Writing Villains Like Disney

Disney villains are fabulous. I can bet if you named your top ten Disney characters, there would be a villain in there somewhere. They have awesome outfits, catchy songs, and enough charisma that you almost want to root for them. Sure, some of them might be a bit cliche, but what isn't these days?

How are they such good villains? Why do we love them so much? And how can we accomplish the same thing in our own writing? In this post we'll dive into Disney villains and find the answers to all these questions.

Panache

The first reason Disney villains are so good is because they have panache- which is defined by Google as flamboyant confidence of style or manner. Basically, they have style. Think of the way Maleficent swirls around in her cape, Lady Tremain sits like a queen even in her pajamas, or Scar is melodramatic about everything.

I'm not saying all villains need to be full on drama queens. But consider adding something that makes your villain a little over the top. Maybe they only wear pink pantsuits, or have to have their morning coffee or heads will roll. Give them that bit of flamboyance and readers will fall in love.

Memorable

To go with the above point, Disney villains stick in our minds. Their lines are quoted over and over, their style emulated at any con. Their scenes, dark and creepy as some of them get, are fascinating to watch. Their aforementioned panache brings them a level above your every day animated movie villains (who are probably copying them anyway).

Think of some ways to make your villain memorable. It could be the way they act. The things they say. Their flair for the dramatics. You don't want your readers to completely forget the villain because they're boring. They need to stand out, even in a small way.

Evil

Sure, we love them and think they're cool. But at the end of the day, they're evil. They try to kill people. They destroy worlds and homes. They hurt innocent people and leave the heroes to die while crackling maniacally. Sure, the fact that they're evil and seem to love it, makes us kind of love them more, but we can't forget that what they're doing is wrong.

Morally gray heroes and villains are very popular right now. I think we need to make more truly evil villains that we can easily hate. They both have their place, and you'll need to decide what will work best for your novel. If they're evil, make sure to emphasize that, and remind people that what they're doing is not what good people should.

Motive

Disney villains have great motivations for what they want (most of the time). Whether it's obsession, revenge, or the throne they think is rightfully theirs. Have you ever noticed how many of them want to rule the kingdom? It's always interesting to see what motivates each one and how it sometimes ties into their backstory (which has a tendency to be lacking).

What motivates your villain? You can find whole lists out there if you're stuck on ideas. The best way to come up with something is to look at their backstory and see what happened to them that would make them pursue something so relentlessly. It's best if the two are connected, so make sure to come up with a good backstory.

Endings

Who doesn't remember the Evil Queen being crushed by a falling rock? Dr. Facilier being consumed by the very spirits he was using? Cruella's car crash? Disney villains come to some gory, but highly memorable ends. They even have to make a fabulous exit. It might be dark, but I'm pretty sure that's part of the reason we like them. They get the endings they deserve.

What happens to your villain at the end of the story? Do they get what they deserve or not? Sometimes they don't, to make a point. At times they die, other times they're left alive and wish they weren't. Consider making their end tie into what they've done in life for a bit of extra irony.

Relation to the Protagonist

Finally, the last thing that makes Disney villains so interesting is their relationships to the protagonists. Some of them have nothing to do with each other except crossing paths (Clayton and Dr. Facilier, for example). But others, like Mother Gothel or Captain Hook are closely tied in the conflict to the hero. It increase tension and makes us even more eager to see how it ends.

How do your protagonist and villain relate to each other? Are they former friends? Lovers? Similar background? Most of the time there will be some tie between the two. Most people don't wake up one morning and decide to hate someone else, unless they're standing in the way of something they want.

Who is your favorite Disney villains? Do you have any tips on writing a villain like them? Tell me in the comments.

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