I can't play evil characters

[Dae]

As I just said, I can't do it. I simply can't get in the mind of someone who would want to make someone suffer, or who would even simply not care if the wellbeing of others got in their way. Tragic backstories for me just wind up depressing rather than a source of motivation for cruelty, and sadistic sociopathy is completely alienating. It just never seems to click for me.

Now, while I loathe to be a cruel person IRL, having the capability to write for a wide range of characters tends to make one a better author, and antagonists are typically kind of a big literary deal. And maybe, for me, this is a matter of better understanding the player, not the character. So how about yall tell me about your experiences playing the bad guy, what motivations you like working with, what makes them compelling to you, and the likes.


I mean, clearly my current sources for understanding the motivations for evil aren't working...

Spoiler:

[Kira13]

I don't know if you're into anime and the likes, but if you are...

Monster Episode 1. While it is uninteresting at the beginning, it grows incredibly complex to the end. I am, personally, at the 41'st episode, and am enjoying it to the maximum! As one of my friends said, "if you thought Kira from Death Note was evil, but cool, you should definitely check Johan from Monster out."

As for my motivations of playing the bad guy... I don't really know, for sure. While I'm, usually, the good guy in about everything, I do always enjoy taking the easy (and often evil) way. I'd say it's something personal that even I can't explain!

EDIT: Maybe because role-playing the bad, evil dude is the only way possible for me to feel as if I've taken the easy way. (I often take the long, hard, but good way out of most situations.)

[CappnRob]

It's ok Dae.

I can't play evil characters either!

Let's be goody two shoe bros forever

[Bingles]

Hey there Dae! I have several bad guys, some of them more of comedical sense but still some more serious than others. Usually when I play serious characters I go for the 'My Character thinks he is doing the right instead of the wrong' sense. Like my orc terrorist, Zur'an. He believes by taking out the rich and the upper class rulers he will liberate the lower class poor people. He will go to all lengths to take them out, even if the lower class people stand in the way. Even if lower class people are injured or killed in an attack.

Other types of my evil characters, comedical types are usually up to no good. Usually they will sabotage an event or eavesdrop on his 'nemesis' to ruin their days or something, not real serious characters. But they have a burning hate for the person and they want them to suffer a long time. I dunno', hope this gives some good thoughts!

Good luck,
-SunThas

EDIT: this is one of my favourite villains, which I am going to make a character modelled after him!

WARNING: Video contains some strong language!

[muhaha8]

Evil, at least for me, is almost like a... Quiet art-form. When I choose to make something truly dark and evil, I focus on a specific ideal I want to play and portray. That being said, it begins with the question of why. Why did the character choose that life? As an extrapolation, what pushed him to do it? Evil's not so much, "Because I can," as it is, "Because this is the only way I know how to cope," in my eyes. Whenever I create a villain, that taken into account, I start with a reason.

Say, for example, I make a character who's a murderer. Why does he seem to simply relish in the action of murdering others? It's a question like that that I constantly ask myself, until I can come up with a solid, definite answer. Why go through this effort? To make the character relatable. What fun is it if people can't look at your horrible, cruel man, and feel a pang of empathy, because they actually understand what pushed him to do what he does?

I'll go out on a limb here and say one of my favorite motivations for evil is desperation. They do what they do not because they can, but because they have to. It begins with a choice, and once the choice is made to commit evil, it's hard to turn back from the path. It may be that the choice was made with good intentions, but the character may be compelled to continue to repeat it, time and time again. I'll build off of the murderer I proposed above. Why does he murder? It all began with his fiance who was kidnapped and held for ransom, let's say. He took the kidnappers the ransom, but when he paid it, they killed her on the spot. In his rage, he drew a small axe he brought with him, just in case, and butchered them.

Well damn, now he's murdered two guys, and is afraid that, should he be found, he'll be blamed for the deaths of both his fiance and the kidnappers. So he runs. Someone sees him wiping down the bloody axe in a back-alley, and threatens to call the guards. In order to save himself, he kills the man. So begins the spiral downward, and there you have your motivation blended into story. His desperation and anger after the death of his fiance led him to kill, and each time after that, he found it easier to make the choice, until his heart was hardened to the act. Does it make him any less a human being? No. It simply means that he was pushed to his limits, and committed an act he, under normal circumstances, would never have done.

So yes, this man has done terrible things, but it began with at least halfway decent, if not selfish, intentions. It's the thought that something truly evil can be dragged out of the heart of what may have been a wholly good person that draws me to it, in the end.

* muhaha8 shrugs. "There you go, lol."

[Rowgen]

Nevermind me, muhaha went and ninjaed my clever and deep post. :c

[Reigen]

Well, evil for the sake of being evil is never fun.

When I want to play an 'evil' character, I try to put them in a situation in which they view themselves as the good and all others as the evil, sorta like the Scarlet Crusade. I find it more enjoyable if the character is fighting for something they have a passion for that anyone can really relate too. It also helps if the 'evil' character is able to interact with a neutral group without being off the wall creepy.

