…for without a worthwhile antagonist there can be no valid theme, and without theme, no story.
John Yorke, Into the Woods: How Stories Work and Why We Tell Them (2013, p. 196)
At this point [the interdiction is violated] a new personage, who can be defined as the villain, enters the tale. His role is to disturb the peace of a happy family, to cause some form of misfortune, damage or harm.
Vladimir Propp, The Morphology of the Folktale (1968, p. 27)
We construct villains for the powerful emotions they inspire in audiences who fear and hate them. They focus blame, transforming anxiety and frustration into indignation and purpose.
James M. Jasper, Michael P. Young, and Elke Zuern, Public Characters: The Politics of Reputation and Blame (2020, p. 127)
Antagonists and heroes in conflict are like horses in a team pulling in different directions, while villains and heroes in conflict are like trains on a head-on collision course.
Christopher Vogler, The Writer’s Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers (2020, p. 76)
If the antagonist they must now face is truly archetypal they will be an embodiment of the protagonist’s flaw, making the external and internal battles one and the same.
John Yorke, Into the Woods: How Stories Work and Why We Tell Them (2013, p. 102)
The best villain for a heroine is one who is bent on separating her from her support network.
Gail Carriger, The Heroine’s Journey (2020, p. 240)
This function [the villain causes harm] is exceptionally important, since by means of it the actual movement of the tale is created.
Vladimir Propp, The Morphology of the Folktale (1968, p. 30)
Villains cannot be reformed; they must be eradicated. Individuals are reduced to their functional roles in the system…
James M. Jasper, Michael P. Young, and Elke Zuern, Public Characters: The Politics of Reputation and Blame (2020, p. 137)
If we redeem bad or possibly evil characters through emotional connection, readers who prefer this journey will forgive a villain for his honest motivation.
Gail Carriger, The Heroine’s Journey (2020, p. 245)
…but antagonism can manifest itself in many different ways—most interestingly when it lies within the protagonist.
John Yorke, Into the Woods: How Stories Work and Why We Tell Them (2013, p. 8)
It’s often been said that a story is only as good as its villain, because a strong enemy forces a hero to rise to the challenge.
Christopher Vogler, The Writer’s Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers (2020, p. 76)