Top 5 Wednesday was created by Lainey @GingerReadsLainey on Youtube and is now hosted by Sam @ThoughtsOnTomes
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There’s a new topic every Wednesday, and you then list your Top 5 books related to the particular topic.
Favourite Antagonists
This week’s topic is actually favourite villains but, as I already did this in May when we had a rewind month, I’m going to spin the topic slightly and go with my favourite antagonists instead. An antagonist is a character that is usually set against the protagonist of the tale, but isn’t always an out-and-out villain. They are there to cause conflict but that doesn’t mean they are evil or bad.
Sometimes, I find antagonists even more interesting than villains. This is probably due to the fact that their motivations are not necessarily coming from a bad place – they are just at odds with the main character. Since you are supposed to root for the main character you generally see it from their point of view. I therefore tend to empathise with the antagonist more – I am nothing if not contrary! 😉
1. Holland Vosijk from the Shades of Magic trilogy by V.E. Schwab
Holland is an interesting character. At first he appears to be the enemy of Kell but further development makes you realize that most of his actions are because he wants to protect his home. He is very much an antagonist but he is not the true bad guy. I find him a fascinating character.
2. Boromir from The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
Boromir is an intriguing example. He is in many ways a hero; however he proves to be an antagonist for Frodo. Blinded by a momentary lust for power, even though it is only for a brief time, it ultimately determines his fate and he has to atone for what he has set in motion.
3. Severus Snape from the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
Harry’s longtime antagonist, Snape is something of a divisive figure in the Harry Potter fandom. Some people romanticize him, others vilify him. I have no delusions about him. As much as I love Alan Rickman’s portrayal, Snape is a bad dude. He’s just not the bad guy.
4. Jaime Lannister from the A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin
Ah Jaime. I do love him as a character even if he is more than a bit twisted. Jaime is definitely an antagonist for the Stark family, who have our early sympathies. This series is interesting though in that as it progresses you get insights into characters who at the outset would seem poised to be the baddies.
5. Magnus Damora from the Falling Kingdoms series by Morgan Rhodes
Magnus appears to be the antagonist to most to the characters at the start of the series. Hell, even to himself! Yet there is more to this troubled prince than even he believes. I love his development and adore his relationship with Cleo (my other favourite character). Magnus keeps everyone guessing and is definitely still a jerk to (nearly) everyone but he is not a villain.
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Excellent choices! Holland is one of my favorites too.
antagonists are so fun for me, people are conditioned to see anyone who opposes the protagonist as a villain, but I like when their agenda makes sense and you understand why they’re doing what they’re doing. like when Internal Affairs gets involved on a cop show – the audience hates them because they’re jeopardizing the main cop characters (lol, as if), but if there’s been a fatal shooting, of course it needs to be investigated to see what went wrong and if there was corruption or negligence!
it’s even better when the antagonist ends up joining forces with the protagonist against a greater evil, that’s catnip for me!