When we think of the villains in our TTRPG stories, we think of brooding, horrid masters of the unthinkable willing to do anything for a singular, selfish goal. These are the characters we’re supposed to love-to-hate, but we’ve all read, watched, or even written villains who have fallen well below the mark. Why? For all the nefarious plots, obnoxious accents, and abominable henchmen, there are a few key reasons why villains can’t rise to the occasion. In this post, we’ll explore how to fix those issues and help make your antagonists the memorable scum you always dreamed they could be.

Introduce the Villain Early

I feel like it’s a writing reflex to hold onto the identity of the villain right until the climax of the story. This is doubly true for TTRPGs, where terrible luck and careful planning by the PCs can kill your antagonist before the big twist. I tell you, however, to abandon this fear. If you’ve read my post on the use of static knowledge in improv, you’ll remember one of the crucial things about being a Game Master is focusing on how the antagonistic forces are constantly adapting to the actions of the PCs. Even if your original villain is slain ahead of schedule, someone or something will inevitably fill the power gap; perhaps this new threat has powers or abilities you had not originally considered that will prove even more diabolical.

So again, I beseech you: put your villains in the spotlight early and often. Whether it’s a Lich or the leader of a dangerous radical group, let your heroes know exactly what they’re up against for the foreseeable future. Then, even if tangentially, keep your villain part of every major story element. If it’s not him/her directly, perhaps it’s a henchman who send the villain’s regards or an innocent cursed/tortured by the villain into becoming the problem the PCs now face. No matter what narrative tools you use, the worst death your villain can face is one by irrelevancy. As a GM, nothing knocks the wind out of your sails than having your Players say, “Wait, who was that again?”

For a famous movie example, look to Darth Vader in the original Star Wars films. A New Hope starts with Vader’s ship attacking the Rebels, and Vader himself kills a man within the first 15 minutes. From there, Vader is always one step behind Luke and his friends; a constant reminder of what will happen if they fail at any point along the journey. If he only showed up for the big fight at the end of Return of the Jedi, the revelation at the end of Empire Strikes Back would have no weight for the audience or Luke.

While we’re on this topic…

Make It Personal to the PCs

Although you certainly don’t have to go the “I am your father” route, your PCs should have a personal investment in taking down the antagonist. Though some characters may wish to simply bring peace to the land, selflessness only goes so far when you’re being digested by a Gelatinous Cube. And before you say, “connecting one person to four-or-more strangers is outrageous,” remember you’re not dealing with only one person. Usually, you’ll be dealing with a band of misfits, a murderous cult, or perhaps an entire kingdom set against you. If it wasn’t the villain who killed the PC’s family, surely one of his men did. Perhaps it was a second-in-command who orphaned your party’s healer, and now the healer is willing to suffer any hardship for a chance to put a blade in that Lieutenant’s chest.

As a bonus, adding the personal investment makes every encounter with the villain far more intense; the group always itching for a chance to avenge themselves or the ones they lost by the villain’s actions. Now imagine that kind of energy coming up not only in the first session, but in many of the sessions which follow.

For an added twist, make the villain’s plot personal to the protagonists as well. With the rise of superhero movies in recent years, the whole “destroying the planet” bit has become passé. Now, people want schemes that hit closer to home; stopping the villain from blowing up a dam that will destroy a PC’s home village, preventing the spread of an illness which only targets a specific race, or even slaying a horrific monster for an ingredient needed to save a PC’s lover. All of these plans would seem inconsequential in the latest Avengers movie, but for your players it can be the crux of a story they’ll remember for the rest of their lives.

Final Thoughts

While there are many tricks you can use to make your villains memorable, the two I’ve covered today are guaranteed to keep them the subject of conversation both on and off the table. Introducing the villain early in the story, rather than hiding them away for that “perfect moment,” simultaneously shows your players who they’re dealing with and why they’re such a monumental threat. Once revealed, you’ll have an easier time using your villain for smaller, more frequent moments. What was originally a crawl through the sewers to dispatch some giant rats becomes a fevered attempt to stop your villain before they enact the latest step in their grand plan. And, if your original antagonist dies earlier than expect, remember: 1) No one can accomplish much on their own, and 2) no one is every truly gone. While the villain was formidable when they were human, he/she will be twice as fierce as a vile vampire in control of a nest or a mindless wraith in the thrall of an eager necromancer.

Above all else, ensure your players give a damn about the villain. While it’s tempting to make your antagonist a faceless, all-powerful entity for the sheer shock value, doing so robs your players of any personal motive. After all, it wasn’t until the line “I am your father” that Luke was truly driven to stop and convert Vader by any means necessary.

What tricks do you use to make your villains memorable? If you’ve used the tips above, how did they work in your stories? Feel free to write your answers in the comments below!

Blessed be Adventurers,

Matthew Wulf

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