Equilateral Villainy

Villains: the necessary evil of action-adventure fiction. The bosses monologue. The elite thugs give heroes a hard fight. The anonymous cannon-fodder proves an endless supply of victims. Yes, the archetypes are cliche but only because they are traditional. Everyone enjoys hearing a charismatic villain give a flamboyant speech. Everyone is thrilled by an exciting fight. Everyone is amused watching a lackey suffer a humiliating, violent, unceremonious misfortune. Each of the three classic types of villain has its own appeal. When one or two are missing the story is somehow lacking. Like reality's triangle, fiction's villainy is strongest when all sides of it are together and interconnected.

Bosses set the agenda for the underlying plot to unfold. Elites provide clear and present danger. Of what use is the useless cannon-fodder? Sadly, these weakest of villains are the most likely to be neglected. Understandably, they are often dismissed as a mockery of villainy, as if normalcy and mediocrity were incapable of evil. In reality, however, most wickedness is anonymous and lackluster. Yes, most people are not personally sinister... but even many of these can commit atrocity if lost in a crowd commanded by a nefarious agenda. Omitting the cannon-fodder  from an action-adventure narrative divorces the story from reality. Yes, people may still enjoy the adventure but only on the surface of their fickle attention. Ultimately, the least is indeed the greatest and the greatest least. Ultimately "useless and mediocre" define the very lack that is evil itself.

In reality, the lackluster masses provide evil with its foot soldiers. In fiction, these people are portrayed as useless cannon-fodder. That said, it is the bosses, both in life and fantasy, that give direction to the aimless masses. It is the elite thugs who provide a keen edge to what would otherwise be a bludgeon. As a writer of action-adventure fiction I am mindful that my villains are at their best when part of a triangle. Making it happen is the hard part but the part that makes all the difference.