Chapters: 00:00 Intro - What Makes a Great Villain? 00:54 The Mirror Villain 04:05 The Looming Threat 08:50 The Villain Protagonist 15:46 Iconic Villains
What is your favorite kind of villain? Mine is the mirror or antithesis villain. As you said there is more room to develope the characters and villain. After all what is a movie without a great villain.
The "mirror" villain is really two different kinds of villain, since you describe ones that are antithical to the hero (like Batman and the Joker) but you also give some Marvel ones who are more like "evil twins" with similar powers and abilities. Both can be great but it's usually the former that stands out and is more distinct.
@@Ndres1692 counter examples to your point: Iron Man, Captain America the Winter Soldier, Captain America Civil War, Avengers, AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR. You claim is so shallow and narrow-minded.
You're looking for terrible writing advice, look it up on TH-cam, he even has a villains video lol check it out: th-cam.com/video/875UDp5stOo/w-d-xo.html There's lots of video like these on pretty much anything you can think of, it's pretty funny and actually good writing advice
It even gets better if the villain turned out more terrifying than what we imagined Or... They kill our image of them first by looking ordinary, then as the story progress they show their true nature
I think What makes a great hero villain dynamic Is the conflict between their respective ideologies which gives the audience a sense of interest and want to see more.
The first time I watched There Will Be Blood, I realized that it was Daniel's line at 13:19 that was the first major red flag for his personality. "Nobody can get at it except for ME." He's standing right there next to the guy who had been his loyal assistant for pretty much his whole oil career up to that point, but he doesn't say "us", he says "me." A seemingly minor detail but it reveals his self-centeredness.
@@bellickthapa That was what alarmed me about that scene. His friend asks if H.W. is okay, and Daniel casually says "no he isn't" and then just stays there to watch the fire instead of going to be with his son, when it's quite clear there's nothing he can do about the fire for now.
Always fun when you see terrible characteristics and it reveals the truth of the character that the story is trying to hoodwink you into not believing. I figured out the true villain in something recently and felt it was very well done as it was easy to excuse the behavior but I saw the red flags. Very enjoyable.
Jake Gyllenhaal in Nightcrawler was an amazing villain-protagonist, I expected it to be mentioned. Anyways I saw that Studiobinder reached 1 million subscribers and had a smile on my face.
@@madhavkrishnan9251 capitalism is all about beating out the competition and if you are a psychopath with no regards for other people's wellbeing you can beat everyone without remorse. Nightcrawler is all about entrepreneurship and how to build a successful building and it is intended to criticize the fact that capitalism tends to favor those with less humanity
9:00 It is interesting that a “villainous hero" has become a paradox in modern speech. In the Iliad, where the word first appears, a hero is simply a major combatant in the war, the majority of whom commit villainous deeds. The reader's intelligence is trusted to discern right from wrong by seeing consequences, learning lessons from both the good and the bad. The notion that a hero must be a virtuous model in everything, or almost everything, he does, is a later evolution of the word. Although even in the Iliad, there is a sense that certain heroes (like Achilles) are fundamentally admirable, while others (like Paris) are fundamentally contemptible. And in all literature since, there is a spectrum of characters ranging from “mostly virtuous, with villainous qualities,” to “mostly villainous, with virtuous qualities”-any one of whom might technically be called a “villainous” hero, despite the great differences among them. Which is an example of how language can mislead us.
I would think that virtues were not spoon fed to the audience because what was considered virtuous was universally agreed upon. Millenniums ago, if a man was truthful and a devoted family man, that would be considered virtuous enough. However, if he is the same today but uncomfortable around homosexuals then he would be seen as a villian. A thousand years ago, people would have identified with him. Today they will villify him. The moral compass has been broken down and put together many times in the history of the world.
just a few archetypes off the top of my head that may be interesting to tackle: 1) Force of nature/unstoppable force: A villain whose presence is felt by other characters and the audience to be almost omnipresent and nigh on unstoppable. A good example of this is, of course, Sauron. The villain isn't ACTUALLY unstoppable, but it takes something extraordinary to defeat them. In this case, it's the fellowship going through absolutely horrible trials in which the chance of success is unfathomably small. What's important about this type of villain is that they are somewhat removed from everyday human emotions, and are more of an abstract threat. We don't need to know Sauron's inner justifications for his actions, so long as we know that he's the big unstoppable bad guy. It avoids being stereotypical and cliché due to the sheer awe the villain inspires in us. 2) Love to hate them/hate to love them.: A villain that isn't so much sympathetic in terms of motives or goals as they are fun to watch or entertaining to listen to. Campy, overly arrogant, maniacal laughter type villains fall under this category. Best example I can think of is Jafar from the original Aladin. Other examples are Ramsay Bolton and Geoffrey Baratheon from game of thrones. Generally, these villains aren't overly complex, they're just somewhat goofy and self-absorbed. However, a villain like this can still surprise the audience in a rare moment of deep introspection or vulnerability. They usually fall due to their own vanity or vice (though that's not exclusive to this archetype, obviously) 3) The misguided villain: Somebody who is a villain due to some bad choices or bad lessons they received, but believe themselves to be righteous. The big question throughout the story, or perhaps in choice moments, is whether they will keep straying from the path, redeem themselves somehow, or fall ever further into darkness. Obviously you already tackled a part of this archetype in the "mirror villain", but not every mirror villain is misguided (maybe they're just straight up evil or mad) and not every misguided villain is a mirror villain. Often times this archetype isn't the only villain in the story, and they're perhaps being misguided by a bigger, more classic villain, for instance, Saruman being misguided by Sauron, or Riku by Maleficent and Ansem (in the first kingdom hearts videogame.) Thanos might fall under this category, as the audience does not need to agree with him, so long as we understand that the villain believes in his own sense of righteousness and his motives are relatively believable by the audience. The Incredibles' "Syndrome" also falls under this category. (though it's arguable that syndrome falls more under the category that I will mention next.) 4) The " tragically hopeless" villain: This is the villain that was once, perhaps in a lifetime ago, a good person, but essentially ended up as what the "misguided villain" threatens to become. They are the result of giving in to the darkness, and perhaps form a warning to the protagonist (this is similar to the mirror villain.) A good example of this is Darth Vader, obviously. Whether these characters can be "redeemed" through a single act of heroism in the finale of an epic trilogy in which they are presented as definitely, 100% evil remains up to debate. The Villain is often "saved" by a realization at the bitter end, a small moment of empathy that is foreshadowed earlier in the story but kept for the climactic finale, or some other miniscule thing that shifts their worldview in the end. Obviously, this villain and the misguided villain have a lot in common in terms of themes and audience expectations or hopes. However, it's just as likely that the hopeless villain never redeems themselves and forever remains shrouded in darkness. 5) The magnificent bastard: "Overly sarcastic productions" has an interesting video on this archetype explaining it much better than I could; but essentially, the magnificent bastard is dastardly, evil, arrogant, self-serving and almost never redeemable, but they enjoy their villainy and do their villainy in style and magnificent extravaganza. Obviously there is some correlation with "love to hate them/hate to love them". However, the magnificent bastard has a more profound impact on the characters of the story, rather than the audience. Whereas "love to hate them/hate to love them" villains are mostly just fabulous to the audience, they are still considered vile by the characters. Magnificent bastards may, however, get some semblance of respect from the characters themselves, who recognize that they are a villain, but they're damn good at what they do. Perhaps this villain is an extravagant billionaire who enjoys torturing the poor protagonist with clever traps and overly impractical and ambitious plans and puzzles, and the protagonist and antagonist have some sort of mutual respect for one another, if only for their skill and not their goals. Magneto and Xavier come to mind, or Death Note's Light Yagami and L.
