The Villain’s Story

I could sit here and type about how reading gives me the chance to escape reality, but truth is, so do all my other hobbies.

Wait. Hobby is the wrong word here.

Passion.

Yes, that’s better.

When I’m invested enough in something, forgetting about the real world and all its problems (especially my own) is a byproduct. A given. A necessity.

So with that out of the way, I want to talk about that which makes a great story: the villain. I’m not talking about the villain that wants to destroy/rule the entire world just for funsies at story: the villain. I’m talking about the villain who’s the hero of their own story. Arthas: Rise of the Lich King being my favorite example of this (to this day I don’t why, other than the fact that it hit me harder than anything I’ve read up to that point), really hammered home how I look at people in general. This novel (written by Christie Golden), simply put, tells the tragic story of a man who only ever wanted to do the right thing. But, after all, “you either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain,” and while he did, indeed, start as the hero, the latter eventually rang true for him.

So allow me to preface my internalization of this with the following: in the real world, we are extremely quick to judge others. So quick, that we forget to consider what they’re going through. What’s going on behind closed doors. We don’t look deep enough. Oftentimes, we don’t care to, as it’s easier just to judge and walk away.

And I’m no exception to this.

Or at least, I used to be.

The idea that the villain is the hero of their own story reinforces the idea that they believe what they’re doing is right, and suddenly we find ourselves (as readers) torn with whether or not we’re actually rooting against them.

Now let me be clear by saying that I by no means think that any act is justified by the “actor” thinking they’re doing the right thing. Rather, the villain being their own hero has caused me to become more open-minded toward other people. Less quick to judge their actions just based on the action itself.

And honestly, this has saved me a lot of conflict over the years. I’ve even befriended people because of my choice to ask them how they’re doing instead of accusing them of x, y or z.

So to sum it all up, reading a book that includes a villain who thinks they’re the hero of their own story not only provides a compelling and complex character for me to dig into, but for me, it also provides a lifestyle.