Top 3 Redeemable Villains (Lizzie)

I love a good redemption story, whether it’s a major change arc for the hero or heroine or the redemption of a villain. Today, I’ve decided to talk about some of my favorite redeemable villains. It’s not necessary for them to be redeemed, but I hope they will be.

Top 3 Redeemable Villains

1) Thomas and Guy Fawkes from Nadine Brandes's Fawkes

The story's main character, Thomas, is Guy Fawkes's son. Both are involved in the infamous Gunpowder Plot to kill King James and destroy parliament. This book is a wonderful fantasy retelling of that. We know what happens to Guy Fawkes, of course, from history. But, in the book, I wanted to know "Will he reconcile with Thomas? Will he give Thomas a mask and show him his face? Will he surrender to White Light?" These were big questions for me. I can't tell you how it ended, but I will say I cried at the end, bittersweet tears. I expected Thomas to be redeemed during the big and enjoyed reading about the process. Both times I read the the book. :)

2) Maleficent in Disney’s movie of the same name. 

This is a great fall and redemption story. The kind fairy queen is betrayed, turns cold and vengeful, then returns to a loving, kind queen. It’s always fun too to see the muttering, complaining character doing kind things despite their seemingly selfish convictions.

3) The fae king from C.J. Brightley's The Lord of Dreams

The human Claire is visited by a villainous fairy king on multiple occasions, all terrifying, and eventually called upon to rescue the now mad king. It's a great story, and Claire herself undergoes quite the change from scared and self-focused to brave and selfless, a change she wished for--before she knew to be careful what you wish for.

Honorable mentions

Some honorable mentions are Gollum from LOTR. He’s unique, pitiable, untrustworthy, sometimes helpful, and has a cool speech. Frodo’s and Sam’s conflicting attitude toward him challenge me. Would I be shrewd and cold like Sam or hopeful and compassionate like Frodo because I see my own temptations and possible future in him? Loki from the Marvel Universe is another. Like Thor, I want him to behave and be a trustworthy brother and friend.

Do you have any favorite redeemed or redeemable (who may or may not be redeemed in the end) villains?

Villainous Viewpoints: On Writing (Jill)

A few weeks ago, I began fleshing out a villain from a work in progress (WIP) and learning about him and his backstory. I filled out a character sheet with vital statistics, flaws, strengths, goals, and obstacles. Then, I wrote a little about where he'd been and what he'd done from birth until the age he was now. Finally, I interviewed him. Grilled him, really, like Dr. Phil McGraw would. My villain was less than thrilled, but I got it all down.

But when I sat back to review his information, my villain suddenly seemed less villainous. I didn't hate him. After all, this guy had it rough. So, I posted to a Facebook group to share my struggle. This had never happened to me before. In the past, my bad guys stayed bad. All day, all the way. And they were never, ever pitied, or excused, or offered redemption. Did this happen to other writers? Was I weird or demented? Maybe my villain needed to be rewritten...

The responses came pouring in. Everyone had a comment, and the dialogue continued for four days. I wasn't alone. After reading the responses, I started thinking about some of my favorite villains. Only a few of them were completely evil, with no redeeming qualities -- Cruella de Vil, Voldemort, and  T-1000 (from Terminator 2).  The ones with complex backstories were the most interesting -- Darth Vader, Severus Snape, and Magneto, to name a few. One villain in particular, Levana (from Fairest in The Lunar Chronicles), was horrible, and her backstory was heartbreaking. I never warmed up to her and still consider her one of the worst villains I've read.

             "Villainy is but a matter of perspective." - Magneto

As authors, should we feel sympathetic for our baddies? Sure, but don't make things easy for him or excuse his actions. Evil is evil. A lousy childhood does not give anyone a free pass to become a psychopath. And chances are, he has some soft spots, things he cares about. The piece of advice that helped me the most was from (I think) David Farland. He said every villain believes he's a hero. He doesn't see himself as a bad guy. If we write our villains from that angle, it will add a layer of complexity to our characters.

I'm a bit embarrassed when I think back on my previous villains. Their backstory was weak and nebulous. Giving a villain a strong, complete backstory matters. It makes them the horrible character the hero must defeat to attain his goal and win. After all, the more villainous the villain, the more fantastic the victory.

