Characteristics of a Good Villain in a Movie

There isn't a perfect formula for making an iconic villain.

But, the actor and the screenplay has to make a perfect match. They have to click. If the actor has immersed himself completely into the role, and actually become a new person, then the villain has a good chance of becoming iconic and famous. That was something Heath Ledger did brilliantly in The Dark Knight.

Another very important criterion for the cult status is the audience reception. The relation between the viewers and the character is very important for the reception of any character. In the case of the Joker, the audience has always been on his side.

A thing that makes the Joker stand out in the batch of other villains is the fact that he has been present in popular culture since 1940. Ever since his first apperance in the first comic, he has attracted attention. “From the beginning he was a seditious killer with a theatrical flair.”[1] So, the Joker is a well-known character with a history behind him.

If I had to outline some of the characteristics of a good villain in a movie, I'd say that a good villain should be:

• Motivated

There has to be a good story behind the evil deeds. Joker explained in The Dark Knight how he got his scars. Actually, he even provided two different versions, and proved he was not trustworthy.

After his face became scarred, his psyche also changed. This resulted in his psychotic wackiness mixed with cruel intentions.

Even if the villain doesn't have a particular reason for his evilness, or the reason isn't revealed, anything from his past is appealing to the viewers.

• Complex

A villain should have some positive or likeable characteristics. The Joker has a unique fashion style, he's extremely intelligent, he is a charismatic leader, he's good at planning, and he is passionate about what he does. Although he is a murderer, there is something likeable about the character.

He makes people laugh, by the way. It is a very positive trait.

• Believable

A good villain should have some relatable characteristics. The ideal villain is a multi-dimensional human or a human-like creature, possibly with some weaknesses. I think there is a problem with villains that are machines because they lack motivaton, free will, and/or intelligence.

A villain should seem real-to-life to be taken seriously. The more believable they are, the more people will be intrigued by their characters.

• Memorable

Good villains should be special in some way to be remembered. Bane from The Dark Knight Rises had a mask and a distinctive way of speech, Anton Chigurh from No Country For Old Men had a unique weapon, Terminator travelled through time and he was a machine under the human skin, Hannibal Lecter had a unique culinary taste and so on.

The Joker has a purple and green outfit, messy hair, a distinctive smile and mental issues. These are the things he's famous for.

The worst possibile villains are the ones that people don't have opinion about.

The ones that are dull, forgettable and uninspiring.

First, drop all metrics of comparison. Something’s gonna go fucky with your villain from the word go. Second, No backstory except to you. He can tell any back story he wants and change it as he pleases. This way, if he changes his backstory so much, how can you believe he’s a man of his word. If he says he’s going to do something, he might do it but then he might be lying and there may be misdirection but what else could he pull? See? That puts the protagonist in a conundrum of how to defeat him. There has to be some complexity to him, something that scares the average joe. Look at Stryfe for a moment. That motherfucker is goddamn scary. He’s like Marvel’s Darth Vader. He’s the one that could have been a savior to all and instead, chose to go the other way because he hates himself. Joker…hypersane and unpredictable. Look at qualities that these villains have and pick just one or two of the best of the bunch. You should be the only one to know your villain’s motives, intentions, background, etc.

Another thing, make them have a real God complex. Delusions of grandeur, megalomania, a disconnection from everyone else.

Make them seem…Godlike. You have to give them a weakness to exploit but it also has to work to their advantage later.

Just some things to think about.

Really want that motherfucker to be scary, make them invisible. Think about that shit for awhile.

Joker, perhaps one of the greatest villains of all time, is only as great his hero counterpart. To understand the depth of what makes Joker such a captivating villain is first to understand Batman himself.

Side note: I’m no expert on comics. I’ve read a few here and there but nothing too advanced.

Batman is not your average hero with a normal upbringing. Batman witnessed his parents get murdered before his eyes at a young age, and that scene was forever etched into his memories. He, instead of becoming thirsty for revenge, vowed to protect instead.

Joker himself is a very interesting character. In my assessment of him, he “wants” to be killed by Batman. He wants to prove that Batman isn’t above morality; that he isn’t the paragon of vigilante he seems to be for others. He wants to break Batman’s resolve to be the representation of righteousness.

The two couldn’t be more different, and at the same time, somewhat similar. The two are ying and yang yet they both seem to acknowledge the fragility of Batman’s resolve (which is exploited in ‘The Killing Joke’).

To answer the question, you’d need one heck of a background story for both the hero and the villain for a complete villain such as Joker.

The thing about the Joker is that he’s been around for a very, very long time, and has not always been the iconic and awesome villain that he’s known as today. He was one of Batman’s second-string baddies for twenty years before the Adam West Television series made him a star, and the most legendary incarnations didn’t start showing up until the 1980s and 1990s. This isn’t a villain whose rise you could replicate with a single film.

However, there are some other bad guys out there who have risen to prominence in one film, villains whose ascent you could replicate with the proper skill. I’ll use two of my favorite one-shot villains as examples of this: Scar from the Lion King and Ze Pequeno from City of God.

Now, let’s look at some of the things they both do, and what makes them stick in our minds.

1. Style. Both of these characters have a lot of distinctiveness in the way they move, talk, and respond to the world around them. Scar’s theatrics and flamboyance keep our eyes on him at all times, and we remember every scene he is in because even when he isn’t doing much his interactions with the world are never boring. Ze, on the other hand, is frank, arrogant, and always smiling, taking to intense bouts of violence with the same enthusiasm any other teenager would a joyride or party. The mannerisms of these characters make them individuals who we want to see in action, because the way they interact with the world is compelling.
2. Danger. There is a legitimate threat whenever these characters are onscreen, because they are always either hurting someone or plotting/threatening to do so. The audience is trained to fear these characters because of what they do and how they are shot, and this combines with the aforementioned style aspect to make them a compelling entity we cannot easily take our eyes away from or forget.
3. Impact. A good villain advances the film’s plot without any regard for the hero’s actions, and both of these bad guys arguably carry the storyline more than their respective heroes do. These aren’t just reflections of the protagonist, they are entities who not only stand but move on their own, reshaping the world according to their ideas of how it is or how it should be. If these actions affect characters we care about (I.E. Mufasa or Rocket’s brother), all the better.
4. Contrast. Just because a villain can exist without the hero doesn’t mean that the hero shouldn’t be interesting, however. If anything, the dichotomy between the villain and their quarry is part of what makes them so great. We see Simba’s reluctance and empathy clash with Scar’s unbridled ambition, just as we see Rocket’s fear of violence contrast with Ze’s indulgence in it. The distinction is important, because the challenge is exactly what makes the villain so darn villainous.
5. Uniqueness. There are plenty of plotting vizier and violent drug lord villains out there, so what makes these two so special? What is their gimmick, the aspect of their plans or their interactions which separates them from the pack? What makes an evil plan Scar’s plan or Ze’s plan? These are important questions that should be asked about any villain, because any baddie who clings too close to convention is going to be forgotten.
6. Relativity. At the same time, however, there have to be certain motifs present for the villain to be recognizable. Many tropes exist for good reason: because they are effective at conveying a certain idea. Try to rewrite the rulebook, and you may miss out on some great ideas which could be addressed and interpreted in new ways. It’s important to be original, but don’t immediately sacrifice the impact of a great concept in the name of being unusual.