How do you introduce your antagonist?

Discussion in 'Character Development' started by The Scarred Servant, May 11, 2017.

  1. The Arcane

    The Arcane Member

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    He shows up and says hello.
     
  2. Elven Candy

    Elven Candy Pay no attention to the foot in my mouth Contributor

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    In my novel, I introduce the antagonist (a phoenix) when it attacks and kills the MC's clan. The phoenix in my story doesn't have intellectual motivations, though--it's just a giant flaming bird of death that happens to find dragon meat very tasty.

    I'm not sure I even have an antagonist in my WIP short story, but I don't think it needs one since it's meant to be a cute, simple story.
     
  3. NoGoodNobu

    NoGoodNobu Contributor Contributor

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    My last project ('cause the current one is barely written, so nothing is set in stone or even written on paper), he was introduced right in the beginning innocuously and was simply always there with the protagonist.

    The story originally was just meant as an episodic (modern) retelling of a bunch of fairytales—the protagonist was a cold bitch of a witch who disproportionately cursed people for unintentional slights and ended up on probation by the magical board, sentenced to two years' community service.

    The antagonist (definitively of the first arc) is my rumpstilzchen figure—he doesn't give a name & she doesn't want to know it at first, and just calls him various things (most not nice) until she mostly settles on calling him Emil.

    Anyway, he's the first person you meet in the first chapter after our protagonist Nadette in the Princess & the Frog way—on her way to her probation officer, her necklace (gold chain with a tarnished gold ring hanging on it) breaks & drops into a pond as she's crossing a bridge. As she determines she can't retrieve it as she isn't supposed to use magic outside of her community service, an ugly bullfrog calls out to her asking why she doesn't just magick it back. When she asks what he means, he says he knows a witch when he sees one. Seeing as he's a talking bullfrog, she says she supposes he would.

    He barters with her same as original tale and she agrees but takes off the moment she gets it back, being late to her appointment.

    When the bullfrog turns up much later, her probation officer says she's going to have to honour her promise & finds it a fitting karmic punishment that Nadette now is at the short end of a magic deal with an unreasonable payment that she only agreed to in desperation—like most of her victims.

    After acidly enduring him all day, she is so fed up with his obnoxious demands that in a fit of rage she throws him violently against a wall & he suddenly reverts to human form. She comments the witch who cursed him must've really hated him if the way to break the spell was chucking him against a wall.

    He says no one ever cursed him; he chose to take the form of a frog.

    Unfortunately the deal is still in place, because technically it had no stipulations on whether he was a bullfrog or a person.

    (In the original Princess & the Frog story, the curse was broken by the princess chucking the frog at a wall for insisting he sleep in her bed with her and NOT by true love's kiss. The pervert frog happened to be a bewitched handsome prince, so in the end the two get married? Anyway, I always liked the version where he is violently & unceremoniously hurled against a wall to break the curse.)

    So Emil is the antagonist the first arc only in that he constantly manipulates events to force Nadette to do things she doesn't want to (and behind the scenes strategically arranges the events so as to break down her emotional walls).

    Second arc, after Nadette has lost a lot of her vehement abhorence of everyone although still aloof to most, an ex from many years ago comes back—Nadette's exfiance & unfortunately Emil's ex-apprentice. (The Robber Bridegroom and The Magician's Apparentice).

    He's actually pretty darn evil, completely misuses magic & is wanted by the magical community. He causes most of the problems & chaos the second arc, and reveals to Nadette how her companion Emil was actually a nasty piece of work that not only taught him everything he knew but also was just a general psychopath with a superiority complex who already tried & failed to take over the world, and that Emil was most likely just using her to some end. Emil to her horror doesn't deny any of it, she falls out with him, but he gets her to come back eventually by openly admitting he was originally attracted by her power & untapped potential, wanting her for what they could accomplish together, but somewhere along the way that he's actually grown to genuinely care for her and he had hoped, despite everything, she had become somewhat fond of him in turn.

    Unfortunately at this success & her return, Emil stopped controlling the narrative & became unguarded, letting aspects of his nature & plans casually slip that Nadette realizes are wrong but he himself doesn't think anything of.

    So the third/final arc he's full on antoganist in that when she tried various tactics to make him drop the whole "attack the council & be ultimate magical ruler" plan, Emil feels ultimately betrayed by her siding against him, they have a proper falling out, and she is doing everything to stop his grand ambitions but ultimately wants to bring him round the way he had with her in the beginning, only she isn't a manipulative strategist like him.

