What makes a villain compelling? Makes them someone we love to hate? Who is the perfect foil to our protagonist?
I think the key is to find some part of the character that’s relatable, even if it makes us, writers and readers, uncomfortable to see ourselves in such a dark character.
During the Villains of the Sequel Trilogy panel from Star Wars Celebration Europe 2023, three actors discussed how they brought to life some of the worst villains in the galaxy.
I’m definitely going to keep their comments in mind the next time I’m crafting a villain.
Who is your favorite villain on screen or in books?
NOTE: The video above should start at the beginning of the panel, around 18m41s of the full video. I couldn’t find an excerpt video of just that panel, so the link goes to the entire recording for Day 3.