We all recall the good old days when the dark lord was omnipresent and cast a sinister shadow over the land; and any number of Bond villains have taught us that plotting global domination and living in a volcano is cool. Well, technically Sauron had a volcano lair too.
But is it enough to simply want to rule the world? Understanding, or at least being able to empathise with a villain, surely enriches a story. What are their motivations, how have they reached this juncture? These days literature is full of morally ‘grey’ characters and anti-heros, fallible, but infinitely more intriguing.
One of my favourite antagonists has to be Gormenghast’s Steerpike and his bitter rise from kitchen boy.
Who is your favourite antagonist/ antihero? And what makes them stand out?
