I used to think writing a villain was simple. Then I actually started plotting a novel and realized… villains are some of the hardest characters to get right.
Heroes will carry your story, but a strong villain arc is what gives the whole narrative its shape.
The more I studied craft, the more I noticed something: the villains that stick with us don’t work because they’re powerful. They work because their arc feels inevitable.
Their worldview, their choices, and their downfall all connect. You can trace the line from who they were to who they become.
To make this simple and spoiler-safe, I’ll be using Voldemort as the main example throughout this post. He’s widely known, and he also happens to be one of the cleanest dark-mirror villains in modern fantasy, which makes him perfect for breaking down how a strong villain arc works.
Let’s get into it.
Antagonist vs. villain
An antagonist is any force that stands in the protagonist’s way (think Gollum, Draco Malfoy, and even the annoying grandmother from Encanto).
A villain is an antagonist who harms others with intent and conviction.
This post focuses on villains, because they are the characters whose internal arc drives lasting tension in a story.
What is a villain arc?
A villain arc is the progression of a villain’s beliefs, fears, choices, and consequences over time. It begins with the emotional wound that formed them and ends with the final result of their decisions.
A strong villain arc shows:
- Where the villain came from
- How their worldview hardened
- How their actions escalate
- What gives them power in the story
- What eventually destroys them
If you want an easy starting point, the Villain Workbook walks through the villain arc in detail with prompts, worksheets, and escalation beats ↓
The 7 stages of a villain arc
1. The wound
Every villain arc starts with an emotional injury that shapes the character’s worldview.
Action item: Write down the moment or environment that first taught your villain something painful about the world. Then define the belief they formed because of it.
Example: Voldemort’s wound is abandonment. He grows up unwanted and isolated. This early environment convinces him that attachment leads to pain and that vulnerability is unsafe. Everything he becomes grows from that belief.
2. The desire
Desire gives shape to the arc. It is the thing the villain pursues above everything else.
Action item: Name the one thing your villain wants more than anything else. Then write a single sentence explaining why they believe achieving this will fix their life.
Example: Voldemort wants absolute safety. In his mind, that means immortality and control. He believes safety can only exist if he removes every weakness in himself and dominates any threat around him.
3. The philosophy
This is the belief system the villain uses to interpret the world and justify their decisions.
Action item: List three core beliefs your villain holds. Circle the one that will become more rigid or twisted as the story progresses.
Example: Voldemort believes love is dangerous, fear is effective, weakness should be eliminated, and purity determines worth. His philosophy becomes more rigid as he grows in power. This shift is what pushes his arc forward.
4. The escalation
Escalation is the sequence of choices that gradually trap the villain in their own mindset. Each decision narrows their options and pushes them further down a path they can’t easily step away from.
Action item: Map out three choices your villain makes that raise the stakes each time. Make sure each choice grows naturally from the previous one.
Example: Voldemort starts with small acts of cruelty, moves into manipulation, and then into murder. He splits his soul to secure his goal, which marks a point where returning to humanity is no longer possible. Each choice narrows his world and increases the stakes.
5. The dominance phase
This is the point where the villain’s worldview becomes visible in the world around them.
Action item: Describe how the world (or your protagonist’s life) changes when your villain’s worldview becomes reality. What becomes harder, smaller, or more dangerous?
Example: Voldemort gains control of institutions (Ministry of Magic, etc.), shapes culture through fear, and influences how people live and speak. His presence changes the environment itself. This is what makes him memorable as an antagonist, because the hero is forced to survive inside the villain’s belief system.
6. The fracture
Every villain has a flaw that cracks their arc. It’s the belief or blind spot they cling to even when the world is proving them wrong, and it eventually creates the opening the hero needs.
Action item: Identify your villain’s blind spot or emotional limitation. Then decide how this flaw misleads them during a crucial moment in the story.
Example: Voldemort cannot understand love or loyalty. He interprets everything through power and control, which blinds him to the forces that eventually undo him. This flaw exists from the start, but it becomes more destructive as the story progresses.
7. The consequence
A villain’s ending should feel like the final expression of their worldview. Everything they believed, everything they feared, and every choice they made should lead them to this moment.
Action item: Write the final result of your villain’s actions in one clear line. This should feel like the unavoidable outcome of everything they believed and did.
