Trust and control are key issues in pretty well every situation involving the interaction of human beings, be they real-world or fictional. They are also sources of conflict.
Control is imposed, trust is granted. These threads run through almost every human interaction at some level, and how a scene, or a book, handles them has a lot to do with how convincing it is.
Control is not, of itself, a bad thing. Everyone wants some control over basic things like where their next meal is coming from. A military force that doesn’t enforce discipline runs into problems like desertion and war crimes. Someone who doesn’t control their money will soon find they don’t have any.
On the other hand, trying to control something you can’t control is an exercise in frustration, and accomplishes nothing except to breed ill will. Backseat drivers are obnoxious just about everywhere. Rioting about the actions of a government halfway around the world makes a lot of work for the local police, but doesn’t change those policies an iota.
Imprisonment is considered a serious punishment pretty well everywhere, and it’s used because it’s a deterrent to most people. Not all, to be sure, because deterrence is a moving target. People are adaptable. It can cut both ways, too. Someone who thinks they have nothing to lose becomes dangerously unpredictable.
Prison is a total loss of control. You do what you’re told to do, go where you have to go, eat what’s put in front of you, and so on. One of the usual responses is to reach for some form of control, which very commonly takes the form of terrorising other prisoners into submission. Unsurprisingly, they all resent the prison staff, as the people who are imposing that control on them.
One could make a reasonable case that villainy is just a bottomless lust for control. Sauron wanted control over all Middle Earth, and suffered no restraints in what he would do to gain that control. There are countless other examples in fiction and in real life. One of those is playing out in Ukraine as I write this post.
So, here’s a checklist for constructing a villain:
- Who is the villain? Back story, description, strengths, weaknesses.
- Strengths determine how formidable the villain is.
- Weaknesses are generally what the protagonists will use to take down the villain.
- Decide What the villain wants to control. Middle Earth? The world’s gold supply? Gotham City?
- When does the villain come into the story? This might be right at the beginning, or he could be the mastermind behind the scenes.
- Where is the villain during the story? Does he stay in his secret lair? Right out in plain sight?
- Why does he want to control what he wants to control? This usually ties into his back story.
- This is not always stated. Sauron wanted to control Middle Earth because Tolkien said he did.
- A reason helps make him more believable, and may open a weak spot for the heroes to exploit.
- It can be a mystery for the heroes to solve.
- How does he control, or seek to control, what he wants to control?
- Does he act alone, or have an army of minions?
- What assets does he have? Does he rule a country? Is he rich?
- Does he have allies or influence?
- Does he have personal abilities, such as magic or superpowers?
So, a worked example.
Professor Sebastian Moriarty
Who: English male, forties, Professor of Mathematics. Tall, balding, stooped posture, dresses in academic fashion for Victorian England. Obscure origins, probably poverty-stricken. This may well be the root of his lust for wealth and power.
Strengths: Mathematical genius, brilliant planner, competent leader.
Weaknesses:
- Respects Holmes as an intellect equal to his own, reluctant to kill him.
- Arrogance, doesn’t believe anyone is smarter than he is.
- Rules by fear, rather than inspiring loyalty.
What: Heads a crime organisation which controls most of the London underworld. He will do anything to keep that control, including multiple murders for hire and countless other crimes.
When: Part of a story arc between him and Sherlock Holmes. Mostly a mastermind behind the scenes, appears in person toward the end as his minions fail to deter Holmes.
Why: Basically wants power for its own sake. Money is a tool to that end. Maintains strict discipline among his hirelings, punishes failure severely.
How: Has at his disposal practically unlimited money and a large number of criminal hirelings.
This obsession with control also makes sense of the endgame, when he is willing to die himself in order to have his revenge on Sherlock Holmes, who cost him control of his criminal empire and nearly put him in prison. Having lost control of his criminal empire, he has nothing to live for except revenge.
Once those decisions are made, a major player has taken shape and much of the story will be wrapped around the decisions in this checklist.
Enjoy your villainy!
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