Is there always an antagonist?

An antagonist is not always a villainous character. Some are downright kind. While your fiction doesn’t have to include an antagonist, it must have a series of compelling and persuasive obstacles that the main character must negotiate.

Can things be antagonists?

While antagonists can take the form of classic villains, they don’t necessarily need to be human at all. In many stories, the antagonist is a force of nature, technology, or even an inanimate object.

What is a human antagonist?

Here’s a quick and simple definition: An antagonist is usually a character who opposes the protagonist (or main character) of a story, but the antagonist can also be a group of characters, institution, or force against which the protagonist must contend.

Can society be the antagonist?

The antagonist is a force, entity or person that gets in the way of the character getting what he or she wants. Antagonists can be “bad guys” but they can also be natural disasters, an oppressive society or even the protagonist himself.

Can the antagonist be a hero?

A Hero Antagonist is a character who is an antagonist (that is, they oppose The Protagonist), yet is still technically a hero.

Are antagonist characters just people?

Antagonists are just people. Er, unless they’re insane sex-bots, sentient washing machines, serial killer dinosaurs, or hyper-intelligent window treatments. But even then, we need to treat them like people.

Why are evil antagonists bad?

Evil antagonists are bad for the sake of being bad, and besides antagonizing the protagonist, often serve as a terror to the greater public. 2. The Opposing Force

What are the different types of antagonists in fiction?

No matter its form, the antagonistic force should pose a realistic challenge to the protagonist that forces change or action. While your options aren’t limited to this list, the following are four of the most common types of antagonists in fiction. 1. The Evil Antagonist Sometimes evil is just evil, with no redeeming qualities.

What is an example of a non-living antagonist?

Natural disasters, like earthquakes, storms, fires, plagues, famines, and asteroids are other often-seen, non-living antagonists. A villain is always an “evil” character, but as shown in the preceding examples, not all antagonists are necessarily evil or even true villains.