life as a princess? Does it serve a function(channeling magic through it?)
-Your only "flaw" for her is not paying attention to defense. How does this reflect upon her personally? Is she overconfident that her offense is so powerful that defense won't be needed? Is she too busy struggling to wrangle all of the shadows that she completely forgot about defensive tactics? And then, beyond that, what does that reason say about her general flaws as a person. Does she try to take on too much? Is she over-confident? Does she let her emotions get too far ahead of her?

Let me just say this character is wonderful :) .Everything I have to say here is super nitpicky, and they are just some specific angles to look at her from. Hope this helped!

Thank you all so much, I will definitely be working on her a bit more. As for the Shadows, they are creatures she has created out of, well, shadow, and there are three types: Sky Shadows, Shadow Golems, and Miscellaneous shadows. They are the main portion of her army and are her servants.