Every good story needs some sort of conflict. Most of the time, that comes in the form of an antagonist or a villain. But while those terms are often used interchangeably, they are quite different.

How exactly are they different? And how do you know which one is right for your particular story? Read on for some important distinctions to consider when you’re writing.

Antagonist
The role of an antagonist is to act as the obstacle in the way of the main character (aka the protagonist) getting what they want or need. It creates the conflict required to keep a good plot going. When the antagonist is human, they do not necessarily need to be evil, per se, to thwart the protagonist’s goals. They can certainly have sinister intentions, of course, but just as often they can simply want something different from what the main character does.

For all intents and purposes, the antagonist is the bad guy, but sometimes it is simply in the context of the story—not necessarily in the wider world of the novel. In fact, sometimes protagonists can be their own antagonist. This would take the form of the characters’ own fears, insecurities, or emotional trauma they must work through to become healthier or more fulfilled people.

Sometimes, antagonists aren’t even human. They can be anything that potentially stops the hero of the story from accomplishing what they need to: think a totalitarian government or the rigid expectations of society or even a massive oncoming storm. The only requirement is that it gets in the protagonist’s way—and often highlights the main character’s better qualities, whether that’s perseverance, selflessness, or something else.

Villain
Now for the second option to create conflict in your novel: the villain. This is the term that often has readers imagining mustache-whirling bad guys who laugh maniacally, perhaps while holding a cat in their lap.

A villain gets in the way of the protagonist, just like an antagonist does, but the key difference is that a villain wants to thwart the main character specifically, usually because a.) they have a particular hatred for the protagonist, typically explained during their backstory, or b.) they are plotting something that necessarily stands in contrast to the goodness of the hero.

While villains can certainly be all bad just for badness’ sake (comic books are a good example of this), the most interesting ones tend to have a bit of moral ambiguity thrown in there and consist of a mix of good and evil. Layered villains are still villains—just ones with whom readers can become more emotionally invested.

Keep in mind that even if a villain plans something that the protagonist feels they must stop, the villain won’t necessarily consider the plan evil. Often, the plan is simply to fulfill the villain’s own particular needs—hence they are never the villain of their own story. The more layered and complex you can make a villain, the more readers will have to think about as they move through the novel. And while they may never root for your villain, they can at least walk away with some semblance of understanding toward them.

When contemplating whether to create an antagonist or a villain as a foil for your protagonist, think about what the main conflict will be and what the motivations are. The answer is easy if you already plan to use a natural disaster or some other nonhuman force to stand against your main character: You definitely have an antagonist on your hands. The only exception to that would be if you were writing a supernatural story. In that case, a ghost or other spirit could fall into either the antagonist or villain category, depending on how you write it.

When dealing with humans, however, the choice mainly comes down to what the character’s intentions will be. Regardless of whether you choose to use an antagonist or a villain as the main source of conflict for your novel, the key is to create enough backstory to make readers truly care. In other words, don’t spend all your time brainstorming the ins and outs of your main character. Be sure to give your antagonist or villain just as much care and forethought.

Andrea Moran lives outside of Nashville with her husband and two kids. She’s a professional copywriter and editor who loves all things books. Find her on LinkedIn.