Dorothy had the Wicked Witch of the West. Indian Jones had the Nazis. They are the villains. And they are what make a story irresistible.
But wait a minute. We all love the heroes, right? The heroes are awesome. What’s all this business about the villains making things irresistible?
It’s all about the tension
Heroes overcome the odds to triumph. Usually seemingly insurmountable odds. It is because of these insurmountable odds that we find ourselves rooting for the heroes.
But stop and think about this: what if there were no insurmountable odds? What if there was no villain standing in the way of the goal? What if it was a cakewalk for our heroes?
It just wouldn’t be the same. Oh, there may be a moderately interesting tale to tell. But it wouldn’t be nearly as engaging or memorable. Why is that? Because a villain introduces tension into the story.
It’s that tension that has us wondering if the hero will prevail. And if the villain is pronounced enough, the tension generated will have us on the edge of our seats.
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