1) Your unstoppable force is a version of the video's Looming Threat. 3) The misguided villain is a version of the video's Villain Protagonist, where he devolves to become more villainous. Thanos would've been this archetype in the past, but by the time of the MCU movies he's the Looming Threat. 5) Magneto is clearly a Mirror Villain to Xavier.
Great post. I think that last one is where I have the most issues. Too often I'll get annoyed by an overly villainous villain who knows he's the villain, but the best modern example I can think of is the antagonist, Death, from The Last Wish. He's technically just doing his job but steps out of line terrorize Puss and take his last life personally. He knows who and what he is, and relishes in it, and it's just great to watch.
The Looming Villian was my most favourite out of these 3. I dont think anything can be more haunting than a villian who we dont see for the most part but get to know what he's capable of.
Personally I think 3 is worst because we see how pretty much anyone can end like that and begs the question of how we would behave ourselves in that situation. Breaking Bad is such a good written show because it played well with the concept til the last episode.
The key underlying component for me is that the villain has to be smart. They need to drive the conflict and they need to surprise us too. There has to be a REAL threat. In so many movies the villain creates a sky beam that is going to kill the world or end humanity. We know the threat is minimal at best. That's why Thanos was so unique. He was like the Dark Knight's Joker in that he literally could kill everyone. Not giving too much backstory also helps too. Then the audience comes up with their own theories and ideas in their minds.
As weird as it sounds, I think Thanos is one of those sympathetic villains (probably the villain protagonist according to this video?). The writers of Infinity War and the Russo Bros. have mentioned that Thanos is a hero if you consider the movie in his POV. There are some flaws to his execution of the plan, but Thanos' goal was to save the universe by preserving its resources which can only be done by killing half of all life indiscriminately. Even if Endgame hadn't come out, I'd say that Thanos was the best villain in the MCU and one of the best in any genre.
While it's good for the villain to be smart and capable, I don't think they always have to be. Joffrey in GOT/ASOIAF is a moron and a pathetic coward who only has any authority because he inherited his kingship from his dad, but he still works very well as a villain.
I always enjoy the interrogation scene in The Dark Knight for this very reason. The Joker makes it clear just how alike they both are. And even in the cowl you can tell he’s getting under Bruce’s skin because he knows he’s on to something.
Johan Liebert from Monster is probably the best example of a looming villain. He rarely appears, but when he does or when he is just mentioned it's clear that something bad will happen. Abd he is a good mirror to dr. Tenma.
Johan is an incredible villain. One of my favorite parts of the series was when he was acting as a university student, he was acting so kind and gentle I was terrified worrying the whole time what he was going to do.
This was really a kick-ass video!! But I feel the 3 archetypes portrayed here are not enough to cover the large variety of villains that could be developed in writing. I mean, so many psychological, visceral, internal characteristics one could draw upon, that only "3 types" seems a bit limiting.
I think remembering that sometimes these “limits” are great foundations, and are not supposed to cover all variations on this type. It’s like “animal, mineral, or vegetable”. It sounds limiting, but it really isn’t. It just points you in the right direction. And would help people like Ring of Power or Wish.
When Joker speaks to Batman in the cells, giving him what some 'brotherly advice' and also when Joker speaks to Harvey in the hospital ... I just love that little piece of music
I personally like the villain protagonist, because paradoxically, while they are the least villainous, they hit close to home. So many of us knows a Daniel Plainview, but few of us will ever meet a looming threat. It is in this personal experience that curiosity grows. So much of theatrics is made of the novel and rare, but it's actually the reflection of our lived experience that maintains our interest. It's why star trek was the show that lasted throughout the years. It wasn't the cool tech, the new locales, or even "exotic" actors that made star trek have such an initial grab, it was dealing with taboo, figuring out principles, learning about different ways of thinking, and developing compassion for others that made star trek what it was. Even as the times changed, effects became stale, styles changed and the culture moved on, there's still many people who watch star trek now, and it holds a certain charm that many new shows lack, simply because they don't have that same depth. They can't, for risk of showing a black mirror to the faces of those who are hegemonic.
"In the Line of Fire". Booth/Leary versus Horrigan. The taunting phone calls are simply great. As is the performance by Malkovich. Add in Rene Russo, and you've got a terrific movie.
The Joker (Heath Ledger), Davy Jones, Thanos, Ebony Maw, Ultron, Hans Landa (Inglourious Basterds), are all absolutely phenomenal. The best of the best for me. The way the actors manipulated their voice/delivered their lines for the characters was especially superb to. Annie Wilkes was great too.
number 2 is my favorite type of villain… I LITERALLY ADDED 3 of them in my story (most of the time there even more dangerous dead than alive, and at some times they nearly become mirror villains for a short amount of time) my best example is : around the middle of the story i introduce a charismatic and mysterious villain who has a strong link with the main character struggles and is completely overpowered. he does something incredible and memorable that impact the whole scenario… and then leave. to return like 4 chapters later with way more tension, there we learn more about the character, his threat take a lot of place like he’s going to be the next greatest villain, we find out his goal is quite similar to the main character’s one but with different morals… and then he just dies in the same chapter, but him dying leads to even worse, and at a time, it even starts to impact the main character’s sanity. or even lead to a complete destruction of the universe.
Wow. You've actually helped me realise one of the main reasons I didn't think Se7en was as good as people say. He needed to have unclear motives, but the whole way through the movie we know exactly what his motives are. To punish 7 sinners.
Clarence Boddicker stands as a testament to the captivating allure of cinematic villains. Kurtwood Smith's portrayal was nothing short of brilliance, seamlessly blending sly arrogance with unapologetic malevolence and unwavering confidence. With no redeeming qualities to his name, he emerged as the quintessential antagonist we all secretly almost rooted for. Set against the backdrop of the 1980s, his somewhat geeky and nerdy appearance at the time lent an unsettling and eerie quality to his sinister actions-an uncanny valley of villainy, if you will. And then, there's Hans Gruber from Die Hard, a character who exuded sophistication and professionalism. His articulate demeanor almost compelled admiration, despite his nefarious intentions. These two characters, Boddicker and Gruber, etch themselves into the pantheon of the finest cinematic villains in my memory. Of course, there are countless others who have left their indelible mark as well.
💗🏆 *BIG CONGRATULATIONS on passing a MILLION SUBSCRIBERS, and thanks again for all the amazing content, StudioBinder crew!! Happy New Year, everyone!!*
I have so little respect for this channel's perception of movies and so much respect for the way this channel breaks down the technicals. I don't know how to reconcile those two things.
Do a video on writing a villain who is LESS the bad guy, & MORE the embodiment of evil. Examples being Jason Vorhees, Michael Myers, or even Frankenstein. Characters who are seemingly non-human & unrelatable.
What else can I say about you guys that's not already being said. You guys up your game after every passing video. All I can say is THANKYOU StudioBinder!
