What Makes a Truly Memorable Villain?

[Cor Azer]

A monocle.

Trust me, a beholder with a monocle is a thing to *ahem* behold.

 

[TarionzCousin]

Lots of good answers here. I'll add something: give your villain a hobby. Have him be interested in something besides ruining the PC's lives.

Perhaps he collects artwork. Grand Admiral Thrawn from Star Wars was a fantastic villain and he studied cultures' artwork to understand them better--in order to crush them under the Empire's boot, of course.

If the BBEG loves opera and the PC's know that, they might stake out the local opera house on opening night. Let them meet and interact with the BBEG where combat isn't possible (because the BBEG hasn't done anything wrong, according to the authorities).

This sort of thing not only makes the villain a more well-rounded character, it makes them more interesting.

 

[jorgeo]

Tie the villain to one or more of the character's background. Was he the bookworm that got picked on by the party fighter at school when he was a kid? Maybe someone's first childhood kiss?

Or a classic clone/identical sibling who had a different upbringing as one of the players.

 

[d2OKC]

I also have used Rich Berlew's Villain Workshop several times. I like it as a way to create a villain that is more than one dimensional, even if the PCs never really get all the information.

This is the article.

I've created quite a few interesting villains with that that I've never even gotten around to using.

 

[GSHamster]

Competence. A good villain needs victories. She needs to earn the respect of the PCs.

Consider The Empire Strikes Back. I think that movie went a long way to making Vader and the Empire truly fearsome villains.