True evil - how can it be done well?

[CrazyCrab]

Hi everyone,

In my current project there will be a lot of evil, evil in the purest form. By that I mean demons, undead and other creatures that are evil just because thats who they are. Of course there will be some exceptions, but most demons are just plain evil.

Now, how do you usually handle characters like that? I have some ideas but Id love to hear how other users do it.

Thanks id advance.

 

[Archeia]

I recommend reading Cthulu Mythos.

 

[Dalph]

Absolutely do what Archeia said, but I would also like to give my 2 cents on this.

About the villains:

Villains should be interesting in a storyline\videogame and they have to captivate the reader\player with their attitude.

The villain is most likely the counterpart of the hero and openly opposes or obstructs him\her with various subterfuges, unlike the hero (unless we're talking about anti-heroes) he\she's not fair and almost never scruples to kill someone if the situation requires it.

The villain can be motivated by subtle reasons, like money or power (or even revenge or a lost love, and a lot of other things too...) and is most of the time way stronger than the hero...that's why the hero usually needs an entire group of skilled people to deal with him\her. Every villain has a purpose which according to their (twisted?) point of view is a noble one, they often act out of personal interest but as I implied they can also have ideals.

About the plain evil characters\monsters:

There isn't really a rule to develop them, since they usually don't have a purpose, most of them are brainwashed and they often obey to the villain's orders, but they seem to like to do harm without reason.

But you have to remember that even skeletons\ghosts\evil shadows were once human beings, and demons were once angels, so unless they're completely brainwashed and souless, you can even attempt to display short fragments of evil emotions left in their current evil state (despair, torment, pain...ecc)...basically fragments of what they were in their previous life. The choice is all yours at the end.

 

[mlogan]

This may not be what you are looking for exactly, but when I think of "true evil", I don't really think of cartoony versions of demons and such. For me, true evil is evil that looks normal but acts in the most horrific, gruesome ways. The show Criminal Minds is something I think of. I used to love that show but had to stop watching because the level of evil committed in some of those characters was too disturbing to me. A mind that can think of the most twisted things to do to other humans is true evil, in my opinion, not a sprited demon walking around doing bad things. I hope that makes some kind of sense.

 

[arekpowalan]

Case 1) If a character is evil, plainly evil, it hurts other people, destroys other people's life, and invoke conflicts either for no reason or for extremely selfish or racist ones. A plain evil lives to commit sins and make other people unable to live. this kind of evil must be treated as a parasite needed to be removed.

Case 2) If a character is evil, it comes from a stereotypical depiction of the characters. In cases of demons, undead, and monsters, are evil because they eat people, kidnap town people, or stealing for living. These creatures are plainly evil because in a hunman's view, those creatures make them think they are tyrant, while it's all possible that the are just harming humans so that they can live. In such case, it's questionable whether the character is truly evil or not.

Case 3) A mixture of both. The evil creatures hunt for their living, but also treat humans like crap, and even hunt for enjoyment. In such case, they are only slightly less evil as Case 1).

Case 4) Everything is in one's head. They just hallucinate or make an unfair judgement that someone is pure evil.

If the "evil" drives a person mad, like most horror stories do, it either because of the influences from the Case 1) monsters, and/or there's something horribly wrong with the victim's mental.

 

[Mouser]

This may not be what you are looking for exactly, but when I think of "true evil", I don't really think of cartoony versions of demons and such. For me, true evil is evil that looks normal but acts in the most horrific, gruesome ways. The show Criminal Minds is something I think of. I used to love that show but had to stop watching because the level of evil committed in some of those characters was too disturbing to me. A mind that can think of the most twisted things to do to other humans is true evil, in my opinion, not a sprited demon walking around doing bad things. I hope that makes some kind of sense.

I'm on this side of the fence as well.  As far as on a larger scale take the Drow in Dungeons and Dragons or the Sith in Knights of the Old Republic. Those are both what I would call "stupid evil". True evil is self-sustaining (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0446.html), and often superficially indistinguishable from good. "True Evil" is convincing "Good" people to follow your cause and fight your battles for you.

