Antagonists play a central role in every medium of entertainment by ensuring that there is an alternative to the protagonists’ philosophical and moral preferences. They often create a conflict that eventually helps the protagonists grow. But what factors make an antagonist extraordinary? If we take a closer look at some of the best villains in the anime industry, we find something familiar between them. All of them are protagonists in their own stories and believe that their worldview is right. With a strong sense of righteousness, these antagonists do things that are often morally questionable, and that is where a firm stance of the protagonist comes into play.
An excellent example of this is Pain from Naruto, who pursues goals with justifiable motivations. Pain has lived and grown-up in a world where the strongest shinobi make the rules and, therefore, are the creators of society’s moral structure. However, it turns out that these moral structures are not necessarily just and can even be oppressive for certain groups of people. Pain understands the anguish of losing loved ones to corrupt political and ethical systems; therefore, he wants to ensure peace through the threat of violence. Even Naruto understands the point that Pain is trying to make and acknowledges the pretence of peace born from conflict.
We also see characters like Sasuke and Itachi, who are driven by the hypocritical origins of Naruto’s world structure. They embody the idea that one man’s freedom fighter can be another man’s rogue ninja. Pain and Naruto’s discussion reveals that basically, the same methodologies guide both antagonist and protagonist. Pain’s criticism of Naruto’s idea of peace is accurate, and it is founded upon sacrifice and war, therefore not as ideal as the protagonist might like others to believe.
The ideal antagonists effectively blur the lines between right and wrong and often expose the inconsistencies in the hypocritical worldview of the protagonists. They force the viewers to rethink their understanding and introspect their stance on different issues. It is an essential factor common between the greatest villains that have ever existed, not just in manga or anime but also in movies and literature.
In series such as Nisekoi, the fights might not be as important as the ones in Naruto, but the goals of the antagonists are ever more justifiable. One can’t question the feelings of Nisekoi’s core four for Raku. The love rivals are equally motivated, and one can’t say that one is less deserving of the victory. It’s all about the narrative that eventually decides which one of them is destined to ultimately win. It is also one of the crucial factors that great antagonists have; they make viewers believe that they too deserve to win.
The ideal antagonist convinces viewers that he too is equally deserving of victory, so when the conflict intensifies, and the protagonist ends up winning, his victory seems even sweeter and more satisfying. We see this in Death Note, in which Light, the villain protagonist challenges the moral stance of L and Near. He also forces the viewers to reconsider tough ethical questions, hence setting the platform for the protagonist’s eventual rise who takes the ideal moral stand.
Therefore, the ideal antagonists are characters who blurs the line between right and wrong, have justifiable goals, and appear just as deserving of victory as the protagonist. These are those factors that have been common between some of the most compelling villainous characters that have left a mark on the viewers. It is not wrong to have a hero who eventually wins the battle, but it’s crucial that the villain makes the conflict compelling enough. Therefore, every great protagonist needs an antagonist who continually challenges and keeps the moral beliefs in check. Batman would not be as popular as he is without Joker, who pushes him to his limits. So, the ideal antagonists’ archetype is the one who has at least some of the above-listed factors.
Source-The Ideal Antagonists Archetype