    I particularly like his introduction, because it clearly but not explicitly depicts his manipulative tendencies. He creates a scenario that sets up a false expectation, takes advantage of her predicament & presumptions to make a ridiculous deal, and so on. Mostly through the work he comes across as eccentric & tad mischievous, and the two have witty/snarky exchanges, but he seems a perfectly harmless nuisance. But he was manipulative right from page one.

    Emil might be my favourite antagonist, if I'm honest.
     
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  4. Azuresun

    Azuresun Senior Member

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    I think you can get a lot of mileage out of them not showing up for a while--instead, their reputation is built up by seeing how other people refer to them, seeing the effects of their action, hearing stories about them, etc.

    Think about Emperor Palpatine in Star Wars. Although he's the main antagonist, he doesn't appear in person until the third movie, but we know he's a big deal just from the fact that Darth Vader is working for him, and making comments like "The Emperor is not so forgiving as I."
     
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  5. EstherMayRose

    EstherMayRose Gay Souffle Contributor

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    The main bad guy in my favourite TV show had his face in shadow until the third season, and he sent his kids out to do his dirty work. We just kind of get told he's the bad guy, and then we get glimpses of the abuse he inflicted on his son to hammer the message home.
     
  6. Jupie

    Jupie Senior Member

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    EstherMay Rose your post reminded me of a bad guy type that I really like to see where they are actually quite human and nurturing to the MC or other younger boys. Take for instance Fagin, one of my favourites. He's got a soft spot for Oliver in a way and though he exploits the boys for his own gain he isn't callous towards them, some interpretations even show him as loving. In the book I'm not sure just how much we're supposed to like him, but I saw him more as desperate and adaptive to the times than anything else. He may have been out for himself but then I think he secretly found pleasure in influencing the lives of younger boys and looking out for them even.

    To a lesser extent I'd say the same for Yondu in Guardians of the Galaxy, but he's clearly less of a villain and more anti-hero. He's thrilled at the end of the first one when he sees he's been duped by his old adoptive son. That's my favourite bit in the film. And in the next one we really do see a softer side, without giving any spoilers.

    I always like to see a bad guy who has a good side. Take Captain Hook in 'Hook', played by Dustin Hoffman. He's a very loveable villain in that. Yes, he hates Peter, but he gives him a couple of days to face him and isn't all that mean to his kids at all. In fact, I think he's quite hurt when they go back to their daddy. I mean, he *does* stab Rufio, but hey, it's all swings and roundabouts on the moral spectrum.
     
    Last edited: May 14, 2017
  7. EstherMayRose

    EstherMayRose Gay Souffle Contributor

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    Yeah, this guy's an abusive c**t. Just ask Rufio.

    It's a kids' show, so while a lot of our "bad guys" are painted very grey, they didn't want to leave any ambiguity with this guy.
     
  8. Ale

    Ale Member

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    Curiously enough , my main baddie's first scene is him saving my MC. It reflects the character rather well, as he is supposed to be a rather nice guy lol. The whole point is that the MC and the antagonist have to fight each other while knowing the opponent is a pretty decent person. Other antagonists have more ominous entrances, but I always wanted the 'final baddie' to be really sympathetic.
     
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  9. OJB

    OJB A Mean Old Man Contributor

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    I introduce my Antagonist a page into chapter 2. Here is 'how.'

    -

    And so the jeweler touched the ring and was made undone. The loud ring of a church bell sounded through the room, shattering all the glass cases. “What The Hell?” The Jeweler said as he covered his head, and a large figure appeared behind him. What the Hell indeed. I looked up to see what it was.

    A red-furred ape, taller than a doorway and covered in necrosis, grabbed the jeweler and folded him into a box. Bones snapped, flesh tore, and broken veins gushed blood. As this living, screaming man was used for origami, the Ape sang out in the voice of all-female choir. It matched my expectations of what angels would sound like, so I cried.

    -
     
    Last edited: May 16, 2017
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  10. socialleper

    socialleper Member

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    I think that really depends on the relationship the protagonist(s) have with the antagonist(s). Sometimes your worst enemies are hidden in plain sight and work you over slowly. Sometimes the bad guy comes on like a bull in a china shop and the relationship is instantly violent. Context matters a lot.
    One tried and true way is to introduce them before you introduce your protagonist. Take the first GoT book for instance. The protagonist of the Others are introduced while we are introduced to some throw away characters that are just plot points.
    My preferred way is to be subtle about it and let the reader form an opinion about whether or not a character I've introduced is dangerous to the MC. I'm a little unorthodox in that the one manuscript I've finished all the way through the reader is never quite sure who is who. My MC couldn't easily been seen as the antagonist for many of the other characters in the story. The plot hinges on moral relativism.
     