Top 3 Favorite Villainous Magical Creatures (Julie)

The last several Top 3 posts have been a really fun romp into the world of fantasy consisting of things like wands, modes of transportation, and weapons. We do love fantasy after all. For this Top 3 post, I'm going back to my last one on magical creatures (of the mostly good variety), but switching from mostly good to mostly evil beings! 

What makes fantasy so fascinating is that you can do pretty much whatever you want. One author can make a creature good, while another author can make the same creature evil. And then of course you have magical races who can be good and evil. Think Harry Potter vs Voldemort or Gandolf vs Saruman, etc... 

With that being said, here's my top 3 general magical creatures who I think make excellent villains!

1) Wizards and witches. What makes wizards and witches great mischief-makers is the amount of raw power they posses. They can cause all kinds of dastardly trouble for the heroes by a mere flick of a wand or staff. But I think why I like them the most is the uniqueness and variety that we find in stories and movies. They range from Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty to Voldemort in Harry Potter to Sauron in LOTR. All evil but their powers make each unique. 

2) Dragons. Depending on what story you read of course, but dragons are often portrayed as fearsome creatures full of magic and mischief. And they're really hot... literally. What a breath! Dragons aren't dense and mindless like some evil creatures, like trolls for example.They're smart and cunning and make an admiral adversary for any hero. I do feel, however, that in recent years, the trend has moved toward characterizing dragons more on the friendly side. 

3) Shapeshifters. These shiftless creatures present a wide array of intriguing villainy. One of my favorites are the boggarts from Harry Potter's world. Unlike other shapeshifters, they don't have a defined shape until they come upon a person, and then they are that person's worst nightmare. I'll be honest, whenever I watch the boggart scenes in Harry Potter, my brain wonders what might happen if I encountered one. What is my worst fear? These villains can help the hero face their fears and overcome them! But terrifying nonetheless!

What do you think, readers? Do you agree or do you have another particular favorite villain?

  

Top 3 Most Anticipated Books of 2017 (Jill)

Summer is upon us. My kids are in their last few days of school, and dreams of a relaxing summer vacation are almost a reality.  In an effort to get some serious writing time in June (and hopefully finish a first draft), I'll be establishing a designated reading time for the kiddos. Once I type "The End," I'll join them with a book from my To Be Read pile. While there are quite a few books on my To Be Read list, every month more are added. So I wanted to share my Top 3 Most Anticipated Books for 2017.

3. Ending Fear by Deanna Fugett

I'm not sure what it is about dystopian novels. Maybe it's the fact I can't write them, but I always enjoy reading them. This one deals with the fear that can become an intrinsic part of our personality.
Fear, the heroine, has faced a lot in her young life. But after finding a new, loving family, she's forced to act when her young sister Happy is kidnapped. Throw in floating cities, hoverpods, and a ranch for throwaway children, this book begs to be read as summer winds down. This YA dystopian debut novel is scheduled for a mid-July release.

 2. The  Evaporation of Sofi Snow by Mary Weber
While Mary Weber's Storm Siren Trilogy was pure fantasy, this book is more science fiction based. Amazon's blurb makes me think of The Hunger Games meets The Lunar Chronicles.
 Sofi's brother Shilo is forced to compete in Earth's Fantasy Fighting arena. When a bomb goes off at the arena, Sofi is the only one who believes he's still alive and was taken to the ice-planet. The bomb has also affected Miguel, Earth's Ambassador to the ice-planet. He's now being blackmailed. Either he helps the blackmailers or loses everything.  This book will be released on June 6.

 1. Renegades by Marissa Meyer
I loved Marissa Meyer's Lunar Chronicles. I've become a big devotee of this author. Her newest story, Renegades, is about superheroes, humans with extraordinary abilities, who saved their society by establishing peace and order. The only people who aren't happy about that? The villains they ousted. So when a girl who wants vengeance meets a boy who wants justice, loyalties clash.
Since The Incredibles is one of my favorite movies, I'm looking forward to reading this story. It is a stand-alone (you can read about it here) and will be released November 7, 2017.



