A while back I wrote about unlikeable characters and villains.  One of my writing lists had a recent discussion about villains. What makes a villain memorable? How can the writer make a villain that is more than a two-sided paper cutout?
For some, the villain had to be “bad” but have humane qualities. For others, memorable villains reflect a dark side of the reader.
Writers can create those memorable villains by giving them an unexpected characteristic. The villain could have a soft spot for black cats or mimes.Â
Creating memorable characters – heroes or villains – is like putting a puzzle together. The pieces have to fit together perfectly. If the character doesn’t ring true there’s usually something about the motivation or viewpoint that is slightly off.