Plz help me come up with an antagonist for my story

[Trailofstardust]

No hard feelings here, but good for considering being gentler in the future. apologies if I offended even slightly.
As said before I only know a BIT about the creature (and even then, that bit is the 'traditional' (for a western audience) westernized version, and a little about the different 'versions' of that) I also did not intend to offend either, which is why I opened up with not knowing much lol

Since your story is fictional (I think?) you could look into a Kitsune if you wanted.
Kitsune range from personalities of all types, from harmless (to them) 'pranking' to straight up murder. (or worse)
Some depictions of Kitsune also have them able to grant 'wishes' though not in the form of a westernized genie, they tend to be more of a 'monkeys paw' kind of wish granter. (Like how King Midas got exactly what he wanted, literally, and instantly regretted it) Either way Kitsune are fun because they're often 'troublemakers' but they don't all have to be out and out evil.

Not sure it'd fit for your story, but if it does it's something to think about, if you want a lesser villain to maybe turn good by the end. Kitsune are like that too, they kinda follow one master until they get 'bored' (again, depends on the depiction and the kitsune in question) so if the good guys offer em a better deal they might change heart.

Back to the djinn, she wouldn't be a good antagonist because she's trapped inside a cave for the entire story until the climax, and therefore couldn't be any real threat until then. And since Vashti is working to free her, there's no reason for the djinn to oppose her.

 

[thatoneguywho-]

bit late, but what if Vashti was the villain of her own story?

 

[Trailofstardust]

bit late, but what if Vashti was the villain of her own story?

What do you mean by "villain of her own story"? I would like you do elaborate. Do you mean being a villain who doesn't realize it, or that her problems are due to her own self-sabotage? I dont think that would work, the premise of my story is that Vashti is a mostly innocent, victimized girl who finds healing and freedom, so I don't think that could work

Even following your premise, Vashti would need some force to overcome in order to advance the story.

 

[thatoneguywho-]

What do you mean by "villain of her own story"? I would like you do elaborate. Do you mean being a villain who doesn't realize it, or that her problems are due to her own self-sabotage? I dont think that would work, the premise of my story is that Vashti is a mostly innocent, victimized girl who finds healing and freedom, so I don't think that could work

Even following your premise, Vashti would need some force to overcome in order to advance the story.

like, she slowly changes over time without realizing it it, and the force to overcome is someone trying to stop her and she has to realize how shes changed?

 

[AlexS]

When I first conceived of my story I envisioned a fairy-tale-like tone, similar to the story-cycles from "1000 and 1 Nights" such as Sinbad or the Odyssey where the hero has fantastical adventures in magical realms, encountering monsters and witnessing supernatural phenomena in an episodic structure.

But after I decided I want my story to lean more towards the YA genre, the format of disconnected episodic adventures don't really work anymore, and I need a central villain for a coherent character arc and storyline.

I want to ask for help in conceiving of an antagonist who could drive Vashti's arc.

Plot twist: Vashti *is* the antagonist. She's a Daenerys-like character, seeming like a protagonist at first, seeking initially to reclaim her legacy, and later to 'fix' everything that's wrong with the kingdom and the world, but in the end, becomes the evil that she was fighting.

 

[thatoneguywho-]

Plot twist: Vashti *is* the antagonist. She's a Daenerys-like character, seeming like a protagonist at first, seeking initially to reclaim her legacy, and later to 'fix' everything that's wrong with the kingdom and the world, but in the end, becomes the evil that she was fighting.

okay you straight up stole this from me lol

 

[AlexS]

okay you straight up stole this from me lol

Sorry I did not read all the replies before posting. Great minds etc...

 

[thatoneguywho-]

Sorry I did not read all the replies before posting. Great minds etc...

true, true

 

[Karlin]

Purim is approaching soon. Get a set of family and friends to dress up as teh different characters, and have them act out your story. All will become clear.

 

[Trailofstardust]

Plot twist: Vashti *is* the antagonist. She's a Daenerys-like character, seeming like a protagonist at first, seeking initially to reclaim her legacy, and later to 'fix' everything that's wrong with the kingdom and the world, but in the end, becomes the evil that she was fighting.

I already said that this premise wont work.

 

[thatoneguywho-]

I already said that this premise wont work.

mostly innocent, victimized, finds freedom, >>> changing without realizing, has to realize how she changed to find peace.

 

[Trailofstardust]

Plot twist: Vashti *is* the antagonist. She's a Daenerys-like character, seeming like a protagonist at first, seeking initially to reclaim her legacy, and later to 'fix' everything that's wrong with the kingdom and the world, but in the end, becomes the evil that she was fighting.

While this isn't the idea I had in mind, Ive actually already got an idea for an antagonist by now, I think it's interesting to compare and contrast my Vashti with Daenerys.

Both are young, victimized women from a royal background, who join another culture that are incidentally both inspired by steppe nomad cultures (although unlike the Dothraki, I aim to make my depiction of the amazons respectful towards the cultures they are based on).

However, while Dani wants to take the throne because she views it as her birthright, Vashti assimilates into a society that doesn't value bloodlines and has a much more egalitarian social structure than the one she's used to. She views being no longer considered special and having to do manual labor as small prices to pay for getting to live the way she wants--one where she is free to never marry and have children.

From her perspective the amazons are enlightened compared to the civilizations of the so called civilized world, because they are matriarchal and leaders don't have the same power to coerce their subjects rulers in monarchies do. Vashti was abused by her husband who got away with it because he is the absolute ruler.

Even though I don't think this would work as a storyline, I think whether it would be justified for her to invade and try to change the Persian monarchy into a democracy would pose an interesting question.