If You Were To Make A Part 2, I Think Villains From Horror Movies Would Be An Interesting Take 1. The Boogeyman (This Villain Is A Relentless Killer. They Instill Fear By They're Body Count) 2. The Beast/Monster (This Villain Isn't Human, And Sometimes Isn't Natural. Most Of The Time, It's Just Hungry And Has Human Flesh On It's Mind) 3. The Mastermind (This Villain Is Present Throughout, However The Threat Is Not From The Body's They Kill Or Who They Harm. It's Figuring Out What They're Overall Plan Is. Sometimes, When Things Go A Certain Way For The Protagonists Favor, It Was All A Part Of The Villains Plan Overall)
This is one villain you should cover next: Frank in Sergio Leone's 1968 classic, _Once Upon a Time in the West,_ portrayed by Henry Fonda. It was one of his most shocking performances as he usually played heroes, but when he portrayed Frank, a remorseless murderer... it unveiled a dark side that nobody expected. Oh, and if you can, please don't forget to put context on the film, such as the writers of the film's story, Dario Argento and Bernardo Bertolucci being film critics and their legacy, Sergio Leone himself, his _Dollars Trilogy,_ the films he made after that, and the time when _Once Upon a Time in the West_ was made, in 1967-68, even how he got to get produced, not to mention the films he never made.
@@StudioBinder if you have these 3 trades you have a great villain, if you are lacking any of them you have an ok villain. The problem is that sometimes the movie is so dumb that they make the villain look smart like most of the super hero movies, and I think making a villain smart is the most difficult thing to do. That's why villains like Hanibal Lecter, The Joker and Michael Coerleone are such great villains, because they are smart villains in smart movies, not to mention being menacing and charismatic at the same time.
A villain should be calculating, that means both intelligent and patient. Impatient villains with tantrums seem immature (Kylo Ren anyone?). But there's exception to this and the ones you mentioned, when the villain is a force of nature. But that's never as good as something with agency.
@@thefakenews3150 well some people might disagree with Kylo Ren not being a good villain due to his immaturity. I think he became a lame villain thanx to the horrible writing in the sequels and Rey being so overpowered that made him look anything but menacing. Also we can all agree that when I refer to a villain being smart is someone who uses his brain to plan and execute his plan with high level of success.
@@marcozuleta133 Well he's not the only villain you'll see throw a tantrum, yes this is synonymous with immaturity but I think if you look at all the villains you like you'll see they are all patient. I would call them "calculating" which requires both intelligence and patience. You could have an intelligent bad guy but if he throws tantrums he's unlikable.
Moriarty and Magnussen in the Sherlock Holmes Series were outstanding villains. They were unpredictable, outsmarting Sherlock and ready to even sacrifice their lives for winning, that made them horrifiying.
Honestly... This video is so much better than masterclass that I pay for... Some of the stupid lectures about writing are just preachy hypocritical nonsense about race...sex...etc..
Great examples of villains here. Daniel Plainview is mesmerizing. I hope one day, somehow, we get to see the judge from Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian. A villain for the ages. Maybe the most terrifying man in fiction.
The Judge might be the best villain ever written. I wouldn’t ever want to get Blood Meridian on screen though, I just don’t think anyone could do it justice.
Hi StudioBinder, I recently discovered your channel and have been loving it since, been a movie buff all my life and am now thinking of starting to write my own stories and screenplays, been watching so many of your videos and jotting down notes that has helped tremendously. Really loved this video as well especially the Looming Threat, first villain that came to mind was actually a video game one, Thor and Odin in God Of War(2018). They will written very well and will deffinately show up in the sequel. would love to see you guys cover some of these villain archetypes. The hero turned villain. ex. Anakin Skywalker to Darth Vader ,Robin to Redhood , The Set Up Villain .ex. Thanos, James Morriaty The Ancient Evil The Beast(Creature) .ex. the Xenomorph etc.... can't wait to see more videos from you guys, keep up the great work
If you look at classic comic book villains and other such bad guys, the number one thing that their creators said over and over again is that they designed each villain to be a foil for the hero. This includes heroes who have multiple villains- The Joker, for instance, is a foil for Batman, but Penguin, Two-Face, Scarecrow, Riddler etc are each foils in their own way as well, each representing a challenge to one or more defining traits of Batman.
I would love to see Harry Powell from "The Night of the Hunter" in the next video. Harry is a character so deeply drawn into his paranoia, that he can literally "speak" with HIS God. A "God" that dictates to him what is Good and Bad, what is moral and immoral in his endless pursuit for divine justice and a holy treasure. He is more of a looming threat as a character (Don't he never sleep?).
I hope to get a response from studio binder on this comment. I have been watching this channel for a little longer than a year. But all of this information studio binder provides us with is all useless if we don’t put it to work. I would love it if studio binder created videos on how to get your film career started and gather a team no matter what location and make films so all of us can be filmmakers one day, I really hope if anyone from studio binder sees this they will put this idea into consideration. And by the way, congrats on 1 million subs. Thank You!
We made a series a few years ago called 'Making It' covering the entire process our team went to create a short film. Here's the link to the series! th-cam.com/video/ZL-jE4wqEwE/w-d-xo.html
Be interesting to go one further with this and analyze when the villain changes characters or the villain becomes the hero e.g. Return of Jedi, as the Emperor becomes the greatest threat and Darth becomes the hero.
A movie can also have both a 'Mirror' and a 'Looming Threat'. Think of Star Wars [OT] - you have Vader, the 'mirror', and more present/involved villain. Then you have the Emperor, sort of lurking in the shadows, providing an even greater, more ominous threat.
The content of the channel is very good, I am Vietnamese and I hope to have Vietnamese subtitles so I can watch and understand more about your channel.😍😍
There are likeable villains like Hans Gruber in Die Hard, hateable villains like King Joffry from Game of Thrones, and terrifying villains like Michael Myers from Halloween. Almost all villainous protagonists are undone in the end by themselves or someone else. Even if they survive and achieve everything, they normally end up feeling empty inside, like in Goodfellas, Casino, The Irishman, Once Upon a Time in America, There Will be Blood, and Lord of War. The only exceptions I can think of would be The Nightcrawler and Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer whereby not only they not remotely likeable or sympathetic whatsoever, but they also win and triumph completely. In Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, at least between the 2 serial killers, the least heinous one kills the more heinous one, whereas in Nightcrawler, although there are morally worse characters in other movies, Louis is the most villainous character in this specific movie, wins completely, unequivocally, and maximally, and feels fantastic, with zero remorse, very happy, and not a shred of guilt or emptiness whatsoever, very accomplished and triumphant. In Nightcrawler, instead of a fall arc or a rise and fall arc, he just has a rise arc, and that's it. "They should have some redemptive qualities to keep viewers invested in the story." Even in There Will be Blood, Daniel Plainview loses all of his admirable qualities by the end when he rejects his son, the one person he cared about that made him remotely sympathetic to the audience. There are movies whereby the villainous protagonist never has any redeeming qualities whatsoever, like in Nightcrawler, Once Upon a Time in America, The House that Jack Built, Cannibal Holocaust, August Underground, and Pink Flamingo.
I think you should make a video on the amazing writing in the to show peaky blinders. The characters are amazingly written, the acting is incredible, the cinematography is outstanding and the show is very original. Also less than 10 or 5 channels have made any videos on the show so it would give studiobinder a market of people that are hungry for an analysis of the show.
