Happy May the 4th Be With You day! I've been talking about villains in preparation for Save the Villain Day on May 14 and Star Wars has it's share of evil antagonists. The fictional world is full of miscreants. Dolores Umbridge, Voldemort, Biff Tanner, and Emperor Palpatine are among the worst book or movie villains in my opinion. They're the kind of monsters, I don't want to live because they're never sorry for anything they do and have no desire to change. At first, Kylo Ren was grouped with the worst, because I was angry when he killed his father, Han Solo. Eventually I changed my mind and he became a villain I wanted to save. Read to the end of this blog to find out why.
When I began writing The Aerowyn Tales, my fairy tale re-imaginings, I put myself in the villain's shoes and asked, "Why do they act the way they do?" I slowly found a way to appreciate the villains so many readers seem to idolize. Don't get me wrong, I'll never cheer for evil. I think that has become the new trend to root for a character who is truly nasty, which reflects some of the vile behavior humans have adopted as normal. Nope, that's not ever going to be okay in my opinion. I'm still in support of treating people the way you want to be treated and that will never change. Back to fictional villains. They are necessary, because each book or movie needs someone or something the hero defeats. Sometimes a rogue character is what many can relate to, because we're all flawed, but I'm not satisfied leaving an antagonist unchanged unless they're past the point of no return. Ridding the world of one more dark spot does bring satisfaction. When the righteous vanquishes a foe who truly has no regrets for their behavior, it is joyous. Yet, I like a story with hope. It's true, when the main character grows and transforms from caterpillar to butterfly, the plot can be inspiring, but when a fiend finds redemption, it encourages me that the world doesn't have to give into the dark side completely. I find promise when a villain transforms into the hero. It teaches that wrong choices don't have to be the final say in anyone's story. Redemption is the main theme of The Aerowyn Tales. Within each story, I show that maybe in a world full of pain and evil, there can be a force of light. In truth, only God can be that source of that force. In my fairy tale re-tellings, I put elements of God's character into the stories much like parables or fables do. Ultimately, it's choices rather than excuses or blame that can alter the path of anyone. When Kylo Ren chose to die to save Rey, he made the transition from villain to hero in one final decision. At that very moment, I wanted him to live, and that's when I discovered I could cheer for villains.
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