Very few games with an 'evil' path manage to do it well, IMHO. Neverwinter Nights was abysmal (you got to beat people up for their lunch money - ooooh!).

 

[Vinedrius]

They must have a purpose to act evil. That is for sure. "I will destory the world because it sucks"... no, thanks

Demons are said to deceive people into acting evil so I would emphasize on their deceiving behaviors, setting people against each other or instilling fear, doubt, envy into the hearts of people etc.

Undeads can be evil toward the living for various reason. The most common reasons are, assuming they haven't completely lost their conscious, they have a grudge against people who had a part in their death even if not willingly and they don't usually distinguish the innocent from the guilty if they happen to be on their path to revenge or they are simply controlled by the evil sorcerer who is evil for whatever reason.

Monsters aren't usually evil by nature since most won't have their own will. Sentient monsters can have many reasons to be evil just like any human (or human-like beings).

 

[Diretooth]

There are SOOOOO many ways you can go about this, so I'll do my best to explain.

Basic:

Something basic, like being a mindless beast of destruction, can be your every day evil, these can range from wild animals driven crazy by the Big Bad to Demons and Undead summoned by the Big Bad.

Semi-Sentient:

These can be possessed people, or undead that are aware that they're harming people, but cannot stop themselves. These can also contain werewolves and vampires, depending on how you depict them. Another type could be people being controlled by a parasite.

Sentient: These people are aware and able to control themselves, but they do it anyway. These aren't always creatures that cause wanton destruction, they can even be normal people put into a situation where they harm everyone around them. Vampires, Werewolves, Undead, and plain old Demons can be part of this, and in some cases, the normal people who are forced into this could very easily jump the slippery slope and kill because they want to, or because they support the Big Bad.

The Big Bad: Basically, the guy behind all of the evil in the world, or the main antagonist if they're trying to kill everyone or whatever. These can be land-grubbing evil emperors or evil magicians seeking immortality or godhood.

However, in my opinion, clearly defining a character as pure evil can be cliche and a little narmy, especially if your character is so good that angels think he's good. A good story to me usually has characters that are good and bad, but stray more into the gray areas of morality, that evil emperor could be trying to save his overpopulated people, the hero could be in the situation because he likes to fight. Ultimately, it's all up to you.

(As an addition, you can have gray and gray morality in regards to hero and antagonist, but if you really want pure evil, have them cross into the moral event horizon, which is the moment that a villain becomes irredeemable. This can be killing a city full of good people, blowing up an orphanage that you spent half the game helping of your own volition (making it a side quest), releasing or becoming the very manifestation of evil, or stealing the last poptarts from the hero's cupboard. Just have fun with the story and see where it leads you.)

 

[Simon D. Aelsi]

Often, the best evil characters are evil for a reason. Why are they hellbent on _______________?

Not to sound mean, but "Just because" won't cut it with some fans...

 

[Lars Ulrika]

Well, we should find a definition of what "pure evil" is about in first place. What is worse? A beast eating worlds or some interdimensional tyrant putting people into endless slavery with lots of torture and gratuitous harm? Is it about destruction itself or some twisted tastes, from which urge does it come from? Is it from hatred, greed or pride etc? 

Should set this up in your mind in first place. A good exemple is Diablo 2's arch enemies. Is their goal to destroy everything in a blast? Hell no, it's much funnier to them to corrupt the church of Light, corrupting beasts etc and making earth itself a living Hell. To me that's much worse than some Norse Giant who just wants to erase creation because he thinks it's a mistake. Pure evil must do evil knowing it's evil, not be some guy doing many horrible things thinking he's doing what is right. 

A guy like that is not purely evil, he's deranged, corrupted, anything you want but that's not pure evil. 

