How To Create The PERFECT VILLAIN Character For Your Manga | Ft @GummKid

MONITOR COMICS

17 Jan 202310:00

Summary

TLDRIn this insightful video, the focus is on crafting compelling villain characters for comic, manga, or webtoon narratives. The presenter, Gum Kid, an independent comic artist, emphasizes the importance of villains as they highlight the hero's journey and introduce conflict. Villains are not just evil; they have their own motivations and goals, often seen as the heroes of their own stories. The video differentiates between villains and antagonists, noting that while all villains are antagonists, not all antagonists are villains. It also touches on the concept of anti-heroes and provides examples of well-written and poorly written villains. The key takeaway is to give villains depth, making them more than one-dimensional adversaries. The presenter suggests using character interview sheets to flesh out their backgrounds, motivations, and goals, and stresses that a villain's motive and goal are crucial for creating conflict and driving the story forward. The video concludes with the idea that villains and heroes are often a matter of perspective, and encourages creators to view their villains as complex individuals with their own stories to tell.

Takeaways

🎭 **Villains are Essential**: A great villain character is crucial for showcasing the hero's heroism and understanding the conflicts and dangers they face.
🧐 **Defining Villains**: Villains are characters who oppose the protagonist and are often seen as evil, but they can also be complex individuals with their own motivations.
🤔 **Antagonists vs. Villains**: Not all antagonists are villains; villains are a subset of antagonists who are more significant and typically embody evil.
👶 **Origins of Villains**: Villains are not born evil; their character development and life experiences shape their goals and motives.
🔥 **Conflict and Tension**: Villains add conflict and depth to a story, making their goals and motives as important as the forces that drive the heroes.
🌟 **Villains as Heroes in Their Own Story**: A villain is the hero of their own story, and their opposition to the protagonist is often due to conflicting goals.
🏆 **Noble Villains**: Villains whose goals may be more noble than the hero's can create compelling storytelling and moral dilemmas.
🤓 **Everyday Villains**: Some villains are not evil by nature but are forced into evil actions due to circumstances, making them relatable and complex.
🚫 **Poorly Written Villains**: Lack of depth, reasoning, and purpose can lead to poorly written villains who are one-dimensional and fail to engage the audience.
🔄 **Villain to Hero Transformation**: Villains can become heroes under certain conditions, such as a greater threat or a change of heart, which can be a controversial but interesting plot device.
📝 **Character Development**: A well-written villain should have a backstory, clear motives, and goals that make their actions coherent and understandable to the audience.

Q & A

What is the primary role of a villain character in a story?
-The primary role of a villain character is to serve as the antagonist who opposes the main character, creating conflict and tension, which in turn highlights the heroism of the protagonist and the dangers and challenges they face.
How does a villain character differ from an antagonist in general?
-While all villains are antagonists, not all antagonists are villains. A villain is typically a more significant evil force in the plot, whereas an antagonist could also play the role of an anti-hero, someone who opposes the protagonist but may not necessarily be evil.
What are the four main types of antagonists mentioned in the script?
-The four main types of antagonists are villains, conflict creators, inanimate forces, and internal conflict characters.
What is a common trait between villains and heroes according to the script?
-Both villains and heroes believe in the rightness of their actions and are the heroes of their own stories. Their perspectives and the way they perceive their goals and motives are what differentiate them.
Why are villains' goals and motives important in storytelling?
-Villains' goals and motives are important because they add depth to their characters, create conflict necessary for the story, and allow the audience to understand the reasons behind their actions, making the story more engaging and believable.
What are some examples of well-written villains with noble goals?
-Examples of well-written villains with noble goals include Funny Valentine from JoJo's Bizarre Adventure and Yoshikage Kira from the manga/anime series Death Note.
How can a poorly written villain be identified?
-A poorly written villain can be identified by the lack of depth in their reasoning, clear motives, or purpose behind their actions. They may be evil for the sake of being evil without a compelling backstory or rationale.
What are the three ways to justify a villain character becoming a hero?
-The three ways to justify a villain character becoming a hero are: introducing a greater threat that requires the villain to work with the protagonist, creating a situation where working with the protagonist will benefit the villain, and having the villain come to a realization that their side is wrong.
Why is it important to write a villain's backstory and experiences?
-Writing a villain's backstory and experiences is important to shape their motives and make their actions coherent and understandable to the audience. It adds depth to the character and helps to humanize them, making the story more relatable and engaging.
What is the advice given for not treating villains like villains?
-The advice is to treat villains as people too, with their own quirks, issues, and perspectives. This approach helps to create more complex and relatable characters that go beyond one-dimensional stereotypes.
How can a character interview sheet template be useful for developing a villain character?
-A character interview sheet template can be useful for keeping track of a villain character's goals, motivations, and other important traits. It helps to organize and clarify the character's background, making it easier to ensure consistency and depth in their portrayal.