One of my favorite villains was Sean Connery's Daniel Dravot in "The Man Who Would be King". His motives are selfish. His morals are bad. Yet, he's so charismatic and charming many view him as a hero. That's a rare villain.
There's an anime named Hunter x Hunter. It is a masterpiece in the anime fanbase community. Every single trait that's been explained in this video for a perfect villain is shown in that show. Three in particular that I can think of: the criminal sociopaths, but family-like Phantom Troupe (Looming threat), Hisoka the psychopathic Clown/Magician (all of the above), and Meruem (Also all of the above, mostly Mirror), the most powerful being in that universe. Meruem's character development alone is legendary in any work of fiction. In fact, if you ask most anime fans, he has been voted the greatest antagonist in anime history on many occasions. If you haven't seen it, I strongly suggest you go watch it. All 148 episodes are on Netflix. It starts off a little childish and kiddie. But that's where they fool you. I don't recommend it for kids 10 or younger (depending on their maturity level). It gets very dark and very emotional.
Haven't watched HunterxHunter, but personally I'd say the best antagonist I've ever seen is probably either Johan Liebert from the anime Monster, or Judge Holden from Cormac McCarthy's novel Blood Meridian. Also honorable mention to Magneto.
Game of Thrones has 3 villains that fall into these 3 categories. For Mirror Villain we have Daenerys Targaryen, who is a dark mirror of Jon Snow. This mirror is further emphasized by the fact that they are on two opposite sides of the world. Daenerys is in Essos, ruling over the port city of Mereen, while Jon Snow was last seen being assassinated by members of The Night’s Watch at Castle Black, the barrier between The North, and The Lands of Always Winter. For a Looming Threat Antagonist, we have The Night King. His true identity and actions behind the scenes is left ambiguous, with only short scenes showing the audience how he and his army functions. The Fear of The Unknown also is half of why he’s such a terrifying villain in Seasons 1-6. There aren’t really any Villain Protagonists in ASOIAF, as the protagonists are mainly House Stark, however the closest we get to a villain protagonist is Brandon Stark. Brandon Stark started out as the tragic victim of an assassination attempt, thus crippling him, but over time, his warg abilities and ability to see the past and present made him become completely apathetic, cold, and callous, to the point where Brandon Stark was less of a person and more of a tool for revealing past and current events, as well as even looking into the near future. He is a villain protagonist due to him manipulating everyone into going down a much more cataclysmic path to ending the War of Five Kings, revealing the betrayal of Eddard and Lyanna Stark, and gaslighting people into choosing him as the next monarch. He started as a innocent, decent person who just was caught up in a massive war, but ultimately lost everything that made himself that person, he lost his identity, which doesn’t excuse his actions in the final seasons, but does provide sympathy for him. He wasn’t always like this, and we see the events that made him what he is now.
That's why DC comics has long lasting villains. Because they're mirror conflicts with the Heroes. Lex Luthor to Superman. Joker to Batman. Cheetah to Wonder Woman. Thawne to Flash. Manta to Aquaman, etc.
Kefka Palazzo from Final Fantasy 6 is an example of a well-written villain you have zero sympathy for. What makes him stand out is all the main characters are shades of gray, but he's starkly black and white. He's jarring in every scene he's in. He's perfect.
A neat thing people don't often notice about the scene where Joker challenges Dent's morality, he keeps his thumb on the hammer of the pistol. Even if Harvey pulled the trigger, Joker was still in control of the gun...
Darth Vader to Luke Skywalker would have been a better Star Wars example for the Mirror Villain example as Luke could easily be like Vader in the original trilogy, but in the end he remains with the light side where his father fell to the dark side.
Chapters:
00:00 Intro - What Makes a Great Villain?
00:54 The Mirror Villain
04:05 The Looming Threat
08:50 The Villain Protagonist
15:46 Iconic Villains
What is your favorite kind of villain? Mine is the mirror or antithesis villain. As you said there is more room to develope the characters and villain. After all what is a movie without a great villain.
The "mirror" villain is really two different kinds of villain, since you describe ones that are antithical to the hero (like Batman and the Joker) but you also give some Marvel ones who are more like "evil twins" with similar powers and abilities.
Both can be great but it's usually the former that stands out and is more distinct.
I want to download the script of the dark Knight
Where can I find it?💙
I loved how you said VOLDIMORT
It be cool to see some videos on bad writing to avoid, to example “how NOT to write a villain” would be pretty stellar.
"how NOT to write a villan" ...I think any Marvel movie would do.
Thanks for the suggestion!
@@Ndres1692 I guess you haven't seen @StudioBinder great video on infinity war
@@Ndres1692 counter examples to your point: Iron Man, Captain America the Winter Soldier, Captain America Civil War, Avengers, AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR. You claim is so shallow and narrow-minded.
You're looking for terrible writing advice, look it up on TH-cam, he even has a villains video lol check it out: th-cam.com/video/875UDp5stOo/w-d-xo.html
There's lots of video like these on pretty much anything you can think of, it's pretty funny and actually good writing advice
I love the 2nd type of villain, the looming threat. Our imaginations create something so so so much more terrifying that seeing it on screen.
The Jaws effect ;)
@@StudioBinder OMG, yes! Exactly!
It even gets better if the villain turned out more terrifying than what we imagined
Or...
They kill our image of them first by looking ordinary, then as the story progress they show their true nature
I think What makes a great hero villain dynamic Is the conflict between their respective ideologies which gives the audience a sense of interest and want to see more.
Yes! like Zod in man of steel
You get that a lot with a great mirror villain!
Especially like Joker to the Batman in the Dark Knight
I disagree and why does your statement seem so boring
@@Beanso Idc if it's boring or not I'm just suggesting my point of view
The first time I watched There Will Be Blood, I realized that it was Daniel's line at 13:19 that was the first major red flag for his personality. "Nobody can get at it except for ME." He's standing right there next to the guy who had been his loyal assistant for pretty much his whole oil career up to that point, but he doesn't say "us", he says "me." A seemingly minor detail but it reveals his self-centeredness.
Good catch, the little details in the dialogue are so good
Also he doesn't care about his so called son right from that moment.
@@bellickthapa That was what alarmed me about that scene. His friend asks if H.W. is okay, and Daniel casually says "no he isn't" and then just stays there to watch the fire instead of going to be with his son, when it's quite clear there's nothing he can do about the fire for now.
Always fun when you see terrible characteristics and it reveals the truth of the character that the story is trying to hoodwink you into not believing. I figured out the true villain in something recently and felt it was very well done as it was easy to excuse the behavior but I saw the red flags. Very enjoyable.
Yeah he s really egocentric
three incredible directors, three incredible performances
and happy audiences 💖
@@StudioBinder precisely ^_^
Jake Gyllenhaal in Nightcrawler was an amazing villain-protagonist, I expected it to be mentioned. Anyways I saw that Studiobinder reached 1 million subscribers and had a smile on my face.
Another great example. Thanks for helping us get to 1mil!
That movie is the best example of how capitalism works
@@LuisSierra42 Can you please explain? I tried to understand but could not. How capitalism?
@@madhavkrishnan9251 capitalism is all about beating out the competition and if you are a psychopath with no regards for other people's wellbeing you can beat everyone without remorse. Nightcrawler is all about entrepreneurship and how to build a successful building and it is intended to criticize the fact that capitalism tends to favor those with less humanity
@@LuisSierra42 Got it. Thank You
The late 2000’s were so good for villains we had ones like Hans landa, joker, anton chigurh and Daniel plain view
isn't Daniel Plainview anti hero?
