Antagonists are there for a reason. A book will be dull without them because they help the protagonist to show the best of them. Well, you won't know the true power of Batman until he faces The Joker, for example. If there's no The Joker, we'd stuck with a superhero and his cool gadgets. There are also times during reading when I actually cared more about the antagonist rather than the boring protagonist. I believe it takes a real talent to write a powerful antagonist, and in this post, we'll talk about them. Here are the bad-asses I don't can't hate:
Cersei Lannister (Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin)
This Queen Mother knows what she wants and has this "out of my way!" attitude to those she considers as enemies. She's rotten at heart, merciless but when it comes to her children, she'd do anything to protect them. Just like a mother should. See, she's so human! An evil kind of human, I know. Even though I don't adore her murderous trait and cold-hardheartedness, as a mother, I can relate with her. Well, if my child is a king/queen, of course I would do anything to make him/her safe from his/her enemies.
Draco Malfoy (Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling)
He just won't leave Harry alone. It doesn't stop there, but he and his family also joined the army of Voldemort, Harry's biggest enemy and he's also a bully. I can't hate him either. He's a victim of bad parenting. What kind of parents introduce their child to a murderous zombie whose intention is to rule the world? What's the appeal of being his subordinates? I don't understand it. Draco is a victim of his stupid parents, I can't really blame him for the mess he made.
Donovan Mills (The Last Runaway by Tracy Chevalier)
He's racist. Many people believe it's the biggest crime in this universe. He's simply crazy, but hey, he's in love and being jealous. Since when does love let people be sensible? I believe he's a good man at heart, it's just that he has this not-so-good job that turns him into a bad guy. At least it affects his mindset. Apart from that, he's a man who's not afraid to speak his mind and when it comes to a woman he loves, he'd do everything.
The Witch (The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom by Christopher Healy)
I forgot her real name, but she's the coolest character on this list. She's wicked and do I need to say that those people deserve her wrath? I mean what kind of fools trying to mess with a witch? Yeah, serves them right! She was being misunderstood and the coolest thing is, she tried too hard to be wicked! Even being wicked needs an effort, otherwise it would turn out as another fail stunt *shrugs* Although she's from a kid's book, I believe she's also worth to be taken seriously (even it's so darn hard to do so).
To sum it up, I can say that I actually love those antagonists. A good antagonist is one who has a background story, because I believe everything happens for a reason. One won't turn out bad just for fun and a good story should reveal the back story because that's what makes the characters human. Do you have any antagonist you like? What is it that you find interesting from them? Tell us!
Did you know that there's a giveaway running? Enter now for a a chance to win new blog design packages from TheBlogShop!
Draco Malfoy (Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling)
He just won't leave Harry alone. It doesn't stop there, but he and his family also joined the army of Voldemort, Harry's biggest enemy and he's also a bully. I can't hate him either. He's a victim of bad parenting. What kind of parents introduce their child to a murderous zombie whose intention is to rule the world? What's the appeal of being his subordinates? I don't understand it. Draco is a victim of his stupid parents, I can't really blame him for the mess he made.
Donovan Mills (The Last Runaway by Tracy Chevalier)
He's racist. Many people believe it's the biggest crime in this universe. He's simply crazy, but hey, he's in love and being jealous. Since when does love let people be sensible? I believe he's a good man at heart, it's just that he has this not-so-good job that turns him into a bad guy. At least it affects his mindset. Apart from that, he's a man who's not afraid to speak his mind and when it comes to a woman he loves, he'd do everything.
The Witch (The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom by Christopher Healy)
I forgot her real name, but she's the coolest character on this list. She's wicked and do I need to say that those people deserve her wrath? I mean what kind of fools trying to mess with a witch? Yeah, serves them right! She was being misunderstood and the coolest thing is, she tried too hard to be wicked! Even being wicked needs an effort, otherwise it would turn out as another fail stunt *shrugs* Although she's from a kid's book, I believe she's also worth to be taken seriously (even it's so darn hard to do so).
* * * * *
To sum it up, I can say that I actually love those antagonists. A good antagonist is one who has a background story, because I believe everything happens for a reason. One won't turn out bad just for fun and a good story should reveal the back story because that's what makes the characters human. Do you have any antagonist you like? What is it that you find interesting from them? Tell us!
Did you know that there's a giveaway running? Enter now for a a chance to win new blog design packages from TheBlogShop!
