Depends on the genre. If it's slice of life not really. There's no one we can really call a villain in Mari Mite for example. I guess you could pin a certain character or two for this week's episode but honestly? There isn't one. An epic without a villain or some form of obstacle is like tea without water. IT IS NOTHING.
And how the bloody hell could you have horror without one?
If someone wants to accuse us of eating coconut shells, then that's their business. We know what we're doing. - Achaan ChahI really wish they had done more to make the marines more likable in that film. As it was they were doing all in their power to turn them into assholes. Hell if you didn't read the additional crap behind the film you might not even know the Earth is a dying rock. Which makes the human's just look like greedy assholes.
WHICH IS BAD.
Really Avatar is just "Look at the pretty planet" in movie form. I like bio-luminescence a lot.
If someone wants to accuse us of eating coconut shells, then that's their business. We know what we're doing. - Achaan ChahYeah, that's why I hated the Na'vi. Cameron went out of his way to make them so perfect, and humanity so vile. So just to spite the man, I root for humans all the time.
In my mind, the movie was a tale of an epic last stand of some Marines, doing their job till the end in the face of hordes of Xenos scum.
edited 13th Jan '12 5:15:12 PM by MarkVonLewis
I'd like the Na'Vi more if they weren't portrayed as perfect and right in everything damn near. And if they seemed more like a genuine culture to me. Tolkien went out of his way to make his cultures feel real and unique. Cameron...meh. Least it's pretty I guess...
This is off topic though.
If someone wants to accuse us of eating coconut shells, then that's their business. We know what we're doing. - Achaan ChahAn antagonist is very important to the story, save for slice of life or man vs. wild stories.
You need a protagonist of some sort, a goal, and an obstacle to that goal. A good antagonist drives the story by pushing back on the protagonist and providing that obstacle to the goal.
Happiness is zero-gee with a sinus cold.Not all stories have to have villains, but I think they can add a lot to a story, when used right.
For example: I love Friendship Is Magic, and I think the Discord episodes were two of the coolest ones, but I love the other ones, too.
‽‽‽‽ ^These are interrobangs. Love them. Learn them. Use them.![]()
Friendship is Magic is one of the Exceptions that I mentioned
btw: yes, Discord was awesome
What I also meant to ask: How much do you focus on villains when they actually ARE in the film? I, for one, barely ever care about the heroes. XD
edited 13th Jan '12 5:33:53 PM by gingerninja666
"Contests fought between two masters are decided instantly. An invisible battle is now raging between the two of them." Lulu vs SchneizelIndeed we muſt finde the villeins moſte bakward and unſavoury folk, lacking in virtue and prone to vulgarity; nontheleſs, twould be moſte unwise to under-eſtimmate their importanse as workerse pon whiche the nobillity lise, performeing those labours unſuitible for us.
edited 13th Jan '12 5:38:22 PM by Pykrete
Really? Villainous Valour is one of my favourite tropes
For my answer to the thread's question, please refer to about 0:47 in the following clip:
On a serious note, I'm usually happy as long as neither the villain nor protagonist are completely stupid about going about their business. The best climaxes are the ones that come down to the wire after all.
Really though, making sure the protagonist is likable and respectable is vastly more important. They're the ones you're looking at for most of the story after all.
Bizzarely, it doesn't work like that for me. I care about the Side characters and the Antagonists MUCH more than I care about the heroes. I think the fact that we spend so much time with them leads me to become bored with them more often than not (no matter how good they're written)
Y'know people say: "A villain is just someone for the hero to defeat"?
Well for ME, it's "A hero is just someone for the villain to lose to"
I like villains who don't realize they're the villains, always justifying their actions through either pragmatism or twisted morality.
(Come to think of it, some of my favorite villains could have been heroes twenty years ago, although I wouldn't root for them in such a context.)
edited 13th Jan '12 7:46:37 PM by feotakahari
That's Feo . . . He's a disgusting, mysoginistic, paedophilic asshat who moonlights as a shitty writer—Something Awful
I think you'll find that, outside of Card Carrying Villains, there aren't THAT many villains who honestly thinkk that they're villains.
Well Intentioned Extremists and Knight Templars are two of my favourite types of villain
"Contests fought between two masters are decided instantly. An invisible battle is now raging between the two of them." Lulu vs SchneizelThe best villains are ones that are just flat out evil and do it for the lols, or you know, just because they can. Now granted, every once in a while I don't mind a sympathetic or tragic villain since they can be quite interesting, but they have limitations. Someone who's clearly dicking around is going to be able to pull off far more awesome, hilariously villainous stuff.
Feel free to replace awesome and hilariously with horrifying and brutally where needed.
The emotions of others can seem like such well guarded mysteries, people 8egin to 8elieve that's how their own emotions should 8e treated.I guess I'm not sure what you mean—are you thinking of villains like Discord? (His type doesn't have to be evil, and I think they're more interesting if they're completely divorced from normal morality.)
That's Feo . . . He's a disgusting, mysoginistic, paedophilic asshat who moonlights as a shitty writer—Something AwfulI've yet to watch MLP myself, so I can't answer that, but when I read that I immediately thought of Dr. Doofenschmirtz.
edited 14th Jan '12 12:26:32 PM by 0dd1
Insert witty and clever quip here. My page, as the database hates my handle.

I'm a guy who's completely obsessed with villains. I more often than not CAN'T watch/read/play something unless it has an awesome antagonist. There are obviously some exceptions.
A personal theory of mine is: "A film is only as good as its villain"
I never enjoy watching the protagonists be cool for some reason (and it slightly annoys me when people go on about how cool the hero is). I just... CARE about them a lot less than I care about the villains. This opinion of mine has greatly confused a lot of people on this very forum. XD
I was just wondering how important the antagonist is when YOU watch/read/play something?
edited 13th Jan '12 5:08:47 PM by gingerninja666
"Contests fought between two masters are decided instantly. An invisible battle is now raging between the two of them." Lulu vs Schneizel