Antagonists

[Fallen-Angel Risen-Demon]

Antagonists, in all mediums, are probably the most interesting characters. But what's you favorite kind of antagonist? Is it the pure evil monster, or a misguided hero? Maybe evil a 'real hero' if your character is a 'villain'?

I prefer antagonists to be Anti-Villains, especially Type II-III [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SlidingScaleOfAntiVillains] ones as they seem to be the most human. They are generally only doing what they think is right and this always makes me think 'Is it right to do evil things for a good cause?'. Sometimes, I may find myself agreeing with an Anti-Villain if they're done well. I can see myself being an Anti-Villain, as they always seem the most human characters.

 

[CM156_v1legacy]

Antagonists, in all mediums, are probably the most interesting characters. But what's you favorite kind of antagonist? Is it the pure evil monster, or a misguided hero?

Evil with reason. Someone who kicks a kitten for no reason other than "For the evlulz" is boring. But one who wants to kill all kittens because kittens killed his family is a fun villian.

 

[Ohhi]

they are just more interesting because the protagonist is always about what he must do to protect the world, his family, ect. ect. but the antagonist is interesting because you don't always know why they are doing what they are doing you just know that there is a hidden reason behind it and you want to figure that out.

 

[MellowFellow]

I really liked Saren from Mass Effect 1 as an antagonist, because it seemed like he thought what he was doing was good for everyone. So I guess I prefer the misguided hero, for the fact that they are trying to do what they believe is right.

 

[Fiz_The_Toaster]

I do like Anti-Villains if they are done right, but I do also find myself agreeing with them, which makes fighting them all the more bittersweet, and kinda awesome.

But my favorites are the bat-shit insane monster villains, probably because I'm somehow interested in how they intend to be evil and not just doing it for the sake of being evil. The psychotic ones always make for good villains, if done right, and it gives me a reason to actually be either afraid of what they are gonna do next, actually care for the well-being of everyone and want the dude dead, or a combination of both.

By the way, that was pretty evil of yourself linking to tvtropes, I just came from there, and I don't need to be sucked in for days again.

 

[Kyle Roberts]

I don't mind what there like but I like albert wesker from the resident evil series and how he uses really good english has superpowers and can't die.
So its wierd how he gets defeated by chris all the time.

 

[nuba km]

well I like ones who are actually a threat it is normally better if they actually have a motive rather then I want to be evil, there are very view times I accept that a villain wants to be evil I mean Hitler thought he was doing the right thing but lets face it he was just being discriminative. A time when I accept the villain to be evil and accepting it is if he is a demon or the devil because there existence points to a line of good and evil and they exist to be evil and they enjoy it another time is if they are psychos.

though only appearing for 1 or 2 episodes a villain I loved was meachdramon form the first digimon serious because he was like 'there are the people trying to kill me I will sent out all my minions' as well as doing the obvious it was clear he knew how to set traps and other tactical stuff, also he was very powerful being a giant metal dragon thing with basically two anti-matter cannons on his back and covered in the strongest metal in the digimon universe. Also he had a kick ass voice.

 

[Littaly]

Seriously, there needs to be a goddamn rule against TV tropes links [http://xkcd.com/609/]!

 

[SckizoBoy]

I do like Anti-Villains if they are done right, but I do also find myself agreeing with them, which makes fighting them all the more bittersweet, and kinda awesome.

This... ^

I love it when the bad guys are just sitting there with a serene smile on their faces, gentle classical music playing softly in the background and providing perfectly valid arguments while the hero rages incoherently (restrained, of course). Almost always stop watching there, because the hero's inevitably a dick anyway... a villain always 'keeps his cool' (like Gates!)

 

[Fallen-Angel Risen-Demon]

Seriously, there needs to be a goddamn rule against TV tropes links [http://xkcd.com/609/]!

By the way, that was pretty evil of yourself linking to tvtropes, I just came from there, and I don't need to be sucked in for days again.

Mwhahaha! My evil scheme has worked! Now I shall initiate my plan to... *Gets sucked into TVtopes* Curses, it backfired!!!

 

[Arsen]

Villains I like:

The tragic type. The "my upbringing was harsh and fucked up my inner psyche to such a degree I have no choice but to hate the world" types.

The "oh wait, you're actually a good guy on the opposite side of the "main protagonists" types. A Storm of Swords anyone?

The villain who isn't evil, but one who must become the prophetic role in everything - Stephen King spoilers incoming...

Spoiler

Randall Flagg/Walter O' Dim. AKA: The guy who has to "lead" Roland in a sense.

 

[Soluncreed]

I completely agree with you. I like a villain who has his own beliefs even though they differ from society. Often times I don't even see them as a villain, just a person whose views are different.

