Giya Kusezu
Dreamer
Hey all - I just wondered about something today. What are your thoughts about writing villains with mental disorders? I think this would be an interesting thing to dabble with, as would writing an antihero with a disorder.
It seems like whenever we encounter bad guys in popular media, if they have a disorder it is likely to be narcissism, insanity, or that they are a sociopath. But what about things like bipolar depression, OCD, anxiety, multiple personalities, etc? Do you think this would make for a more interesting villain? Or do you think it takes away from their power as an intimidating and/or hate-worthy character in a story?
Now don't get me wrong, I in no way want to villainize mental illnesses. I have dealt with major depression and extreme anxiety nearly my entire life, and I'm not some evil nut. But I tend to think about things like depression and psychology, and it made me wonder.
It seems like whenever we encounter bad guys in popular media, if they have a disorder it is likely to be narcissism, insanity, or that they are a sociopath. But what about things like bipolar depression, OCD, anxiety, multiple personalities, etc? Do you think this would make for a more interesting villain? Or do you think it takes away from their power as an intimidating and/or hate-worthy character in a story?
Now don't get me wrong, I in no way want to villainize mental illnesses. I have dealt with major depression and extreme anxiety nearly my entire life, and I'm not some evil nut. But I tend to think about things like depression and psychology, and it made me wonder.