What is an Antagonist — a look at one of storytelling’s most crucial elements, including the types of antagonists, their characteristics, and their functions.

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Chapters:
00:00 Introduction to Antagonists
01:03 Antagonist Definition & History
02:59 Villain Antagonist
08:33 Other Types of Antagonists
15:26 Multiple Antagonists
17:48 Takeaways

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WHAT IS AN ANTAGONIST IN STORYTELLING

Every story needs a protagonist, a main character pursuing a goal. And every protagonist needs obstacles in their way — cue the antagonist. In this video, we will examine what constitutes an antagonist, its characteristics and function, and the various types of antagonists in storytelling.

WHAT IS THE DEFINITION OF ANTAGONIST

According to John Yorke, an antagonist is “the sum total of all the obstacles that obstruct a character in the pursuit of their desires. They are the problem or obstacle the protagonist has to overcome.” Unlike the protagonist, who is usually a character, an antagonist can be many things.

TYPES OF ANTAGONISTS

The most common antagonist is the villain, an evil character prone to doing evil things. In many cases, it is up to the protagonist to stop them. But remember, an antagonist can be anything that keeps the protagonist from reaching their goals. This could be the environment around them, especially in disaster films. Animals, the big and dangerous ones, in particular, make great antagonists.

An antivillain is an antagonist whose motives clash with the protagonist, even if they want the same thing. Sometimes, an antagonist turns out to be an ally all along — this is a false antagonist. A character who is only revealed as the antagonist in the end is called the hidden antagonist. Inanimate objects like robots or ghosts are also prime antagonists. And, finally, one of the most interesting antagonists is the protagonist themselves, or rather something in their character that prevents them from succeeding.

MULTIPLE ANTAGONISTS

Beyond these variations and types of antagonists, some stories benefit from having more than one. Group antagonists are commonly found in genres such as war films (army vs army) or sports films (team vs team). There is also the opportunity to combine different types in the same film. In Titanic, Jack and Rose must battle against her fiance Cal before the iceberg creates a new antagonist: the sinking ship.

It’s a natural tendency for writers to focus more on their protagonists, but an equal amount of attention should be paid to their antagonists as well. As Robert McKee said, “A protagonist and their story can only be as intellectually fascinating and emotionally compelling as the forces of antagonism make them.”


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"The Terminator Theme (Extended Version)" Brad Fiedel
"Dojo Tradition (Instrumental)" In This World
"Dark Blood" Jimmy Svensson
"Staring Into The Abyss" 2050
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"Gotham's Reckoning" Hans Zimmer
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"Revisiting Snoke" John Williams
"Prologue: One Ring to Rule Them All" Howard Shore
"SpiderMan 2 Main Title" Danny Elfman
"Medication Valse" Jack Nitzsche
"To Burn" Man With Roses
"Killmonger" Ludwig Göransson
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"What Have We Done to Each Other" Trent Reznor
"The Wrestler (Original Score)" Clint Mansell
"1986" Angel Salazar
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"Elgar Cello Concerto in E Minor, Op. 85 I. Adagio Moderato (Recording Session / Excerpt)" Sophie Kauer
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"War Paint" Rhythm Scott
"Assembly Line Dreams" Ostin Drais
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"Rose" James Horner
"Cosmos" Theatre Of Delays
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"Bad To The Bone" George Thorogood

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