10 Principles of Life I Learned from Supervillains

Most people would be quick to identify wisdom in the words of Mother Teresa, Martin Luther King Jr., or Gandhi. However, many of history's most high-profile and influential figures were actually quite villainous. These are 10 principles that I learned from some of literature's most colorful characters. I hope you find them as inspiring as I did.

1) Don't bother with a plan before you act

Gatsby never considered what would happen if he pursued Daisy and spoiler alert it didn't work out so well for him. For wicked individuals, it is best to avoid contingencies and focus on making their plans while they still have time to do so. Plots that are formed hastily can end up being more surprising, exciting and effective than their more thoroughly planned counterparts.

2) Have a back up plan

The Joker's identity has been a mystery for the majority of The Dark Knight trilogy and one of the main reasons why we've been so eagerly awaiting The Dark Knight Rises. Even though we know his true identity, it will still be a surprise when he makes it on screen and a few people may question whether it's actually him.

The Joker is such an excellent example of a character who has managed to blend in so well that he can slip right past everyone. This allows him to have multiple innocent looking backups ready to go if things don't work out as planned.

3) Sometimes, less is more

Sometimes it is better to not reveal all of your hand. This may be a controversial thought for writers who strive to paint every part of their characters' personalities, but there are times when it makes more sense for a character not to fully reveal their motives.

For example, if the reader or in this case, the spectator is kept completely from knowing what the Joker's true plan is then they will be immersed in suspense until the very end of the story. If you want to keep your readers engaged and on their toes then you should consider using this technique at some point in your writing.

4) There's no such thing as too much planning

The Grand plans of Tony Stark may not always be a clear cut success, but he has a plan and is essentially the opposite of the Joker. He puts a lot more thought into his schemes than The Joker and it shows as he transforms Iron Man from a humble scientist into a multi-billionaire playboy. From villain to hero, Tony Stark is proof that it is always better to have too many plans rather than too few.

5) Always have a contingency plan

We all knew that The Joker was going to kill Harvey Dent in The Dark Knight, but we were still on the edge of our seats as his face was slathered in make up, he got into the cop car, and headed off to face his destiny. This is not only a testament to how brilliant screenwriting can be but also how important it is to always leave some room for chance.

You never know who might see your work and what it will inspire them to do so it's best to leave yourself the option of missing an opportunity rather than tearing yourself apart when you miss out on something great.

6) Good always triumphs over evil eventually

Few people ever like to read a story where the villain comes out triumphant and it's easy to understand why. It is hard to get behind most characters in such a story. No one likes rooting for the bad guys and we're more likely to find ourselves engaged in a story where the protagonist is really trying their best just to keep up with the opposition.

This creates tension and keeps us interested in what will happen next. It makes us identify with the character that we know is doing the right thing even though they are getting battered by their enemies along the way.

7) Planning is great but don't get too attached to plans

Peter Parker makes a mistake in Spider Man 3 that many writers make every time they write a character. He gets too attached to his plan and tries to make sure that it goes off without any major flaws. This leads him to being too confident when he actually has no control over things, which backfires on him.

The writer may want Peter Parker to be more confident but he is allowed the luxury of making mistakes, just like Spider Man should be. To combat this writer problem, always be ready for the unexpected and try and think about what could change in situations for the worse before you make your plans.

8) A villain doesn't always have to think things through

Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog is a fantastic example of a story that is driven by the success of its characters' plans rather than the success of the writer's plan. This strategy gives you more flexibility as a writer and allows you to focus on creating great characters and letting them do your dirty work for you. Dr. Horrible comes up with all sorts of plans in the course of the story but he has no idea how they will play out or if they will even work. His only major mistake was trying seize control at the end, which resulted in his failure and his tragic ending.

9) An obsessed character can be just as dangerous to the protagonist's safety as a crazy one

Determining who is more dangerous can be a hard decision to make, but there are times when we need to put our foot down and say No when it comes to characters. For example, some of the most interesting villains in literature are not crazy, but instead are obsessed with their goal.

They have such an intense attitude that they don't care about the consequences or their actions and this creates great tension during the story. Think of an extreme example like The Joker or Dr. Horrible who gets so caught up in his goals that he will do anything they ask no matter how dangerous it may be.

10) A team is better than relying on just one person

The two themes that drive the best movies are teamwork and planning. We've noticed that the most successful franchises have either a good group of characters or a great team of people working together, while the most unsuccessful ones have either one or the other but not both at once.

It may be tempting to think that it doesn't matter how many people are on your side as long as you have one powerful character who can overcome their enemies, but this is rarely true. Alone they may be strong, but when fighting against three great heroes who work together you are going to affect everyone equally and you'll find it much harder to defeat them.

In Conclusion

Using the themes from the top box office grossing movies of 2012 and 2013, you should be able to create some great stories that can connect and engage your audience. You don't need to use all of these ideas in one story but it is best if you do a little planning ahead for what your characters are going to do. You may not always be able to predict exactly how your story will play out or what will happen, but you can at least give it some thought before you start writing.