The Antagonist

How do villains become villains? Is there a meaning in becoming one? Villains has been defined and redefined by all mediums, throughout history. Mankind perceived them as simply the bad guys. Here's how I could anatomize villainy as simple as I can:

Motives

To become one, one must have motives or drives to strive being bad or do bad or do bad for a greater good.

Means

Power is one of the essential tools to become a villain. Either through inflicting pain to others or the power to control others. A man with a gun definitely has the power to kill or spare the person on their knees. I could not imagine a villain without possessing any kind of power or a need to have a higher position among men.

Goal

Yes even the most inglorious bastards of the evil kind have goals or objectives. One cliche thing villains almost always trying to do is to "rule the world". Second to that is to "have revenge". One common problem, with these kind of objectives, is the linear way things will end up when the goals or objectives were already met. Once met, the purpose of becoming a villain may already been defeated.

Roots

A villain may have a rough past, negative environment, or perhaps a disturbed mind. Their past may tell the 'whys' and the 'hows' of the future. It interests me so much about the past lives of Jafar, Lex Luthor, Joker and Lucifer. Is it safe to say that these villains can never sprung out if it weren't for the good people? Or is it the other way around?

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Truth be told, that the real Big Brother(as depicted by George Orwell's 1984) or Cinderella's Evil Step Sisters are also us.

"In the real world there are no villains. No one actually sets out to do evil. […] Fiction mirrors life. Or, more accurately, fiction serves as a lens to focus what we know of life and bring its realities into sharper, clearer understanding for us. There are no villains cackling and rubbing their hands in glee as they contemplate their evil deeds. There are only people with problems, struggling to solve them." -Ben Bova

I pay homage to one of the most loved and most hated villain of all... ...he's actually the one holding a gold snake staff and having an annoying parrot in his shoulders. :)

Jafar's Words Of Wisdom:

"You're only a fool when you give up, boy!"

"Things aren't always what they seem."

"You've heard of the Golden Rule, haven't you? Whoever has the gold, makes the rules"

"I love the way your foul little mind works. "