Evil Wizard

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DwayneA

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Most heroes of fantasy novels suffer from inadequacy, thus are driven by the need to prove themselves as individuals and earn the respect and recognition they deserve. But what about villains? Don't some become who they are because of this feeling of inadequacy?

I came up with a backstory for a major villain of my future fantasy novel who also suffered from inferiority complex. Yet he responded to it in a completely different way, becoming a villain rather than a hero.

When I first created him, he was just another stereotypical evil wizard. But that was before I decided to make him part of the story itself and able to come up with a backstory to explain why he is the way he is. Although he's not the story's main antagonist who opposes the protagonists, he is ultimately revealed to be the one for whom the story's main antagonist is nothing more than a mere pawn for.

This is what I got so far:

Zorro Tehgah was the youngest child of a well-respected family. Growing up, Zorro wanted to be successful and well respected like his parents and siblings, but found himself ridiculed by his siblings and many other people for his inability to measure up to them. While most other parents encourage their children to be the best they can be, Zorro's were an exception. It was always, "Why can't he be more like his brother and sister?", or "Zorro's not living up to his potential." By the time he had grown from a young lad into a young man, nothing had changed. None of his dreams of success had been fulfilled. His former schoolmates had found their own success in life as well as his brother and sister. Soon, his family saw him as an embarrassment and disowned him.

Bitter and enraged by the feelings of powerlessness and helplessness welling up inside him, Zorro changed his plans in life. He no longer wanted to impress the world, but rather he wanted to punish everyone for their insolence. While others in his situation would only be further motivated to prove themselves to the world, Zorro chose the path of revenge. His pride wounded by experiences of mockery against his worth as an individual, Zorro vowed revenge against the world, believing that fate had conspired against him. He became obsessed with proving himself above all others.

Zorro left his homeland in pursuit of his own destiny. Taken under the wing of a powerful magician who saw potential in the boy, Zorro began to learn everything his mentor taught him. But while those few who knew magic used it for the good of all, Zorro saw magic as the power he sought, the key to his revenge.

One day, when his mentor discovered spells of terrifying and lethal power, he tried to destroy them, only to be attacked and left for dead by his pupil. Zorro learned the forbidden magic then destroyed the scrolls by swallowing them so that they would not be used against him. Finally possessing the power he sought and no longer the meek boy he once was, Zorro Tehgah simplified his name to Zortega, no longer wishing to identify with his past.

Returning to his homeland, Zortega used his newfound power to seize control of the land and terrorize the population, even using magic to build himself a castle out of the tallest mountain in the land. Many warriors, knights, and heroes tried to lay him low, only the last succeeded. The others had all been cursed as the wizard's undead servants and guardians. Zortega did this to symbolize his greater power above all others.

Before dying, Zortega proclaimed that one of his descendents would take his place, continue what he started, avenge him, and find a way to restore him to life. Even though his body was dead, his soul refused to go to its eternal rest and his ghost haunted the palace, waiting for the one to fulfill his prophecy.

Ultimately, in the story's final climax, he is restored to life. By now, the story's antagonist has finally realized the truth that he has been used all along and joins forces with the heroes in the final battle against his ancestor.
 

slcboston

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This is perhaps totally irrelevant to your post... but I can't associated "Zorro" with anything other than a guy with a pencil-thin mustache dressed in black... or the occasional fruity colors .... with a serious Spanish accent. :D
 

Gynn

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Just once I'd like to see an evil farmboy.
 

Darzian

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I like the ending- antagonist joining with protagonist against an antagonist. Nice twist there. I'd love it even more if you made it totally unpredictable.


I agree about the 'Zorro' thingy. :D sltboston
 

eLfwriter

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Just once I'd like to see an evil farmboy.

TRUE! I can't think of any evil farmboys. ... but I can think of a few evil farmgirls. I wonder if it's a sort of rule that if you live on the farm, you have to be of innocent, saintly disposition.

The 'Zorro' name gave me pause, as well. Perhaps you can spell it differently? Zarro? Xorro? Zoroh? I don't know :Huh: but it might distract from the picture of Antonio in tight pants ... though that isn't necessarily a bad picture, I'll admit :)

Other than that, I really like the idea of fighting your own ancestor. It's kind of a backwards bit of revenge and righteousness with a twist of guilt overtop. Nice recipe for some internal conflict as well as some kick-butt action. I give you personal snaps of aproval!




.... wait, he left the mentor wizard 'for dead'? Does the good wizard get to come back? Now I want to know the rest of the story ... ...
 

DwayneA

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Yes, the antagonist joins forces with the protagonists against his ancestor.

