Why are we obsessed with Loki? (Or, the Elements of a Good Villain)

Hey grasshoppers! Today I'm thrilled to have Jo Day here to analyse good villains with a generous dose of Loki gifs. Without further ado ...

You know, and I know, that we both love Loki (just admit it) as much as Thor, perhaps even more. The question is: why? He's tricky, manipulative, sly as a snake and power-hungry, while Thor is the perfect paragon. Is it because of his initial attractiveness (kudos to Tom Hiddleston), or something more?

Let's have a look at why Loki fascinates us, and how you, too, can learn to create great villians.

1. Backstory

Besides his serious daddy-issues, his backstory is quite a sad one. Who could forget his speech about how he was always overshadowed by Thor? When his father eventually told him that he was adopted, at last he thought he had found an explanation for what he thought was his father playing favourites.

Use this to your advantage. We, humans, are naturally sympathetic towards other humans; use this to make your villains more empathetic, and ultimately, more human. Make a backstory that explains why your characters are the way they are now. Make them relatable. *clutches heart* Sentiment...

2. Morality

We've all come across a chaotic villain before. You know, the ones who just like doing bad things because...why not?  But how is this relatable? Those authors have created a villain that we can't understand, which makes them neither believable nor complex.

We love Loki because he has a strong motive that stems from his oh-so-tragic backstory. We want the heroes to win, but at the same time, we want Loki to succeed. Going to send an army of Chitauri to Earth? Well, I was wrongly denied lordship over Asgard, so this is my chance to set things right!

He has his reasons (albeit flawed ones), and so should your characters. Do not make them mindless murderers who kill because...well, they just like killing. Make them feel as if their actions are justified. Isn't this why villains are villains, because they fail to see their flaws? Establish their morals.

3. Personality

Yes, Loki's evil. But he's also compelling and charismatic. He impressed us with his little disappearing tricks. We adored his spontaneity and grandeur (with a touch of diva). His snarky attitude combined with dark glamour means we are pleasantly intrigued by this character.

In my opinion, this is the most important one. We like a personality that shines on paper. Give your villain quirks, habits, traits, grudgingly good qualities and interests.

Now, off you go. Write good villains. Make them shine. Please Loki. (And don't forget to read Alyssa's post about Thor on my blog!)

Jo goes by several aliases including TeX (gamer tag), Feather (old blogger name) and Pun Master (just because). She is the bookish mastermind behind The Bearable Blog, which is full of thoughts, writings and life updates. She wishes you a pleasant day, and hopes you'll take the bus to her little internet village.