Harry Potter, the boy who lived, inspired millions of readers around the world. Was he an inspiration because he went to Hogwarts and became a wizard, or was he an inspiration because he was tested, challenged, and pursued by a “great & terrible” villain?
Without Voldemort, the adversity in Harry’s life would have been pedestrian. Ordinary. His stressors would have been banal, his challenges mundane. Without a cerebral, vile, and ruthless adversary, Harry’s courage and character would not have been tested and the opportunity for heroism would not have materialized.
The same can be said for all epic heroes. Can you imagine Luke Skywalker without Darth Vader? Clarice Starling without Hannibal Lector? Sherlock Holmes without Professor Moriarity? No…it’s impossible, and that’s the point.
Memorable heroes require memorable villains.
But what separates “great & terrible” villains from insipid ones? To help answer this question, we at Career Authors proudly present the second installment in our series of infographics—The Villain Checklist: Character Engineering for Writers
The response to the Hero Checklist was overwhelmingly positive, so thank you! Let’s keep the momentum going…please download this weeks’ infographic, screenshot it, and share it on Facebook.
