# Backstory for Villains **URL:** \ **Category:** All Things Writing\ **Tags:** chat\ **Created:** [June 28, 2023, 2:19pm UTC](https://forum.wackywriters.com/t/backstory-for-villains/14202 "2023-06-28T14:19:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![NotARussianBot](https://forum.wackywriters.com/user_avatar/forum.wackywriters.com/notarussianbot/32/63102_2.png) [@NotARussianBot](https://forum.wackywriters.com/u/NotARussianBot)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2023, 2:19pm UTC](https://forum.wackywriters.com/t/backstory-for-villains/14202/1 "2023-06-28T14:19:07Z")
I forced @JellyGhost to watch Akagi with me and the more I think about it, the more disturbed I am. It’s not just that he is a 13 year old introduced by showing up unannounced to mahjong game hosted by Yakuza after swimming alive from a game of chicken that sent another kid to the hospital. I am not joking. Something I have noticed about Nobuyuki Fukumoto’s work is that he doesn’t really _do_ backstory, and certainly not for his main characters. I haven’t watched the full series yet, but I highly doubt that we’ll ever get to know about Akagi’s past in depth. Instead, he just sets up certain details in the background that inform how Akagi acts. The year is 1958, in Japan. He appears to have gang connections of some type. He is an uncannily intelligent 13 year old, being able to quickly learn (and cheat) at mahjong. There are hints given, but they aren’t elaborated much on. Craziest of all, he is the protagonist-a villain protagonist! Think about some famous villains-famous villain protagonists-how many of them have a vitally important backstory? How many of them are old than 13? I just had to share this because it breaks a long-held convention I’ve seen everywhere. ---
**Author:** ![NotARussianBot](https://forum.wackywriters.com/user_avatar/forum.wackywriters.com/notarussianbot/32/63102_2.png) [@NotARussianBot](https://forum.wackywriters.com/u/NotARussianBot)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2023, 2:21pm UTC](https://forum.wackywriters.com/t/backstory-for-villains/14202/2 "2023-06-28T14:21:06Z")
@JellyGhost We’re talking about your favorite snowy owl! @Churro @J.L.O @copyedit ---
**Author:** ![JellyGhost](https://forum.wackywriters.com/user_avatar/forum.wackywriters.com/jellyghost/32/60351_2.png) [@JellyGhost](https://forum.wackywriters.com/u/JellyGhost)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2023, 2:25pm UTC](https://forum.wackywriters.com/t/backstory-for-villains/14202/3 "2023-06-28T14:25:58Z")
> [@NotARussianBot](#): > > We’re talking about your favorite snowy owl! ![image](https://forum.wackywriters.com/images/transparent.png) ---
**Author:** ![J.L.O](https://forum.wackywriters.com/user_avatar/forum.wackywriters.com/j.l.o/32/36267_2.png) [@J.L.O](https://forum.wackywriters.com/u/J.L.O)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2023, 2:35pm UTC](https://forum.wackywriters.com/t/backstory-for-villains/14202/4 "2023-06-28T14:35:20Z")
Backstories are supposed to make it easier to agree wtih a villain-hero. That’s why they are introduced that way. Think:Megamind, where half the movie is backstory, and youre introducing to very small kids the idea that environemnt is the main deciding factor in outcome. When you give up on chronic sympathy, the backstory is overwhelmingly unnecessary. Its sweeping back into morally gray characters. ---
**Author:** ![NotARussianBot](https://forum.wackywriters.com/user_avatar/forum.wackywriters.com/notarussianbot/32/63102_2.png) [@NotARussianBot](https://forum.wackywriters.com/u/NotARussianBot)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2023, 2:54pm UTC](https://forum.wackywriters.com/t/backstory-for-villains/14202/5 "2023-06-28T14:54:58Z")
Well it doesn’t take an epic poem in order to justify cheating at mahjong if these grown men want to kill this kid so badly. ---
**Author:** ![NotARussianBot](https://forum.wackywriters.com/user_avatar/forum.wackywriters.com/notarussianbot/32/63102_2.png) [@NotARussianBot](https://forum.wackywriters.com/u/NotARussianBot)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2023, 2:55pm UTC](https://forum.wackywriters.com/t/backstory-for-villains/14202/6 "2023-06-28T14:55:54Z")
> **[How Long Do Snowy Owls Live? (Snowy Owl Lifespan)](https://birdfact.com/articles/how-long-do-snowy-owls-live)** > > Here, we’ll be answering; how long do Snowy owls live? Snowy owls live for around 10 years in the wild, but many banded individuals have lived for 20 years or longer. However, a handful of studies estimate that these owls live for around 10 years in... I do not know if he is a baby. ---
