When my blog started up nearly two years ago, it seemed like there was a great focus on villainy, on the bad guys and how cool they are. While my idea that they are pretty darn great has not changed, the focus certainly has. I haven't been able to discuss themes and concepts in a while, moreover trends that have been happening in geek culture, or things on upcoming events.
In part, that's because I haven't read or watched anything that's really jumped out and made me want to talk about these things. Luckily, that changed, and has snowballed into where we are now. Namely, this started with one character that I've come to love hating: Andross Guile of Brent Weeks' "Lightbringer" series of novels. I want Andross to be the centerpiece of this discussion today, however, I will also be pulling from series such as Game of Thrones, Weeks' other major work the "Night Angel" trilogy, as well as others such as "Assassin's Creed," various DC Comics, and yeah, even "Power Rangers."
For those who may not know--and if you don't, that's okay, I'll just kindly ask you to head to your local bookstore after reading this to find out--Andross Guile is more or less a villain of Weeks' novels. Seen more in the second and third installments than the first, Andross is the father of Gavin Guile, the Prism, who is essentially the Muhammed to Islam's Allah. Despite not being a provisioner of any of the lands, Gavin has say over the council of elders and is revered/ feared across all the land. But there is still one man that makes him shake in his own boots: his father.
You see, in a world where people use colors for their magic, Andross is the blind man leading the charge. Why does everyone fear a blind man that is rendered useless when it comes to magic? Well, that's what we're going to be looking at today. Even if Andross were able to use his magic, it wouldn't change his character much. It would just be an option for him.
That's not to say he can't entirely use his magic. It can still flow through him to let him do smaller things, which is more his magical energy, but that's a different topic.
Andross Guile is what I would consider one of the great villains of our time. Why? Well, he's also one of the ones I would consider "the Untouchables." They're the villains that get away with everything, and where in other stories perhaps that's the moment the hero sweeps in to save the day, it's instead where the heroes are left crushed, or sometimes unaware, of what's happened. Villains like Joffrey Baratheon, Roth Ursuul, Garoth Ursuul, the Joker, Crawford Starrick, Venjix, and Brother Eye are some examples that we'll be taking a look at as an aid to Andross.
Andross's character revolves around his sense of victory, or control. He has to have all the pieces in play and have to be at least ten steps ahead of everyone else. Sure, he has spies running around everywhere and his name alone helps him have such a reputation, but a name would not be enough without the force to back it up. As we see during his early moments with Kip playing Nine Kings, Andross is ruthless in how he treats subordinates. Despite knowing that the military is low on soldiers and must have all the recruits it possibly can, he willingly bets the lives of those soldiers on whether or not Kip can defeat him in the game. His treatment of Kip is also incredible in The Blinding Knife, with a real ruthlessness that is really only spawned by the fact that Kip is illegitimately in his family.
Andross is a great villain by the way that he both immerses himself in all the goings-on of the ongoing war as well as how he has little apparent part in all of it. The reason that the trope of villains who merely sit back and watch events play out is dying is because it's boring, and it's finally being exposed as that. While Marvel Studios is hyping the arrival of Thanos through the roof, one of the reasons fans had a slight groan at the sight of him at the end of Avengers: Age of Ultron is because he still hasn't done anything. The scene even acknowledges that he is finally doing something, too. It's not enough for someone to sit in a throne and have lackeys do their work anymore.
Andross does a brunt of his own work. While he has his servant Grinwoody do a lot of his work, he has a growing presence on the Spectrum, the world's magical council, as well as making an appearance at the Battle of Ru later on. The mix of mysticism that surrounds him by not being around that much yet also being on the Spectrum sends chills down everyone's spines. Andross works both in the shadows and in the light, and much of what happens is a direct cause of him. There are events still playing out in the books thanks to what he's done earlier on, and it's because he made it that way.
