--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I don't do villains often enough. There…" description: "\"I don't do villains often enough. There are two approaches: give them sympathetic, reasonable motivations for doing the most unspeakable things, or get..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ecc/charles-stross-896_broken_i-don-t-do-villains-often-enough-there-a_2373672.png" --- # I don't do villains often enough. There are two… ![“I don't do villains often enough. There are two approaches: give them sympathetic, reasonable motivations for doing the most unspeakable things, or get inside heads that are interestingly broken.” quote by Charles Stross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ecc/charles-stross-896_broken_i-don-t-do-villains-often-enough-there-a_2373672.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ecc/charles-stross-896_broken_i-don-t-do-villains-often-enough-there-a_2373672.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ecc/charles-stross-896_broken_i-don-t-do-villains-often-enough-there-a_2373672.png) > “I don't do villains often enough. There are two approaches: give them sympathetic, reasonable motivations for doing the most unspeakable things, or get inside heads that are interestingly broken.” [Charles Stross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-stross/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Expresses desire to write more villains, proposing either sympathetic motives or broken psyches as approaches. **In simple terms:** He wants more complex villains. Key Takeaway Create villains with depth and nuance. Themes storytelling villainy psychology Mood intriguing dark Type narrative creative When to use this quote - novel writing - screenwriting - game design Key Concepts moral ambiguity character motivation Questions to Reflect On - What makes a villain compelling? - How do you balance empathy and horror? A Different Perspective Complex villains risk audience sympathy for evil. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Motivation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motivation/) [Villains](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/villains/) ## Related quotes > [Villains are fun. I think the important thing in playing them is that they don't see themselves as villains. It lets you be a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhys-ifans/villains-are-fun-i-think-the-important-thing-in-playing-them-is-that/) [Rhys Ifans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhys-ifans/) > [I love the villains who are really hyper-smart. When at the end of the movie you find out what they were about, and it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lasseter/i-love-the-villains-who-are-really-hyper-smart-when-at-the-end-of-the/) [John Lasseter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lasseter/) > [A superhero movie is only as great as its villains.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chadwick-boseman/a-superhero-movie-is-only-as-great-as-its-villains/) [Chadwick Boseman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chadwick-boseman/) > [I think people respond to villains because people in general are more villainous than heroic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-emerson/i-think-people-respond-to-villains-because-people-in-general-are-more/) [Michael Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-emerson/) > [I didn't expect to feel pathos for the villains in our show. I feel quite moved in several of our episodes; I never realized…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-lehman/i-didn-t-expect-to-feel-pathos-for-the-villains-in-our-show-i-feel/) [Kristin Lehman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-lehman/) > [Some people that are heroes to some can be looked at by another group of people as villains. As far as a middle point,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-bernthal/some-people-that-are-heroes-to-some-can-be-looked-at-by-another-group/) [Jon Bernthal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-bernthal/) > [Villains are always the best roles, but that meant that for months afterwards, all I got offered were absolute cads and bounders and really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-pigott-smith/villains-are-always-the-best-roles-but-that-meant-that-for-months/) [Tim Pigott-Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-pigott-smith/) > [Evil is relative - and what I mean by that is that our villains are as complex, as deep and as compelling as any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoff-johns/evil-is-relative-and-what-i-mean-by-that-is-that-our-villains-are-as/) [Geoff Johns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoff-johns/) > [If you look at all of the villains in the course of human history, they've all believed, delusionally, in the virtue of their actions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hiddleston/if-you-look-at-all-of-the-villains-in-the-course-of-human-history/) [Tom Hiddleston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hiddleston/) > [As a writer I'm more drawn to villains who are just slightly mad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lev-grossman/as-a-writer-i-m-more-drawn-to-villains-who-are-just-slightly-mad/) [Lev Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lev-grossman/) > [I've played more villains than anything else. 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I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-walken/one-thing-that-s-happened-to-me-is-i-ve-been-around-a-long-time-and-i/) [Christopher Walken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-walken/) > [Villains never know they are villains in a picture so I play this like I'm the nicest guy in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-rogers/villains-never-know-they-are-villains-in-a-picture-so-i-play-this/) [Wayne Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-rogers/) > [Elektra isn't a villain and isn't a good girl, but as Frank Miller said, she is one of the villains with a weak streak…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elodie-yung/elektra-isn-t-a-villain-and-isn-t-a-good-girl-but-as-frank-miller/) [Elodie Yung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elodie-yung/) ## More by Charles Stross > [We are Bay Aryans from Berkeley: prepare to be reengineered in an attractive range of color schemes for your safety and comfort!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-stross/we-are-bay-aryans-from-berkeley-prepare-to-be-reengineered-in-an/) [Charles Stross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-stross/) > [“Shut up. Stand up. Put this on. 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