**Author:** ![J.L.O](https://forum.wackywriters.com/user_avatar/forum.wackywriters.com/j.l.o/32/36267_2.png) [@J.L.O](https://forum.wackywriters.com/u/J.L.O)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2023, 2:58pm UTC](https://forum.wackywriters.com/t/backstory-for-villains/14202/7 "2023-06-28T14:58:43Z")
Peoeple like the idea of an underdog in a pack of villains, still. There is a sympathy vote without needing most of that because Yakuza ain’t 100% pillars of the community (although they have a better reputation than most Amwrican gangs). Any which way, backstories are often moralizing/self-justitifcation. ---
**Author:** ![Churro](https://forum.wackywriters.com/user_avatar/forum.wackywriters.com/churro/32/48086_2.png) [@Churro](https://forum.wackywriters.com/u/Churro)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2023, 3:07pm UTC](https://forum.wackywriters.com/t/backstory-for-villains/14202/8 "2023-06-28T15:07:07Z")
Why have a Disney-like backstory shoved in the middle when you can make a whole book series? [![](https://64.media.tumblr.com/945b04a58ac794666e973169045d6345/5063d7c68aadf713-fa/s540x810/6e215a34d822476f86e214a4af14fc0c344d517a.gif) ](https://64.media.tumblr.com/945b04a58ac794666e973169045d6345/5063d7c68aadf713-fa/s540x810/6e215a34d822476f86e214a4af14fc0c344d517a.gif) ---
**Author:** ![NotARussianBot](https://forum.wackywriters.com/user_avatar/forum.wackywriters.com/notarussianbot/32/63102_2.png) [@NotARussianBot](https://forum.wackywriters.com/u/NotARussianBot)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2023, 3:10pm UTC](https://forum.wackywriters.com/t/backstory-for-villains/14202/9 "2023-06-28T15:10:36Z")
Fukumoto is too busy thinking of disturbing things to put in the present, he doesn’t seem to pay attention to the past. ---
**Author:** ![Churro](https://forum.wackywriters.com/user_avatar/forum.wackywriters.com/churro/32/48086_2.png) [@Churro](https://forum.wackywriters.com/u/Churro)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2023, 6:38pm UTC](https://forum.wackywriters.com/t/backstory-for-villains/14202/10 "2023-06-28T18:38:13Z")
Domingo would be very interesting. ---
**Author:** ![copyedit](https://forum.wackywriters.com/user_avatar/forum.wackywriters.com/copyedit/32/62731_2.png) [@copyedit](https://forum.wackywriters.com/u/copyedit)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2023, 12:56pm UTC](https://forum.wackywriters.com/t/backstory-for-villains/14202/11 "2023-07-01T12:56:38Z")
oops, i meant to come back and answer this but i guess i forgot 😵‍💫 As far as famous villains go, a lot of them have backstories (for the sake of this question i’m considering only backstories that appear in the main literature, not in any transmedia or spin-off). Like in Spiderman or Batman movies, for example, we see villain creation pretty often. It can be a useful tool for fleshing out the character and letting the audience know their motiviation for Being Evil as far as villain protagonists go, the backstory is especially important, again because the audience needs to know why this character is dancing around making corpses (a good example of this would be Joker), and it can also make us more sympathetic (as with Venom or Bloodsport). as far as 13 goes ¯\_(ツ)\_/¯, you’re more likely to run into that in stuff intended for a younger audience. middle grade, shonen, ect. off the top of my head I can think of Mustard Gas from bnha, but he was in, like, 1 episode. There’s nothing wrong with a 13 year old villain, i think they’re just harder to make feel serious and not satirical. ---
**Author:** ![NotARussianBot](https://forum.wackywriters.com/user_avatar/forum.wackywriters.com/notarussianbot/32/63102_2.png) [@NotARussianBot](https://forum.wackywriters.com/u/NotARussianBot)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2023, 1:05pm UTC](https://forum.wackywriters.com/t/backstory-for-villains/14202/12 "2023-07-01T13:05:36Z")
👁 Are you sure this is middle grade? ![image](https://storage.wackywriters.com/original/3X/8/d/8d2f418036dc98c1d86c218222c307e89fc42dfe.png) > **[Akagi (manga)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akagi_(manga))** > > Akagi: Yami ni Oritatta Tensai (アカギ 〜闇に降り立った天才〜, lit. "Akagi: The Genius Who Descended into Darkness") is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Nobuyuki Fukumoto. First published in 1991 in Takeshobo's weekly magazine Kindai Mahjong, it is a spin-off prequel of the author's previous work, Ten. It revolves around Shigeru Akagi, a boy who defeats yakuza members well versed in mahjong at 13. He returns to the game six years later, carrying a mythical status and still impresses his opp... ---