Apparently, when he was a child, Lotarlya wanted to be a hero like his idol. But when he learned that his idol slew his ancestor and started a campaign to wipe out his descendents to prevent his prophecy from coming true (which the antagonist doesn't know), he vows revenge against the kingdom and the rest of the world. He begins his mission after inheriting Zortega's powers. He kills all his friends and even his lover when they refuse to support him, but not before his lover bears his daughter who is one of the story's protagonists and he gives her Zortega's powers as well so that should the world rise up against her, she will be able to defend herself. In the end, he learns the truth about his evil ancestor, and realizes his former idol truly was a hero, he joins forces with his daughter and her comrades to fight his ancestor, out of guilt, righteousness, and to finally fulfill his dream of heroism. After the battle, he resurrects his dead friends and lover.

And yes the good wizard does come back, just not in human form. He comes back as a dragon.
 
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dclary

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I have a fantasy spoof where the villain is "Lord Stan," whose primary cause of inadequacy stems from the fact he was supposed to be named Satan, but there was a mixup on his birth certificate.


Having an antagonist join up with a protagonist to defeat another antagonist isn't *that* rare, but in most cases, the antagonist's motives are entirely his own, and he's usually trying to play both sides against the other.
 

dclary

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Also, I agree with the other posters. Once someone's grabbed a name, and made it as ubiquitously theirs as possible, it's a very difficult task to use that name for anything else.
 

eLfwriter

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yay, the good wizard isn't dead! I know the good wizard rarely actually dies but it always makes me happy when he comes back. It kind of spits in the eye of evil just a little bit. (Sue me, I like some of the cliches)

Sound's like an awesome plot line. Have fun writing it up, and good luck!!
 

Cybernaught

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I absolutely hate stories, especially fantasy, where the hero and villain are clearly defined as "Good" and "Evil." This just isn't always true. There is good and bad in everyone. I like how you're thinking outside the box and basing his motivations on the need to prove himself. He just made some bad choices along they way. Don't most people?
 

Jennasis

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Not to be nitpicky...and I'm still learning the ropes 'round here, but this villain and his back story sound an awful lot like Voldemort's in the Harry Potter books. Right down to the changing his name thing (Voldemort's name was Tom Marvolo Riddle, and he changed around the letters to form 'I Am Lord Voldemort', if memory serves.) Just something to chew on.
 

Cybernaught

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Not to be nitpicky...and I'm still learning the ropes 'round here, but this villain and his back story sound an awful lot like Voldemort's in the Harry Potter books. Right down to the changing his name thing (Voldemort's name was Tom Marvolo Riddle, and he changed around the letters to form 'I Am Lord Voldemort', if memory serves.) Just something to chew on.

And Voldemort sounded a lot like other fantasy villains who preceded him. J.K. Rolling wasn't exactly the most original author either.
 

Jennasis

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True...but the books are still pretty recent (and popular). One might just want to tweak the backstory a bit to make it a bit more unique.
 

Cybernaught

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True...but the books are still pretty recent (and popular). One might just want to tweak the backstory a bit to make it a bit more unique.

So books that aren't as popular are subject to imitation is what you are saying?

I'm not trying to be contentious, but I just hate how anything related to fantasy these days is categorized as Harry Potter then everything else. Rowling borrowed familiar conventions that were already well-established in fantasy. This is not groundbreaking material we are talking about here.
 
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Nivarion

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hmm yes... i agree don't have you antagonist defined as being evil, or really doing evil for evil's sake. have him wanting to make plans that the protag. disrupts. then you can have him hate him or some such......................... ah you know what, ignore this i shouldn't tell you what to write, i want a story writen a certain way, then its my job to make it.

still, will he take another name than zorro? it does make me thing of a mexican swordfighter...
 

Gynn

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Not to be nitpicky...and I'm still learning the ropes 'round here, but this villain and his back story sound an awful lot like Voldemort's in the Harry Potter books. Right down to the changing his name thing (Voldemort's name was Tom Marvolo Riddle, and he changed around the letters to form 'I Am Lord Voldemort', if memory serves.) Just something to chew on.

Voldemort was so boring and one-dimensional that, after seven books, I can't remember a thing about his life story.

I don't mind when people re-use archetypes; it's how well they use them that matters! =)
 

dclary

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So books that aren't as popular are subject to imitation is what you are saying?

I'm not trying to be contentious, but I just hate how anything related to fantasy these days is categorized as Harry Potter then everything else. Rowling borrowed familiar conventions that were already well-established in fantasy. This is not groundbreaking material we are talking about here.

Nevertheless. You have to accept that Rowling's outsold the Bible. As such, if the day you ever become fortunate enough to have your work professionally read, you're going to get compared to her. It would behoove you not to look like you're merely imitating her.
 
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