What is it that makes a character a villain?
 

Virtually all villains were victimized at one point. However, instead of being able to rise above it, some people become what victimized them, and the hate spreads like a sickness.

A villain has a negative impact on everyone around them. Because something bad happened to them, and because they cannot forgive and forget, they desire to make the whole world pay because if they are unhappy, then everyone has to be.

Heroes and villains are usually faces of rebellion. The hero is the light face of it, and the villain is the dark face of it, but truly, the real villain is usually the system itself that the hero and villain oppose.

Re: What is it that makes a character a villain?
 

I wouldn't say the villain is "usually" the system. Even nuanced, realistic villains who have trauma in their past are still doing genuine evil. The fact that this is sort of understandable, or provides a rationale for their misdeeds, doesn't mean they aren't, in fact, being villainous.

Well Heroes are kind of the same way. For example: Spider-Man
It was when his Uncle was shot and murdered that he decided he was going to make sure he stopped bad-guys before they can get away with evil doings. But in essense, Peter Parker was not able to rise above the murder of Uncle Ben. He doesn't become what victimized him because he usually just captured the bad guys instead of killing them. But my point is that the one's who become Heroes were also unable to "rise above it" like you said.

Re: What is it that makes a character a villain?
 

There are different kind of villians in movies and not all fit the description in first post.

That's a great point. One of the things that makes the hero heroic is that they respond to the trauma correctly, by righting a wrong rather than indulging their anger. In fact, many, many such stories feature the hero grappling with their anger and temporarily confusing revenge for justice, and the story almost always concludes when they've learned to tell the difference and fight back for the right reasons.

I guess what really makes a villain what they are is greed, perhaps? Because plenty of heroes use violence to make a difference as well, but a villain sometimes goes too far with violence, and also may use various methods to really hurt someone they dislike. And a villain may also even hurt someone who is innocent of doing anything to them, but only hurts them because the victim has something they need.

It seems a hero desires to make the world a better place, even if it means using violence, whereas a villain just desires to punish, and make everything about them and their needs. A villain seems to usually think that way because of the fact that they were victimized, they feel they are entitled.

Re: What is it that makes a character a villain?
 

Not all heroes fit that description either. Sometimes heroes are rebels rather than status quo protectors. Neither the hero or villain in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest fit these descriptions.

Re: What is it that makes a character a villain?
 

Doesn't he? They're being mistreated, so he fights it. Rebellion can be heroic if the status quo is unjust. He's not morally pure, but in the conflict at the film's center, he is indeed trying to make the world a "better place."

There are, of course, protagonists who are not this way, but who we root for anyway. But we generally call them "anti-heroes."

In other words, when a hero falls outside of these kinds of descriptions, we tend not to call them heroes any more. At that point they're just the protagonist.

I think another thing about villains is - Plenty have a fear of being victims again, so they do all they can to make sure that never happens. I think they are also people who have trouble accepting that they were victims, nor do they desire to be seen as weak by others, so in order to change that way of thinking, they mistreat others so they can feel more in control, and so that everyone fears them.

Re: What is it that makes a character a villain?
 

He doesn't control his anger and Nurse Ratched doen't fit the description of a villain. She thinks she is a good person doing the right thing. There may not have been any trauma in her life to make her the way she is.

Re: What is it that makes a character a villain?
 

I don't think the things you mention (not controlling your anger, thinking you're doing the right thing) really change the question at all, or exclude either. I also don't think the fact that there may not have been trauma in her life tells us anything at all.

But regardless, at most all this means is that the film doesn't necessarily have a "hero" and a "villain." You seem to be conflating those words with "protagonist" and "antagonist," but they're not the same thing.

Re: What is it that makes a character a villain?
 

She is the villain in the movie and he is the hero, just not the kind you would would in an action movie.

Here is another example. The Invisible Man is a villain, but he was a good scientist who experimented on himself and it made him go nuts. He didn't directly make a decision to turn evil. Unforseen circumstances caused it.

Re: What is it that makes a character a villain?
 

