This blog post is a continuation of the satirical series, Poking Fun at Fantasy Tropes.
So far, we’ve looked at the time-tested, favorite tropes of taverns, heroes, mentors, quests, allies, fantasy worlds, and magic swords. (Check out the whole series here.)
Now we’re taking a look at something that many fantasy series just can’t seem to do without: the Dark Lord. (Or rumors and whispers of a growing evil that has been slumbering for centuries, hit the snooze one too many times, and just woke up—much to the dismay of our protagonists and the potential ruin of the good, green earth.)
Telling the villain’s story and creating sympathy in readers and viewers for the villain seems to be all the rage these days. In a shocking twist of events, looking at things from a different angle, we discover that the hated antagonists in classic, well-known stories really aren’t all that villainous after all—they’re just misunderstood, and we should really be feeling sorry for them.
It’s all about perspective and who’s telling the narrative, isn’t it?
Makes you wonder why most Dark Lords and other capital “E” Evil antagonists in stories never seem to work all that hard to portray themselves as misunderstood heroes—even if they are no such thing. They seem content to be villainous, no matter how bad it makes them look. Makes you wonder why they don’t think to hire a better PR team:
“Oh no—you misunderstood him. When the Dark Lord promised that he’s going to “raze the ground upon which his enemies walk and level mountains if anyone dares stand in his way,” he’s just talking about his new development plan to create more affordable housing. The banks—now they’re the real villains, and the Dark Lord is very passionate about opposing them…”
“If you feel like society doesn’t accept you because you don’t abide by their laws, the Dark Lord understands. He accepts you. He was cast out into the outer edges of darkness long ago, before you were even born. The last time he tried to join the rest of society, people literally tried to kill him! Trust me—all are welcome in his dark tower and among the ranks of his loyal followers: Goblins, trolls, orcs, ghouls, hags, and wraiths, you name it—humans too…”
“Destroy the world and consume it in darkness forevermore? Goodness, why would the Dark Lord do such a thing? Between you and me, I’ve heard that the Dark Lord just wants to cut down on oil consumption throughout the land. That’s one of our precious, non-renewable natural resources. And besides, did you know that inhaling smoke is bad for your lungs? Trust me—if the lamps aren’t burning so much, that’s better for all of us in the long run. But what I really want to talk to you about is the Dark Lord’s visionary ideas for universal healthcare. It includes dental…”
The common thread found among many villains—at least, the really good ones (and by that, I mean the really bad ones)—in fantasy stories, of course, isn’t that they lack a good PR team. It’s that they lack a good heart.
They just don’t care.
Villains don’t care if the free people in the land consider them monstruous. They don’t care if they come across as villainous. That’s what they are. They’re not really thinking about what’s best for their loyal followers—they could not care less what happens to them. They’re not thinking about anyone or anything other than themselves.
They just don’t care.
Find a villain like that in a story… and you’d best be careful. Don’t get too attached to the protagonists. That is, if the storyteller writes realistically and doesn’t protect their protagonist with an unrealistic amount of plot armor.
No, Dark Lords in stories shouldn’t seek new PR departments to help portray them as better than they are. They should just be villains instead.
Find a Dark Lord like that, and nothing will stand in their way of getting what they want—except perhaps a brave little farm boy from Who Knows Where who just happens to be wielding a powerful magic sword that he learned to swing two or three days ago.
Pride and arrogance seem to be a common fault in Dark Lords… but who can blame them? It’s not like they have anyone offering them constructive criticism or pointing out any of their weaknesses.
Perhaps that’s for the best. Certainly not what’s best for the Dark Lords—but certainly what’s best for the free people of the land who’d rather not see the destruction of all things.
Until next time,
Al
