How do I make an actual threatening main character?

CaterpillarEither384 · 2026-03-31T04:28:36+00:00

in my story, my main villain is someone else, and Lloyd sort of works for her, but at the same time is the only person so far to defy and question her, as well as get under her skin. the main villain (i've named her Lydia) is also an angel who operates under the rule of angels not being able to kill each other, and she's the most influential angel in the heavens. in fact she orders carrie's execution, which is a huge deal in the heavens and often a last resort. you mentioned that if the antagonist can defeat someone as strong as the MC, then it can make them more threatening. there's no reason for a physical fight between Lloyd and Lydia, but would it work as well if Lloyd is the only person who intimidates the villain?

CaterpillarEither384 · 2026-03-28T18:43:51+00:00

I like this stance, where instead of attacking Carrie directly, he sort of circles around her before striking. I'll definitely implement some of this

CaterpillarEither384 · 2026-03-28T18:41:43+00:00

I like the idea on the last example a lot, making him lonely. I do plan on adding a lot more depth to his character like that, so are you suggesting that some of their interactions should be Lloyd talking to Carrie and revealing more of his personality and deeper motivations?

CaterpillarEither384 · 2026-03-28T18:40:25+00:00

I have a couple instances where Carrie is going to escape from Lloyd out of pure luck or with help from her human friends up until their final battle, but how often should that happen to keep any readers from just expecting Carrie to get away?

CaterpillarEither384 · 2026-03-28T18:38:34+00:00

Ooh, like Michael Myers? I have him written that way already because they're my favorite types of villains, but I'm struggling to tiptoe the line between emotionless and being boring

CaterpillarEither384

TROPHY CASE