I know that a villain who does bad stuff just for the hell of it can get pretty tiresome... However some reasons why villains become the way they are can get repetitive aswell for my own taste... Am I the only one who feels this way or some of you have that same feeling... If so what do you feel is the most overplayed motive or backstory used to justify the essence of a villain??
Agreed. I started naming off a few I feel are overused, but then I deleted them, thinking of a good example for each one when it was well-done. I really think it's all in the presentation. Do I roll my eyes when the villain's excuse is "you killed my father, and I want vengence"? Yes, but only when the emotional motivations/reactions are superficial and only used as a crutch to get the plot moving. The most effective bad guys, for me, are the ones who make me wonder about/feel something for them. The "feeling" could be any number of emotions, just so long as he/she envokes something. This is NOT to say there aren't some senarios that are much less-used than others. If there isn't a fresh, deep angle involved, then I'm bored. Boring villains aren't terribly memorable...
Bullied by jocks in high school and--horror of horrors--the girl he had a crush on saw his underpants or what have you.
The hero or their organisation accidently caused, or was unable to prevent something bad happening to the villain or their loved one.
The hero and the villain were a cute little gay couple living in a CA vineyard. Then there was a bad break up, and now it is on bitch!
They all laughed at me then, but now. . . Anything that makes me pity the villain. I like a villain that claims their dark feelings no matter the origin. Being tempted by my own shadow self through their example draws me much farther into the story.
Dan Brown used the same motive in 4-5 or 6 books....man with power abuses power and meglomania follows.
He had a bad childhood. Molested by a relative. Peer pressure (although that probably doesn't lead to villainy)