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Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/29873
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/29873
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

Someone who deserves to be smeared over a brick wall _doesn't_ have reedeming features.

That's not to say the villain is stupid, or one-dimensional, or his/her only motive is "I like to be eeeeeeevil." But if you are trying to create a character "who needs killin'," then don't give him or her any good characteristics. Your villain shouldn't be physically attractive, or a sharp dresser. (Military uniforms are more imposing than sharp.) S/he shouldn't get off darkly funny one-liners, or have a pet which is treated well, or spare anyone from harsh treatment.

This should be a person who always puts his/her own interests first — even further, someone who always puts his/her _pleasures_ first, above anyone else’s consideration, above anyone else’s life.

Tyrion gave Joffrey a beautiful book of history (in a society which doesn’t appear to have the printing press, so every book is hand-lettered). Joffrey immediately chopped it into pieces with his sword because he wasn’t interested in learning anything. He killed the prostitute Roz because he was bored and wanted to use his new crossbow. He displayed many instances of violence in which he took great glee, and was then cowardly in the face of danger (or Tyrion slapping him). We were happy to see Joffrey die because every choice he made, every action, every word, was only about putting himself and his wants first.

Ramsay Snow/Bolton, another all-out GoT villain, skinned people alive, chopped off bits of his prisoners, tortured them mentally and physically, sent his dogs to hunt people down and tear them apart, committed rape, et cetera. (He’s even worse in the books. On the show he at least has the actor’s physical charms.) Again, it was for his own gleeful pleasure — in fact, his father, a more cold-blooded pragmatist, scolded him for being tactically stupid with his excesses.

Petyr “Littlefinger” Baelish, on the other hand, is certainly out for himself, but he also can speak kindly and give gifts. He’s a good-looking man, dresses handsomely, and does favors for his allies. While those favors are always with an eye to what the ally can do for him later, and while he is entirely capable of murder, planning murder, selling someone into slavery, running a rough brothel, castigating a woman whose child was just killed, and other ills, we the audience can appreciate his schemes, his _bons mots,_ and his chemistry with other characters like Varys.

Your villain’s wants can be just about him/herself, or they can be about a nation or empire etc., or a religion/deity, but someone due for chunky salsa karma will have nothing for the audience to appreciate or identify with.

**ETA** armatita makes a good point in the comments, which I'll append: If you want your audience not just to hate your villain but actively cheer for his/her demise, the villain's evil has to be _personal._ Ramsay raping a random woman is terrible. Ramsay raping Sansa (a character we've watched grow up, who has gone from innocent and airheaded to experienced, smart, and capable), on their forced wedding night, in Winterfell, is a personal horror. We identify with Sansa, so now we _want_ Ramsay to die. We as the audience want revenge.

Original score: 18