"Nurse Ratched was named the fifth greatest villain in film history by the American Film Institute"

Re: What is it that makes a character a villain?
 

So why isn't she a villain by the standards listed above, exactly? There are three arguments here: whether or not an antagonist is always a villain (no) and whether or not Nurse Rached is a villain according to the descriptions mentioned above.

Re: The Invisible Man. Who said that a villain has to make a direct decision to turn evil?

Re: What is it that makes a character a villain?
 

From the AFI:

"...a character(s) whose wickedness of mind, selfishness of character and will to power are sometimes masked by beauty and nobility, while others may rage unmasked. They can be horribly evil or grandiosely funny, but are ultimately tragic."

Re: What is it that makes a character a villain?
 

There are many types of villain.

The Abused: Like you said, someone who is unable to rise above the wrong they suffered, whether it was an actual abuse, or simply something that they experienced when young and become what they hate. Most of the time they don't realise it, sometimes they do, but not often.

The Maniac: Someone who has absolutely no understanding of right and wrong. For instance, Leatherface or even, Non from Superman.

The Bully: A person who knows right from wrong but chooses to go down the path of evil, simply because they enjoy it. Biff Tannen from Back To The Future is the best example.

The Psychopath: Someone who just has no limitations. They simply are just a twisted person who wants to destroy and have power over everything, their lack of limitations also means they stop at nothing to get to their goals. The most recent example is Heath Ledger's take on The Joker. Another example is Gary Oldman in Leon.

The Megalomaniac: They will do anything to get the personal gain they yearn for and genuinely believe they deserve power and have the right to power. Alan Rickman as Sheriff Of Nottingham is a perfect example, as too was Darth Vader in episodes 4, 5 & 6 (before Lucas rewrote Star Wars). A Megalomaniac doesn't realise they're in the wrong, so to speak, and sees the 'Hero' as being the evil one who is trying to stop them from what is 'rightfully' theirs.

Then there are combinations. For instance, Jigsaw is a mix of Psychopath, Bully and Abused.

EDIT: Addition to that, what makes a villain, is that they are self centered. The world revolves around them. Selfishness, personal gain and personal success is all that drives them. The have no empathy, nor sympathy, for anyone else.

Good point with the Invisible Man. That is like Green Goblin b/c he was a scientist trying to make a product to make humans stronger for the army (something like that) and when they threatened to shut him down unless he had a sucessful human experiment thats when he uses it on himself which turns him into this double personality. One of which he is Norman Osborn and then other of which he is Green Goblin. His Norman side doesn't know of Green Goblin, he would hear "voices" and then end up waking up in the middle of the living room not knowing how he got there.

I don't think twisted ideologues, the ends justify the means, fit any of these categories.

She doesn't fit the description of a villain in the first post:

Virtually all villains were victimized at one point. However, instead of being able to rise above it, some people become what victimized them, and the hate spreads like a sickness.

A villain has a negative impact on everyone around them. Because something bad happened to them, and because they cannot forgive and forget, they desire to make the whole world pay because if they are unhappy, then everyone has to be.

Heroes and villains are usually faces of rebellion. The hero is the light face of it, and the villain is the dark face of it, but truly, the real villain is usually the system itself that the hero and villain oppose.

Nor does The Invisible Man. He doesn't have a choice to forgivee and forget. And he isn't trying to make the world pay because he is unhappy. He thinks by taking over the world he will make it a better place, but he is misguided because he is insane and cannot think straight.

That reminds me of The Naked City episode I recently saw with Robert Redford. He and his friends killed four derelicts then let themselves get caught becuase they thought their sacrifice would make the world a better place. The Redford character was the leader and of course he was insane, His motives were noble, but his actions were evil. He had loving parents and no signs of trauma in his life.

Re: What is it that makes a character a villain?
 

I find what really makes a villain, is if the said person has either an English accent or a Central European accent.
They tend to live inside a smoking volcano that has been kitted out with a super-computer and has a plastic sign on top which has "Super-Computer" printed on it.

What really makes it obvious is when there's also a stainless steel operating table in the middle with a giant laser pointing down at it.