Interesting point they all came out around the same time period!
@@seaque. the video states he's a villain protagonist so i'm going with that
@@saulgoodman1236 oh yeah, i hadn't finished it.
2007 - Anton Chigurh
2008 - Joker
2009 - Hans Landa
thats a TRILOGY
9:00 It is interesting that a “villainous hero" has become a paradox in modern speech. In the Iliad, where the word first appears, a hero is simply a major combatant in the war, the majority of whom commit villainous deeds. The reader's intelligence is trusted to discern right from wrong by seeing consequences, learning lessons from both the good and the bad. The notion that a hero must be a virtuous model in everything, or almost everything, he does, is a later evolution of the word.
Although even in the Iliad, there is a sense that certain heroes (like Achilles) are fundamentally admirable, while others (like Paris) are fundamentally contemptible. And in all literature since, there is a spectrum of characters ranging from “mostly virtuous, with villainous qualities,” to “mostly villainous, with virtuous qualities”-any one of whom might technically be called a “villainous” hero, despite the great differences among them. Which is an example of how language can mislead us.
Interesting point! The most interesting villains or heroes tend to have elements of the other
Good point. Before everything was black and white.
I would think that virtues were not spoon fed to the audience because what was considered virtuous was universally agreed upon. Millenniums ago, if a man was truthful and a devoted family man, that would be considered virtuous enough. However, if he is the same today but uncomfortable around homosexuals then he would be seen as a villian. A thousand years ago, people would have identified with him. Today they will villify him. The moral compass has been broken down and put together many times in the history of the world.
just a few archetypes off the top of my head that may be interesting to tackle:
1) Force of nature/unstoppable force: A villain whose presence is felt by other characters and the audience to be almost omnipresent and nigh on unstoppable. A good example of this is, of course, Sauron. The villain isn't ACTUALLY unstoppable, but it takes something extraordinary to defeat them. In this case, it's the fellowship going through absolutely horrible trials in which the chance of success is unfathomably small. What's important about this type of villain is that they are somewhat removed from everyday human emotions, and are more of an abstract threat. We don't need to know Sauron's inner justifications for his actions, so long as we know that he's the big unstoppable bad guy. It avoids being stereotypical and cliché due to the sheer awe the villain inspires in us.
2) Love to hate them/hate to love them.: A villain that isn't so much sympathetic in terms of motives or goals as they are fun to watch or entertaining to listen to. Campy, overly arrogant, maniacal laughter type villains fall under this category. Best example I can think of is Jafar from the original Aladin. Other examples are Ramsay Bolton and Geoffrey Baratheon from game of thrones. Generally, these villains aren't overly complex, they're just somewhat goofy and self-absorbed. However, a villain like this can still surprise the audience in a rare moment of deep introspection or vulnerability. They usually fall due to their own vanity or vice (though that's not exclusive to this archetype, obviously)
3) The misguided villain: Somebody who is a villain due to some bad choices or bad lessons they received, but believe themselves to be righteous. The big question throughout the story, or perhaps in choice moments, is whether they will keep straying from the path, redeem themselves somehow, or fall ever further into darkness. Obviously you already tackled a part of this archetype in the "mirror villain", but not every mirror villain is misguided (maybe they're just straight up evil or mad) and not every misguided villain is a mirror villain. Often times this archetype isn't the only villain in the story, and they're perhaps being misguided by a bigger, more classic villain, for instance, Saruman being misguided by Sauron, or Riku by Maleficent and Ansem (in the first kingdom hearts videogame.) Thanos might fall under this category, as the audience does not need to agree with him, so long as we understand that the villain believes in his own sense of righteousness and his motives are relatively believable by the audience. The Incredibles' "Syndrome" also falls under this category. (though it's arguable that syndrome falls more under the category that I will mention next.)
4) The " tragically hopeless" villain: This is the villain that was once, perhaps in a lifetime ago, a good person, but essentially ended up as what the "misguided villain" threatens to become. They are the result of giving in to the darkness, and perhaps form a warning to the protagonist (this is similar to the mirror villain.)
A good example of this is Darth Vader, obviously. Whether these characters can be "redeemed" through a single act of heroism in the finale of an epic trilogy in which they are presented as definitely, 100% evil remains up to debate. The Villain is often "saved" by a realization at the bitter end, a small moment of empathy that is foreshadowed earlier in the story but kept for the climactic finale, or some other miniscule thing that shifts their worldview in the end. Obviously, this villain and the misguided villain have a lot in common in terms of themes and audience expectations or hopes. However, it's just as likely that the hopeless villain never redeems themselves and forever remains shrouded in darkness.
5) The magnificent bastard: "Overly sarcastic productions" has an interesting video on this archetype explaining it much better than I could; but essentially, the magnificent bastard is dastardly, evil, arrogant, self-serving and almost never redeemable, but they enjoy their villainy and do their villainy in style and magnificent extravaganza. Obviously there is some correlation with "love to hate them/hate to love them". However, the magnificent bastard has a more profound impact on the characters of the story, rather than the audience. Whereas "love to hate them/hate to love them" villains are mostly just fabulous to the audience, they are still considered vile by the characters. Magnificent bastards may, however, get some semblance of respect from the characters themselves, who recognize that they are a villain, but they're damn good at what they do. Perhaps this villain is an extravagant billionaire who enjoys torturing the poor protagonist with clever traps and overly impractical and ambitious plans and puzzles, and the protagonist and antagonist have some sort of mutual respect for one another, if only for their skill and not their goals. Magneto and Xavier come to mind, or Death Note's Light Yagami and L.
1) Your unstoppable force is a version of the video's Looming Threat.
3) The misguided villain is a version of the video's Villain Protagonist, where he devolves to become more villainous. Thanos would've been this archetype in the past, but by the time of the MCU movies he's the Looming Threat.
5) Magneto is clearly a Mirror Villain to Xavier.
Great post. I think that last one is where I have the most issues. Too often I'll get annoyed by an overly villainous villain who knows he's the villain, but the best modern example I can think of is the antagonist, Death, from The Last Wish. He's technically just doing his job but steps out of line terrorize Puss and take his last life personally. He knows who and what he is, and relishes in it, and it's just great to watch.
The Looming Villian was my most favourite out of these 3.
I dont think anything can be more haunting than a villian who we dont see for the most part but get to know what he's capable of.
That's real horror
Personally I think 3 is worst because we see how pretty much anyone can end like that and begs the question of how we would behave ourselves in that situation. Breaking Bad is such a good written show because it played well with the concept til the last episode.
The key underlying component for me is that the villain has to be smart. They need to drive the conflict and they need to surprise us too. There has to be a REAL threat. In so many movies the villain creates a sky beam that is going to kill the world or end humanity. We know the threat is minimal at best. That's why Thanos was so unique. He was like the Dark Knight's Joker in that he literally could kill everyone. Not giving too much backstory also helps too. Then the audience comes up with their own theories and ideas in their minds.