 What about you? What is on your reading list for the summer? What books are you eagerly waiting for this year? Share with us in the comments below -- and happy reading!

Your Turn: Favorite Characters (Jill)

I've been on a fantastic reading binge lately, reading one good story after another. The streak started with Halyada by Sarah Delena White, moved on to Rebirth by Amy McNew, and I'm enjoying Failstate by John Otte now. All of them are 5-star stories.
So what makes them enjoyable? Setting? Plot? Characters? For me, it's characters, every time. If the author makes me care about them, I'll follow them anywhere, join them on any adventure. So below is my favorite hero, heroine, and villain from some of my recent and not-so-recent reading adventures.  It's my hope you'll chime in with your own favorites in the comments.

Favorite heroine: Lee Westfall from Walk on Earth a Stranger (Rae Carson)
A tomboy with the ability to "feel" gold in the earth, Lee's circumstances force her to head west. I fell in love with this character. Although her ability was fascinating, I felt for her and the struggles she went through as she journeyed toward California. Historical fantasies aren't that common, and I was thrilled to discover the series continues with Like a River Glorious and Into the Bright Unknown.

 Favorite hero: Taylan from Halayda (Sarah Delena White)
At the reader's first introduction to him, the fairy king seems a little cool, reserved, mysterious. But as the story builds, so does the relationship between him and the heroine, Sylvie. He carries a big secret and the weight of a kingdom on his shoulders, but he would do anything for her. <sigh!>


 

Favorite villain: Markus from Rebirth (Amy McNew)
First, let me clarify that Markus is a demon, so he should be disgusting and vile. But McNew pulls out all the stops, building this horrible character with evil oozing out of every pore, depravity filling his mind. About 3/4 of the way through the book, a twist concerning Markus is revealed that made me shiver. (I think the heroine threw up at that point--I don't blame her one bit.)

So these were my favorites. What about you? Do you have a favorite hero, heroine, and villain? If so, please share one or all of them with us! We love to hear about the titles you're reading and the characters that have drawn you in.

Villains: Plots and Power (Hannah)

Oftentimes, villains are the most intriguing characters, at least for me.  Far too often, I find I prefer the villain over the hero.  While considering this phenomenon, I found three traits I admire that heroes tend to lack, but villains show in abundance.

The first and most important to me is intelligence.  So many heroes win by brute-forcing their way through every obstacle, defeating the villains through physical strength and strength of character, but not through cunning, trickery, well-thought-out strategy, and the like.  Of course, this does not apply to all heroes, but it is clearly a trend.

Another admirable trait villains tend to possess is level-headedness and the ability to make good (well, at least rational) decisions under pressure.  My favorite villains show an air of confidence until the very end. No matter how hurting or broken they are; they always put on a strong face and keep going, maintaining their calm and remaining brutally effective in the face of all opposition.  Heroes, on the other hand, tend to break down.  They fall apart, cry, and consider giving up.  Of course, they get up and fight through it in the end, but on the way, they lash out at teammates, make rash decisions in the heat of the moment, and generally become their own worst enemies.  Once again, this isn’t universal, but it does show up a lot. 

Finally, villains are evil.  Really, who wouldn’t want to be able to be evil for a day? To put it simply: villains are cool.  They get to do fun stuff that we can only dream of, and would never do even if we were given the chance.  (Or shouldn’t do, anyway.) The sheer awesomeness factor alone would give anyone plenty of reason to like villains.

So, on to my top favorites.  It wasn’t easy to pick, since I love so many villains, but, after some difficulty, I did manage to narrow it down.  As you can see, they each embody all of the traits listed above, plus a good dose of humor just for good measure. (Warning: spoilers for The Lion King, Thor, The Avengers, Thor: The Dark World, and Once Upon a Time.)

#3: Scar (The Lion King)

Although I refused to watch Lion King much when I was younger (due to how Mufasa’s death drew tears every time I saw it), Scar was always one of my favorite villains.  He wasn’t as strong or noble as his brother, but he was certainly more cunning.  He orchestrated a brilliant plan to get rid of his brother and nephew, leaving the throne open.  Manipulating Simba into visiting the Elephant Graveyard was a clever move, and although his minions messed up their part, Scar’s insidious plots were not exhausted yet.  He tried again, setting up a wildebeest stampede to murder his brother, and once again, the hyenas failed to accomplish their mission, allowing Simba to escape.  This ultimately led to Scar’s defeat, but not before he had ruled for a good long time.  Of course, he was nowhere near as good at ruling as he was at plotting, but even so, he was a formidable opponent for Mufasa and Simba.

