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Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/45268
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

 **There must be logic**

I believe it is important to always let the readers understand the logic of your character's actions.

Even if the character is super evil, his motivation should be one the readers can sympathize with. Rather his methods are what could be despicable.

For instance, a villain wanting to save the world... by destroying society and starting civilization anew. Sure billions will die, but the end result will be Eden on earth! Just look at crime, corporations, and politicians... let's do it!

You understand his goal, motivation, and the proofs for why change is needed... just not his methods, his way of change.

In your case, I think you need to show your readers your character was poisoned. Or give them a way to understand his actions and the logic of them by showing the poisoning from his point of view.

**Don't hide**

You can even let the readers know beforehand that the poisoning is going to happen.

It's nice to surprise the readers with a plot twist, but sometimes you can get even better results if your readers know what's going on, even know more than the protagonist.

I call this, placing a [bear on the beach](https://talkwards.com/2019/05/20/a-bear-on-the-beach/). In short, you introduce a threat that the protagonist is unaware of, but that the reader knows about, and by doing so you make tension increase, possibly even through the roof.

This is most obvious in the horror genre, but if you know what to look for, it can be found in other genres too. Thrillers, of course, but even Romances can have it. Some comedies are ripe with it.

I think it could work in your story.

Best case scenario, you might get the readers to scream at the story: Don't drink that glass of water! It contains poison... aww shucks! _Now what?!_

(Okay, maybe not scream... but think while reading... and most definitely not putting the text down until they know "what's going to happen now...")

Of course, this also holds true for your treacherous sidekick.

Imagine how many suspenseful scenes you can create when the reader knows he's a villain? Who will he kill now? Is his girlfriend going to survive this? When will he strike?

At the same time, the protagonist and his team get closer and closer to figuring out that they have a mole and who that mole is... meaning the villain will have to throw innocent people under the bus or get caught himself.

Ok, this is turning into more of a thriller... but case in point... suspense can be used for strong effects as well!

**Insane? Me? Naah...**

The other way to go is to fool the readers.

Insane people are usually following sound logic, but the "input" is all wrong.

So, you could show your character's insanity from his POV, people turning into zombies? monsters? attacking him? or each other? etc, "forcing" his hand in self-defense, just to reveal, as the drug wears off what has actually happened.

Your readers and your character simultaneously get the same shock and the same question in their heads: what the hell just happened?!

Your problem here is to do it in a way that prevents the reader from asking, "what the hell is happening" _while_ it's going on.

They don't trust the main character to act as you've written it now. You need to write it from his POV in a way they can trust. Perhaps by introducing a third party that tips the balance in the battle or making it seem the enemy is everywhere.

You should probably also have the MC's sympathizers trying to get through to him and sometimes managing to do that in flashes. Perhaps, just as he kills that "Ogre" its face becomes one of his friends', but then as he looks again, it's a dead "Ogre". What was that all about?

Original score: 4