OK, I have a problem with one of my villains. He's my favorite, which might have contributed to his predicament. That and the Character Intros/Role-playing area.

My villain is supposed to be an assassin. So far he hasn't really assassinated anyone in written stories, but he's just been a villain. But now, he's becoming more un-villainous, which is a problem, yet not....

See, in a story I'm writing, he is a villain, but offers his services to the main character, but only because his home is being threatened (or, perhaps his freedom) just as much as hers. But the problem is, I'm afraid he'll become more of a good guy than a bad one. I don't really want that, but I want him to be good, too, for the story (because he would be so awesome ^^). And at the same time I'd like him to remain a villain, mainly because that's how I had created him, so the itle's grown with him.

Any ideas?

that is quite the predicament..... I'm not sure I have any ideas, I just feel for the struggle you are having.

I think it depends on what's best for the story. Orson Scott Card, a famous science fiction writer, once said 'Never be afraid to let go of old ideas.'

Dunno if that was helpful or not.

- Terra

Well! Having read all 17 years of the Sonic the Hedgehog comic book saga and seeing this happen A LOT, I have some questions and maybe some answers.
Are there sequels to the book in which he is a villain?
Is he the self-gain villain or the survival type villain or what?
Are he and the MC after the same things or the opposite things?

Here are some character types from Sonic:

Knuckles: Originally at odds with Sonic because of misunderstandings and temper problems.
Geoffrey: Hates Sonic because of his fame as "the good guy hero".
Shadow: Fights because he is alone and doesn't know his purpose in life.
Metal Sonic: Killing is just his job.

The funny and somewhat predictable thing is all these is that they all start out looking like bad guys and ended up as good guys at some point or other. These examples make the whole system sound very cliche but in all honesty I like seeing villains turn. If you've got a sequel to fill that will be cool to see him on the good side or at least not on the bad one. I liked his character too.

Terra- Maybe.... I like him as a villain, his personality fits it (more or less). But I'll think about that.

Riniel- 17 years? That's a long time.

I'm trying to decide if it should have a sequel, if it did, it would be a continuation of the plotline. He would be avillain at least in the first book, afterward, when he pledges his service to the MC, he would be a 'good guy' (possibly with his old habits and ways mixed in).

Hmm, I think he's more self-gain. He hasn't been in many stories where he plays a major role, but in my head, that's what he seems like.

At first, he and the MC are after opposite things. the MC is for gaining freedom for her world, while he is for keeping the world under his employer's control.

I had thought about, at the very end, he would go back to being his normal villainous self, but on 'good' terms with the MC (knowing full well she won't let him get away with what his occupation requires), but they're still 'friends'. If that makes sense.

Yep, they probably pick on each other to make a show of being enemies but still kind of hang out okay.

Pretty much.

I guess there's always the option of making him just a bad good guy. That is, you could have him technically as a good guy, only not good. *wonders if she's making any sense* And then you could create another villain and have him assassin the good-bad-guy because in his Questionable Past he did something villainous. Which would be sad if the mc had begun to like him despite not-liking him.

*pauses*

*thinks she'd better stop*

That's an interesting idea. I don't think I could kill off this villain, though. There is a scene (well more of the subplot, or something) where the villain assassinates a council member, which makes the MC sad and betrayed, but the villain had a good reason behind it. So that might be a way to keep his assassin villainy side running.

Why would the other villain kill the good-bad-guy? Haven't they both done something villainous? Or is it just because the first villain isn't very bad now?

Ooops! I was SURE I replied. Sorry Lady A.

The villain could kill the good-bad guy because:

1) he's turning good and the villain doesn't like it.

2) the good-bad guy goes back on an agreement he can't keep because he's not so bad anymore.

3) the villain is holding a grudge.

And I could go on, but your idea to have the villain (and I am talking about the original ) to assassinate someone for a good reason sounds much simpler. Of course, though, there's always the option to have multiple villains anyway....

Or you could have the good people assassinate the villain. ????

Only I doubt that would work.

Yeah... but I can't make myself kill him. (I get rather attached to some of my characters) I have a 'higher' villain, so he could try coming after the good/bad villain.

*grin*

That sounds good.