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  11. Dominique Parker

    Dominique Parker Member

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    In the short story I'm currently working on (whenever I find the time, they're killing me at work) one of the antagonist is a sixteen year old girl named Roksana. She is the protagonist cousin. She is mentioned often very early on in the story but, doesn't actually make an appearance for a while. At first I "introduce" her through the horrific landscape the protagonist travels through as he makes her way across her fiefdom while traveling to her castle, "The Red Kennel". He sees gaunt and mutilated villeins, all of whom have Roksana's livery, a snarling red bitch, burned into their skin. The stone of the castle walls are a deep crimson like Aurochs blood. He feels as if the embrasures that line the castle walls are stony eyes staring down at him as he rides through the barbican. That kind of thing.

    When Roksana is finally introduced in person she's a short, skinny sixteen year old. She and the protagonist argue for a while. During the argument he can't seem to take his eyes off of the breast ripper attached to a chain she wears around her neck. The breast ripper is inlayed with gold and encrusted in rubies. He notices that the bottom two hooks of the breast ripper nip at Roksana’s bosom whenever she shifts her weight or bends over. Her chest is covered in small red scratches where the hooks have tasted her flesh.

    A little later in the story the protagonist makes a stupid decision and gets on Roksana’s bad side. He decides to leave her fiefdom immediately so, he rides on for a day and eventually stops at a roadside inn. A wise woman (in truth she isn’t very wise and is only fourteen years old) that assists the protagonist earlier in the story is also staying at the inn. The protagonist stays at this inn for two days, the wise woman heals his injured companion and him and his two brothers eat and drink heartily. When he leaves the inn on the morning of the third day he finds himself surrounded by armed men. Roksana rides up through the crowd of men. The protagonist is made to watch as Roksana rips the flesh from the wise woman’s chest. Once she finishes she lets the protagonist get back on his horse and orders him to ride on. He ask her why. It’s clear she had known where he was the moment he left her castle. Why not simply kill him or torture him two days ago? Why not simply kill him now? She responds “When you came to me you were devoid of hope. I had to provide you with some cousin. As without hope one can never truly know despair. I intend for you to become well acquainted with it cos”. Or something like that I have to mess around with the dialogue.

    I love writing antagonists especially the really awful ones like Roksana.
     
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  12. QualityPen

    QualityPen Member

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    Wow, I love the sound of this antagonist. Who would suspect that a small sixteen year old girl is capable of such atrocities? I think that makes her all the more terrifying.
     
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  13. Yariel

    Yariel Banned

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    Well, the main villain starts off by sending subliminal messages of his "coming", by sending his bio-humans/super-assassins to the protagonist and the group of supporting characters. Eventually, after defeating the bio-humans the main villain makes his appearance. At this time of the story the characters know who the villain is without him actually making an appearance earlier in the story (Well at least not in the protagonist's view. I'll explain this later). He sends riddles/mysteries, and such. Also, sometimes the minor antagonist (bio-humans) may give information. However, what makes this more interesting is that antagonist has his point of view on life, which is how I develop him. So basically, he doesn't make an appearance, but some chapters I switch to his point of view on life and morals. This makes the villain feel more human, and can relate to the reader.


    The antagonist makes his appearance near the falling action or climax of the story. What makes this interesting is that the protagonist,and supporting characters are unaware of what the villain(antagonist) is capable of. Which leaves the reader in a void of mystery, and excitement.
     
    Last edited: May 18, 2017
  14. Autumn Lynx

    Autumn Lynx New Member

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    My main antagonist is Mechra an body made out of gears with can duplicate and flying in top speeds but he enters through a portal that was accidentally made by the main character Nikco Soul who versed him but end up banishing Mechra to the future but he keeps appearing as a major threat he can grow to a colossal.

    My story is still in the making because Mechra won't die
     
  15. dragonflare137

    dragonflare137 Member

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    My first antagonist is my main characters father, and he first shows up when my main character goes to ask him a question. The actual main antagonist shows up at the same time, but it isn't revealed that he is the actual antagonist until later on when it shows him talking with his accomplice.
     
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  16. Catrin Lewis

    Catrin Lewis Contributor Contributor Contest Winner 2023 Community Volunteer

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    Well, after all that, my antagonist is pretty tame. At first, anyway.

    In the first chapter he suddenly appears at open door of the office where my female protagonist is working alone and just stands there silently, staring at her with his pale blue alien eyes. When she asks if she can help him, he refuses to give his name, makes it clear he'll only talk to her (male) boss, and leaves as precipitously as he came. My FMC hopes he won't return. Too bad, she's out of luck.
     
