What is a bad guy?
It’s important to note that in almost all instances, villains in literature are proactive and
heroes are reactive. For example, look at how Batman doesn’t act until Joker has already
made his move. This is because villains must be portrayed as the aggressors to function
correctly in any given narrative. What must be remembered is that the act of aggression is
only seen as such by the victims. The shark from Jaws didn’t really do anything wrong in
terms of natural behaviour, but as it was eating humans, it was the perceived aggressor.
I personally prefer to build a game starting with the villain, due to how they are technically
the driving force of a campaign. If they didn’t exist, the players would have no need to take
up arms.
The Types of Villains
Villains can generally be grouped into the following categories:
● The Beast
● The Machine
● The Fanatic
● The Embodiment of Evil
● The Mastermind
● The Bully
● The Henchman
● The Obsessive
● The Anti-Villain
Each type of villain has its pros and cons, and different ways to function in literature, and
many can overlap with each other as you will see traits of one category in another.
The Beast
The Beast is one of the most simple, yet effective, villain archetypes to use well. They’re
traditionally an animal that are “overstepping their boundaries” and infringing on human life
and settlements.
The Beast has no motivation other than survival. It needs to eat, sleep, breed, and breathe
just like any other species in existence currently. If you want to be realistic about it, the Beast
would flee if it felt its life was in danger most of the time. They want to survive as much as
you do. They aren’t vindictive, and they won’t seek revenge. If you would desire to use The
Beast in your game, ensure that you emphasise that they are just a creature doing its own
thing. Acts of aggression are territorial, predatory, or in defence. The Beast cannot be
reasoned with. Try convincing a bear not to eat you, it won’t work.
Examples from fiction include:
● Bruce from Jaws
● The Xenomorph from Alien
● Parasites from Parasyte: The Maxim
● Dinosaurs from Jurassic Park
The Machine
The Machine is very similar to The Beast. They’re simple, effective, cannot be reasoned
with, and very easy to use in TTRPGs. However there are some differences between them.
The Machine follows orders exclusively. It has no consciousness of its own.. It does not
relent, and has no sense of self-preservation. They are generally at the behest of a larger
intelligence or hive mind that overrides their instincts. This is what makes them so
dangerous, as you could remove limbs and it would still keep attacking and fighting,
remaining fearless as they have only their orders.
If you desire to use the Machine in your game, ensure that they’re entirely objective in their
nature. “Seeking Player. See Player. Eliminate Player.”
Examples from fiction include:
● Ultron from Avengers
● The Cybermen from Doctor Who
● Nazi Zombies from Call of Duty
● The T-1000 from Terminator
The Fanatic
The Fanatic is also sometimes referred to as “The Holy Warrior”. These villains have a cause
or belief and will stop at nothing to achieve that. Think “the ends justify the means” and you’ll
be on the right track. They see themself as almost a god-like figure and the one to bring
about a “necessary” change in the world. They will achieve their goal regardless of the
bloodshed or destruction in their wake.
These villains are quite tricky, as they are most effective when their cause can be
understood and empathised with. Someone wanting to enslave the world in a show of
dominance isn’t always going to cut it. There needs to be a purpose and drive.
If you desire to use the Fanatic in your game, first consider their cause. The more
sympathetic and believable, the better. Maybe you could even convince your players that
they are right.
Examples from fiction include:
● Thanos from Avengers
● Viego from League of Legends