#2: Loki (Thor, The Avengers, Thor: The Dark World)

The first superhero movie I ever got to watch was The Avengers, and I have to say, this was probably Loki’s worst movie.  With too many characters to juggle (a total of eight important characters in two and a half hours), he just didn’t get as much character development as he needed.  He got this development in Thor and Thor: The Dark World.  In Thor, we discovered his father’s blatant favoritism toward his brother, but more importantly, we saw exactly how manipulative and cunning Loki could be.  Clearly, he was the driving force behind the majority of the movie, and, like Scar, he was able to “win,” for a little while at least.  Unfortunately for him, Thor learned his lesson and returned to Asgard just in time to defeat Loki.  After being imprisoned for his actions on Earth during The Avengers, Loki spent much of his time in prison, right up until Thor realized he needed Loki’s help in Thor: The Dark World.  Loki brought humor and lightheartedness to the movie, and even though Thor anticipated some sort of trick, Loki was still able to manipulate the situation to his advantage.  His sheer brilliance is what qualifies him as one of my very favorite villains.

#1: Regina Mills, aka The Evil Queen (Once Upon a Time)

The Evil Queen from Disney’s Snow White has always been one of my very favorite villains, and when I first started watching Once Upon a Time, I was afraid this version of the Evil Queen wouldn’t live up to the original.  I was absolutely wrong.  She started off as an unambiguously evil queen.  She cast a dark curse on all of the fairy-tale inhabitants of the Enchanted Forest, sending them to a little town called Storybrooke in our world.  There, she ruled as mayor with an iron fist, but as time went on, the cracks began to show.  She might have been evil, but she had good reason to be.  Even though she crossed from being a villain to being an anti-hero somewhere during seasons 3 and 4, she, unlike many villains who turn good, held on to what made her such an interesting character.  She kept her pragmatism, down-to-earth common sense, and willingness to do whatever it took to accomplish her goals or protect her son.  Like Scar and Loki, her intelligence and power give her a level of competence that makes her a fantastic villain.

Some of my honorable mentions go to Darth Vader (Star Wars) for how intimidating and threatening he was (not to mention the Imperial March…), Morgan le Fay (Dragons in our Midst, Oracles of Fire) for her patience, manipulation, and magic, and Guy of Gisborne (BBC’s Robin Hood), for his relentless pursuit of Robin and his hilarious seriousness despite the lunacy of what was going on around him.

Villains in fiction can be so much fun to watch and read about.  Their evil ways are a perfect contrast to the noble heroes who struggle to defeat them, ultimately making the world a better place.

This wraps up our 4-part “Top 3 Villains” series!  Did you like these villains as well?  Who were some of your favorites?  Are there any "Top 3s" in particular that you would like to see next? We would love to hear your opinion!

~Hannah

Attributions:

Disney's Scar (1): https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSDucKUTNuFw-WHAyXd3Y_I3FZ3qzwKqreHgnYfgBinQEMGguSQ4w
Marvel's Thor and Loki: http://images.desimartini.com/media/uploads/tumblr_static_loki-1.jpg
Disney's Evil Queen: http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/disney/images/d/d2/Queeen.png/revision/latest?cb=20120720005726
Disney's Scar (2): https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/d0/62/db/d062dbf38398152c2edcc1aaf73207b9.jpg

Marvel's Loki: http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/avengers/images/f/fe/Loki.png/revision/latest?cb=20140305160727&path-prefix=de

Disney's Regina: https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/2741247477/015eff5033a428470b9fda204bb5ddde.jpeg

Top 3 Villains (Laura)

My favorite villains win me over either because they make me relate to them on a human level or because they have a change of heart--or both. 

