How to Create a Likable Antagonist

There are several routes for this, the first and possibly most simple being to have a protagonist that isn't likable (see earlier blog post).


The second is to have one that's freaking hilarious and amazing.  Take Damon in the first Vampire Diaries book (ha-ha, loser!  Yes, I read the book series WAAAAYYYY before ANYONE ever knew it would be a TV show, so more power to me!).  He was all like, "Yo, Elena!  Wassup, homie G?!" and he was all funny and awesome and stuff.  That's how you have to be.  If they're not funny, then they need to be dark and mysterious.


Another thing that sort of goes along with that is that you should be able to laugh AT the villain. In Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Six, for example, the Trio totally FAILED, but they were epicly beast.  Know why?  They were such nerds that it was impossible not to love them (WARREN!  JONATHAN!  ANDREW!  Yayyy...!).


One other fun thing to do is to make a totally separate character that's all mysterious and such, like Foss on Kyle XY.  For the first season, whenever he came on, everyone was all like, "wtf?  What's up with that loser?"  No one knew WHAT was going on with him, and it created intrigue around the villains - "Who are these people and what do they have to do with the nice security company man?"


Yay.  Have fun with your antagonist.

How to Create a Hate-Able Protagonist

For this post, I will use Bella Swan from the Twilight series, just because I think she's about the dumbest MC ever in the world.  So, besides that...


Personally, I think the simplest way to do this, without having to make character traits for them that really do suck, is to surround your protagonist with freaking awesome people.  For example, Bella had Mike Newton.  Now, most people don't think much of him, but I think he's the best.  Even when Bella wouldn't go out with him and instead appeared to be dating someone two years younger than her, Mike was never mean.  He was never hateful.  He was Bella's friend, and he never, ever gave up on her, which I think was great.  And then, of course, there's Emmett.  *sigh*


Now, to go the other route, there are several traits you could use that will people hate them like THAT.  *snaps fingers*

1. Whiny-ness
2. Haughtiness (Hermione [the difference is that she had a ton of redeeming qualities - but before that, in the first book, didn't you totally HATE her?])
3. Stupidity/Ignorance
4. "Holier-than-Though"-ishness
5. Overly-Niceness (Percy Jackson.  Those books were terrible, anyway, though, so it probably wouldn't even matter)
6. Overall Annoying (Willow from Buffy the Vampire Slayer [that's right.  I'm the one Buffy fan that doesn't like her.  Know who else I like?  DAWN.  She's the greatest.  So there])

Follow either of these routes and everyone's sure to hate your protag!  :D