It's telling that a world ending plan doesn't feel as threatening as the Joker making Batman save one person and let another die
@@StudioBinder Sounds kinda ironic, but it indeedly is true
As weird as it sounds, I think Thanos is one of those sympathetic villains (probably the villain protagonist according to this video?). The writers of Infinity War and the Russo Bros. have mentioned that Thanos is a hero if you consider the movie in his POV. There are some flaws to his execution of the plan, but Thanos' goal was to save the universe by preserving its resources which can only be done by killing half of all life indiscriminately. Even if Endgame hadn't come out, I'd say that Thanos was the best villain in the MCU and one of the best in any genre.
They don't have to be smart, just driven and situationally aware enough to deviate their process to achieve their goal.
While it's good for the villain to be smart and capable, I don't think they always have to be. Joffrey in GOT/ASOIAF is a moron and a pathetic coward who only has any authority because he inherited his kingship from his dad, but he still works very well as a villain.
3:55 - Mirror Villain Summary
8:37 - Looming Villain Summary
15:32 - Villain Protagonist Summary
✔👍
So there is no scope to show backstory of a looming villain. It is a static character
I always enjoy the interrogation scene in The Dark Knight for this very reason. The Joker makes it clear just how alike they both are. And even in the cowl you can tell he’s getting under Bruce’s skin because he knows he’s on to something.
Johan Liebert from Monster is probably the best example of a looming villain. He rarely appears, but when he does or when he is just mentioned it's clear that something bad will happen. Abd he is a good mirror to dr. Tenma.
Johan is an incredible villain. One of my favorite parts of the series was when he was acting as a university student, he was acting so kind and gentle I was terrified worrying the whole time what he was going to do.
The more the villain is built up through the narrative as a looming threat the better the payoff at the end when the hero defeats them.
unless *cough, hawkeye, cough* said villain is beaten ridiculously easy.
👌 Good point!
@@StudioBinder Oh thank you for that, much appreciated.
Let’s not forget..
Silco in Arcane.
Brilliant writing.
Congratulations for reaching one million sub...And we all are greatful as always. Thank you Studiobinders ❤️
❤ Love our viewers!
This was really a kick-ass video!! But I feel the 3 archetypes portrayed here are not enough to cover the large variety of villains that could be developed in writing. I mean, so many psychological, visceral, internal characteristics one could draw upon, that only "3 types" seems a bit limiting.
Agreed, like we mentioned this is just an introduction! Definitely much more to explore
I think remembering that sometimes these “limits” are great foundations, and are not supposed to cover all variations on this type.
It’s like “animal, mineral, or vegetable”. It sounds limiting, but it really isn’t. It just points you in the right direction.
And would help people like Ring of Power or Wish.
High-quality content for free. Long live, Studio Binder.
Happy New Year!
For many more years to come!
I believe that mixing types keeps the reader/viewer on its toes.
When Joker speaks to Batman in the cells, giving him what some 'brotherly advice' and also when Joker speaks to Harvey in the hospital ... I just love that little piece of music
Brilliant 💯
I personally like the villain protagonist, because paradoxically, while they are the least villainous, they hit close to home. So many of us knows a Daniel Plainview, but few of us will ever meet a looming threat. It is in this personal experience that curiosity grows. So much of theatrics is made of the novel and rare, but it's actually the reflection of our lived experience that maintains our interest. It's why star trek was the show that lasted throughout the years. It wasn't the cool tech, the new locales, or even "exotic" actors that made star trek have such an initial grab, it was dealing with taboo, figuring out principles, learning about different ways of thinking, and developing compassion for others that made star trek what it was.
Even as the times changed, effects became stale, styles changed and the culture moved on, there's still many people who watch star trek now, and it holds a certain charm that many new shows lack, simply because they don't have that same depth. They can't, for risk of showing a black mirror to the faces of those who are hegemonic.
"In the Line of Fire". Booth/Leary versus Horrigan. The taunting phone calls are simply great. As is the performance by Malkovich. Add in Rene Russo, and you've got a terrific movie.
Great choice!
The Joker (Heath Ledger), Davy Jones, Thanos, Ebony Maw, Ultron, Hans Landa (Inglourious Basterds), are all absolutely phenomenal. The best of the best for me. The way the actors manipulated their voice/delivered their lines for the characters was especially superb to.
Annie Wilkes was great too.
Watch no country for Old men and then get back to me if you update your list. Anton in NCFOM is up there as well
@@notmyrealpseudonym6702 I was younger and a less perceptive the last time I saw it. I’ll give it another watch sometime 👌🏾
“Let’s move on to our final villain archetype…”
AD.
Well played
Thank you StudioBinder for this Inspiring video. It's a True Audiovisual Encyclopedia about what defines A Great Villain in Movies. Very Inspiring.
number 2 is my favorite type of villain… I LITERALLY ADDED 3 of them in my story (most of the time there even more dangerous dead than alive, and at some times they nearly become mirror villains for a short amount of time) my best example is : around the middle of the story i introduce a charismatic and mysterious villain who has a strong link with the main character struggles and is completely overpowered. he does something incredible and memorable that impact the whole scenario… and then leave. to return like 4 chapters later with way more tension, there we learn more about the character, his threat take a lot of place like he’s going to be the next greatest villain, we find out his goal is quite similar to the main character’s one but with different morals… and then he just dies in the same chapter, but him dying leads to even worse, and at a time, it even starts to impact the main character’s sanity. or even lead to a complete destruction of the universe.
sorry for bad english, i’m french 😅
Wow. You've actually helped me realise one of the main reasons I didn't think Se7en was as good as people say. He needed to have unclear motives, but the whole way through the movie we know exactly what his motives are. To punish 7 sinners.
Clarence Boddicker stands as a testament to the captivating allure of cinematic villains. Kurtwood Smith's portrayal was nothing short of brilliance, seamlessly blending sly arrogance with unapologetic malevolence and unwavering confidence. With no redeeming qualities to his name, he emerged as the quintessential antagonist we all secretly almost rooted for. Set against the backdrop of the 1980s, his somewhat geeky and nerdy appearance at the time lent an unsettling and eerie quality to his sinister actions-an uncanny valley of villainy, if you will.
And then, there's Hans Gruber from Die Hard, a character who exuded sophistication and professionalism. His articulate demeanor almost compelled admiration, despite his nefarious intentions. These two characters, Boddicker and Gruber, etch themselves into the pantheon of the finest cinematic villains in my memory. Of course, there are countless others who have left their indelible mark as well.
💗🏆 *BIG CONGRATULATIONS on passing a MILLION SUBSCRIBERS, and thanks again for all the amazing content, StudioBinder crew!! Happy New Year, everyone!!*
Happy New Year!
I have so little respect for this channel's perception of movies and so much respect for the way this channel breaks down the technicals. I don't know how to reconcile those two things.
Do a video on writing a villain who is LESS the bad guy, & MORE the embodiment of evil. Examples being Jason Vorhees, Michael Myers, or even Frankenstein. Characters who are seemingly non-human & unrelatable.
I love the British narrator's deep voice. He should be a voice actor for authoritative characters in any kind of media.
Man the sound edit on this video!!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️
😎
What else can I say about you guys that's not already being said. You guys up your game after every passing video.
All I can say is THANKYOU StudioBinder!
Thanks for watching!