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  17. Anna100

    Anna100 Active Member

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    My antagonists are never evil through and through. They always have both some good and bad in them.
    And they usually approach the MCs as early on as possible, pretending to be okay/good.

    In the short story I'm currently writing, the antagonist comes regularly to a mountain shelter, where my MC is working, to eat soup (he's a mountain spirit.)
     
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  18. zoupskim

    zoupskim Contributor Contributor

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    My story plays with themes of deception, shifting perspective, and moral degradation. My antagonist actually meets the protagonist by saving them during a firefight, and they fight together and support each other throughout the rest of the book indirectly. When the antagonist is 'revealed', it's still when they are trying to help the protagonist complete their goal.
     
  19. EstherMayRose

    EstherMayRose Gay Souffle Contributor

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    Why does everyone have to be cleverer than me? :)
     
  20. NoGoodNobu

    NoGoodNobu Contributor Contributor

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    I'm actually confused by this.

    Antagonist means the opposition (or hostile) force/person inhibiting, competing with, or standing against the protagonist and their goals.

    So are you saying the antagonist is pretending to assist the protagonist for more nefarious ends, or is the antognist actually assisting the protagonist?

    Because if the antagonist is actually supporting & assisting the protagonist, I don't think they are the opposing force or standing in their way and therefore not the antagonist.

    It's possible to be the villain but not the antagonist, as well as to be the antagonist and not be a villain.

    Could you perhaps clarify?
     
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  21. peachalulu

    peachalulu Member Reviewer Contributor

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    My antagonist appears with a bang - violent explosion, walking through fire and smoke in a long black trench - Kidding.
    I don't usually do stories with a clear antagonist. My characters are their own worst enemies. Right now I'm working on a novel where an antagonist does appear but I'm actually thinking of clipping him from the story as it's just too clearly an antagonist and I feel like I've gone movie by inserting him. So right now I have to rework the last third of my novel if I do clip him.
    When I do include an antagonist I treat him like any other character. People don't usually recognize who is going to be trouble in their life. They have inklings but nothing so monumental as to
    fixate someone as a clear antagonist. Not right off the bat anyway. I remember one of my most awful bullies in school was fairly schizo - he had been a very good friend and then turned. Even weirder he would have days when he still wanted to be friends.
     
  22. Thundair

    Thundair Contributor Contributor

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    My antagonist shows up as soon as there is a problem, but I have others which I call "that guy." He is the one that is supposed to be on your side, yet everything he does causes more damage, some times more than the bad guy. I also have "this guy." He is the one who is suppose to be on your side, but is always trying to prove your way isn't the right way.

    I have another issue with all of my antagonist, and that is they try to take over the novel so it is more about them. I have to fight to keep my MC in the picture. There maybe something wrong in my head.
     
    Last edited: Jun 15, 2017
  23. EstherMayRose

    EstherMayRose Gay Souffle Contributor

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    One of the minor characters in my novel took over the entire book, and she's both the heroine and the villain.
     
  24. zoupskim

    zoupskim Contributor Contributor

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    My story is a subversion of a war story in a lot of ways.

    Short answer: The protagonist is a conscript, and the antagonist is a commissar. The protag isn't really even aware of the extent of the commissar's influence at first.

    Long answer:

    The antagonist and protagonist are both soldiers in the same military, so they absolutely work together to win battles, save lives, and protect each other.

    The antagonist is the opposing force because the protagonist doesn't want to fight in the war. The protag struggles to protect their fellow soldiers around them, but they don't want to kill anyone. The protag tries to get assignments where they won't have to be close to any battles, as they just want to finish their term of conscription and go home. However, they still have to put forth an effort or they could face punishment, and they definitely fight with zeal when the life of a fellow soldier is in danger.

    The antagonist tries to get the protag into fights, tries to make the protag look good as a soldier because it reflects well on them, and pressures them to fight harder, all when the protag just needs to pay lip service to the war, and keep anyone from dying.

    Both the protag and antag are the villains, and both participate in several war crimes within the first few chapters. But, the protagonist is trying to escape from the military, or at least get somewhere they won't get blood on their hands.
     
    Last edited: Jun 15, 2017
  25. Teresa Mendes

    Teresa Mendes Member

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    First scene of the book! I have two antagonists that are also POVs and I use their POV to show their motivations =) It's a lot of fun to write, and I hope it will be to read. One of them is a spy on the protagonist side but is using another name so it's interesting to try to guess who he is.
     
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