What Makes a Villain Intimidating?

When people talk about intimidating villains, power is one thing that often comes up.

Power can take many different forms such as physical strength, armies, special abilities or influence. But power isn't the only thing that makes a villain intimidating.

Some frightening villains aren’t necessarily just the ones who can blow up galaxies or have insane amounts of corporate influence. Instead, they’re the ones who mean what they say, truly believe in what they’re doing, and won’t stop no matter how much someone tries to reason with them.

Throughout the development of Zero Hour Epsilon Force, it has been observed that intimidation stems from power as well as intention and belief.

Intention Turns Power Into Real Danger

A villain's intention is what can separate a serious threat from a minor problem.

For example, an evil demigod who has the intention to hurt others, and will go out of his way to do so even when he doesn't have to, is more dangerous than a group of mindless security guard vampires who are just reacting to orders from their boss.

Even if a villain is powerful, if they lack intention, don't know what they want, or back down, they may stop feeling like a true threat.

Intent is the villain's decision to take action. It means they've made a choice to cross a line and aren't interested in taking it back.

A villain who's intimidating isn’t dangerous just because they can do harm. They’re dangerous because they have the intention of doing so and this can make them unsettling.

Belief Causes Power To Strike Fear

Belief is another aspect of a villain that can make them truly terrifying.

For example, a fallen angel who opposes God and fully believes he's superior to all of God's creation and wants to be worshipped, won't stop until he reaches the top of the universe's pecking order unless he is stopped by something.

A villain with certain beliefs can make them one of the scariest types of villains because their beliefs will often cause them to act without any hesitation at all.

And attempting to reason with any kind of villain who believes they're justified in whatever they're doing often doesn't provide room for any redemption because they're probably committed to the end goal no matter what the cost is. This is when belief can turn violence or destruction into a purpose and these actions carry weight in the story.

It can be even more scary when the villain is overly calm about everything they're doing. And depending on the type of villain, like a recurring one, they may not even need to win every fight they're in. They just need to remain convinced about their belief and they'll continue being intimidating for pages to come.

How This Shapes The Villains of Zero Hour Epsilon Force

When villains are introduced in Zero Hour Epsilon Force, it doesn't always start with their strength or power. Sometimes it starts with the why. Why are they evil? What is their intention and what do they believe? Once intention and belief are established, whatever power the villain has further amplifies the villain's intimidation and danger levels. Even if the reader is shown the villain's power first, intention and belief will always follow at some point as the story arc progresses.

Having power, intent and belief, allows villains to feel intimidating even in quieter moments such as flashbacks and not just during fights. It can also be entertaining if two villains meet and may have differing intents and beliefs from each other if it's written correctly.

Final Thoughts

When power, intention, and belief come together, they capture and hold the reader's attention. The villain becomes both a force that truly shapes the story and the type of character that stays memorable long after the page is turned. If you want to see the villains of Zero Hour Epsilon Force in action, you can purchase the comic on our website here.