Writing Villains Like Darth Vader

I don't think there's a villain out there that quite strikes the fear in the heart that Darth Vader does. Sure, there are plenty of scary and evil villains, but to me, there will never be anyone quite on the level of Vader. I've seen someone acting as him in person I couldn't even bring myself to stand next to him.

What is it that inspires this level of fear and trepidation towards him? That's what we're going to be looking at today. And even more importantly, how we can apply that to our own villains to make them just as scary.

The Elements of Vader

1. His Look.

The first thing, and one of the most important things about Darth Vader, is his costume. Specifically, the helmet. Because he wears that helmet, it takes away any human sympathy we could give to him. Instead, we're left staring into his shiny, bug-like eyes, unable to read him.

On top of that, he wears all black (classic villain), and you can't see any skin. We have no way of telling whether he's even a real person. He's tall, imposing, and makes you want to back up several steps.

2. The breath.

The iconic Vader breathing is another one of the things that makes him terrifying. It's grating and puts you on edge as soon as you hear it. It also helps reinforce the inhuman aspect. Why does he sound like that? Do I even want to find out?

3. His attitude.

Darth Vader is the sort of person who you don't know if he'll be on your side or turn on you at any moment. Many times throughout the movies you see him kill people because they displeased him. The scariest part about that is that he seems to do it in an off-handed way. He doesn't care about lives and that is scary.

Vader is out for Vader, even when he seems to be working for Palpatine. He always makes the choice that serves him best, until the final moments of his character arc. (Sadly, we are not talking about that today, but I could make a whole post on the beauty of that arc.) 

4. The power.

Vader is powerful in multiple ways. He holds a powerful position in the empire. He's the leader of hundreds of troops. His force abilities are far beyond most's. He can force choke you through a screen. He can stop laser bolts, move massive things, and fight amazingly with a lightsaber.

When we watch him do these powerful things without blinking an eye (if we could see his eyes), it's scary. You could be the next person to be killed. When people do things without seeming effort, especially a bad guy, it raises the tension.

5. His story.

We can't forget one of the biggest parts of Vader's story. The part where he was once a Jedi, a bringer of peace and justice in the galaxy. But Palpatine corrupted him and turned him against his own. He hunted and killed many of his former friends, including the younglings at the temple. It's a terrifying backstory. How could someone go from so good to so evil? It's another thing that adds to his scariness.

How Do I Do That?

Now that we've examined how truly, deeply scary Darth Vader is, let's turn to how we can apply that to our own villains. We all want to writing villains that will scare your pants off. It could be more subtle or more grandiose than Vader. But through him we can learn some important elements.

1. Power.

The first thing your villain needs to be scary is power. It can political, physical, knowledge, anything that will give him a leg up on your protagonist. Doubly so if your protagonist has none of that. The key is balance. Too much power and your main character will only be able to beat him deus ex machina, which no one wants. Too little and he's a pushover. You need enough that he's difficult to beat, but not impossibly so.

2. Personality.

The personality of your antagonist is also important. Every one will be different, depending on what your story needs. The Joker wouldn't work in Cinderella and the Evil Stepmother would do nothing for the Dark Knight. Whatever they're like, they need to be hard or again, they'll look weak. Give them a strong personality paired with a backbone of steel.

3. Appearance.

Clothes really do make the man for a character. No one is going to be scared of a villain in bermuda shorts. That's why so many of them wear black, because it's intimidating. You need to figure out what your villain wears and why. Extra points if you give them things like a mask that makes them look less human and more scary. I'm a strong believer in good costuming.

4. Unsettling.

Darth Vader's breathing is one example. Disfigurement, prosthetic limbs, or a strange way of speaking can be others. Giving your villain an unsettling thing can increase the fear factor enormously. Anything that will remove sympathy from them and make us afraid.

5. Execute

Finally, your villain must follow through on what they promise. They can't make threats and then not do it. (Unless it's important to the story.) It's even better if we already know what they'll do in a certain situation, so they don't actually have to make the threat. All they have to do is do whatever it is we already know will happen.

I hope these tips help you to create new and scary villains. It was interesting breaking down Darth Vader's character. Should I do this with any other villains?

What makes a villain scary for you? On a scale of one to ten, how terrifying is Darth Vader? Tell me in the comments.

Suggested Posts:

Stop Making Bad Guys

Character Breakdown: Han Solo