/lit/ - Literature

What is a good antagonist like?

In Morrowind it's Dagoth Ur, who has a cool role in the fundamental metaphysics of TES; he is the false dreamer, who seeks to bind all of creation into his delusion. Another more enigmatic but still oppositional figure is Vivek, who is likewise metaphysically significant as an awakened CHIM character, but nevertheless is stained by a dark past.

Those examples have a kind of very interesting meta-antagonism that extends from the immediate linear history of the lore's events, to the transcendental and metaphysical underlying reality.

Then you have purely temporal antagonists who are more characteristically 'evil', ruthless, or have in general malignant personal traits, but remain deadly because they possess virtue in other ways. Like in intellect, strength or both which lends to power-acquisition and effectiveness in the world. Like in ASOIAF the Lannisters. Or in Dune, the Harkonnens,

What bases should you cover to get a really good antagonist? They need to be understandable with slightly sympathetic motives, but what else?

>>20825785
Doesn't mean the interpretation is equally valid.