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Q&A How to make "Joffrey like" characters for a "kick that son of a bitch " moment

Killing the opposition; even brutally, is an understandable trait of a villain. Mass "impersonal" killing (setting a bomb, firing a missile, exploding a nuclear weapon) are understandable traits, t...

posted 7y ago by Amadeus‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

Answer
#4: Attribution notice removed by user avatar System‭ · 2019-12-19T22:13:07Z (almost 5 years ago)
Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/29877
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
#3: Attribution notice added by user avatar System‭ · 2019-12-08T06:56:08Z (almost 5 years ago)
Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/29877
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
#2: Initial revision by (deleted user) · 2019-12-08T06:56:08Z (almost 5 years ago)
Killing the opposition; even brutally, is an understandable trait of a villain. Mass "impersonal" killing (setting a bomb, firing a missile, exploding a nuclear weapon) are understandable traits, too.

Even if those kill babies and kids and innocents, the villain is killing them for some cause or purpose. What makes a villain truly hated is completely **_unnecessary_** killing, often casual, of innocent, defenseless and relatable characters, for no plausible reason.

For example, my hit man can brutally slaughter twenty gangsters. He might even be a bit cruel and vindictive (like in the movie franchise Taken); this can be seen as "justice." He isn't hated yet.

But as he is leaving, my hit man is checking rooms for survivors, and in the last room finds a baby girl, about six months old, lying in a crib. He smiles. He says, "Aww!" and seems genuinely pleased.

Then he shoots the baby.

**_Now_** he is hated.

#1: Imported from external source by user avatar System‭ · 2017-08-23T12:46:03Z (about 7 years ago)
Original score: 4