Writing Wednesday: Character Archetype - Obliviously Evil

Today's post is another character archetype that I've seen in a number of shows, movies, animes, books, etc.

When we think of a villain in a story, it is generally assumed that they are the drivers of evil within the story. Of course there are those, like the anti-villains, who have that small, if not fleeting, dance with a moral compass. And then there're the anti-heroes, who generally have some of that evil ingrained to give them a multidimensional feel, but still have enough good to keep them at hero status.

Then comes the Obliviously Evil. This character is interesting in that according to THEIR moral compass, they are in the right. Most people have a good grasp of what is good and what is evil, though there is a large gray area in between. The Obliviously Evil skew those beliefs and what the majority population believes as good and evil may not necessarily be so in their minds. They plan, they act, they formulate ideas - all based on their own moral code that, in their mind, is the right thing to do based on what they mean to accomplish.

That also touches on character motives, which I'll hit on in more detail in a future post. A character's motives drive them to create their individual ideas, to plan those ideas out, and to execute them. They could be self-serving, but they could also be what they feel is for the greater good.

For a more in-depth look, check it out here.


Some may not agree with me, but one real-life villain that comes to mind when I think of this archetype is Adolf Hitler. He had an idea which he thought to be good and right and for the sake of the greater good of the future. He didn't believe what he was doing was wrong because it was serving the motive or purpose that, in his morality, seemed in the right. Of course, the majority of the world disagreed. Which makes him evil, but obliviously so.

Do you believe a character can be obliviously evil? Or do you think that deep down inside, they know what they are doing is wrong and they choose to excuse it by saying it is for the greater good?

And now for our regularly-scheduled pretty...

Writing Wednesday: Character Archetypes - The Anti-Villain

This week's Writing Wednesday post continues the Character Archetype series I wanted to cover. Again, with a new batch of fresh characters I'm going to be playing with, I wanted to get a little more technical about what the different archetypes are so that I can have some sort of idea how to distinguish my own characters' places within the story.

Much like the anti-hero, the anti-villain goes against the typical character traits that would normally embody a villain. Where the anti-hero means to put a darker take on the squeaky clean hero, the anti-villain means to humanize the evil world dominating villain.

Most anti-villains are aware that what they're doing is not necessarily good, though they may be reluctant to dive completely into the "evil" and relinquish the part of themselves that still hold some sort of moral fiber. Or perhaps it could just be a small hint of cowardice to completely become the evil that they thought they could handle.

Prime example:

Draco Malfoy


Anti-villains could also have large gray areas in their moral code. In all other aspects, they would be considered the villains because they exhibit qualities normally seen in villainous characters (i.e. stealing, cheating, killing, etc.). But the gray areas are what sets them apart from a true villain. These gray areas may be fueled by love for friends and family, and/or loyalty to the same.

Prime example:

Jonah Prowse from Jericho


For a more in-depth explanation of the anti-villain, mosey on over here.

How do you feel about anti-villains? Do you think they make more effective villains than true villains?

And now for our regularly scheduled pretty...

Writing Wednesday: Character Archetypes - The Anti-Hero

Since I'm starting a few new writing projects, I thought it'd be fun to do a few of these archetype posts to not only shed a light on what a character archetype is, but to also help me figure out the new slew of characters I'm going to be playing with. *insert squee here*

First of all, what is a character archetype? In simple terms, it's the epitome or the gist of the type of character you want to embody. Keep in mind that archetypes are just a jumping off point. They can be tweaked depending on the type of story and what the author ultimately sets out to resolve at the end of that story. But what character archetypes do give us is a basic platform to build on the characteristics of a particular character we're going to create.

The archetype being covered today is the anti-hero. What is an anti-hero? The description from several sources I found describe him/her as the unconventional hero. They can display characteristics that are not generally seen as heroic, such as the preference to be a loner, having the tendency to be self deprecating, exhibition of darker personality traits, and/or disregard for common authority. Personally, I prefer these types of heroes to those that glean and shine brightly as they bask in the awe of general society. *laughs*

You can read a more descriptive take here.

Prime examples of anti-heroes:

V

Batman


The anti-hero usually has a warped sense of morals and their actions are fueled by these beliefs that what they are doing is for the greater good. They could also begin as a person who wouldn't necessarily be classified as good at the start of the story, but because of their experiences end up saving the day or making the great sacrifice.

Prime example (and also one of my favorites):

Severus Snape


Do you prefer the hero or the anti-hero? Why?

And now for our regularly scheduled pretty...