Malik
Auror
My MC was originally my villain and vice versa. It wasn't until I was fleshing out sequels that I realized that the story here was the atonement arc of this violent, drunken, womanizing jerk with a murder rap and not the further adventures of a grown-up "boy who learns he's secretly magic and wins back his father's kingdom and comes of age in a world of magic and wonder." The original villain/now-hero also turned out to be infinitely more fun to write.
He has his redeeming qualities--he's loyal, loving, and duty-bound to a fault--but one of his defining characteristics is spontaneous (and, to hear reviewers tell it, hilarious) outbursts of just jaw-dropping violence. It leads to a fascinating state of affairs where people are terrified of him but they all just smile and nod because "The last time that dude got pissed off, he killed an army. I heard even he even stabbed all the trees around the battlesite." I've had readers and reviewers say my books read like Deadpool turned loose in Westeros.
Like I said, he's my MC, and he has his redeeming characteristics. Study the book version of Khal Drogo for a look into the mind of someone who'd kill you for looking at him wrong, but is actually a pretty decent guy. There's a lot of wiggle room. I disagree with Spacebar's last paragraph. If you make him completely bad with no redeeming qualities, what's the point? Readers want a character they can identify with. Most of us are not entirely good--we'll forgive the occasional transgression, particularly if it's entertaining--but nobody rooted for Ramsay Bolton, no matter his "gray man" internal justifications.
He has his redeeming qualities--he's loyal, loving, and duty-bound to a fault--but one of his defining characteristics is spontaneous (and, to hear reviewers tell it, hilarious) outbursts of just jaw-dropping violence. It leads to a fascinating state of affairs where people are terrified of him but they all just smile and nod because "The last time that dude got pissed off, he killed an army. I heard even he even stabbed all the trees around the battlesite." I've had readers and reviewers say my books read like Deadpool turned loose in Westeros.
Like I said, he's my MC, and he has his redeeming characteristics. Study the book version of Khal Drogo for a look into the mind of someone who'd kill you for looking at him wrong, but is actually a pretty decent guy. There's a lot of wiggle room. I disagree with Spacebar's last paragraph. If you make him completely bad with no redeeming qualities, what's the point? Readers want a character they can identify with. Most of us are not entirely good--we'll forgive the occasional transgression, particularly if it's entertaining--but nobody rooted for Ramsay Bolton, no matter his "gray man" internal justifications.