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Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/36470
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

The villains I like best are the ones that are most memorable. Hannibal Lecter (from the movies) because he was the first villain I met that had a known moral code even if it was twisted. The Joker from the Dark Knight Trilogy because his anarchist crazy was so well portrayed by the actor. Luke from the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series because he had real motives and real flaws that we got to see. Moist Von Lipwig of the Discworld books because he is as much his own foil as the Patrician and circumstances are.

The ones that I don't like are those that don't stand out. They aren't interesting in any way and their motives tend to be boring. Voldemort just feared death and needed to stroke his ego, so he murdered untold many. (I liked it when Dumbledore and Grinwald talked of world domination for the good of muggles even though that path to power would have been almost identical to Voldy's.) Sauron and Sauromon from Lord of the Rings just wanted power, they had no other motives so far as I saw and were unlikable. (Don't confuse unlikable with unsympathetic).

Make your villain as round as your hero. As human in his own way. Give them flaws and foibles. An interesting affectation or mannerism. That will do what you need.

Original score: 2