Things I've Learned from Villains

Written by Shae Rufe

We’re talked about Heroes, so let's talk about Villains, shall we? After all, what is a hero without a villain? With so many villains out there it’s truly hard to pick the best, but we all have our favorites. We also have something to learn from each one!

The number one lesson we can all take away from every villain, no matter how cheesy they are, is that monologues are bad. Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with a good monologue! Especially in certain plays and movies and shows and such. But if you’re a bad guy, and you have the good guy trapped. Don’t sit there and monologue. That’s when they escape! Nobody needs to know the evil plan! We don’t care how or why! You have the good guy trapped, just get rid of him and call it a day! The only thing a monologue does is inform the audience of the plan. Granted, that’s not a bad thing, but it always gives the hero that extra time needed to form an escape plan.

The life of a villain is not cheap. Along with heroes, a villain must be able to afford a secret lair, a bunch of henchmen, and a ton of gadgets. Of course, there are exceptions to this, as there always are. Plus, if you think about it, villains do need money for all of these things, because taking over the world is a big investment. If you’re really going all out, then you also probably have plans of a way to contain the hero you’re trying to capture. And that's another dollar spent…

And style. Let’s talk about that a second, shall we! Being a villain isn’t cheap on the wardrobe either! For one, you need to look good. Come on, villains always are sharply dressed. Why? Well, what’s more powerful than a nice suit? Plus, they’re intimidating! Granted, the Joker’s tastes are a little…batty, but the suit thing does work! There’s nothing cheap about suits. Ever. Especially if you have them tailored to fit, like most of them appear to be. Granted, a lot of the villains are fictional. It’s easy to own nice things when your whole world is made up. That doesn’t excuse it though! Many villains worked their way from the bottom to the very top of a company. Or maybe they’re part of the mob. I don’t pretend to know all villain back stories. I just know that if you’re going to be one, you have to have money. Money’s just nice in general.

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​The most admirable thing (if that's possible) about villains is their conviction to their cause. All villains are dedicated to their life path. Whether it’s to take over the world, defeat the hero, or avenge a loved one, they are always super strong in what they believe in. Sometimes more so than the hero! Villains believe they’re doing the right thing, regardless of how the hero or story sees things. That’s perhaps one of the most compelling things that draws me to villains; the utter belief that they’re right regardless of anything presented to them. It’s admittedly crushing to see a villain fail sometimes; to see their world collapse and the death of their dream.

No plan is hero proof. Ever. Let’s just accept this. Heroes always find a way to thwart plans of a villain any day of the week. That’s just how this goes. Some villains get close to succeeding, sometimes really close. Yet, it is the hero who always wins. Which is probably why the hero is the favored one of the two. Or maybe you prefer the villain to the hero. I don’t presume to know your life choices! For me, it depends on the villain.

The Joker taught me that even chaos has a plan, whether we see that or not. Lex Luthor taught me that vengeance is a powerful driving force to getting things done. Perhaps the saddest of them all, is Magneto, who taught me that fighting for your beliefs against all odds is right. Even if it’s an unpopular opinion. Magneto’s back story, and life, lead to believe that a hero truly is a matter of perspective. Despite what side he seems to be on, his path isn’t wrong. Perhaps how he goes about it is, but that’s another blog for another day…

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