Memorable villains.

What makes a villain pop into memory? Was it because they were on the scene a lot, or because of something particular? One of my favorites, Darth Vader of Star Wars, is barely on screen—yet is physically intimidating and instantly recognizable. A villain should make the audience quiver in terror, worry for the heroes (or any innocent bystanders), and mostly drive the plot forward in vicious lurches.

Darth Vader, the original Sith Lord

I've read that actors enjoy being villains, as there's no limit to what they can do. I suppose that's true, considering heroes have rules and villains generally don't. Also, you can get away with knowing absolutely nothing about them (such as Darth Vader) and yet remain terrifying. Villains become memorable because they are astonishing to look at, do unexpected things, are super powerful, beat up little animals, or  basically make your skin crawl. There's lots of reasons. Answer this one, why is HAL-9000 (the antagonist in 2001, A Space Odyssey) still considered one of the greatest villains? You only see a camera lens and hear a voice, yet we all remember it.

 

Villains don't even need to be nasty, horrid, terrifying scarecrows. Think of Mr. Potter from It's a Wonderful Life. I loathe that character. I get physically upset when I see him. Yet, his acclaim is basically that he stymies the hero and gets in the way all the time. Amazing. I love to hate that villain.

 

One thing all great villains have, is presence. Without them, the story would be flat and uninteresting. Their very being inspires heroes to rise up and overcome them. It's a tough trick to pull off, but wow is it satisfying to witness!

 

- M