How do evil protagonists win the reader over in dark fantasy stories? [closed]

In 1999, a book called The Last Ringbearer was published in Russia: it’s an account of the War of the Ring, from the losers’ perspective. It hasn’t been professionally published in the US, out of fear that the Tolkien estate’s lawyers would descend on the publisher like a swarm of Ring-Wraiths. However, an English translation is available for download.

posted almost 11 years ago

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Seth Gordon‭

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I'm wondering if the main character in your story really needs to be likable.

Some time ago I've read an interview with an 18-year old psychopath who killed a few people. It was right before his execution. His philosophy and priorities were totally different from mine or yours. As he explained, at times he got an irresistible urge to kill anyone. Being a hedonist, he immediately tried to satisfy his urge and went to hunt. It was as simple as that.

If you have by now an image of a ruthless killer who doesn't feel any emotions, there is more to this story. He had a great sense of honor and respected law and order more than any person. In a sense it felt like a military training, but he developed this naturally. As the saddest thing in his life he points to pig slaying at a butchery. He couldn't help himself and cried.

After reading I couldn't accuse him of any illogic but yet I felt he was totally wrong. He was repelling me from the one side, but it was interesting to see how twisted one's personality can be.

So, to the point - what about making a character that will make you wonder who is more normal in this world? Maybe contrasting dead logic of your bad hero with nonsensical motivations of his enemies would do the work?

I'm no writer so I can't technically prove it. It's just an idea.

posted over 13 years ago

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Michał Moroz‭

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Your readers will have to relate to the protagonist, even if they disagree with his moral stance and actions. He needs clear goals and obstacles that stand in his way to establish conflict. The same basis for any successful story.

My guess is that a comedic villain would be your best bet (e.g. Dr. Evil).

Check out: http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/VillainProtagonist

posted over 13 years ago

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RobotNerd‭

35 reputation 0 5 7 0

Another example of this as well as Doctor Evil is Darth Vader.

• Starts off an innocent boy
• Corrupted to become evil and follow his new master under the pretense that he'll save his wife
• Convinced in the last moment that there is still good in his heart and overthrows his evil master
• Pays for his actions by his death but ultimately died as a good man in the eyes of his son

Roughly.

I would gladly read about such a character's progression in a fantasy environment. I think ultimately most people don't really like to read an ending that is not positive, but it doesn't mean the character can't be malleable to the point of going against his moral beliefs for a period of time and then being redeemed.

posted over 13 years ago

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Nick Bedford‭

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My first fantasy novel was told from the perspective of the good guys AND the bad guys. Each had their own respective goals and when the story was centered around one or the other, the reader was seeing what those characters were doing. My "bad" guys didn't necessarily see themselves as being "good", but they did see themselevs as being "right". I have had a number of people tell me that they enjoyed getting more into the mind of the "bad" guys, so I say go for it. I believe readers would welcome such a change. (I'm even considering changing up a future novel to make the main character more shady!)

posted over 13 years ago

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Steven Drennon‭

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I don't think any of the main characters (I actuially hesitate calling them protagonists) in Joe Abercrombie's first trilogy could be described as "good" (or even be described as believing they are good). So, I'd say "yes, it can be done".

posted over 13 years ago

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Vatine‭

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I have not read it but Soon I Will Be Invincible is the closest I can think of to what you're proposing, other than the excellent short story collection If I Were an Evil Overlord, inspired by the Evil Overlord List.

My question is, why should your main guy be only petty, shallow, and selfish? Do you want him to win at the end, or be defeated? I think LOTR from Sauron's perspective (or Melkor's, who was Sauron's mentor and much more powerful and evil) would be really fascinating in a skin-crawling kind of way, but Sauron is not a one-dimensional character. (Particularly if you read all the Tolkien backstory prior to LOTR.)

Your bad guy doesn't have to think of himself as a good guy in order for his motives to be understandable to the reader. Someone with an obsession, a burning need for revenge, a mental defect, or who's just a plain ol' psychopath can be complex while still being bad. Your main character shouldn't be paper-thin and obviously hissable. The reader should actually be torn a little because s/he finds s/he can sympathize with some of the things your evil main character did.

George R.R. Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire" series, the one which starts with A Game of Thrones (coming to HBO soon YEAH!!! okay sorry), has an entire family of "bad guys" who do evil, selfish, cruel, and petty things, but there is a lot about them which is also likeable and sympathetic, and when one character ends up trapped in jail as a result of her own scheming, I was both horrified and elated. That's what you want to aim for, not Snidely Whiplash.

posted over 13 years ago

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Lauren Ipsum‭

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