'Is it right to do evil things for a good cause?'

This I believe in as the ends justify the means.

 

[nuba km]

I also love it when the villain wins because when it happesn it is awesome like in the watchmen movie 'haa now we can stop your plan' 'actually my plan is already over' *shows video of the effets of his plan*.

 

[BoredDragon]

I like the calm and controlled villain who just sees the protagonists as a simple annoyance. He could crush him anytime he wanted but he believes that it would just be a waste of his time. Case and point: Albert Wesker

 

[Thespian]

Agh, no TV tropes! Must avoid >_< Last time I looked at a page on TV Tropes I woke up naked in an ally with no memory of the past four days. I'm staying clean, man.

But yeah... Honestly? I love a completely ludicrous villain. One who likes being evil for the hell of it. One completely unrelatable. One who simply finds the pain of others amusing. Hence I much preferred the comic book portrayal of Joker to the Dark Knight's one.
Somewhat-Cheesy villains can be good too, because it's all the creepier then when they have a sinister side. Hold on, let me get a clip.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKEfoC4tvJg&feature=related

"Return of the Joker" from Batman of the Future. Pretty awesome clip.

 

[Fiz_The_Toaster]

I do like Anti-Villains if they are done right, but I do also find myself agreeing with them, which makes fighting them all the more bittersweet, and kinda awesome.

This... ^

I love it when the bad guys are just sitting there with a serene smile on their faces, gentle classical music playing softly in the background and providing perfectly valid arguments while the hero rages incoherently (restrained, of course). Almost always stop watching there, because the hero's inevitably a dick anyway... a villain always 'keeps his cool' (like Gates!)

Yeah and at that point I'm just sitting there thinking, 'Jesus my character is being an ass right now, my god, can't he at least sympathize a little?'

And why do Anti-villains have to have the coolest music set to them?

 

[DevilWolf47]

I have gotten to the point that i flat out cannot stand the typical black and white "Hero and Villain" set-up and just can't believe a story until i can see human elements and ambiguity in the primary characters, otherwise i'll end up quitting. It's why i love Silent Hill 2, there IS NO ANTAGONIST. Not really. Everyone who appears is so horrendously flawed but in such human ways that the typical rules of "Good and Evil" are skullfucked more brutally than anything Pyramid Head would do without visiting a therapist. And that's the way i like it. James is no protagonist, ESPECIALLY if you've finished the game and figure out what the nature of Silent Hill is and why James is there.
Now compare that to your typical Batman set-up. Batman is a big selfless hero who never kills even when he's up against characters who are flat out defined as unrepentant murderers, and it's boring. Some war games where the Americans are selfless heroes while the enemies are all sociopaths who show no signs of national loyalty or any real ideal that lead to the war anyway, that also is boring.

I'm getting to broad, let me summarize it:
Silent Hill 2: Good. No real protagonist or antagonist, everyone is insane and the typical moral rules you would live by no longer apply.
Breaking Bad: Good. The heroes are criminals and even the psychopathic criminals are given humanizing elements, like Tuco's uncle.
Superheroes: Shit. It's always hero good, villain bad, no original thought or much in the way of thought at all.

Though this problem applies to protagonist and antagonist, doesn't it? But really the same rules apply. I want to either want to kill the antagonist or want to regret killing the antagonist. Anything that just stays safely in the "Rules" of good and evil without anyone really asking "Why," or in the case of Batman discouraging asking "Why" is only going to make it impossible for me to care.

 

[C117]

I like the ones that start out all calm and collected, but as their plans go awry they begin to lose it, before eventually they snap and become mindless freaks.

Examples: Ratigan from Disney's The Great Mouse Detective and Mr. Crocodile from One Piece.

Oh, and Shishio from Rurouni Kenshin.

 

[Gottesstrafe]

My favorite villains are the ones with charisma. They could be the tragic types (a la Golbez), batshit insane types (Kefka leading by a wide margin), or even the calm and collected type (here's to you Mr. Wesker), but they NEED to maintain my interest. Nobody likes a boring or bland villain, all they ever succeed in doing is making my defeating them seem like a chore. Give me someone to root for, even if it's the opposition!

That's why I love my character from Saints Row 2 (yes, you're the protagonist, but you're also a notorious criminal and sociopath that many villains could take a hint from). No matter how much of an asshole he may act like during the cut scenes, his dialogue and actions are always entertaining and make up for it (note the Brotherhood mission "Bank Error in Your Favor", for those of you who are familiar).

Cartoonishly Evil is also acceptable, Snidely Whiplash types always a favorite.

 

[Booze Zombie]

The best antagonists have just as good (a) reason(s) to do what he/she/it does as your character(s). They're not there for the sake of it, they're on a mission just like you.