Remember, no matter what your villain is like, it must be unique as it is memorable. If anything ruins a plot more than a cookie-cutter hero, it’s a cookie-cutter villain.
For reference, ‘heroic’ qualities acceptable among villains include:
Honesty/ Loyalty/Honor: Just because you’re a villain doesn’t mean you’re a sleazy, backstabbing liar. Some villains always tell truth, even when it hurts themselves (although they prefer to say nothing in such situations). They will always do as their master commands them, for they intend to show gratefulness for all the good things he has done for them. Fellow warriors on the same side of the battlefield are treated as brothers, and such a villain would do his best to save them from death. Attempts to bribe or dissuade them from their current course of action will often get your head bashed in. Despite the horrible things they do, they are admirable in that they always treat their opponents as kindred spirits, and show the same respect they would wish to be treated with on the battlefield. Unless instructed to, they avoid defacing the dead bodies of fallen opponents, perhaps only taking the head and leaving the rest of the body to be buried as seen fit by foes. Unwilling to deceive their opponents in battle and disgrace themselves, these villains are without doubt the noblest your hero will face.
Villainous Archetypes Strongly Supporting “Honesty/Loyalty/Honor”:
Barbarian/Savage, Knight, Samurai, War Ace, Warlord, other Warrior/Soldier Archetypes
Villainous Archetypes Incompatible with “Honesty/Loyalty/Honor”:
Thief, Puppetmaster, Ninja/Assassin Archetypes, Manipulative Archetypes
Chivalry: Many Villains are quite polite. That’s why you can’t tell they’re villains until it’s too late. Some villains are chivalrous because that’s just who they are. Nothing wrong with that, I’ll bet the ladies appreciate it. Most villains, though, use chivalry as a mask of deceit to lull people into a false sense of security. Picture yourself in this situation: The king of the land has just been brutally murdered. There are two suspects: one is loud, angry man with a vocabulary that would make a sailor whimper, the other is a polite fellow who is always opening doors for people. Who would you blame first?
Villainous Archetypes Strongly Supporting “Chivalry”:
Knight, Samurai, War Ace, other “Civilized” Warrior/Soldier Archetypes, Thief, Puppetmaster, Manipulative Archetypes, Unexpected Traitor
Villainous Archetypes Incompatible with “Chivalry”:
Most Criminal/Lowlife and “Uncivilized” Archetypes
Bravery/Insanity That Could Easily be Mistaken for Bravery: It’s not easy to stand up to hero (or have a hero stand up to you, as the case may be) Some villains would cower in their thrones if they saw someone with a sword trying to dethrone them. But some would personally break both his arms and cut his head off with dull, rusty saw. An army of peasants at the door? No problem, I’ll kill’em all! A horde of enraged centaurs invading my lands? I’ll crush them so hard their grandkids will have impressions of my boot prints on their faces! But wait, that won’t happen, because they won’t have grandkids because they’ll all be dead! The gods are raining meteors on my castle? Pussies! Is that all they got?!?!?
Villainous Archetypes Strongly Supporting “Bravery/Insanity That Could Easily be Mistaken for Bravery”:
Barbarian/Savage, Knight, Samurai, War Ace, Warlord, other Warrior/Soldier Archetypes, Revolution Starter, Upriser
Villainous Archetypes Incompatible with “Bravery/Insanity That Could Easily be Mistaken for Bravery”:
Puppetmaster, Manipulative Archetypes, Peons, Bluffer, High Intelligence Archetypes
Perseverance: A must for any good villain. Heroes don’t give up, so if you’re ever going to achieve your evil plans, you can’t either.
Villainous Archetypes Strongly Supporting “Perseverance”:
Almost all Archetypes
Villainous Archetypes Incompatible with “Perseverance”:
Peons, Failures, Would-Bes/Posers
For a heroic character, high morals are a must. In villains, it’s a game of limbo: How low can you go? By definition, the villain must have little to no scruples with hurting other people. What separates one villain from the next is how far they go. Do they hurt others because they have to, or do they enjoy hurting others, maybe going as far as hurting others just for their own pleasure and amusement?
