by Zubkavich on Tue Mar 05, 2002 8:38 am
I think the best 'villains' are desperate people or people with just as much justification as anyone else.
Even if we break the law, we all justify it to ourselves. We 'had' to steal something because we couldn't afford it (software, office supplies, whatever). In our minds, we almost never see ourselves as the bad guys.
That doesn't answer any of the questions about Esurio of course, but I thought it might be interesting to give my thoughts on villainy in general.
Look at Lady Eboshi from Princess Mononoke. She may be destroying the forest, but she gives women a strong voice, gives people a strong leader and takes in lepers that no one else would deal with. In her mind, she's taking back the land and defying the stodgy old order. She's a savior and a hero. Killing the God of the Forest will give people hope and drive out the dangerous spirits that are blocking progress.
That type of antagonist fascinates me.