How (not) to Write a Terrifying Villain
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Terrifying villains aren't scary because they're loud or powerful. They're scary because every scene makes you believe they could actually win. The best villains create fear long before they ever throw a punch.
In this breakdown, we explore how (not) to write a terrifying villain, comparing unforgettable antagonists from Disney, DreamWorks, Pixar, and Sony to reveal the storytelling techniques that make audiences genuinely fear what's coming next.
💼Inquiries:
[email protected]
Voiceover by: Mark Flores
Portfolio: @markfloresvoiceover
In this breakdown, we explore how (not) to write a terrifying villain, comparing unforgettable antagonists from Disney, DreamWorks, Pixar, and Sony to reveal the storytelling techniques that make audiences genuinely fear what's coming next.
💼Inquiries:
[email protected]
Voiceover by: Mark Flores
Portfolio: @markfloresvoiceover
@neilhannan7525
Puss in Boots, the last wish should be taught in writing school or animation school on how to do a movie right 😊
249 likes
@SunGodNika-11025
How To (Not) Write a Female Protagonist
101 likes
@justAnobody7_7
Personally, the best way to make a villain terryfing is PRESENCE.
When hes on screen, everything is concentrated on him, even if the hero is there.
All the attention is captivated by him, all the eyes and thoughts are about him.
Which is why death is probably one of the best animated villains AOT
119 likes
@DudeWhomIsAGuy
“The eyes of a Predator”
OH NO HE’S DR. DISRESPECT!
94 likes
@marcusyates3044
Request: How (NOT) to Write a Movie Sequel - DreamWorks
95 likes
@Brun-p7n
Puss in boots the last wish is so goated it STILL gets confronted as how you should write a movie to this day
21 likes
@GG1315
The thing about death, is that puss assumed he was just another bounty hunter, up until the smell of fear scene where he realises and death confirms it
7 likes
@Luxord5294
The biggest part of establishing a terrifying villain is when they first appear:
Death appears out of nowhere with his trademark whistle, seems creepily friendly but ultimate non-threatening until he pulls out the bounty poster, keeps eerily calm while Puss postures even taking his eyes off Puss to grab a drink (telling Puss that he is such a non-issue Death doesn't need to actively pay attention), then proceeds to be so overwhelmingly strong that Puss has to fight his absolute hardest to stay alive just for another second, then when Death has Puss dead to rights (some pun intended) takes the time to savor the victory, and when Puss gets away he doesn't throw a tantrum; but instead seems happy the chase can go on a little more.
Then you need to reinforce how terrifying the villain is:
After their first encounter Death remains a total looming presence in the background, always taunting Puss that he's never far away and could take his last life anytime he chooses; all without ever saying who he truly is, which makes it more of a heart-stopper when Death finally reveals his identity. Now we as the audience realize that he's been playing around for fun, and Puss is truly screwed if Death decides to quit playing around...
Where I feel a lot of villains falter is the fact that they start having comedic moments that undercut their dread, they'll make jokes or sing songs that go against the tone that they initially set; but Death when he cracks a joke, the humor is as black as his Serape. He's enjoying every moment of tormenting this arrogant cat who's been spitting in his face for eight lives now, and Puss stands absolutely no chance; alone and isolated from anyone who can help.
77 likes
@asherdales
I still claim that they never intended for Hans to be a villain. He was only made so in post when test audiences had overwhelmingly positive feedback for Elsa.
2 likes
@CherokeeEllison
Can we please get how (not) to write a self righteous villain?
36 likes
@chastitymarks2185
The thing about Puss in Boots Death is, though he's often inscribed as a villain, he's not a villain at all, he is an adversary.
The main characteristic of a villain is being evil, doing evil stuff, but Death isn't evil, he is a (normally neutral) force of nature who's had it with Puss for being a self centered jerk. That doesn't make him evil, it makes him right.
So calling Death a villain is not just lazy, it's wrong.
3 likes
@Strait9730
Shan Yu is another example of a terrifying villain, we know him by how characters react when they either see him or hear about him. The destruction of the village and massacre of the imperial army is the highpoint of his cruelty and destructive tendencies
22 likes
@Anonymous-uk8ee
If Steven Universe & The Owl House weren't for kids, then their villains would've been way scarier and deeper. Adventure Time was scary enough but if they too were let loose, they could've out done all these
4 likes
@silvertail7131
I feel like one of Bellweather's issues is that they're the head of a grand conspiracy but... we only learnt recently there was a conspiracy, and we have no time to puzzle who its boss could be. She also gets very little screen time or development, we barely know her so it doesn't feel like a betrayal. On the whole... I kinda feel the plot was trying to do too many slow things. A gradual character arc, an investigative plotline, a hidden conspiracy and a twist villian... it just didn't have time to do all of those justice
10 likes
@bahesb2419
I think one of the best ways to make a villain terrifying is to allow them to kill established characters we came to love.
That‘s one of the reasons horror villains and jojo villains work so well, cause they are allowed to kill characters we already came to know and love, making us genuinely afraid for who might be next.