3. Ebenezer Scrooge

Ebenezer Scrooge is callous and stingy, but he is also lonely. When the Ghost of Christmas Past takes him to visit his childhood, it wrings my heart to see how the young Scrooge became the man who sits alone, over a bowl of soup, in a large, drafty house with no company except for the frightening spirit of his old business partner. These serious realities depicted in the format of a hilarious and fun children's movie, as done in "The Muppets Christmas Carol," especially haunt me because of that juxtaposition of lighthearted innocence and soulless despair. When Belle sings "When Love is Gone," it brings me to tears every time. It also makes me believe in Scrooge's ability to take a deeper look at himself and the lives he impacts with his decisions, and find the strength to make new ones.

2. Miss Hannigan

Miss Hannigan in the 1982 film "Annie" is memorably quirky and horrible to the orphans she's in charge of looking out for. She even joins forces with her brother and his girlfriend when they plan to pose as Annie's missing parents to get their hands on Warbucks' reward money. But once the plan is in motion and things turn dangerous for Annie, Miss Hannigan comes to her rescue, despite the consequences for herself.

1. Miss Minchin

Frances Hodgson Burnett's A Little Princess has elements not found in the 1995 film adaptation, but the film has its own special components. For one, Miss Minchin's character reveals a depth behind her cruelty toward Sara in one particular scene. Sara faces Miss Minchin in the attic and says "Didn't your father ever tell you that [all girls are princesses]?" Miss Minchin lashes out, but after she leaves and locks the door, her face crumples and she wipes a single tear from her cheek. She was no one's princess. There is a story in that small moment, and it fits perfectly with Sara's.

What villains resonate most with you?

Laura

The Muppets Christmas Carol: http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/When_Love_Is_Gone

Miss Hannigan: http://hero.wikia.com/wiki/Miss_Hannigan

A Little Princess: http://sanmiao.wikia.com/wiki/File:A-little-princess-original.jpg

Top 3 Villains (Elizabeth)

Villains are so much fun, especially when you have a reason to like them, or at least be sympathetic towards them. So, here are my top 3:

3. Gaston

If I had to describe him in a word, it’d be somewhere between conceited and narcissistic. His vanity is absolutely hilarious. Though he’s good for laughs, he falls rather flat, which is why he’s at the bottom of my favorites list.

Belle: Gaston, you are positively primeval.

Gaston: Why thank you, Belle. What would you say if you and I took a walk over to the tavern and took a look at my trophies?

Belle: Maybe some other time.

Gaston: Lefou, I'm afraid I've been thinking...

Lefou: A dangerous pastime?

Gaston: I know.

Gaston: [singing] Here in town there's only she, who is beautiful as me, so I'm making plans to woo and marry Belle.

Gaston, Lefou: No one plots like Gaston.

Gaston: Takes cheap shots like Gaston.

Lefou: Plans to persecute harmless crackpots like Gaston!

Gaston: It's not right for a woman to read. Soon she starts getting ideas, and thinking…

Gaston: I'd like to thank you all for coming to my wedding. But first I'd better go in there and propose to the girl.

Like I said, shallow but hilarious. I couldn’t help but include him ;)

2. Levana

You won’t truly be able to understand Levana until you read Fairest by Marissa Meyers. I was reluctant to read this, but there weren’t any more Lunar Chronicle books coming out for a while, so I figured I’d try it. You can’t help but feel a little sympathetic towards her after seeing what her life was like.

1. Boba Fett

He is my favorite Star Wars character. There’s a series about him as a kid, starting with The Fight to Survive by Terry Bisson and the ones later in the series are by Elizabeth Hand. Boba is noble and honorable. You’ll see him striving as a 10-year-old boy to follow in his father’s footsteps, while fending for himself in a vast galaxy filled with deceit and danger. He’s is the epicest (I know that's not a word--but it should be) Star Wars character ever!

Alright, I’ve shown you my favorite villains. Now it’s your turn. Who are your favorite villains and why?

Thank you for reading!

-Elizabeth

Attributions

Gaston: http://disney.wikia.com/wiki/File:Beauty-and-the-beast-disneyscreencaps.com-541.jpg

Levana: http://lunarchronicles.wikia.com/wiki/File:Fairest_Cover.jpeg

Boba Fett: By Richie S from Brooklyn, NY, United States (New York Comic Con 2014 - Boba Fett) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons