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Guidelines for writing Poems, Stories and Tales

How to decide how far my antagonist is willing to go?

Asked by: Alex Mohamed

How do you find the perfect antagonist?

How to write a good antagonist:

  1. Give an antagonist unsavoury goals like Sauron or Lord Voldemort.
  2. Make your antagonist’s backstory believable.
  3. Make your antagonist’s misdeeds require decisive action.
  4. Show how your antagonist outwits opponents.
  5. Reveal the power your antagonist has over other characters.

What makes an effective antagonist?

A strong antagonist is highly motivated to act.



Strong and understandable motivations will make your antagonist feel like a real person and make the story that much better. The more plausible you make these motivation, the richer your villain, and the easier it will be to plot later.

What is the rule of antagonist?

Antagonist-specific rules. Antagonist ≠ Villain: Most people tend to confuse these two terms. By definition, antagonist is a bad character who opposes the protagonist/protagonists, while villain is a very bad character and a wicked character who does evil.

What are the 4 types of antagonists?

There are different types of villains within the category: the mastermind, the anti-villain, the evil villain, the minion or henchman, and the supervillain, to name a few.

Who is the baddest villain of all time?

The Greatest Villains Of All Time

  1. Darth Vader. The Star Wars trilogy (1977-1983) Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge Of The Sith (2005), Rogue One (2016)
  2. The Joker. Batman (1966), Batman (1989), The Dark Knight (2008), Joker (2019) …
  3. Loki. …
  4. Hans Gruber. …
  5. Hannibal Lecter. …
  6. Hans Landa. …
  7. Kylo Ren. …
  8. Anton Chigurh. …

How do you make a likeable villain?

Coming well the way a villain is portrayed to the player is important if they're supposed to be likable. They need some likeable qualities about them there are many reasons we end up gravitating.

Can the antagonist be a good guy?

An “antagonist” doesn’t have to be a bad guy. He could be a very good guy. All he has to do is to stand in the way of your hero, sometime for the noblest of motives.

What makes someone antagonistic?

An antagonistic personality can be defined by traits such as narcissism, impulsivity and callousness. Someone who displays these traits is primarily concerned with their own self-interests and is more likely to manipulate and exploit others to achieve their goals.

How do you write a sympathetic villain?

5 Tips for Writing a Sympathetic Villain

  1. Make them believe they’re the hero. …
  2. Craft a tragic backstory. …
  3. Give them an internal conflict. …
  4. Employ supporting characters. …
  5. Show them doing a good deed.


Can a protagonist be their own antagonist?

The simple answer is no, the protagonist cannot be the antagonist, as the antagonist is defined by being opposed to the protagonist. They are antonym in that one opposes the other, but you could argue that they are a binary pair.



Do antagonists have character arcs?

Although an antagonist can follow a character arc of his or her own, the antagonist’s role within the story must function in direct correspondence to the protagonist.

What do you call an antagonist turned protagonist?

The deuteragonist often acts as a constant companion to the protagonist or someone who continues actively aiding a protagonist. The deuteragonist may switch between supporting and opposing the protagonist, depending on their own conflict or plot.

How do you know if someone is an antagonist?

An antagonist is usually a character who opposes the protagonist (or main character) of a story, but the antagonist can also be a group of characters, institution, or force against which the protagonist must contend.

What makes someone antagonistic?

An antagonistic personality can be defined by traits such as narcissism, impulsivity and callousness. Someone who displays these traits is primarily concerned with their own self-interests and is more likely to manipulate and exploit others to achieve their goals.

Can an antagonist be a good person?

An “antagonist” doesn’t have to be a bad guy. He could be a very good guy. All he has to do is to stand in the way of your hero, sometime for the noblest of motives.



What are some examples of antagonist?

Antagonist Examples

  • Darth Vadar is the main antagonist of Luke Skywalker in Star Wars.
  • Mr. …
  • The wolf is the antagonist in “The Three Little Pigs.”
  • MacDuff is an antagonist of Macbeth in Macbeth.
  • In Dr. …
  • In the movie Aladdin, Jafar is the antagonist.

How do you handle an antagonist?

To work with an antagonistic rule person, you’ll have to:

  1. Be exacting and clear about rules, and demand what you need specifically in writing.
  2. Be prepared to be challenged if you treat the rule person differently from anyone else.

Can protagonist be antagonist?

The simple answer is no, the protagonist cannot be the antagonist, as the antagonist is defined by being opposed to the protagonist. They are antonym in that one opposes the other, but you could argue that they are a binary pair.

What is an antagonist psychology?

An antagonist is a chemical or drug that binds to receptors in the brain and prevents an agonist from having a reaction. An inverse antagonist not only prevents an agonist from having a reaction on a receptor but causes the opposite response to occur.

How do you ignore an antagonist?

What are the best decisions to make when dealing with antagonistic people?



  1. Ignore them, all they are looking for is attention do not give it to them.
  2. Walk away from them, they only want you to feel as bad as they do deep down.
  3. Do not entertain them, it makes no sense all it will do is work you up.

What feeling does dopamine give?

Dopamine is known as the “feel-good” hormone. It gives you a sense of pleasure. It also gives you the motivation to do something when you’re feeling pleasure. Dopamine is part of your reward system.

How to decide how far my antagonist is willing to go?

Asked by: Alex Mohamed

How do you find the perfect antagonist?

How to write a good antagonist:

  1. Give an antagonist unsavoury goals like Sauron or Lord Voldemort.
  2. Make your antagonist’s backstory believable.
  3. Make your antagonist’s misdeeds require decisive action.
  4. Show how your antagonist outwits opponents.
  5. Reveal the power your antagonist has over other characters.

What makes an effective antagonist?

A strong antagonist is highly motivated to act.



Strong and understandable motivations will make your antagonist feel like a real person and make the story that much better. The more plausible you make these motivation, the richer your villain, and the easier it will be to plot later.

What is the rule of antagonist?

Antagonist-specific rules. Antagonist ≠ Villain: Most people tend to confuse these two terms. By definition, antagonist is a bad character who opposes the protagonist/protagonists, while villain is a very bad character and a wicked character who does evil.

What are the 4 types of antagonists?

There are different types of villains within the category: the mastermind, the anti-villain, the evil villain, the minion or henchman, and the supervillain, to name a few.

Who is the baddest villain of all time?

The Greatest Villains Of All Time

  1. Darth Vader. The Star Wars trilogy (1977-1983) Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge Of The Sith (2005), Rogue One (2016)
  2. The Joker. Batman (1966), Batman (1989), The Dark Knight (2008), Joker (2019) …
  3. Loki. …
  4. Hans Gruber. …
  5. Hannibal Lecter. …
  6. Hans Landa. …
  7. Kylo Ren. …
  8. Anton Chigurh. …

How do you make a likeable villain?

Coming well the way a villain is portrayed to the player is important if they're supposed to be likable. They need some likeable qualities about them there are many reasons we end up gravitating.

Can the antagonist be a good guy?

An “antagonist” doesn’t have to be a bad guy. He could be a very good guy. All he has to do is to stand in the way of your hero, sometime for the noblest of motives.

What makes someone antagonistic?

An antagonistic personality can be defined by traits such as narcissism, impulsivity and callousness. Someone who displays these traits is primarily concerned with their own self-interests and is more likely to manipulate and exploit others to achieve their goals.

How do you write a sympathetic villain?

5 Tips for Writing a Sympathetic Villain

  1. Make them believe they’re the hero. …
  2. Craft a tragic backstory. …
  3. Give them an internal conflict. …
  4. Employ supporting characters. …
  5. Show them doing a good deed.


Can a protagonist be their own antagonist?

The simple answer is no, the protagonist cannot be the antagonist, as the antagonist is defined by being opposed to the protagonist. They are antonym in that one opposes the other, but you could argue that they are a binary pair.



Do antagonists have character arcs?

Although an antagonist can follow a character arc of his or her own, the antagonist’s role within the story must function in direct correspondence to the protagonist.

What do you call an antagonist turned protagonist?

The deuteragonist often acts as a constant companion to the protagonist or someone who continues actively aiding a protagonist. The deuteragonist may switch between supporting and opposing the protagonist, depending on their own conflict or plot.

How do you know if someone is an antagonist?

An antagonist is usually a character who opposes the protagonist (or main character) of a story, but the antagonist can also be a group of characters, institution, or force against which the protagonist must contend.

What makes someone antagonistic?

An antagonistic personality can be defined by traits such as narcissism, impulsivity and callousness. Someone who displays these traits is primarily concerned with their own self-interests and is more likely to manipulate and exploit others to achieve their goals.

Can an antagonist be a good person?

An “antagonist” doesn’t have to be a bad guy. He could be a very good guy. All he has to do is to stand in the way of your hero, sometime for the noblest of motives.



What are some examples of antagonist?

Antagonist Examples

  • Darth Vadar is the main antagonist of Luke Skywalker in Star Wars.
  • Mr. …
  • The wolf is the antagonist in “The Three Little Pigs.”
  • MacDuff is an antagonist of Macbeth in Macbeth.
  • In Dr. …
  • In the movie Aladdin, Jafar is the antagonist.

How do you handle an antagonist?

To work with an antagonistic rule person, you’ll have to:

  1. Be exacting and clear about rules, and demand what you need specifically in writing.
  2. Be prepared to be challenged if you treat the rule person differently from anyone else.

Can protagonist be antagonist?

The simple answer is no, the protagonist cannot be the antagonist, as the antagonist is defined by being opposed to the protagonist. They are antonym in that one opposes the other, but you could argue that they are a binary pair.

What is an antagonist psychology?

An antagonist is a chemical or drug that binds to receptors in the brain and prevents an agonist from having a reaction. An inverse antagonist not only prevents an agonist from having a reaction on a receptor but causes the opposite response to occur.

How do you ignore an antagonist?

What are the best decisions to make when dealing with antagonistic people?



  1. Ignore them, all they are looking for is attention do not give it to them.
  2. Walk away from them, they only want you to feel as bad as they do deep down.
  3. Do not entertain them, it makes no sense all it will do is work you up.

What feeling does dopamine give?

Dopamine is known as the “feel-good” hormone. It gives you a sense of pleasure. It also gives you the motivation to do something when you’re feeling pleasure. Dopamine is part of your reward system.