Example: Voldemort’s downfall works because it comes directly from his worldview. His attempt to erase vulnerability creates the one person capable of defeating him (Harry). His refusal to understand love blinds him to Lily’s sacrifice, Snape’s loyalty, and Harry’s willingness to give up his life. And because he rules through fear, his followers lie to him, hide information, and lose conviction the moment his control weakens. His end doesn’t feel random. It’s the final proof that the philosophy shaping his entire villain arc was always going to collapse.
Common villain types
The Villain Workbook outlines several archetypes, and many writers blend two or three together for more depth. The types most relevant to villain arcs include:
Writers often blend two or more villain types, but it helps to know the core shapes. Here are the common types outlined in the Villain Workbook, with a quick line explaining each one.
Tyrant: Seeks stability and control, often at the expense of freedom.
Zealot: Acts from absolute conviction, usually tied to purity, faith, or ideology.
Reformer: Wants to reshape society into something “better,” even if the cost is high.
Mastermind: Plans several moves ahead and treats conflict like a long game.
False ally: Pretends to support the protagonist while quietly advancing their own agenda.
Dark mirror: Reflects the hero’s fears or potential path. Voldemort and Harry are a perfect example of this. They share similar origins (both orphans), but they interpret their pain differently. Voldemort rejects connection. Harry searches for it. Their arcs separate at the level of belief, not circumstance.
Force of nature: Represents unstoppable destruction, survival instinct, or primal imbalance.
Scientist: Values knowledge or discovery above human cost.
Usurper: Craves legacy, recognition, or the chance to claim what someone else built.
Outcast: Turns loneliness or rejection into bitterness that shapes their choices.
If you combine one or two of these types, you’ll usually find the emotional shape of your villain arc much faster.
Key takeaways: Villain arc
- A villain arc tracks belief, escalation, and consequence
- The philosophy stage is crucial because it shapes every decision
- Let your villain’s influence affect the world before the fracture stage
- The ending should feel like the direct result of their earliest choices
Use the Villain Workbook to build your own villain arc
If you want a structured way to design wounds, motives, escalation beats, villain types, and downfalls, the Villain Workbook guides you through each stage so you can build an antagonist with depth and narrative impact.
Frequently asked questions about villain arcs
What is the difference between a sympathetic villain and a redeemable villain?
These two concepts often get confused, but they serve different narrative purposes. A sympathetic villain is someone whose emotional wound and motives are understandable to the reader, yet they remain committed to their destructive path until the bitter end. You understand why they became this way, but they still have to be stopped. A redeemable villain is a character who eventually realizes their philosophy is flawed and makes the active choice to change. Sympathy creates emotional complexity, whereas redemption requires a fundamental shift in the character’s arc.
Does a villain always need a personal connection to the protagonist?
They don’t need to be related or have a shared history, but they must be connected thematically. The most effective villains attack the specific belief system or emotional weakness your protagonist is trying to protect. If your hero and villain are simply fighting over a generic object, the tension will feel flat. But if they are fighting over a conflicting worldview, the stakes will feel intensely personal even if the characters have never met before the climax.
How early should I introduce the villain in the story?
You don't need your villain to walk onto the page in chapter one, but their influence must be felt immediately. The dominance phase mentioned in the guide can often start before the character is physically present. You should show the consequences of their worldview or the fear they inspire in the setting early on. This technique ensures that when the villain finally steps out of the shadows, the reader already respects the threat they represent and understands the stakes.
Can a villain win at the end?
Yes, but this usually shifts the story into the genre of tragedy or cautionary tale. In these narratives, the consequence stage of the arc results in the villain’s philosophy overpowering the hero’s truth. For a villain’s victory to feel satisfying rather than frustrating, the hero’s failure must feel like a direct result of their own inability to grow. The villain winning serves as the final, dark proof of the story’s thematic argument.
Can the protagonist turn into a villain?
Absolutely. When a protagonist follows these seven stages, we typically call it a corruption arc or a tragedy. The structural beats remain exactly the same: they start with a wound, adopt a rigid philosophy to protect themselves, and make escalating choices that eventually trap them. The difference lies in the framing. Instead of hoping the character is defeated, the audience watches with dread as a character they once loved is slowly consumed by their own beliefs. Walter White and Anakin Skywalker are perfect examples of protagonists who map directly onto this villain arc structure.