Outlines

00:00

🎭 Understanding Villains in Storytelling

The first paragraph discusses the importance of villains in storytelling, emphasizing their role as the opposition to the main character, which highlights the heroism of the protagonist. It differentiates between villains and antagonists, noting that all villains are antagonists but not all antagonists are villains. The paragraph also touches on the concept of anti-heroes and the idea that villains are characters with their own goals, often seen as the hero of their own story. It provides examples of villains with noble goals and those who are not inherently evil but are driven to their actions by circumstances. The discussion also points out poorly written villains, who lack depth, reasoning, and purpose.

05:00

🛡 Justifying Villain Redemption and Character Development

The second paragraph explores the possibility of villains becoming heroes, suggesting that it can be a controversial yet interesting plot point if handled correctly. It offers three ways to justify a villain's transformation: introducing a greater threat, creating a situation where the villain benefits from working with the protagonist, and having the villain realize their wrongdoings. The paragraph stresses the importance of giving villains depth and backstories to make their actions coherent and understandable. It also advises against treating villains as mere one-dimensional characters, advocating for a more nuanced portrayal that includes their personal quirks and societal issues. The summary concludes with the advice to make villains matter in the story, with clear motives and goals that drive the conflict and the narrative.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Villain Characters

Villain characters are the antagonists in a story who create conflict and opposition for the protagonist. They are crucial for showcasing the heroism of the main character and adding tension to the narrative. In the video, the creator discusses how villains come up with schemes that cause harm and how they are essential for highlighting the protagonist's journey and the story's conflicts.

💡Antagonist

An antagonist is a character that opposes the protagonist's goals, creating conflict in the story. While all villains are antagonists, not all antagonists are villains. The video emphasizes the distinction, noting that antagonists can range from villains to anti-heroes and that their roles are not mutually exclusive.

💡Conflict Creators

Conflict creators are a type of antagonist whose primary role is to generate conflict within the story. They are essential for driving the plot forward and providing challenges for the protagonist. The video mentions conflict creators as one of the four main types of antagonists, highlighting their importance in storytelling.

💡Inanimate Forces

Inanimate forces represent another type of antagonist that is not a character but rather an external element, such as nature or a disease, that the protagonist must overcome. The video briefly mentions inanimate forces as part of the discussion on the different types of antagonists.

💡Internal Conflict

Internal conflict refers to the struggle a character faces within themselves, often due to personal dilemmas or moral quandaries. The video contrasts internal conflict with external conflicts, such as those introduced by villain characters, to illustrate the different sources of tension in a story.

💡Motivation

Motivation is the driving force behind a character's actions and decisions. For a villain character, their motivation is the reason why they pursue their goals, which is essential for creating a well-rounded and believable character. The video stresses the importance of a villain's motivation for generating conflict and driving the story.

💡Character Backstory

A character's backstory provides the history and context that shapes their personality and actions. In the video, the creator emphasizes the importance of writing a detailed backstory for a villain to make their motives coherent and understandable to the audience.

💡Villain's Goals

A villain's goals are what they aim to achieve, which often puts them at odds with the protagonist. The video discusses how a villain's goals are as important as the forces that drive the heroes, and how these goals can sometimes be more noble than the protagonist's desires.

💡Character Arc

A character arc refers to the personal journey and development a character undergoes throughout a story. The video touches on the concept of a villain's character arc, particularly when discussing the possibility of a villain becoming a hero under certain conditions.

💡Anti-Hero

An anti-hero is a type of protagonist who possesses some of the characteristics and personality traits of a villain but ultimately aligns with the goals and desires of a hero. The video uses the example of an anti-hero to illustrate the blurred lines between heroes and villains and how perspective can influence this distinction.

💡Florida Villain Tier Template

The Florida Villain Tier Template is a humorous meme template used to categorize villains based on their power and motives. The video uses this template to discuss different levels of villainy, from those who have lost power to those whose motives are more noble than the heroes'.

Highlights

Villain characters are crucial for showcasing the heroism of the protagonist and understanding the conflicts they face.

A villain is defined as a character who opposes the protagonist in any way, with examples like Vicious from Cowboy Bebop and Doflamingo from One Piece.

The distinction between villains and antagonists is made clear, with villains being a subset of antagonists.

Anti-heroes are characters with villain traits who ultimately align with the goals of a hero.

There are four main types of antagonists: villains, conflict creators, inanimate forces, and internal conflict characters.

Villains do not have to be inherently evil; they often have their own goals and ideas that conflict with the protagonist's.

Conflict is essential for storytelling, and villains add tension and depth to a narrative.

A villain's goals and motives are as important as the forces that drive the heroes.

Valentine and Kira are given as examples of villains whose goals can be seen as nobler than the heroes'.

Poorly written villains lack depth, reasoning, and a clear purpose.

Villains with no clear purpose can be seen as one-dimensional and uninspired.

Villain characters may change sides under certain conditions, such as a greater threat or a realization of their wrongdoings.

When creating a villain, their backstory and experiences should be well-developed to make their motives coherent.

Villains should be treated as complex characters with their own quirks, issues, and perspectives.

A villain's motive and goal are key to creating conflict and driving the story forward.

Villains should complement the story's themes, either contrasting with or enhancing them.

The importance of giving villains depth and making them sensible from a character perspective is emphasized.

The concept that all characters, whether heroes or villains, are viewed based on the perspective of the main character.