Some of the best villans in modern day time were able to blend in with a crowed without being plainly obvious. Some of the most vile people in our history had good motives behind their doings. The way the plans were unleashed is what made them 'evil' to the rest of the world.

Some things I try to avoid when playing evil:

Hurrdurr Evil clothing.
Insanity/off the wall behavior
Obvious motives
Cartoon villen bullying of co-wokers [Hard to get followers/helpers if you bully them all the time]
Super tragic histories
Evil for the sake of being evil.

Things I try to do:
Make them blend in. While it makes them seem very plain, it helps them get into more RP than just twirling their facial hair.
Give them a cause that I could see others getting behind.
Make them human and not a heartless killing machine.

Villans are still people, no matter what they are doing. They can and will feel regret for their actions and to reflect upon that really helps flesh the character out. "I feel horrible, and this is going to haunt my dreams for the end of the days, but if I stop now, all of it will be for nothing. When this is all done, things will be better. One for the many, no matter how it makes me feel." Have the character struggle with their goal, but push forward because 'things will be better at the end for -everyone-'.

[anji]

I've always had trouble playing evil characters, but I've found that a neutral, or at least morally ambiguous character, can make a much better villain.

An evil character could be a violent sadist, but that's an extreme example, and I can hardly imagine a violent sociopath doing much more than behaving oddly and killing a few random people.

Like muhaha said, you need a motivation. And, in my opinion, the best villain has a motive he or she considers righteous, or at least a motive that can be justified in some way.

One of my favorite types of antagonists to play is a zealot. The quintessential zealot has no doubt that he serves a just cause, but in the eyes of others, he is rash, judgmental, and insane. Another great motive is self-interest, in any form. A self-interested character might not intend to break laws and/or bones, but he'll do it if it's necessary to get what he wants.

I suggest making a character who could potentially do both good and bad things. Such a character could have interesting role-play with anyone he meets, would receive a variety of reactions, and could amount to more than a lone sociopath.

EDIT: Everyone else thought what I was thinking. Just remember that the keywords are "moral ambiguity" :B

[SachikoMaeda]

Evil isn't about cruelty to me.

It is possible to be evil without intentionally causing pain for others. Gabril believes he's doing a great service to people and is unaware of the pain it can lead to. One of the difficult parts of playing an "evil" force is trying to remove the stereotypes. The best way I try to play an "evil" is to try and mentally remove what would be the distinguishing factors between "good" and "evil".

Also, good and evil are all put in perspective. One person's evil may be viewed as a good. Example: Gabril believes he's doing good by trying to create a haven for the undead, though it will lead to what many see as an evil.

I've also tried to take on the "necessary evil" with Aendron. He does a good to the world's balance by being what the majority sees as an evil. He believes he has to cause pain to others so that they can know good. The main issue, however, is that it can be a very emotionally difficult task for the player, especially of you fully engage the mindset.

My advice would be to find a simple flavor of evil to get the toes wet if you do really want to play an evil character. Of you don't, well, do what makes you happy!

[Holynexus]

A greedy goblin can be seen as evil, just like a sadistic madman, a scientist craving for hidden and forsaken power, or an undead trying to set up a new haven for her own race of undead. It could be a strict slaveowner who's simply doing her job at keeping slaves, or it could be an intolerant barbarian. A thief who can't feed his children can also be seen as "evil". A revengeful zzalot (two concepts in one) or a mundane, but strict and stringent superior also make for "evil". "Evil" flavors can also be found in intrigue RP (dwarven are fond of it, and Sin'dorei too), or simply innocently dabbling in "evil" mysteries (shadow priests). You can combine these concepts at will, too.

Evil characters are easier to play with a purpose and a fleshed out reasoning. I admit it's hard for me to justify murder, but our characters are not ourselves, nor are they our children. A murderer could be akin to an antihero. Evil also allows for deeper emotional RP, in its own way - regrets, remorse, confrontations, and failure which for characters on the dark side of the moral horizon can lead to fates worse than death itself.

If you can separate yourself from your characters, and not fall in romantic love with them, I think you're fine playing things outside your usual and hopefully not murderous mindset. ^^

[Krent]

I think the best tip for playing an 'evil' character is to forget everything you know about the term 'evil' itself. Morality is a highly subjective topic, with thousands of years of debate behind it. The concepts of 'good' and the concepts of 'evil' change from culture to culture, from time period to time period. What was once permissive in one point in history becomes detestable in another.

An easy example would be with slavery. For centuries, slavery was something considered 'normal' and 'natural'. Some cultures even regarded it as 'righteous'--the 'civilized' people conquering the 'uncivilized' ones in glorious conquest. The cultures that waged wars for the interest of capturing slaves (such as the Romans, who often did gain more slaves and territory) did not think of themselves as 'evil'. In fact, many of the worst individuals in human history have never considered themselves 'evil'.

