Why are villians such idiots?

[cerulean_sky]

I don't understand why bad guys in anime/movies/books are idiots. I mean, haven't they ever seen a movie? Read a book? Clearly not.

I think I need to write a book where the bad guys win. Because they weren't idiots.

Comments

[darsabre.livejournal.com]

in the villain's first strategy meeting, you could have someone hand them the evil overlord's handbook!

[cerulean-sky.livejournal.com]

Well, of course. That would practically be the textbook of that class.

[elfypiratequeen.livejournal.com]

I have often wondered that myself. Why do they train their minion-guard-types to be completely incapable of hitting a target? Why do they all make the same mistakes and fall for the same tricks again and again and again? Why do they explain their evil plans to people? Why do they leave one little thing the hero oh couldn't possibly use against them?

I did read a book called How to be Evil which explained how to overcome the chronic villain stupidity. It was quite funny.

[rajenath.livejournal.com]

http://www.eviloverlord.com/lists/overlord.html

The villains sadden me, but that list makes up all the happy.

[cerulean-sky.livejournal.com]

Of course, of course.

[snack-kun.livejournal.com]

I'd read it :)

[cerulean-sky.livejournal.com]

Yay!!

[snack-kun.livejournal.com]

Of course! I am most fascinated by characters which bypass trends and ignore stereotypes in fascinating ways. Put them in a world filled with poetic imagery and I'm sold! :)

[cerulean-sky.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that sounds like something I would write. :D

[snack-kun.livejournal.com]

I'd love to see any works of yours sometime :)

[cerulean-sky.livejournal.com]

*points you towards kirwan* It's a journal where my friend and I post short stories once a month. I have four stories there currently, and they're the only things that I'm happy with, even if I have since edited them and made them better. (I just cannot find the better versions, damn USB thief.)

But yeah. Go take a look. :D

[snack-kun.livejournal.com]

Coolness! I will...thanks! :D

[cheshibisky.livejournal.com]

Yay! I like doing that.

[marang.livejournal.com]

Melisande Shahrizai is a pretty smart villain.

[cerulean-sky.livejournal.com]

I'm convinced that's only because the author needs her for future books and therefor can't kill her off yet. Because really, she does a lot of the things that I count as stupid. But whatever. I'm in love with her son and can't wait for the fourth book. :D

[marang.livejournal.com]

Yeah, actually, I think you're right. "Hey, Phedre! Look at my trail! Can you guess what I'm up to, canyacanya? Wanna stop me at the last minute? I'll give you just enough to thwart my plans, and assume that you won't."

I'm about a third of the way through the third one right now... mmm.

[ravenpirate.livejournal.com]

So off-topic, but OMG.

Can you go here: http://www.freewebs.com/skow/ and then in the drop down menu pick "Vote". It's under "Most Fantasy/SciFi" and it's "Cat's Eye" by The Crystal Maiden. PLEASE? IT'S MY FRIEND'S WONDERFUL STORY.

[cerulean-sky.livejournal.com]

Done!

[ravenpirate.livejournal.com]

THANK YOU, MY LOVE.

[lskull86.livejournal.com]

If you want some badass bad guys, read some K. Dick. Of course, if you want ambiguity over who is good or bad read Jack L. Chalker or Stephen R. Donaldson (particulary the Thomas Covenant series). If you just want an intelligent enemy, read some of Roger Zelazny's non-Amber stuff(LoL, Jack of Shadows, etc). Any of those four should provide non-frustrating baddies :-P.

Eric Flint is pretty good at writing competant villians too.

As for the screen, the baddies in Babylon 5 werent all that stupid at all. Same holds true of the new Battlestar Galactica and definately held true of Farscape. (sorry about all the scifi shows :-P)

Of course, in most lit/movies/whatev the key is that the villian has a crucial flaw, that's why they lose. Most people don't go to see a movie where the villian wins, too depressing...

If you write a nice dark story where the villian wins, I'll read it :-).