Are you familiar with certain genres or fictional films in which the story seems to be focused on the Villain rather than the Hero? Well, that kind of fiction based aesthetic can be typically classified as a Villainpunk. The play’s setting may involve stories concerning anti-heroes, rogues, henchmen, cads, and other characters that present one as the ‘bad guy’.
In some cases, the storyline shows that the protagonist’s intentions or situations are misunderstood, which makes things seem like they have chosen the wrong path or idea. A Villainpunk also includes villains or supervillains in which their stories revolve around a villainous script that narrates all their terrible glory.
The storytelling of this genre encompasses realms that are filled with evil plots, secret lairs, world domination, body augmentation, and all other flagrantly immoral desires. A villainpunk story may not necessarily focus on one character – the script can talk about a group of supervillains’ machinations as well.
Some Examples of Villainpunk stories include:
– A mad scientist who creates an army of robots to destroy an entire city that she no longer feels comfortable in.
– One annihilating a village as vengeance for a lost family.
– A dictator who invades and annexes Paris as a romantic gesture to his lover.
What Makes a Great Villainpunk Story?
The first step is to make your supervillain (or group of villains) relatable to humans. Just like the typical protagonist, the villain would have dreams, past hurts that influenced his philosophy, and goal that, in his mind, is ideal. You just have to ensure that your villainous character has thoughts and opinions that an audience can identify with.
Of course, a Villainpunk story will not appear realistic if the character always had things go his way. There should be ups and downs, obstacles and successes, and other events that demonstrate the essence of his supposedly worthy goals.
The more accurately and expressive you are able to present the villain’s perspective, the better you capture the attention of your audience. Introduce your character with an origin story that evokes emotion in your readers. Allowing readers to see through the eyes of the protagonist of a Villainpunk makes things more reasonable regarding how and why they decided to believe in their thoughts and actions.
It is also recommendable that the Villainpunk isn’t cliché as there are so many stories in the genre that talk about pretty much the same thing. You should try to avoid certain stereotypes such as:
• The supervillain bent on taking over or annihilating a planet.
• The villain wears a dark cloak and has an underground lair.
• The villain with an affected childhood and grew up with unethical desires.
• The supervillain whose heart is stolen by the damsel in distress.
Trust me, any modern producer or publisher would most likely turn down these kinds of story pitches.
Conclusion
A Villainpunk is supposed to be a fictional-based story that turns the usual antagonist of an event into the protagonist while revealing and validating the villain’s point-of-view. However, the more human and convincing a Villainpunk is, the more exciting it is for an audience to relate.
