--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's one thing to not want an…" description: "\"It's one thing to not want an evil-sorcerer type villain in your story, but it's another thing to avoid having any sort of antagonist at all. A story w..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b18/patrick-rothfuss-145_antagonist_it-s-one-thing-to-not-want-an-evil-sorce_3094846.jpg" --- # It's one thing to not want an evil-sorcerer type villain… ![“It's one thing to not want an evil-sorcerer type villain in your story, but it's another thing to avoid having any sort of antagonist at all. A story without an antagonist gets weird pretty quick.” quote by Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b18/patrick-rothfuss-145_antagonist_it-s-one-thing-to-not-want-an-evil-sorce_3094846.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b18/patrick-rothfuss-145_antagonist_it-s-one-thing-to-not-want-an-evil-sorce_3094846.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b18/patrick-rothfuss-145_antagonist_it-s-one-thing-to-not-want-an-evil-sorce_3094846.jpg) > “It's one thing to not want an evil-sorcerer type villain in your story, but it's another thing to avoid having any sort of antagonist at all. A story without an antagonist gets weird pretty quick.” [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Stories need conflict; without an antagonist, narratives become flat and lose tension. **In simple terms:** Conflict drives plot and character growth. Key Takeaway Include meaningful opposition in storytelling. Themes conflict storytelling character development antagonist structure Mood thoughtful analytical Type instructional philosophical When to use this quote - novel writing - screenwriting - game design - creative workshops Key Concepts narrative dynamics dramatic tension heroic journey Questions to Reflect On - What non‑villain obstacles can create tension? - How can internal conflict replace a physical antagonist? A Different Perspective Overusing villains can become cliché. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Antagonist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/antagonist/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Villain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/villain/) ## Related quotes > [“Maybe I am villain in your story, but I am hero in mine.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shon-mehta/maybe-i-am-villain-in-your-story-but-i-am-hero-in-mine/) [Shon Mehta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shon-mehta/) > [For me, in any story that I take, the antagonist is more interesting and multi-dimensional.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vetrimaaran/for-me-in-any-story-that-i-take-the-antagonist-is-more-interesting/) [Vetrimaaran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vetrimaaran/) > [“EVERY STORY HAS AN ANTAGONIST and a protagonist. Hero and villain. Good and evil. Yada, yada, yada. Thing is, I bet in each story…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-malcom/every-story-has-an-antagonist-and-a-protagonist-hero-and-villain-good/) [Anne Malcom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-malcom/) > [“Fear plays the role of antagonist in the story of your life”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-jackson/fear-plays-the-role-of-antagonist-in-the-story-of-your-life/) Anne Jackson > [It's rather disconcerting to sit around a table in a critique of someone else's work, only to realize that the antagonist in the story…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-richmond/it-s-rather-disconcerting-to-sit-around-a-table-in-a-critique-of/) [Michelle Richmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-richmond/) > [“I mean, without the antagonist, there would be no story! It’d be like: ‘Once upon a time there was a girl who wanted to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-hale/i-mean-without-the-antagonist-there-would-be-no-story-it-d-be-like/) [Shannon Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-hale/) > [No one sees themself as the villain in their story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-yost/no-one-sees-themself-as-the-villain-in-their-story/) [Graham Yost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graham-yost/) > [“No one is ever the villain of their own story”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/no-one-is-ever-the-villain-of-their-own-story/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [“You were the villain in your own story, Martinez. In mine, you’ve always been my hero.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-robinson/you-were-the-villain-in-your-own-story-martinez-in-mine-you-ve-always/) [M. Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-robinson/) > [I did nothing wrong I was just the Bearer of Bad News but somebody has to play Villain in this Story called life...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-did-nothing-wrong-i-was-just-the-bearer-of-bad-news-but-somebody/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You don't encounter anyone who is not hero or villain of their own story. If it's man vs. self, you have to explore the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kit-williamson/you-don-t-encounter-anyone-who-is-not-hero-or-villain-of-their-own/) [Kit Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kit-williamson/) > [“No one is ever the villain of their own story.” -Cristina”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/no-one-is-ever-the-villain-of-their-own-story-cristina/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [“I might be the villain of this story.