**Author:** ![copyedit](https://forum.wackywriters.com/user_avatar/forum.wackywriters.com/copyedit/32/62731_2.png) [@copyedit](https://forum.wackywriters.com/u/copyedit)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2023, 1:08pm UTC](https://forum.wackywriters.com/t/backstory-for-villains/14202/13 "2023-07-01T13:08:55Z")
![20230701_070652](https://storage.wackywriters.com/original/3X/8/d/8d796434bb56d47682715fb5ca6ec896299f7396.jpeg) that’s young adult. and i said ‘more likely’ not ‘only likely’. ---
**Author:** ![NotARussianBot](https://forum.wackywriters.com/user_avatar/forum.wackywriters.com/notarussianbot/32/63102_2.png) [@NotARussianBot](https://forum.wackywriters.com/u/NotARussianBot)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2023, 1:15pm UTC](https://forum.wackywriters.com/t/backstory-for-villains/14202/14 "2023-07-01T13:15:29Z")
Seinen is not Young Adult, at least not the American conception of what it means. ---
**Author:** ![copyedit](https://forum.wackywriters.com/user_avatar/forum.wackywriters.com/copyedit/32/62731_2.png) [@copyedit](https://forum.wackywriters.com/u/copyedit)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2023, 1:20pm UTC](https://forum.wackywriters.com/t/backstory-for-villains/14202/15 "2023-07-01T13:20:37Z")
i guess technically it would be new adult, since it’s 18+. my brain just jumps to ‘young adult’ when google says ‘aimed at young men’. ---
**Author:** ![NotARussianBot](https://forum.wackywriters.com/user_avatar/forum.wackywriters.com/notarussianbot/32/63102_2.png) [@NotARussianBot](https://forum.wackywriters.com/u/NotARussianBot)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2023, 1:22pm UTC](https://forum.wackywriters.com/t/backstory-for-villains/14202/16 "2023-07-01T13:22:47Z")
I can’t name a recently released and popular YA book that seems directly targeted at men rather than women or no particular gender at all. ---
**Author:** ![copyedit](https://forum.wackywriters.com/user_avatar/forum.wackywriters.com/copyedit/32/62731_2.png) [@copyedit](https://forum.wackywriters.com/u/copyedit)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2023, 2:32pm UTC](https://forum.wackywriters.com/t/backstory-for-villains/14202/17 "2023-07-01T14:32:22Z")
literally anything by Alexander Gordon Smith The Rains by Gregg Hurwitz Icarus Down by James Bow most of Adam Silvera’s stuff Looking for Alaska by John Green It’s Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini Schizo by Nik Scheff arguably the last three could be for neutral audiences but i think we assign them that property more because they’re contemporary and talk about mental health than anything. The last two in particular were written by male authors drawing from their own experiences to talk about mental health issues that impact young men, so… James Patterson and Kenneth Opel are also both prolific authors with a lot of books that target young men. the Alex Cross series still gets updates… I think… idk i kind of tune Patterson out because he’s everywhere. it might not get talked about as much but there are plenty of authors who are passionate about writing books for young men. ---
**Author:** ![NotARussianBot](https://forum.wackywriters.com/user_avatar/forum.wackywriters.com/notarussianbot/32/63102_2.png) [@NotARussianBot](https://forum.wackywriters.com/u/NotARussianBot)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2023, 2:34pm UTC](https://forum.wackywriters.com/t/backstory-for-villains/14202/18 "2023-07-01T14:34:13Z")
Thanks for the list ---
**Author:** ![copyedit](https://forum.wackywriters.com/user_avatar/forum.wackywriters.com/copyedit/32/62731_2.png) [@copyedit](https://forum.wackywriters.com/u/copyedit)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2023, 4:16pm UTC](https://forum.wackywriters.com/t/backstory-for-villains/14202/19 "2023-07-01T16:16:52Z")
welc, gotta use my otherwise useless horde of book recs somehow 😂 ---
**Author:** ![NotARussianBot](https://forum.wackywriters.com/user_avatar/forum.wackywriters.com/notarussianbot/32/63102_2.png) [@NotARussianBot](https://forum.wackywriters.com/u/NotARussianBot)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2023, 4:20pm UTC](https://forum.wackywriters.com/t/backstory-for-villains/14202/20 "2023-07-01T16:20:17Z")
Does that mean I can reccomend you read Akagi? [Next page](https://forum.wackywriters.com/t/backstory-for-villains/14202.md?page=2)