 

[Mouser]

Pure evil must do evil knowing it's evil, not be some guy doing many horrible things thinking he's doing what is right. A guy like that is not purely evil, he's deranged, corrupted, anything you want but that's not pure evil. 

Even better is the evil that knows it is evil, but convinces everyone around him that it is good. You could find yourself going up against the established religion, or some particularly popular monarch. 'Misguided' evil can also be very good if it slowly grows to that 'event horizon' from whence there is no return...

Tarquin, from Order of the Stick - that's evil done well.

 

[Simon D. Aelsi]

Have an "ally" join your team.... only to find out close to the end of the game that she's in fact the main antagonist! Bwahahaha.

 

[Engr. Adiktuzmiko]

@Iron - no, make the main character look like the main protagonist, then at the end he's actually the antagonist... that's "more evil"... especially if you're the kind of person that develops the main character the most


I'm with mlogan here, to me that kind of "evil" works really deep into you...

 

[Simon D. Aelsi]

@Iron - no, make the main character look like the main protagonist, then at the end he's actually the antagonist... that's "more evil"... especially if you're the kind of person that develops the main character the most

I'm with mlogan here, to me that kind of "evil" works really deep into you...

It's all subjective.

But, OP, whatever you do, DO NOT make him or her into a "Mary Jane" character. You know, the "perfect" character, that stereotypical character in many stpries and RPGs.

EVERYONE has to have a weakness.

 

[OM3GA-Z3RO]

If you want to display someone as being truly evil that person needs to have a reason why he/she is evil, it works the same as a Good Guy what reason does he have to be a good guy in the story.

Call me silly but watch Kungfu Panda 2, I personally think the editors portrayed the antagonists True Evil nature in that movie very well for a normal Dreamworks cartoon... thats my opinion though, I am very blank in giving a better example at this moment in time..

 

[Simon D. Aelsi]

If you want to display someone as being truly evil that person needs to have a reason why he/she is evil, it works the same as a Good Guy what reason does he have to be a good guy in the story.

Call me silly but watch Kungfu Panda 2, I personally think the editors portrayed the antagonists True Evil nature in that movie very well for a normal Dreamworks cartoon... thats my opinion though, I am very blank in giving a better example at this moment in time..

This.  Believe it or not, every character should have a backstory. Did something tragic happen to your villain?

 

[Lars Ulrika]

It's all subjective.

But, OP, whatever you do, DO NOT make him or her into a "Mary Jane" character. You know, the "perfect" character, that stereotypical character in many stpries and RPGs.

EVERYONE has to have a weakness.

Wait, you mean he can't be the son of Sephiroth and Kefka possessed by Yog-Sothoth and Sauron?! 

 

[OM3GA-Z3RO]

Nah definitely not the son of Sephiroth, he is still trying to get over his mother complex and abandonment issues

 

[Julien Brightside]

So what you want is a race of demonic creatures who invades a world to thrive on the inhabitants misery. If they can get nurture from the bad feelings, that would give them a reason to as it is a need to feed.

Imagine if bovines were sentient and intelligent, but we continued to feed on them because we couldn't be arsed to find another way to get meat.

 

[Deep Thought]

I wouldn't be so sure about a backstory in this case. "Evil in the purest form" as CrazyCrab describes it sounds more like a force of nature than an individual villain.

For example, the Planescape setting for Dungeons and Dragons has the Negative Material Plane: an infinite black hole that sucks the life, both body and soul, out of anyone stupid enough to enter it. The only "living" beings are mystic spheres of energy that mutually annihilate each other when they come into contact with each other. Everything else in there is undead, and as the energies of the Negative Material Plane are reflected in them, they are similarly destructive. It's basically what the real universe will look like in roughly 10^50 (half a googol) years, according to current cosmological theories.

Is it evil? From a philosophical moral standpoint, the Negative Material Plane is no more evil than a hurricane, a volcano, or a black hole; it's a force of nature. But from a construction/destruction standpoint, it is as evil as the worst of demons.

Is this a good description of your villains, CrazyCrab?