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-makkai/i-might-be-the-villain-of-this-story/) [Rebecca Makkai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-makkai/) > [“You might think you’re the villain in my story, Lux, but what you don’t seem to realize is that I don’t care . Princess…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-johnson/you-might-think-you-re-the-villain-in-my-story-lux-but-what-you-don-t/) [Julie Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-johnson/) > [I went into writing 'The Young Elites' with a great deal of fear - I'd been told repeatedly that a villain's story would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-lu/i-went-into-writing-the-young-elites-with-a-great-deal-of-fear-i-d/) [Marie Lu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-lu/) ## More by Patrick Rothfuss > [Each woman is like an instrument, waiting to be learned, loved, and finely played, to have at last her own true music made.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/each-woman-is-like-an-instrument-waiting-to-be-learned-loved-and/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [“Prefiero tocar canciones que divierten a mis amigos que complacer a quienes me juzgan basándose solo en habladurías" - Kvothe”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/prefiero-tocar-canciones-que-divierten-a-mis-amigos-que-complacer-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [“Wilem snorted."That doesn't sound suspicious at all," he said. "And you wonder why people talk about you." "I don't wonder why they talk," I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/wilem-snorted-that-doesn-t-sound-suspicious-at-all-he-said-and-you/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [“The point isn't to win the game. The point is to play a beautiful game. (paraphrased)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/the-point-isn-t-to-win-the-game-the-point-is-to-play-a-beautiful-game/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [I was nervous about writing Slow Regard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/i-was-nervous-about-writing-slow-regard/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [I am no poet. I do not love words for the sake of words. I love words for what they can accomplish. Similarly, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/i-am-no-poet-i-do-not-love-words-for-the-sake-of-words-i-love-words/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [“There is something deeply satisfying in shaping something with your hands. Proper artificing is like a song made solid. It is an act of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/there-is-something-deeply-satisfying-in-shaping-something-with-your/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [He had a bright, reckless tenor that was always wandering off, looking for notes in the wrong places.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/he-had-a-bright-reckless-tenor-that-was-always-wandering-off-looking/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [I smiled,"Deoch, my heart is made of stronger stuff than glass. When she strikes she'll find it strong as iron-bound brass, or gold and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/i-smiled-deoch-my-heart-is-made-of-stronger-stuff-than-glass-when-she/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [I have a blog where I keep in touch with my fans. I write about things that are important to me. Sometimes on there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/i-have-a-blog-where-i-keep-in-touch-with-my-fans-i-write-about-things/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [Soft fantasy worlds have a much looser cause-and-effect relationship. Alchemists can turn lead into gold and nobody wonders about how it will impact the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/soft-fantasy-worlds-have-a-much-looser-cause-and-effect-relationship/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [But how awful would that be? How terrible to live surrounded by the stark, sharp, hollowness of things that simply were enough?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/but-how-awful-would-that-be-how-terrible-to-live-surrounded-by-the/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [ Here's the thing: Authors live or die by recommendations. \[That's one of the reason I review so many books on Goodreads.\] Giving books you… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/here-s-the-thing-authors-live-or-die-by-recommendations-that-s-one-of/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [I was pretty poor for a long time. Not \*poor\* poor. But college student poor. I lived for most of my adult life living…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/i-was-pretty-poor-for-a-long-time-not-poor-poor-but-college-student/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) [Explore all 895 Patrick Rothfuss quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) ## More Antagonist quotes > [For me, in any story that I take, the antagonist is more interesting and multi-dimensional.