The Role of Empathy in Crafting Horror Villains

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think of horrors? Probably a terrifying villain with intentions that are just pure evil, wreaking havoc on their victims. But in all honesty, that kind of villain, while scary, is overplayed, superficial, and, well… Dare we say, boring?

There’s nothing memorable about a villain that’s evil just for the sake of being evil; the ones that are truly spine-chilling have depth, emotions, and motivation behind their actions that make them way scarier. Empathy might not be something many people associate with villains, but it plays a big role in making them more compelling. It allows writers to dig into the emotional layers of their villains and give them backstories the readers can connect with on a human level.

That emotional connection is what heightens the fear because the villain’s actions seem more real and, therefore, more disturbing.

“Oh sweetie, monsters are real… And they look like people.” – Sister Jude, American Horror Story: Asylum

Empathy in Horror Writing – Let’s Try Understanding it First

Empathy is a powerful tool in fiction, especially in horrors where you can’t build tension and fear without a complex villain.

When you apply empathy to a character, especially a villain, both the writer and the reader can understand the character’s emotions and motivation. Keep in mind, just because you can understand the reason behind the villain’s actions doesn’t mean they’re excused, but you get context on why they behave the way they do. This makes them more relatable and psychologically engaging.

This emotional depth is crucial for horrors because a villain who has a clear, human motivation (something you can connect with, something you can understand) is way scarier than a flat, boring one who’s just wielding the chainsaw around like a lunatic.

When you see the villain’s internal struggles, fears, and vulnerabilities, you get closer to them and add layers to the fear. Empathy makes them more real, and this makes the story more terrifying.

Just like emotional awareness is important in personal and professional environments, empathy in fiction creates stronger connections between the reader and the villain.

You can even start to sympathize with the villain and almost understand their actions, and this way, they become even more disturbing.

How to Use Empathy to Create Villains’ Backstories and Motivations: 3 Tips

Empathy is what creates rich, emotionally complex villains that resonate with readers. Villains with empathetic backstories are shaped by their environments, personal experiences, and vulnerabilities.

“The best villains are the ones you secretly like.” – Anthony Horowitz

Here are three useful tips for writing horror stories in which villains will feel more authentic and disturbing.

1.   Villains as Products of Their Environment

Like every person, every villain is shaped by their surroundings, whether that’s through traumatic experiences, being rejected by society, or familial influence. The world around them leaves a mark on who they become.

“Villians are not born, they are made by circumstance.” – Pierce Brown

Applying empathy to their backstory lets you explore how these factors contribute to the way that they are now. For example, a character who’s been abused or was cast out from society might seek revenge or validation through acts that are destructive.

The motivation behind the villain’s actions adds depth to them and helps the reader understand why they would do something so terrible. When you have a villain whose actions have roots in their past, they’re not just a force of evil but a product of their circumstances.

This empathetic way of storytelling makes the villain’s motivation more complex and believable and mirrors how the way we all behave is influenced by our background and environment.

2.   Understanding Villains’ Motivations

A villain’s motivation is often what keeps the story moving forward and understanding why they commit such terrible crimes is key to creating a compelling horror narrative.

Do they want revenge because someone wronged them? Are they hungry for power or are they looking for validation after being overlooked their entire life?  In a lot of good horror stories, like Stephen King’s “Carrie,” the antagonist is motivated by deep human desires – revenge, fear, or need for control.

Stephen King also famously said, “Monsters are real, and ghosts are real too. They live inside of us, and sometimes, they win.”.

These desires are relatable and they make the villain more terrifying because they come from emotions readers can understand.

Using empathy to explore the core of villains’ actions can make them far more frightening because a villain who has a clear reason for their behavior feels far more real than the one that’s just plain evil for no obvious reason (just so that they would be evil).

In fact, a survey conducted by the American Psychological Association (APA) found that 72% of horror movie watchers found villains with backstories more interesting and more memorable and terrifying than villains who were portrayed as purely evil.

3.   Making Villains Vulnerable

Even the most terrifying villain has weaknesses or vulnerabilities; physical, emotional, or psychological. This is what makes them human and relatable.

“Every villain thinks they are the hero of their own story.” – Marjorie Liu

A villain who struggles with inner demons like guilt or fear of failing becomes a complex figure readers can sympathize with, even when they’re afraid of them. Think of “Frankenstein’s Monster,” for instance. The villain makes you fear them, but you also pity them because it’s obvious how vulnerable they are. If you can connect to the villain and understand the villain’s motives, you’ll be much more engaged into the story.

Adding layers of vulnerability creates villains who are evil, but also tragic and conflicted.

The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) has conducted research that found that 60% of U.S. horror movie audiences think that the villain’s emotional journey makes stories more engaging.

Conclusion

What makes a truly terrifying villain isn’t just their evil actions, but the emotional depth behind them. When a writer taps into the power of empathy, they’re able to create villains who are as complex as they are frightening.

They don’t just scare us because of what they do; they haunt us because we understand why they do it.

“Evil is powerless if the good are unafraid.” – Ronald Reagan