349 likes
@berserkknightdeadoralive702
In conclusion, a terryfing villain requires:
1) A reputation or an Aura so large, that they don't need to make their first full appearence to start giving the heroes some trouble. Even using the worldbuilding as a way to show how powerful they are
2) A calm sense of self-confidence based on their overwhelming POWER and their mastery of that power
3) An entrance that showcase that overwhelming power no through words, but actions. And while there are stories that work well, where the Hero surpasses the villain in power levels, like Dragon Ball Z; I pefer the stories where the Hero or group of heroes will always be far more weaker than the villain. And therefore, they need to trust in the "power of friendship", aka. strategy, team work, learning the main theme the story is trying to communicate, in order to defeat the villain in a clever way. Everybody loves a story where the normal, everyday person defeats an all powerful Dark Lord, not by being stronger than him, but by choosing to act in a heroic way, even if the protagonist is powerless and saving the world seems like the worst risk you could ever make. And yet, the Hero will do it anyway, otherwise, they wouldn't be a Hero at all
But going back to Villains, they need to act as the immoral reflection of all the values that respresent our Hero, or the values they will have to learn and adopt, during the course of the story. So, allow the villains to be monsters, demmonstrations of the evil that exists in the story's world, and why our Hero must rise to the occassion in order to defeat it
Now, 4) Your villain needs a strong motivation that consumes them, alongside any sense of morality or right reason they might once had. Ambition to take over the world is an old time favorite. The fear of death that, in their minds, can only be surpassed by obtaining immortality, Lord Voldemort style. Revenge. Greed. Control. Your villain becomes a villain, because they chose to confront a problem in the most selfish way possible, without caring for morality or the harm they could cause to others. Evil isn't an essence or a substance, it's a choice that the villains took, back when they were normal, regular people. Just like you and me
5) Making villains relatable can go wrong, if you do it the current Dinsey style, and it's not always the best call. But in this case, you need to make the audience understand the villain as if they were a normal person, confronting the same problems we all may or one day will face, ourselves. The villain it's not only a reflection of the Hero's sense of morality, but also of the audience's; in essence, you need to make the audience say "they're just like me, fr fr" to the villain's monologues, dialogues, and backstory flashbacks, before returning to showcase their misguided and evil, but still, understandable actions. We all have felt the urge to seek revenge, for example, but we choose justice and peace instead, not only because is sociably more acceptable, but most importantly, because it's the smatest choice you can make, once you're wise enough to understand, revenge will leave you with nothing to live for, while justice offers you a new life in a better direction
6) From the Hero's side, you need to make sure that the actions of the villain is capable of mentally and emotionally affect our protagonist, even if the villain never makes and actual appearance. In other words, you need to make the villain not only be a physical threat to the Hero, but most importantly, a psychological threat; becoming an embodiment of the thing the Hero is afraid the most, their inner demons taking shape in the exterior world, aiming to take their loved ones away from them. The villain must be or represent something deep, and personal about the Hero, that they would rather run away and hide from, because of how much fear the villain causes on them. Make the audience relate to the protagonist's fear, as close as possible, so by the moment the villain finally appears, we're all just as scared as the Hero is. The Villain must be the Hero's worst nightmare come to life
7) I see this optional, depending on how you want your villain to work: A villain must be a master manipulator, a maquiavelic silver tongue that even Satan, the Father of Lies, would be proud of. If you have a Game of Thrones sort of story, or something like the rise to power flashbacks of Voldemort, your villain would be far more effective if they can use speech, confidence and charisma as weapons and tools to control people around them. It's not just martial arts mastery, scientific or supernatural forbidden knowledge the Villain can use; their words can be just as deadly, and if the speeches the villain delivers can send shivers through your spine, those words are far more terriyfing if they're used to confuse, attack, control, manipulate and corrupt our heroes in a very effective manner.
Fortunely, there is a good variety of tools to make a terrifying villain, so use what would produce the most optimal result to your story. If there's an 8) requirement to add, that would be practice, patience, and constant improvement. Even if you have all the perfect ingredients to craft a villain, ultimately the success as making them terrifying and dangerous lies completely on your skill as a writer. There's nothing wrong with making bad villains at first, the more you practice, the more your learn, that will add up until eventually you can make some twisted, spawn of Hell, you yourself as the writer ends up shaking in your boots from. That's the type of villains you want to see your heroes succeed against
17 likes
@colt1903
It's not something a lot of people notice, but it's not the act of Frollo pulling Quasi out of his mother's arms that kills her. It's that he actually kicks her away as he does so. Her death is even more his fault than a lot of people notice.
1 likes
@Tamara-gz4um
Probably not the best example of a terrifying villain, at least not to me because she's way to entertaining, but Azula from Avatar fits the categories way better than Ozai. Demonstrating power, presence, relatability all things she's a perfect example for. You could probably even make a case for motivation and maybe the others but that'd be a bit harder.
Anyways yes I'm saying that Ozai's 14 year old daughter is scarier than him. He does fit the reputation category better though.
7 likes
@elichernykh6181
Chancellor Palpatine/Darth Sidious is also a perfectly terrifying villain! Just to be an addition
5 likes
@definitelyadragon1644
Judge Doom from Who framed Roger Rabbit is a perfect example of a terrifying villain. At first, he brutally killed a shoe by dipping it into the dip. And after that, he continues to be a looming presence throughout the movie. His design and first appearance are already terrifying and enigmatic before the reveal. But once the reveal happens, the scariness turns up to a new level. Suddenly, all those funny movements made by him that only a toon can make made a lot of sense. The combination of unpredictability plus the animated eyes stuck onto a real life person is the best use of the uncanny valley I have ever seen. Along with the high pitch voice and the fact that he was willing to wipe out his own kind for profit adds to the scariness.
6 likes