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vetrimaaran/for-me-in-any-story-that-i-take-the-antagonist-is-more-interesting/) [Vetrimaaran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vetrimaaran/) > [Self-love . . . is the sole antagonist of virtue, leading us constantly by our propensities to self-gratification in violation of our moral duties to others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/self-love-is-the-sole-antagonist-of-virtue-leading-us-constantly-by/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [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/) > [Remember that when you meet your antagonist, to do everything in a mild agreeable manner. Let your courage be keen, but, at the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-brinsley-sheridan/remember-that-when-you-meet-your-antagonist-to-do-everything-in-a/) [Richard Brinsley Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-brinsley-sheridan/) > [We honor revelation too highly to make it the antagonist of reason, or to believe that it calls us to renounce our highest powers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-ellery-channing/we-honor-revelation-too-highly-to-make-it-the-antagonist-of-reason-or/) [William Ellery Channing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-ellery-channing/) > [It almost seems as though this roiling world is conspiring to test our patience at every turn. In fact, it is. With this in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-almost-seems-as-though-this-roiling-world-is-conspiring-to-test/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Horror itself is a bit of a bullied genre, the antagonist being literary snobbery and public misconception. And I think good horror tackles our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kealan-patrick-burke/horror-itself-is-a-bit-of-a-bullied-genre-the-antagonist-being/) [Kealan Patrick Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kealan-patrick-burke/) > [I'm a filmmaker, and I was most influenced by Hitchcock's films. How he could plant such deep enriched characters and then make us care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-haggis/i-m-a-filmmaker-and-i-was-most-influenced-by-hitchcock-s-films-how-he/) [Paul Haggis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-haggis/) > [Because the character is a fiction, he's a composite of other contributors to the science that brought this enzyme therapy through the process. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harrison-ford/because-the-character-is-a-fiction-he-s-a-composite-of-other/) [Harrison Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harrison-ford/) > [If you have to be the antagonist, you often have a lot more creative powers. You have a lot more color to you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-atherton/if-you-have-to-be-the-antagonist-you-often-have-a-lot-more-creative/) William Atherton > [“I mean, without the antagonist, there would be no story! It’d be like: ‘Once upon a time there was a girl who wanted to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-hale/i-mean-without-the-antagonist-there-would-be-no-story-it-d-be-like/) [Shannon Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-hale/) > [“Alice started to understand why people found her repulsive. In stories, anyone who didn't look quite right, who wasn't a perfect human being, was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georgia-byng/alice-started-to-understand-why-people-found-her-repulsive-in-stories/) [Georgia Byng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georgia-byng/) > [Error indeed has often prevailed by the assistance of power or force. Truth is the proper and sufficient antagonist to error.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/error-indeed-has-often-prevailed-by-the-assistance-of-power-or-force/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [We are the 1000 children of death. We're in-between, on the fence. Non-descript antagonists. I'm in-between, on the fence. Non-descript antagonist!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otep/we-are-the-1000-children-of-death-we-re-in-between-on-the-fence-non/) [Otep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otep/) > [From a real antagonist one gains boundless courage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-kafka/from-a-real-antagonist-one-gains-boundless-courage/) [Franz Kafka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-kafka/) [Browse all 123 Antagonist quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/antagonist/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It's one thing to not want an evil-sorcerer type villain in your story, but it's another thing to avoid having any sort of antagonist at all. A story without an antagonist gets weird pretty quick.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Patrick Rothfuss" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-one-thing-to-not-want-an-evil-sorcerer-type-villain-in-your/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Antagonist" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-one-thing-to-not-want-an-evil-sorcerer-type-villain-in-your/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b18/patrick-rothfuss-145_antagonist_it-s-one-thing-to-not-want-an-evil-sorce_3094846.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b18/patrick-rothfuss-145_antagonist_it-s-one-thing-to-not-want-an-evil-sorce_3094846.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b18/patrick-rothfuss-145_antagonist_it-s-one-thing-to-not-want-an-evil-sorce_3094846.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It's one thing to not want an evil-sorcerer type villain in your story, but it's another thing to avoid…” — Patrick Rothfuss", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Patrick Rothfuss", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It's one thing to not want...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-one-thing-to-not-want-an-evil-sorcerer-type-villain-in-your/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-one-thing-to-not-want-an-evil-sorcerer-type-villain-in-your/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```