4 Essential Principles for Creating the Ultimate Antagonist

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4 ESSENTIALPRINCIPLESFOR CREATINGTHE ULTIMATEANTAGONIST

4 ESSENTIALPRINCIPLESFOR CREATINGTHE ULTIMATEANTAGONIST

FILM PROJECT MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE FILM PROJECT MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE

A POWERFUL

ANTAGONIST IS

UNIQUELY ADEPT

AT ATTACKING THE

HERO’S GREATEST

WEAKNESS.

1


In The Dark Knight, the Joker is

able to target Batman’s biggest

vulnerability — his morality —

in a way no other villain can.


John TrubyAuthor, The Anatomy of a Story

“Create an opponent... who

is exceptionally good at

a t t a c k i n g y o u r h e r o ’ s

greatest weakness.”

Batman refuses to kill. The

J o ke r , w h o d o e s n o t f e a r

d e a t h , a n d i n f a c t , want s

Batman to kill him. He throws

Gotham into chaos, pressuring

Batman to compromise his

moral code.


Robert McKeeAuthor, Story

“A protagonist, and his story,

can only be as intellectually

fascinating and emotionally

compelling as the forces of

antagonism make them.”

THE ANTAGONIST

PRESSURES THE

PROTAGONIST

INTO MAKING

DIFFICULT

CHOICES.

2



In the second act, the Joker

poses an ultimatum: for every

day that Batman does not

turn himself in, people will die.

By refusing, Batman ups the

ante, but must cope with the

guilt as innocent lives are lost.

The pressure increases as

more people die, and the city

turns against him.


Robert McKee

Author, Story

“TRUE CHARACTER is revealed

in the choices a human being

makes under pressure — the

greater the pressure, the

deeper the revelation, the truer

the choice to the character’s

essential nature.”

THE ANTAGONIST

COMPETES FOR

THE SAME GOAL

AS THE

PROTAGONIST

3



“Gotham’s Soul”Both Batman and the Joker are vying for

i n flu e n c e o v e r G o t h a m , w h i c h i s

repeatedly referred to as Gotham’s

“soul.” While Batman defends law &

order, the Joker battles for chaos. Since

each of these men are totally dedicated

to their beliefs and principles, their fight

becomes a highly personal one. Why and

how they go about achieving this goal is

what defines the them.


John Truby

Author, The Anatomy of a Story

“It is only by competing for

the same goal that the hero

and the opponent are forced

to come into direct conflict,

and to do so again and again

throughout the story.”

A POWERFUL

ANTAGONIST

CAUSES THE

HERO TO

GROW.

4



In the beginning of the film,

Batman believes that criminal

bosses seek money and power

and are driven by logic, order,

and self-interest. As a result,

they can be defeated with

force and incentive.


In the battle for “Gotham’s Soul,” he

faces an opponent who operates

outside these limits.

As a result, he is forced to make

progressively more difficult choices

that puts his strengths to the test.

By the end, Batman develops a

deeper understanding of heroism

and sacrifice. No longer infatuated

with manufacturing Gotham’s

“hero,” he grows wiser.

He grows because of the Joker.


THANKS FOR READING!

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CONCEPTED BY

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Date post:	16-Jan-2017
Category:	Entertainment & Humor
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4 Essential Principles for Creating the Ultimate Antagonist

Entertainment & Humor