Adolf Hitler, who I'm sure many of us would regard as the poster boy of all things abhorrent in human activity, thought he was serving the greater good. He didn't see himself as a genocidal dictator (even though he was one). Instead, he saw himself as a stalwart traditionalist on a mission to make Germany "good" and "pure" again.

And therein lies the real danger of an 'evil' person; they never see themselves as such. If you can provide an intellectual justification for something, and convince yourself and others that it is the 'good' thing to do, you can commit atrocity after atrocity. That is perhaps why so many atrocities occur in human history. The perpetrators don't see anything wrong with them, and thus continue onwards as if nothing were happening.

So, I would say for anyone hoping to adopt an 'evil' mindset successfully, they should approach their character in an objective manner. Look at things amorally; find some way for them to rationalize and justify their behavior. Don't sit down and say "how can I make an evil person?" Sit down and say, "how can I make an evil person believe that they are good?" Approach the concept in Machiavellian terms. Ya know, with the ends-justifying-means and all that good nonsense.

My personal favorite way to write evil is in corrupting, or otherwise perverting, Utilitarian ethics. Utilitarianism is a method of morality which calculates things based on how much "good" or "happiness" they can generate. The more "good" or "happiness" something is able to create, the better it is on the 'moral' scale. People often refer to this sort of thing in vague terms, such as "the greater good" or something.

With me, however, "the greater good" is something very vague and very subjective. Rife for corrupting! When you try to justify things based on "the greater good", you can do allllll sorts of nasty business. I find it best to wrap a character up in all of these grand philosophical / moral conceptualizations. That way, they don't notice all the "little things" in their plotting; all the killing and enslavement and destruction their pursuit of "goodness" leads them.

Of course, I've only had 2 "evil" characters in my RP life. And I'm always debating whether or not Corlmitz can be considered "evil" or not. I'd talk about why, but I don't think anyone wants to listen to me ramble about my characters. So yeah.

[Scout]

I think it's better to consider evil as selfish, as opposed to villainous. Evil doesn't mean you're murderous, and it doesn't mean you actively wish harm upon others. Evil simply means you put yourself before everything else. You could be perfectly kind in a casual situation under no stress, but you will by no means go out of your way to help someone, unless there's some benefit to you, and when push comes to shove, you will be the first person to jump off the sinking ship, and you will take the lifeboat all for yourself without looking back.

Once you start thinking of evil in that light, and good in the context of the truly altruistic, with neutral as a happy medium, it becomes a lot easier to play all the different alignments. It stops being a question of "how moral is my character" and becomes more flexible, in my opinion. And, in all cases, it is a spectrum. Your alignment doesn't define you. It's just a guide or a label for the personality you have created.

[Anski]

Now, while I loathe to be a cruel person IRL, having the capability to write for a wide range of characters tends to make one a better author, and antagonists are typically kind of a big literary deal. And maybe, for me, this is a matter of better understanding the player, not the character.

While those who truly know me know I have nothing to add on the forefront of playing evil characters, but I do have to say this:

The black and white standard of good versus evil is a trap that many budding writers fall into. Morality is arguably a third dimension occupation of space, and writing a character of any philosophical alignment should be a challenge within itself. Having the capability to write a character that is not defining in nature on one extreme end of the spectrum is infinitely more valuable to a writer's "arsenal" than the alternative. The morality of a character should properly reflect as to a consistent question of 'Why?'. It is not a question you should be basing off of your characters but as of yourself. Why is it your characters serve any alignment at all? Is it because you created them and you willed them to be evil, or the transgression of events has logically shaped them to be any sort of alignment? Whether devoid of all emotion but anger or fueled by a lifetime of defeat and corruption, a character should be the way they are because they have become the way they are, not because your determined to play them as an exact 'evil', because the term, like all alignment, is very slippery and should be used very lightly, if at all.

Both characters listed are not 'evil', they contain their own reasons for what they do, the Dalek see themselves as a championing race for survival whereas Professor Moriarty only considers one man to be his logical foil, and strives to succeed him. Both placed into the antagonistic box by their writers, you must also understand this is a world being shaped by not only you, but everyone else. If you truly wish for your character to have an alignment, lean them one way and let the world around you, whether your own writing or the movements of others, mold their personality into one that is strong instead of weak.

~

[Xigo]

I agree strongly with Anski's post. Making a villain can be rough, especially if you want this villain to make sense. Saturday morning cartoons are not strong inspiration. Just try to create a character, don't make 'evil' part of his or her personality. It will come in naturally on its own.

'Antagonist' and 'evil' are not synonymous. Give a character strong beliefs, and he/she will end up opposing someone else with strong beliefs.

Granted, you can get some pretty ridiculous antagonists if you wish.

Like this chap.

Spoiler:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bc80tFJpTuo[/youtube]

[Holynexus]

http://www.conquestofthehorde.com/Thread...ffectively

Look at what I found! I'm sure it'll be very effective, digged down the forums to see that one..