The story would not be half as good without Andross. The very first time we see him is incredibly ominous, and each time sense, he delivers that same sense of evil charisma around him. A great villain needs both of these. They need to make the audience feel that if they are watching this character work, there is a sense of fear and loathing that must come with it. Roth Ursuul had this effect in Way of Shadows. What better entrance is there for a villain than feeding the unsuspecting queen of the underground her own servants, and playing it off with such suave? Roth played a great had in the downfall of Cenaria by involving himself with each of its major players, much as Andross has. Almost every viewpoint character, with the exception of Liv and maybe Ironfist, have all had confrontations or direct conflicts with Andross.
Again, it goes back to that sense of control, and knowing how to maintain it. Crawford Starrick in the recent Assassin's Creed Syndicate showed this as well. As the game goes on we see that control slipping to move toward the Frye twins, but man if every scene he's in isn't foreboding of something wicked about to happen. He knows everything that happens in London, and makes easy counterattacks against the twins. He is truly the ultimate villain in an Assassin's Creed game. The others are either forgettable or not at all that villainous. Hatham is too sympathetic a character for him to be one of the greats, as he's really more anti-hero. Andross plays a more direct role in the events of his story than Starrick does, yet both have a real weight around them. There's this understanding that when both are speaking, even if the hero is around them, everyone is listening.
A commanding presence leads to control. It leads to obedience, which is what most great villains stride for. Why most? Well because some don't want control, some only want, well...
Andross's color is Red, meaning he has quite a bit of hatred brewing within him. Red is also a color that allows itself to catch fire sometimes. While this hasn't been shown all that much by Andross, if at all, his hatred has been shown. He does have a certain control over it, he has come to grips with it and uses it in special ways. There's also a clever twist on Andross and his magic, too, but, again, not the point. Andross, as a Red, will see the world burn if he doesn't get his way.
The Joker and Andross are only different in that they are the same person on two different extremes. The Joker has such grand plans that have little seedlings planted everywhere and effecting everyone it's impossible to stop them all. Andross has supplanted everyone into his schemes. Both also manipulate their environment into their favor, but most important, both have taken a strong hold in the hero's nightmares that they will never, ever, be forgotten.
The Joker is a character that only knows chaos, anarchy, but it's still something he has to have a little degree of control over. He can't let all the dogs loose all the time. Think about the events of "Death of the Family" or The Dark Knight. He was ready to see people spin into madness, but he had to have a direct role in all of that. Andross, in The Blinding Knife, might just impede the military from doing their job over simple games of Nine Kings. That would let the Color Prince roam and everything would go mad.
Most important of all, though, is the biggest element that surrounds Andross, and seemingly all of these characters. Going back to an earlier point, these guys just can't be touched, by anyone. They exist to be a major thorn in the side of the heroes. With every victory they score, they need only look over their shoulder and realize that their own Andross Guile is still there. Oh, we won the Battle of the Blackwater? Joffrey survived, and has been branded a hero. Think you defeated a major general in the robot army? Venjix is an AI, he cannot be destroyed. You held off Roth and ensured only parts of Cenaria were destroyed? Garoth Ursuul has no sympathy for the little guys.
A great story has this element of the Untouchables. For every great hero, it seems there must be an even greater villain. They are perched, ready to move at any moment, and they are unpredictable as it gets. It seems, also, they may only get stronger with time. Why can't Theon do anything about Ramsay Snow, why does he just take it? Because there's nothing he can do to stop him. It's in these desperate hours that the most important element of plot, the conflict, reaches its height. How can you seemingly stop the unstoppable?
The problem with many bad stories is that they give an answer way too soon. There would be either a deus ex machina or the villain would break character. It would be unrealistic. The harshness of many of these stories isn't that they're extreme, it's that they're true to their environment. Venjix is a good villain, yes even from "Power Rangers" because he has no sympathy for human kind like some other AI we may see. He wastes no time with Tenaya if she were to go outside of her programming. Ramsay won't let up because that's not in his character. Andross is the same way, and in many ways, he is the sum of all these villains.
