What makes a good villain? If you’ve been around our blog for any length of time, you’ve likely heard us say it. The best villains have one or both of these things: Today, we’re going to break down Ursula from… Read More »Why Ursula Almost Wins
In most media, Influencers are side-kicks. They’re the happy-go-lucky characters who encourage the main protagonist or bring the team together with a “power of friendship” moment. They’re the characters who rarely lose hope. Think of Happy from Fairy Tail or… Read More »Samwise The Brave: A True Influencer
So far we’ve looked at villains who were ruled by a single motivator in the negative. But what happens when a villain is balanced and chooses to use that balance destructively? Syndrome from The Incredibles embodies this idea perfectly. What… Read More »Motivated Villains: Syndrome
Hans from Frozen is Disney’s most memorable surprise villain. Unlike the previous villains we’ve talked about, who show their intentions openly, Hans hides behind charm and understanding until the moment it benefits him to reveal his true intentions. In the… Read More »Motivated Villains: Hans
Jareth from Labyrinth is the first villain in this series who is the main antagonist of the story, and he captivates rather than dominates. He speaks in riddles and makes his enemies doubt themselves. Blurring the line between game and… Read More »Motivated Villains: Jareth
Like Dolores, Azula from Avatar: The Last Airbender isn’t the main villain of her story, but is the villain people remember. From her first appearance, she’s calm, composed, and knows exactly how to use the power she holds as a… Read More »Motivated Villains: Azula
In Harry Potter: The Order of the Phoenix, we meet a villain arguably worse than Voldemort himself. Her name is Dolores Umbridge. What is it that makes her a more effective villain than Voldemort? It’s simple. Dolores is what happens… Read More »Motivated Villains: Dolores Umbridge
The villains that stay with us aren’t driven by evil for evil’s sake. They want something that makes sense to us. Some want security. Others want success. Some want truth. Others want to be seen and valued. These aren’t just… Read More »Motivated Villains
I recently listened to a new podcast by Noah J. Matthews. In this episode, he and his guest Brad Pauquette discussed some of the subtle differences between audiences of men and women, and what appeals to them. You can listen… Read More »Battleship and the Driver
Writers often struggle to create conflict that feels natural. Characters argue, shut down, or blow up. But if there’s no clear reason behind it, the conflict starts to feel empty or forced. That’s where the Human NEXUS motivators come in.… Read More »Conflict Strategies That Stick