"The More Successful The Villain , The More Successful The Picture." : Alferd Hitchcock 🙌♥
They make or break the film 💯
@@StudioBinder there's a movie 'spyder'... The villain character is well written but the movie failed though it was reasonably engaging
If You Were To Make A Part 2, I Think Villains From Horror Movies Would Be An Interesting Take
1. The Boogeyman (This Villain Is A Relentless Killer. They Instill Fear By They're Body Count)
2. The Beast/Monster (This Villain Isn't Human, And Sometimes Isn't Natural. Most Of The Time, It's Just Hungry And Has Human Flesh On It's Mind)
3. The Mastermind (This Villain Is Present Throughout, However The Threat Is Not From The Body's They Kill Or Who They Harm. It's Figuring Out What They're Overall Plan Is. Sometimes, When Things Go A Certain Way For The Protagonists Favor, It Was All A Part Of The Villains Plan Overall)
Thanks for the suggestion!
So many good villains. This one needs a part 2.
Best channel I discovered in 2021
Welcome to the club :)
Really good essay. This is why this channel is one of my favorites.
Thanks for watching!
This is one villain you should cover next:
Frank in Sergio Leone's 1968 classic, _Once Upon a Time in the West,_ portrayed by Henry Fonda.
It was one of his most shocking performances as he usually played heroes, but when he portrayed Frank, a remorseless murderer... it unveiled a dark side that nobody expected.
Oh, and if you can, please don't forget to put context on the film, such as the writers of the film's story, Dario Argento and Bernardo Bertolucci being film critics and their legacy, Sergio Leone himself, his _Dollars Trilogy,_ the films he made after that, and the time when _Once Upon a Time in the West_ was made, in 1967-68, even how he got to get produced, not to mention the films he never made.
A Western episode! Not a bad idea :)
The scene where he and his men surround the farm and kill that family is so graphic.
I should be asleep but I can't stop binging your channel's videos! I just discovered it and I can't help myself haha. It's so good.
The end of There Will be Blood is perfect. Slow turn, "I'm finished!" The best.
A great villain has to have these 3 trades (in order):
1. Menacing
2. Smart
3. Charismatic
They definitely help
@@StudioBinder if you have these 3 trades you have a great villain, if you are lacking any of them you have an ok villain. The problem is that sometimes the movie is so dumb that they make the villain look smart like most of the super hero movies, and I think making a villain smart is the most difficult thing to do. That's why villains like Hanibal Lecter, The Joker and Michael Coerleone are such great villains, because they are smart villains in smart movies, not to mention being menacing and charismatic at the same time.
A villain should be calculating, that means both intelligent and patient. Impatient villains with tantrums seem immature (Kylo Ren anyone?).
But there's exception to this and the ones you mentioned, when the villain is a force of nature. But that's never as good as something with agency.
@@thefakenews3150 well some people might disagree with Kylo Ren not being a good villain due to his immaturity. I think he became a lame villain thanx to the horrible writing in the sequels and Rey being so overpowered that made him look anything but menacing.
Also we can all agree that when I refer to a villain being smart is someone who uses his brain to plan and execute his plan with high level of success.
@@marcozuleta133 Well he's not the only villain you'll see throw a tantrum, yes this is synonymous with immaturity but I think if you look at all the villains you like you'll see they are all patient. I would call them "calculating" which requires both intelligence and patience. You could have an intelligent bad guy but if he throws tantrums he's unlikable.
That was an amazing analysis of those three films. I’ve never been the biggest there will be blood fan- but I really want to rewatch it now.
The villain always has the most fun.
It's probably more fun playing them haha
took me hard with the Daniel Plainview stuff then directly after that I get some of my fav films edited in the outro. i love you guys
Moriarty and Magnussen in the Sherlock Holmes Series were outstanding villains. They were unpredictable, outsmarting Sherlock and ready to even sacrifice their lives for winning, that made them horrifiying.
A smart villain with principles is 💯
Honestly... This video is so much better than masterclass that I pay for... Some of the stupid lectures about writing are just preachy hypocritical nonsense about race...sex...etc..
We're your free online film university ;)
thanks for including the music credits!
16:43 LORD VADER & DOC OCK are clear stand-outs of their respective genres.
Heath Ledger as the Joker. What a performance that was and what a loss for us as spectators as he died wayyyy too soon.
Much too soon :(
He went out with a bang.
Dude was so good that even the fucking Daniel Day Lewis recognized
Great examples of villains here. Daniel Plainview is mesmerizing. I hope one day, somehow, we get to see the judge from Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian. A villain for the ages. Maybe the most terrifying man in fiction.
That would be fascinating!
The Judge might be the best villain ever written. I wouldn’t ever want to get Blood Meridian on screen though, I just don’t think anyone could do it justice.
Hi StudioBinder, I recently discovered your channel and have been loving it since, been a movie buff all my life and am now thinking of starting to write my own stories and screenplays, been watching so many of your videos and jotting down notes that has helped tremendously.
Really loved this video as well especially the Looming Threat, first villain that came to mind was actually a video game one, Thor and Odin in God Of War(2018). They will written very well and will deffinately show up in the sequel.
would love to see you guys cover some of these villain archetypes.
The hero turned villain. ex. Anakin Skywalker to Darth Vader ,Robin to Redhood ,
The Set Up Villain .ex. Thanos, James Morriaty
The Ancient Evil
The Beast(Creature) .ex. the Xenomorph
etc....
can't wait to see more videos from you guys, keep up the great work
This channel is a treasure!
"I heard what you said. Why are you acting insane and threatening to slit my throat?" felt the the actor broke character LOL
If you look at classic comic book villains and other such bad guys, the number one thing that their creators said over and over again is that they designed each villain to be a foil for the hero. This includes heroes who have multiple villains- The Joker, for instance, is a foil for Batman, but Penguin, Two-Face, Scarecrow, Riddler etc are each foils in their own way as well, each representing a challenge to one or more defining traits of Batman.
Mirror villains work great for the comic book genre!
I absolutely love “There Will Be Blood”. Great video as usual!
We do too!
Congrats studiobinder for 1M subs, you have awesome content.
Thanks for joining us!
Vincent D'Onofrio's Kingpin (Netflix's version only) is my favourite villain of all time.
He was great!
Congrats on 1 mil!
Thanks!
I would love to see Harry Powell from "The Night of the Hunter" in the next video. Harry is a character so deeply drawn into his paranoia, that he can literally "speak" with HIS God. A "God" that dictates to him what is Good and Bad, what is moral and immoral in his endless pursuit for divine justice and a holy treasure. He is more of a looming threat as a character (Don't he never sleep?).
Thanks for the suggestion!
I hope to get a response from studio binder on this comment. I have been watching this channel for a little longer than a year. But all of this information studio binder provides us with is all useless if we don’t put it to work. I would love it if studio binder created videos on how to get your film career started and gather a team no matter what location and make films so all of us can be filmmakers one day, I really hope if anyone from studio binder sees this they will put this idea into consideration. And by the way, congrats on 1 million subs. Thank You!
We made a series a few years ago called 'Making It' covering the entire process our team went to create a short film. Here's the link to the series! th-cam.com/video/ZL-jE4wqEwE/w-d-xo.html
@@StudioBinder thank you!
Be interesting to go one further with this and analyze when the villain changes characters or the villain becomes the hero e.g. Return of Jedi, as the Emperor becomes the greatest threat and Darth becomes the hero.
at 16:07 if I was sitting there with Hannibal I definitely would've laughed in his face at that "spspsspsps"
The Creeper from Jeepers Creepers would be the best looming threat I can imagine.
solid 👌
This will really help me, thanks!
congrats on the 1 mill.i realy enjoy ur channel
Appreciate it!