He has Roth's sense of ruthlessness for battle. Garoth's ability to instill fear through just his name. Joffrey's uncanny ability to avoid all trouble his way. The Joker's hidden chaos. Venjix's lack of sympathy. He even has his own unique elements, such as his incredible intelligence, his masterful use of language to trick even the smartest of folk in the "Lightbringer world," and an air of mystery that surrounds him to this day, perhaps even from himself.
Andross Guile is an example of why a great story needs great villain. The story at hand is certainly not his story--it's Kip and Gavin's, for sure--but his role is undeniable in how the story will eventually play out, and how it has already. The story would not be as good if he were not a main player in it--and in many ways, you could argue that's the case (taking into account that the stakes have only gotten higher for our heroes since his major involvement started in The Blinding Knife, the second book of the series). While it is not imperative for the story sometimes if the hero is a good enough character--take a look at something like The Odyssey or "The Lord of the Rings," in today's world, it is becoming a sight to behold to watch a master work his craft and turn the odds in their favor.
Even a frail, blind, weak old man whose family has been shattered can change the world. And he just might destroy it, too.
Social media:
Twitter: @seanovan13
Instagram: @seanovan10
Most important of all, though, is the biggest element that surrounds Andross, and seemingly all of these characters. Going back to an earlier point, these guys just can't be touched, by anyone. They exist to be a major thorn in the side of the heroes. With every victory they score, they need only look over their shoulder and realize that their own Andross Guile is still there. Oh, we won the Battle of the Blackwater? Joffrey survived, and has been branded a hero. Think you defeated a major general in the robot army? Venjix is an AI, he cannot be destroyed. You held off Roth and ensured only parts of Cenaria were destroyed? Garoth Ursuul has no sympathy for the little guys.
A great story has this element of the Untouchables. For every great hero, it seems there must be an even greater villain. They are perched, ready to move at any moment, and they are unpredictable as it gets. It seems, also, they may only get stronger with time. Why can't Theon do anything about Ramsay Snow, why does he just take it? Because there's nothing he can do to stop him. It's in these desperate hours that the most important element of plot, the conflict, reaches its height. How can you seemingly stop the unstoppable?
The problem with many bad stories is that they give an answer way too soon. There would be either a deus ex machina or the villain would break character. It would be unrealistic. The harshness of many of these stories isn't that they're extreme, it's that they're true to their environment. Venjix is a good villain, yes even from "Power Rangers" because he has no sympathy for human kind like some other AI we may see. He wastes no time with Tenaya if she were to go outside of her programming. Ramsay won't let up because that's not in his character. Andross is the same way, and in many ways, he is the sum of all these villains.
He has Roth's sense of ruthlessness for battle. Garoth's ability to instill fear through just his name. Joffrey's uncanny ability to avoid all trouble his way. The Joker's hidden chaos. Venjix's lack of sympathy. He even has his own unique elements, such as his incredible intelligence, his masterful use of language to trick even the smartest of folk in the "Lightbringer world," and an air of mystery that surrounds him to this day, perhaps even from himself.
Andross Guile is an example of why a great story needs great villain. The story at hand is certainly not his story--it's Kip and Gavin's, for sure--but his role is undeniable in how the story will eventually play out, and how it has already. The story would not be as good if he were not a main player in it--and in many ways, you could argue that's the case (taking into account that the stakes have only gotten higher for our heroes since his major involvement started in The Blinding Knife, the second book of the series). While it is not imperative for the story sometimes if the hero is a good enough character--take a look at something like The Odyssey or "The Lord of the Rings," in today's world, it is becoming a sight to behold to watch a master work his craft and turn the odds in their favor.
Even a frail, blind, weak old man whose family has been shattered can change the world. And he just might destroy it, too.
Social media:
Twitter: @seanovan13
Instagram: @seanovan10
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