Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Antagonists of the Horror Genre

By: Our Writing Garden Team 

Happy Halloween, dear writers! The horror genre is amazing. Their stories can exploit (or create) fears, send chills up our spines, make us view everyday objects or scenarios in a new light, and thoroughly thrill us. Of course, it's the antagonists of these works, in conjunction with great writing, that effects us so greatly. Here's a look at some of the most popular antagonists of the horror genre and what is generally expected of them:



Zombies

Ah, zom-zoms. Dear, lovely, rotting corpses determined to hunt the living and munch on their brains. Over the years, different types of zombies have emerged; ones that are slow and limping, others that are fast and feral, some that can talk, some that sense the living through sound, some that are civilized but still need to feed on brains—they have been well explored. Meaning that there are great foundations set for writers who wish to use them in their work. Most, if not all, versions of these antagonists are restricted by their need to feast on the living. That is their only expectation. The way they move, how they function, their intelligence, how they are created—or where they are created—are all up to writers. It's wonderful to have that freedom.   

Unstable People

Sometimes there's nothing scarier than an unhinged human being. You think they're nice and friendly, sweet and kind, then BAM! They show their true colors or are triggered into an unstable state that results in great peril and horror. Other times, normal people are tossed into a situation were a particularly frightening, damaged human hunts them down one at a time...in some stories, we don't even get to see their face. We just know that our protagonist(s) needs to get out of that situation before they're found! It can get quite suspenseful, right? When it comes to unhinged humans, there are no restrictions. You can create a unique character that creeps the heck out of readers as the protagonist strives to stay alive and or escape their clutches. 

Creepypastas

The name may sound odd or amusing, though these creatures are terrifying...and have nothing to do with pasta. For those who are unfamiliar with creepypastas, they were gradually developed in response to a forum post that told a story of a faceless man in a black suit who lures children into his woodlands. That man became known as Slenderman, now the inspiration for several horror stories (and games). More creepy creatures were created and associated with this antagonist, such as Jeff the Killer who is a man that is fond of stabbing people as they sleep—oh, and he cut off his eyelids and is almost always smiling. Yeah, creepy. The list of creepypastas is quite long, the fans who love these stories have worked together to produce great, frightening, sometimes even funny, works that involve these antagonists. Honestly, there are no restrictions when it comes to these characters. Fiction pieces are written from their perspectives, their victim's POV, or a third-person view. So long as their favored method of murder is adhered to, a writer can do anything with these creatures. 

Ghosts/Poltergeists

It's difficult not to think of the Harry Potter series when discussing ghosts and poltergeists. The novels act as a good example of how these antagonists are often depicted. Ghosts are commonly harmless. Most of the time they are white, transparent figures that roam around the world and sometimes communicate with humans—either verbally or with gestures. They can haunt a certain location or certain people (choosing to just watch them or try to scare them), yet moving objects in the physical world is more of a characteristic of poltergeists. Poltergeists, like Peeves in the HP series, can indeed prank humans and change the world around them. With telekinetic abilities or with the power to grasp items (or people), they are able to manipulate the world as a human would. Though the line of distinction between these antagonists is often blurred. Ghosts are declared as ghosts yet can move objects and people. What these characters have in common, however, are backstories that are completely up to their writer. Whatever tragedy befell them can be unique and discovered in any way a writer sees fit.  

Demons/Possession

Here come the nightmares. Demons are interesting antagonists as they either put on a human face and mingle in society looking for souls to feed on or take control of bodies and inanimate objects. Other stories depict them as horrid monsters as well, and their motivation varies with each interpretation. Perhaps they are hungry and simply need to make a contract with humans to have a nice soul lunch. Maybe they simply enjoy messing with humans and their minds. Or they might need to hurt humans to please their superiors and get promoted in the demon world. Like with the other antagonists discussed, there is a lot of leeway offered to writers. Overall, it is generally expected that they are up to no good and want to scare humans in whatever way they can—like taking control of an old doll and having it pop up in random places throughout the house. So creepy. 


Witches
The fear of witches dates back centuries, so it only makes sense that they are a consideration for an antagonist in a horror novel. While true modern witches normally practice good or earth magic, witches in movies, television, and literature can be a tad creepier. When envisioning witches, we normally think of a warty, evil woman in a cloak, sometimes wearing a pointed hat, bent over a bubbling cauldron of rat tails and poisonous flowers. This definitely works to scare readers, but looking at the demonic side of witches—like in the reboot of “Sabrina the Teenage Witch”—ups the creepy factor with a devilish edge. Witches are clever and difficult to combat or destroy, but usually a bucket of water or binding spell will do the job. 

Vampires
Vampires scare us because they essentially feed off humans, stealing our blood and making us just a little pale in the neck and face area. It’s rare to see a “good guy” vampire in movies and literature, because by nature, vampires are stalkers and killers. Further, it’s said that vampires are quite irresistible to their prey, sucking us in (pun intended) with their charm and good looks. As an antagonist, vampires present the protagonist with difficulties as they are wickedly strong and difficult to kill, except, maybe, with garlic, holy water, or a good neck-break. 

Werewolves
In a modern era, when we think about werewolves, we inevitably think about poor Professor Lupin from the Harry Potter series. True, he did have to contend with some serious fear of full moons, as werewolves, historically, change at the full moon from human to beast. This transition is far from pleasant, with a sudden thirst for human flesh and a burst of excessive hair growth (not to mention the fangs). The legend of the werewolf perhaps started with an actual fear of wolves eating livestock and grew from there, with the threat being that if you were bitten by a werewolf, you would shape-shift into one under the full moon. Legend says that werewolves, incredible hunters who possess superhuman strength, are only susceptible to death through silver blades and specific herbs (mistletoe, wolfsbane, or mountain ash). 

Mermaids
Beautiful, but not creepy . . . or are they? These mythological creatures are historically females with one single fish fin, alluring sailors with their beauty. For that reason, they would make the perfect antagonist in a fantasy horror novel. With an emphasis on the dangers of the sea, these gorgeous sea spirits are the perfect fit in any sea fantasy novel. They’ve been known to drown sailors, sink ships, and can even sprout legs on land to fool unsuspecting seamen. There is no known specific method for killing a mermaid, but if it’s indeed necessary, good luck finding them. 





Which antagonist would you use, or have you used, in your works? Let us know in the comments below!

Happy Writing!

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