The cunning way to develop your villain
A villain is an antagonist who maliciously works against the protagonist, such as Lord Voldemort from Harry Potter or Sauron from Lord of the Rings. Villains are typically selfish, arrogant, and cunning.
But the best villains aren’t just evil for no reason. They have a backstory, their own flawed justifications, and sometimes even relatable characteristics. Reedsy Studio’s villain template guides you through everything you need to craft a believable, multidimensional villain.
Create a villain readers love to hate
The key to writing a good villain is to get inside their head and see things from their perspective. Reedsy Studio’s villain template uses the tried and true Proust questionnaire to ensure you know your villain inside out. Questions include:
Desire & ambition
- What is their idea of perfect happiness?
- What is their dream job?
- Which talent would they most like to have?
Fear & vulnerability
- What is their greatest fear?
- What is their greatest regret?
- What do they regard as the lowest depth of misery?
Love & loyalty
- Who or what is the greatest love of their life?
- What is the quality they like in a person the most?
- What is their most treasured possession?
Morality & justification
- What do they consider the most overrated virtue?
- On what occasions do they lie?
- What is their motto?
Power & opposition
- Who are their heroes in fiction and real life?
- What is the trait they deplore in others the most?
- Which living person do they despise the most?
Identity & inner conflict
- What is their current state of mind at the start — and at the end?
- Which words or phrases do they most overuse?
- If they could change one thing about themselves, what would it be?
Legacy & meaning
- How would they like to die?
- If they were to die and come back as a person or thing, what would they like to return as?
- What do they consider their greatest achievement?
Use the Villain Template in combination with our ultimate Character Template to access 100+ additional questions on your villain’s looks, mannerisms, early life, and more.
Connect all the elements of your villain’s scheme
Stereotypical villains love a good cork board, and Reedsy Studio provides one. You can connect your villain template directly to other planning templates to help you visualize every connection.
Link your villain to other character templates to show their allies and enemies, then start mapping out their evil plan across scenes and story beats.
Your villain, at your beck and call
As the true mastermind behind your villain’s schemes, you’ve earned the right to access them whenever and wherever you like. Reedsy Studio’s templates are always current, always accessible, and always backed up — and you can log in on any device.
A villain template trusted by hundreds of thousands of authors
Hundreds of thousands of authors have already crafted their villains in Reedsy Studio.
The Villain Template includes:
- The Villain’s Proust questionnaire
- A flexible structure you can adapt to any genre or story type
Beyond the template, Studio provides:
- A full universe of planning templates—worldbuilding, story structure, scene planning, timelines, and more
- Seamless integration between all templates and your manuscript
- A full-featured manuscript editor for drafting and revision
- Automatic saving and cross-device syncing
- Export options in multiple formats
- Collaboration tools for writing partners
- A distraction-free writing environment