This video is a masterpiece
A movie can also have both a 'Mirror' and a 'Looming Threat'. Think of Star Wars [OT] - you have Vader, the 'mirror', and more present/involved villain. Then you have the Emperor, sort of lurking in the shadows, providing an even greater, more ominous threat.
Another fine lesson learned. THANK YOU!!!
I have just noticed you hit one million subscribers well done and congratulations you should be very proud of your selfs
Thank you!
If you get the villain right all elements of the story should fall into place . The villain isn’t in the story , the story comes to the villain
Frank Booth from Blue Velvet is probably my most memorable villain
Iconic 💯
The content of the channel is very good, I am Vietnamese and I hope to have Vietnamese subtitles so I can watch and understand more about your channel.😍😍
Not sure if we'll be able to get Vietnamese subtitles but we do have english captions if that helps!
There are likeable villains like Hans Gruber in Die Hard, hateable villains like King Joffry from Game of Thrones, and terrifying villains like Michael Myers from Halloween.
Almost all villainous protagonists are undone in the end by themselves or someone else. Even if they survive and achieve everything, they normally end up feeling empty inside, like in Goodfellas, Casino, The Irishman, Once Upon a Time in America, There Will be Blood, and Lord of War. The only exceptions I can think of would be The Nightcrawler and Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer whereby not only they not remotely likeable or sympathetic whatsoever, but they also win and triumph completely. In Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, at least between the 2 serial killers, the least heinous one kills the more heinous one, whereas in Nightcrawler, although there are morally worse characters in other movies, Louis is the most villainous character in this specific movie, wins completely, unequivocally, and maximally, and feels fantastic, with zero remorse, very happy, and not a shred of guilt or emptiness whatsoever, very accomplished and triumphant. In Nightcrawler, instead of a fall arc or a rise and fall arc, he just has a rise arc, and that's it.
"They should have some redemptive qualities to keep viewers invested in the story."
Even in There Will be Blood, Daniel Plainview loses all of his admirable qualities by the end when he rejects his son, the one person he cared about that made him remotely sympathetic to the audience. There are movies whereby the villainous protagonist never has any redeeming qualities whatsoever, like in Nightcrawler, Once Upon a Time in America, The House that Jack Built, Cannibal Holocaust, August Underground, and Pink Flamingo.
I think you should make a video on the amazing writing in the to show peaky blinders. The characters are amazingly written, the acting is incredible, the cinematography is outstanding and the show is very original. Also less than 10 or 5 channels have made any videos on the show so it would give studiobinder a market of people that are hungry for an analysis of the show.
Thanks for the tip!
Thank you studiobinder for these great videos
Congratulations on 1 mil Subs
Thanks for joining us on the ride!
Wow, waited for this..... Great !
Glad you liked it!
I actually learned a lot from this.
A million well deserved subs...literally my favourite channel on the platform.
Thanks for following us!
Great channel, amazing video as always.
Cheers!
One of my favorite villains was Sean Connery's Daniel Dravot in "The Man Who Would be King". His motives are selfish. His morals are bad. Yet, he's so charismatic and charming many view him as a hero. That's a rare villain.
There's an anime named Hunter x Hunter. It is a masterpiece in the anime fanbase community. Every single trait that's been explained in this video for a perfect villain is shown in that show. Three in particular that I can think of: the criminal sociopaths, but family-like Phantom Troupe (Looming threat), Hisoka the psychopathic Clown/Magician (all of the above), and Meruem (Also all of the above, mostly Mirror), the most powerful being in that universe.
Meruem's character development alone is legendary in any work of fiction. In fact, if you ask most anime fans, he has been voted the greatest antagonist in anime history on many occasions. If you haven't seen it, I strongly suggest you go watch it. All 148 episodes are on Netflix. It starts off a little childish and kiddie. But that's where they fool you. I don't recommend it for kids 10 or younger (depending on their maturity level).
It gets very dark and very emotional.
Haven't watched HunterxHunter, but personally I'd say the best antagonist I've ever seen is probably either Johan Liebert from the anime Monster, or Judge Holden from Cormac McCarthy's novel Blood Meridian. Also honorable mention to Magneto.
Great video.
Cheers!
*Christopher Nolan's villains will always be recorded by those who have seen him! No one can deny that!*
You mean by the characters in the film?
@@StudioBinder *Yeah especially the joker* :D
Game of Thrones has 3 villains that fall into these 3 categories. For Mirror Villain we have Daenerys Targaryen, who is a dark mirror of Jon Snow. This mirror is further emphasized by the fact that they are on two opposite sides of the world. Daenerys is in Essos, ruling over the port city of Mereen, while Jon Snow was last seen being assassinated by members of The Night’s Watch at Castle Black, the barrier between The North, and The Lands of Always Winter. For a Looming Threat Antagonist, we have The Night King. His true identity and actions behind the scenes is left ambiguous, with only short scenes showing the audience how he and his army functions. The Fear of The Unknown also is half of why he’s such a terrifying villain in Seasons 1-6. There aren’t really any Villain Protagonists in ASOIAF, as the protagonists are mainly House Stark, however the closest we get to a villain protagonist is Brandon Stark. Brandon Stark started out as the tragic victim of an assassination attempt, thus crippling him, but over time, his warg abilities and ability to see the past and present made him become completely apathetic, cold, and callous, to the point where Brandon Stark was less of a person and more of a tool for revealing past and current events, as well as even looking into the near future. He is a villain protagonist due to him manipulating everyone into going down a much more cataclysmic path to ending the War of Five Kings, revealing the betrayal of Eddard and Lyanna Stark, and gaslighting people into choosing him as the next monarch. He started as a innocent, decent person who just was caught up in a massive war, but ultimately lost everything that made himself that person, he lost his identity, which doesn’t excuse his actions in the final seasons, but does provide sympathy for him. He wasn’t always like this, and we see the events that made him what he is now.
That's why DC comics has long lasting villains. Because they're mirror conflicts with the Heroes. Lex Luthor to Superman. Joker to Batman. Cheetah to Wonder Woman. Thawne to Flash. Manta to Aquaman, etc.
Good observation!
Kefka Palazzo from Final Fantasy 6 is an example of a well-written villain you have zero sympathy for. What makes him stand out is all the main characters are shades of gray, but he's starkly black and white. He's jarring in every scene he's in. He's perfect.
Interestingly enough, his Joker-like personality was added in the US localization, and the original developers liked it so much they made it canon.
A neat thing people don't often notice about the scene where Joker challenges Dent's morality, he keeps his thumb on the hammer of the pistol. Even if Harvey pulled the trigger, Joker was still in control of the gun...
Homelander fits perfectly the last type of villain
DETECTIVES! is one of the best lines ever
It's a good one for sure!
Wonderful video
Glad you liked it!
"the hero is a villain, and the villain is a hero"
What a brilliant video ..thank you so much @studiobinder ...learnt something 😊😀
0:14 great cut👌👌
😉
Darth Vader to Luke Skywalker would have been a better Star Wars example for the Mirror Villain example as Luke could easily be like Vader in the original trilogy, but in the end he remains with the light side where his father fell to the dark side.
Fair point!
Amazing vid as always
Thanks for watching!