Transcript:

It’s Halloween — that magical time of year when villains, monsters, and mischief-makers get to take center stage.

And honestly? They deserve it because a story is only as good as the force standing in its hero’s way.

Without Darth Vader, there’s no Luke Skywalker. Without Maleficent, there’s no Sleeping Beauty. Without Regina George, there’s just… a bunch of pink on Wednesdays.

Memorable stories need memorable opposition. So today, we’re summoning the dark side — not to scare you, but to help you write antagonists who matter. We’re talking about villains, foils, and frenemies — and how to make your story’s conflict entertainingly haunting.

Hi, I’m C. Sloan Lewis, your virtual writing coach, and my goal is to help you not just improve your writing, but to support you as a writer. Welcome to my channel!

Let’s start by pulling back the curtain on the three main types of opposition you can use:

The Villains:

These are your classic bad guys — the ones who want something harmful, destructive, or cruel.

Think Voldemort, Cersei Lannister, Thanos, or The Joker. They’re actively malicious, and they often believe they’re the hero of their own story.

It’s important to remember — villains have logic. No one wakes up thinking, “I’m evil today.” They have a goal, and in their mind, it’s justified.

The Foils:

Now, foils are a little more subtle — they’re not necessarily the enemy.

They exist to contrast your hero, highlighting who the protagonist really is through differences.

Think of Draco Malfoy to Harry Potter, or even Gale to Peeta, the choices in Katniss’ love triangle*.* Both reveal something about the hero’s choices and morality.

Foils often share the same goal as your main character, but they take a completely different path to get there. This is why, instead of needing to defeat Draco as a villain, we see him turn away from Voldemort at the same time Harry stands up to fight him. Draco is definitely a bully, but he goes through a similar, albeit much darker, arc as Harry does.

The Frenemies:

And then we have the entertainingly complex ones — the frenemies.

These are the morally grey characters who blur the line between ally and adversary. They might help the hero in one scene and betray them in the next. They create tension because we don’t know what they’ll do next.

Think Loki, Catwoman, or Kaz Brekker’s entire crew in Six of Crows.

Frenemies make for the best Halloween storytelling because they remind us: sometimes the real monsters aren’t supernatural — they’re human, people we might trust*.*

Crafting Motivation

Now let’s talk about what fuels your antagonist: motivation.

A villain without motivation is just spooky window dressing. “Evil for evil’s sake” might work in a fairytale or slasher film, but modern readers want depth. Your antagonist needs a reason for what they do — something logical or even relatable.

Maybe your villain wants control because they once lost everything. Maybe your foil believes the same goal can only be achieved through cruelty. Maybe your frenemy betrays the hero because they’re trying to survive or feel like they’ve been betrayed in some way.

When your antagonist’s motivation mirrors your hero’s — even just slightly — it adds a chill of recognition. Because the best villains are the ones who make us think, “Oh no… if I was in their shoes, I might’ve done that, too.”

This is why, despite not being a super huge Marvel fan, I found Thanos really compelling. He actually thinks he’s doing a good thing by causing half of all people to disintegrate. In fact, he sacrifices what he loves most, Gamora, to do it.

Is he still a villain who does unspeakable horror? Yes, absolutely. Thor, you cut off his head. But we not only fully understand his motivations but also witness the pain he endures to, in his mind, save the universe, which is incredibly compelling. It leaves us asking, if we knew what Thanos knows, would we have done the same?

Layers and Complexity

It’s important to understand that even your most terrifying characters need layers, just like ogres.

Give them:

• Strengths that make them dangerous.
• Weaknesses that make them human, or human-like.
• Secrets that make them fascinating.

And remember — personal stakes are often scarier than global ones.

A villain destroying the world? That’s horrible. But a villain destroying your sense of self, your relationships, your peace? That’s haunting.

Think of Wanda Maximoff in WandaVision. Even though she used to be a hero, her grief drives her to hurt others, enslaving them in a world of generational television. Or Vecna in Stranger Things, whose monstrousness grew from isolation and rejection throughout his childhood, mirroring a possible future for Eleven.

Monsters become memorable when they remind us of something real.

Hero–Antagonist Interaction

Now let’s talk about the relationship between your hero and their opposite.

A strong antagonist doesn’t just challenge your protagonist’s actions — they challenge their beliefs. They ask the question your hero has been avoiding. They force the hero to decide who they truly are.

In Black Panther, Killmonger isn’t just an enemy — he’s a reflection of T’Challa’s doubts about power, justice, and legacy. In Encanto, the real “antagonist” isn’t a person — it’s Abuela’s fear and control, born from trauma.

The hero and the antagonist are two sides of the same coin. One cannot grow without the other. That’s the magic — or the curse — of a well-crafted villain.

Quick Exercise / Takeaway

So, let’s cast a little writing spell, shall we?

Write one short paragraph describing your antagonist’s motivation and their flaw.

Ask yourself:

• What do they want most?
• Why do they believe they’re right?
• What personal weakness will lead to their downfall?

Here’s an example:

“Maggie wants to resurrect her sister, believing love can conquer death. But her flaw — her inability to accept loss — turns her magic into something monstrous.”

That’s the kind of antagonist who lingers long after the last page — the kind that haunts readers, not with evil, but with truth.

So this Halloween, when you’re thinking about ghosts, monsters, and things that go bump in the night — remember: The scariest stories aren’t about darkness overtaking light. They’re about light and darkness fighting inside the same soul.

I’m C. Sloan Lewis, your virtual writing coach — wishing you a spooky, story-filled Halloween.

You got some writing to do, so go give your villains something worth haunting for. And I’ll see you in the next video. Ta-ta!