On Villains

Some thoughts on Blight, and how I approach villains in my stories

Forgive me for speaking plainly about this, but I thought I’d share some insight into Blight, his design and what his character represents. Initially I wanted the looming presence of villainy to be ominous, almost a direct representation of failed harvests, winter, depression, and hopelessness, but as the character grew he also embodied everything I hate about myself. I have a tendency to be very mean to myself, within my thoughts. Whenever getting negative feedback I’d tell myself ‘whatever mean thing you say, I’ve said worse to myself’, but those comments would still haunt me, adding on to the weight we all carry around. We don’t need to be told we’re stupid for doing something, our brains do that already. We need to be congratulated for trying, because the trying never feels enough. Yet when receiving a compliment, I would tell myself ‘they’re just being kind because they feel sorry for me.’ Or something similar.

Even Blights’ design grew from this. Shifting and changing, sometimes shapeless, sometimes hauntingly formed. In the same way that depression, grief and fears can morph and change. Things can feel so much more terrifying when you’re not even sure what they are.

Blight craves more power, more control, and as he does, his shape changes, again and again.

I’ve always hated my body, I’m tall, bony, kinda funny looking, my ribs have always been visible, I’ve never been able to put weight on, my elbows jut out and my knees are knobbly. When I was 19 I grew my hair and beard to hide my face. It worked, it felt like a shield or a mask. The comments I’d get from friends, strangers, even teachers, about me being tall and skinny. A single comment would plummet me into a pit of despair. I’d agonize over how much of freak I am for being this tall (I’m 6’5” - not a totally uncommon height), and how awful and horrible and ugly I am. You get numb to it, eventually, but still carry that self hating baseline around with you everywhere you go.

Since having a child I think less about my body, as I came to realize just how small my place is in this world. I am a tiny voice calling out from a wall of noise, and anyone who may hear me is a miracle of connection.

I don’t share this out of a search for sympathy, it’s more that I think these trains of thought are fairly common, and by sharing our weaknesses and fears we’re able to keep growing these human connections and understanding ourselves and each other.

There’s more information about Blight which will be revealed in Haru: Book 3, which I don’t want to spoil for anyone, but I believe a good villain must have depth. Greed corrupts but it is often a result of trauma. We can often walk the same path as others and one single moment or choice can cause our very being to divert down totally different paths.

One final note, I’ve also been working on (or thinking about) another adventure comic, where the villain’s concept is inspired by troubling familial relationships. So the goal is to find a way to poetically translate these troubles and create something that is still relatable and unnerving, either in design or in characterisation (or hopefully both).

Anyway, these were some thoughts I had.
I hope you’re all well and enjoying spring so far!