Building A Villain You Secretly Agree With

Some of the best villains don’t twirl mustaches or deliver monologues from secret lairs. Some of them . . . actually make sense. And that’s terrifying.

It’s also fascinating and compelling.

Welcome to the morally murky, deliciously uncomfortable world of sympathetic villains, a.k.a. the characters you didn’t mean to side with but can’t help yourself from understanding and enjoying.

Let’s talk about how to build these lovable monsters.

1. Give Them a Point

The first rule of creating a villain you secretly agree with: Give them good arguments.

Maybe their methods are horrific, but their cause? Make it logically sound or emotionally gripping. Maybe they’re addressing oppression or overpopulation. Maybe they just want to optimize a business or make a system more efficient. Maybe they just crave love and respect.

If your villain has logical goals or unmet emotional needs, they’ll be more real, relatable, and intelligent. And then . . . congratulations: you’ve just created a philosophical nightmare.

2. Make Them Charismatic

Nobody roots for the villain who’s annoying, unoriginal, or generally unlikeable. But give your villain a sense of humor, charm, or biting wit, and suddenly they’re stealing scenes and moral high ground.

Remember, every character in your story should be crafted with intent. Even side characters should have personality and background that influence their actions. Your sympathetic villain is no different.

3. Let Them Criticize the Protagonist

If your hero is a beacon of hope, shiny and righteous, let your villain point out their flaws. Call out the hypocrisy. Dig up the past.

A villain who can clap back with logic makes readers rethink the plot—and that’s delicious.

Plus, this not only strengthens your villain, it can also strengthen the hero as they must defend what they believe.

4. Show the Cost of Being “Good”

Maybe your hero saves the city . . . by sacrificing the innocent. Or maybe they protect “order” by crushing dissent. Or perhaps it’s extremely dangerous and painful to do “what’s right.”

Meanwhile, your villain is safe, happy, and not giving people any false promises.

Yikes. Now your readers are staring at the page, sipping existential dread like tea.

5. Let Them Love Something (Or Someone)

If you want readers to really feel conflicted, give your villain a soft spot.

A sister. A pet. A crumbling hometown. Show that they’re not heartless—just heartbroken.

Now you’ve created a villain who isn’t evil incarnate . . . they’re human. And that’s what makes them dangerous.

Final Thoughts

Writing a villain you secretly agree with is not only more fun—it’s smarter. It challenges readers. It gives your story depth. It lets you whisper uncomfortable truths through someone who's technically "wrong" but emotionally very, very right.

Just . . . maybe don’t let them win. (Unless you're writing a sequel. In that case, burn it all down.)