Villain or Supervillain Name Generator
This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Kira Jan. Kira Jan earned her B.A. in English from Stanford University in 2021. She has published work in a variety of literary magazines and edited for bestselling authors. Kira now writes and edits for the content team at wikiHow with the goal of reaching audiences of all backgrounds, skillsets, and interests. She enjoys continually learning alongside wikiHow readers and working to create connection through the written word.
This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources.
Learn more...
Looking for a name will send chills down the spine of any good hero? Step into the shadows with our generator, designed to create names that evoke the perfect amount of malevolence and fear for your fictional story, RPG, and more.
Tips for Developing Villain Characters
"The most compelling people or villains are the ones that are not just two sided but have a lot of layers to them like an onion." — Tara Blau Smollen, Presentation & Acting Skills Coach[1]
The key to developing a compelling villain character is to make then as nuanced and complex as your hero. What is motivating them? What do they want? What is their underlying desire or origin story?
The most compelling villains often have a fierce conviction that they are doing the right thing or have humanizing traits. A classic example of a compelling villain is Satan from Milton's Paradise Lost. He is presented as an angel fallen from heaven, and he's an outsider. This imperfection and outcast status is humanizing because nearly everyone has experienced feeling isolated or rejected at some point.
An easy way to add depth to your villain character is to give a glimpse into who they were before they turned evil. What made them become so dark and twisted? Star Wars does this exceedingly well as it tracks Anakin Skywalker's journey from an innocent and caring boy, to an arrogant yet afraid young man, to a dark and ruthless villain.
Need any help crafting your villain's backstory? Check out our Villain Origin Story Creator next.
You Might Also Like
References
- ↑ Tara Blau Smollen. Presentation & Acting Skills Coach. Expert Interview
About This Article
