A Lesson on How to be a Villain

To be a great villain requires more than merely being rotten to the core. The best bad guys are multi-dimensional and unpredictable. With each patronizing grin, disdainful remark and narcissistic fit, Alan Rickman elevates the role of a villain from the plain ol’ bastard to a bastard coated bastard with bastard filling. Actors take note. We’ve picked our four favorite Rickman villains to illustrate the ultimate lessons in how to be a villain, the Alan Rickman way.

The Faces

	Sheriff of Nottingham Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
	Severus Snape Harry Potter Series
	Hans Gruber Die Hard
	Elliot Marston Quigley Down Under

Step 1: Establish the Setting

Even though his home base is England, Alan Rickman’s villainy knows no bounds.

Exhibit A: Map of Misery

	Nottingham East Midlands, England
	Hogwarts Somewhere in Scotland
	Nakatomi Plaza Los Angeles, California
	Western Outback Australia

timeline of terror

Exhibit B: Timeline of Terror

Step 2: Perfect The Look

Fashion Accessories

	Medieval David Lee Roth ensemble
	Wizard robes complete with cape
	Wool trench coat over suit
	Cowboy duster and hat


The messy mullet	The emo	The pencil-thin	The handlebar

Exhibit C: Hairstyles & facial hair


	Bow & Arrow		Wand

	Machine Gun		1874 Sharps Buffalo Rifle

Exhibit D: Adversary’s Weapon

Step 3: Acquire an Adversary

It is crucial that said adversary is as good as Rickman is vile and merciless.

	The Adversary	His Accomplice(s)
	Robin of Locksley	A band of merry outlaws from Sherwood Forest
	Harry Potter	Ron & Hermione
	John McClane	Sergeant Al Powell, (aka Carl Winslow)
	Matthew Quigley	A band of aborigines

Step 4: Hone An Evil Personality

Exhibit E: Practice saying the adversary’s last name with disdain and over-enunciation

Fine-Tune a Sneer

	Raging eye bulge
	Silent rage lip curl
	Grinning ear-to-ear
	Teeth flashing squint


Spoon	Wand	9mm	Revolver

Exhibit F: Choose a weapon

Step 5: Prepare for Battle

A legion of loyal henchmen is essential.

	English soldiers & Celtic warriors
	Death Eaters
	German terrorists
	Dopey cowboys

Step 6: The Money Quote

A sarcastic and pompous delivery is key. This is the beginning of the end.

	“It’s dull you twit, it’ll hurt more.”
	“You might be laboring under the delusion that the entire wizarding world is impressed with you.”

	“SHOOT the GLASS!”
	“Oh, by the way, you’re fired.”

Step 7: The Untimely Demise

At this point, Rickman has underestimated his foe and written his own death certificate. Here’s the blow-by-blow.

A Henchman Doesn’t Get the Job Done	So He Kills/Attempts to Kill	And Meets His Demise By
His cousin, Guy of Gisbourne	Half of Sherwood Forest	Getting stabbed with his own dagger
Draco Malfoy	Dumbledore	Spoiler Alert! Bitten in the neck by a snake
Karl Vreski	The adversary’s ex-wife	Being thrown off a building
Every cowboy in Australia	Quigley and Crazy Cora	Getting shot with his own gun

Bonus: If Rickman played Palpatine

The Setting

A long time ago, in a galaxy far far away.

Preparing for Battle

Lightsaber. A legion of loyal Storm Troopers.

Money Quote

“Mr. Skywalker… The dark side of the Force is a pathway to many abilities some consider to be unnatural.”

Perfect the Look

Dirty old man. Wizard robes and cape.

Acquire an Adversary

Jedi. The forces of good.

The Untimely Demise

Attempted to kill Luke Skywalker. Got thrown off a building by his loyal henchman, Darth Vader.

Own The Many Faces