Sure, a villianous character might be more fun, but all a hero has to do is show up, and save the world. a Villian's got to have a really good reason to want to destroy the world, hopefully something a little more weighty than " My Mommy never loved me".
Um, IMHO, with the exception of a few 'tear it all down' Anarchists, most of the notable Villains are after POWER at any price-- Power over people, land, gold, art, rivals, whatever...
Then you have the infamous three-way split between Sociopaths who seem born un-caring who they hurt or why, folk made un-feeling by circumstance and, worst of all, the misguided fools who set aside their own feelings in pursuit of their adopted Greater Calling...
Um, Charles Stross' 'Jennifer Morgue' includes, as an afterword, a *wicked* deconstruction of James Bond (TM) as Hero / Villain. From many points of view, JB is a classic Villain. Happens he carries a License issued by 'Lawful Authority', but that lawfulness becomes very, very blurred if you delve deeper...
I've run into a similar issue with my Hard SF. The eponymous 'Others' --self-name, 'The People'-- can abide no rivals In Their Space, On Their Path. But what made them so ? Why did they boil out into space with weapons hot ?? Why are the pre-industrial 'Brownies' xenocidal ? Why are the cat-like Sanku paranoid about concealing their modest tech ? Why do the peacable Sylvans have grim legends about 'watching the sky' ??
Well, without giving away too much-- Once upon a time, on a planet far, far away, some-one with the very best of intentions accidentally started their culture down a path whereby a few explorers would leave a disproportionate amount of grief in their wake...
Don't worry: After the affronted Convention and their Sylvan allies deal with The Others, the Anwyc will get their just desserts...
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D'uh, I wrote 'Neal Asher', meant 'Charles Stross': Fixed it...
Because most people want to believe that they are good?
But I think that many, many fantasy heros fall into the same category with James Bond. Except that the fantasy hero doesn't have a Lawful authority giving him the license to murder left and right, just a old prohesy and the feeling that he's doing the right thing.
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Which is more difficult? To come up with a believable motive for a hero or for a villain?
For the villian usually because I don't know what goes on in the mind of a criminal. Does a drug dealer justify his actions to himself? What about a modern slaver? Or abusive husband? Or do they just do what they want, making themselves borderline psycopaths?
For the villian usually because I don't know what goes on in the mind of a criminal. Does a drug dealer justify his actions to himself? What about a modern slaver? Or abusive husband? Or do they just do what they want, making themselves borderline psycopaths?
Well, a villain doesn't necessarily have to be a criminal.
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