It is Friday and time for the July 4th weekend. But before we head off for bar-b-que and fireworks lets take a peek at the antagonist of our stories.
One of the greatest antagonists I have ever seen came off the movie "Die Hard" and was played by Alan Rickman. Why? A lot of reasons, but one line comes to mind. "Yes, the benefits of a classical education". How great is that line? It tells us someone put a lot of thought into the antagonist in this film. The antagonist is just as fleshed out as the hero and in some ways I think even more so.
There are many examples of weak or enigmatic antagonists. Granted sometimes an enigmatic antagonists can be what is needed for the story especially if it is being told in first person. That said, taking the route of developing the antagonist will help create an antihero for the story. Someone who is strong and provides a real challenge to the protagonist. From the antagonist's POV they are not the bad guys, they are the good guys. Yes, in "Die Hard" the antagonist did know they were the bad guys, but they had a plan, a need. To himself, deep inside, he was simply helping to relieve the Nakatomi Corporation of some excess bonds they had laying in the vault doing nothing and Hans Gruber and company needed them to support the life style they wanted to become accustom to.
Hans has motivation, he want to get rich - fast. He has a plan. He has studied every possible way things could go wrong, except for McClane and who could have seen him coming. He has counters for the police, the FBI, vault security, and he has a classical education. He is as fully developed as any charter in the film.
With an antagonist that is fully developed the reader is satisfied to read both ends of the story. The protag's actions and the antag's actions. Does this mean the reader loves the antag? No, the antag could be someone the reader loves to hate, but still finds interesting. A protag working against a zombie only works in a zombie story.
Spend time on the antag. Love them, make them as real as the protag. Your story will take a quantum leap once you do.
Good writing and have a great fourth.