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HelpIs it okay to give a villain character a name I likes?
I asked Quora about this before, and opened a poll earlier, and I'm curious about your thoughts on this. The reason is that I personally do not usually use names that I dislike, whether for good or bad character, and some of the names I like fit the villain's personality well. However, I asked this question because I was concerned that this might be seen as glorifying a villain.
This message was edited 1/16/2024, 6:17 AM
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You absolutely can. You're not glorifying the villain by giving them a good name. The glorification is in the writing only, and even that is subjective.
Of course it's ok. Like Rox says, nobody would ever know how you personally feel. If anything people might assume you actually dislike the name, rather than thinking you're glorifying a villain.
Also it's way more realistic to have antagonists with ordinary, attractive names. They can't all be called Voldemort or Hannibal Lecter.
Also it's way more realistic to have antagonists with ordinary, attractive names. They can't all be called Voldemort or Hannibal Lecter.
Thank you.
Nobody but you needs to know whether you like or dislike a name you give a character.
Everyone has to have a name, and there's plenty of villains in fiction and in real life that have names that are well-liked by a lot of people. It doesn't matter except to you, but it shouldn't matter to you. They're your characters and if the name you pick for them is one you happen to like, so what? If you have any audience at all, the chances are that at least some of them despise that very name as much as you love it.
Everyone has to have a name, and there's plenty of villains in fiction and in real life that have names that are well-liked by a lot of people. It doesn't matter except to you, but it shouldn't matter to you. They're your characters and if the name you pick for them is one you happen to like, so what? If you have any audience at all, the chances are that at least some of them despise that very name as much as you love it.
Thank you.
Yes, the name doesn't make the character. If you feel a name fits the villain's personality well, what's to stop you from using it? Using a name you like does not glorify the villain, and using a name you dislike does not devalue a good character. I don't generally like to use names that I dislike, either, but giving a villain a "good" name and giving a protagonist a "bad" name doesn't change anything about them. They are still who you make them out to be, regardless of what they go by.
Thank you.