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The villain in my novel is a trickster, but he plays a very very long game. Not a lot of small lies, but one very big one that (hopefully) keeps readers guessing about his true nature to the very end. Great video!!
The trick I'm running into is keeping the character mysterious enough. I don't want them to appear clearly as a villain, just suspicious, and it's a hard balance
6. Too big to fail: The Trickster must be stop, but the good guys can't afford to stop the trickster (just yet), because a greater threat, held at bay by the trickster, would descent upon the world.
Absolutely! I'm just focusing on fantasy (with tiny bits of sci-fi sometimes) on the channel in general, but tricksters can definitely be used elsewhere too 🙂
In my epic, the satanic figure in my world is also a trickster. Tbh, he is most fun to write! His sarcasm, his blunt honesty, his tone, his boredom with humanity, and he is constantly set back. While he is a million steps ahead of humanity, and even jeavenly beings, the God-figure of my world is one step ahead. But he is quick to adapt and redirect. Also, side point: Found out that I am a trickster myself. My literary and theological friends were the ones to point it out. I don't know how I feel about it, but at least I'm not boring lol
There is always the option to just add some trickster-like elements to your villain to start dabbling with it but without feeling too pressured to make the character super complex with lots of twists and turns throughout the story 🙂
That's actually a great input, yes. Might not work the ideally for a true villain but certainly for a gray type of character that doesn't really fulfill the actual villain role.
first i would have her ahve the hero break the seal of the ancient artifact. which causes a change in magic and bring something new. this would harm the councle. something that is a new threat. have it revealed that this was her real plan all along. second i am working on a book. the main character in the chosen representative of a trickster god. the main character's job is to look for something, but is not told what that thing is. ends up getting into trouble the whole way through. from people wanting the god's representative gone, to wanting the god's power, out of jealousy, or because they have plans that would easily be disturbed by such beings.
Thank you for the positive feedback. A Trickster Hero is certainly an interesting idea. This - from my POV - would be someone who uses cunning, wit, and morally ambiguous methods to achieve noble goals. Think Robin Hood or Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Caribbean - they bend rules and use trickery, but ultimately fight for good 🙂
If you're on your own writing or worldbuilding journey, make sure to sign up for my free weekly newsletter which is packed with practical advice and strategies on key elements, from character development and plot structuring to creating immersive fantasy worlds: thetaletinkerer.com/newsletter/
The villain in my novel is a trickster, but he plays a very very long game. Not a lot of small lies, but one very big one that (hopefully) keeps readers guessing about his true nature to the very end. Great video!!
Thank you - and best of luck with keeping that one big lie thrilling enough for your readers :-)
I want to read this ❤
The trick I'm running into is keeping the character mysterious enough. I don't want them to appear clearly as a villain, just suspicious, and it's a hard balance
Yes, this can be tricky, especially since it also needs to be factored in whether or not they are the main villain or not 🙂
6. Too big to fail: The Trickster must be stop, but the good guys can't afford to stop the trickster (just yet), because a greater threat, held at bay by the trickster, would descent upon the world.
That's a great addition 🙂
While this video has focused on fantasy a trickster can be a great addition to any genre.
Absolutely! I'm just focusing on fantasy (with tiny bits of sci-fi sometimes) on the channel in general, but tricksters can definitely be used elsewhere too 🙂
In my epic, the satanic figure in my world is also a trickster. Tbh, he is most fun to write! His sarcasm, his blunt honesty, his tone, his boredom with humanity, and he is constantly set back. While he is a million steps ahead of humanity, and even jeavenly beings, the God-figure of my world is one step ahead. But he is quick to adapt and redirect.
Also, side point: Found out that I am a trickster myself. My literary and theological friends were the ones to point it out. I don't know how I feel about it, but at least I'm not boring lol
I'm not ready to add a trickster as the villain.
There is always the option to just add some trickster-like elements to your villain to start dabbling with it but without feeling too pressured to make the character super complex with lots of twists and turns throughout the story 🙂
How about a path where the trickster turns out to be right, and the protagonist have to aligning with their goal instead?
That's actually a great input, yes. Might not work the ideally for a true villain but certainly for a gray type of character that doesn't really fulfill the actual villain role.
first i would have her ahve the hero break the seal of the ancient artifact. which causes a change in magic and bring something new. this would harm the councle. something that is a new threat. have it revealed that this was her real plan all along.
second i am working on a book. the main character in the chosen representative of a trickster god. the main character's job is to look for something, but is not told what that thing is. ends up getting into trouble the whole way through. from people wanting the god's representative gone, to wanting the god's power, out of jealousy, or because they have plans that would easily be disturbed by such beings.
Great video! What would your take on a Trickster Hero be?
Thank you for the positive feedback.
A Trickster Hero is certainly an interesting idea. This - from my POV - would be someone who uses cunning, wit, and morally ambiguous methods to achieve noble goals.
Think Robin Hood or Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Caribbean - they bend rules and use trickery, but ultimately fight for good 🙂