Use These 3 Archetypes to Enhance Your Villains
Predator, Holdfast, Avenger
Villains who act like monsters—those who are dangerous, selfish, and vengeful—make some of our favorite stories more compelling.
These villains might be terrifying, such the murderer in Gillian Flynn’s bestselling thriller, Sharp Objects, or they might be twisted, such as the stalker in the recent hit Netflix show Baby Reindeer. They might not even seem like monsters at first—they might be subtle and sly, luring their prey and poisoning them slowly, as the charming Wickham poisons Elizabeth against Darcy in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.
The villains from these stories play the three roles of an archetypal monster, as described by Christopher Book in The Seven Basic Plots: Predator, Holdfast, and Avenger.
Booker references the story of “Jack and the Beanstalk” to show how a single monster can act out all three roles:
“We first see the giant as Predator, prowling about, demanding human food.”
“We next see him as Holdfast, brooding in miserly fashion over his treasures.”
“We finally see him, when Jack steals the treasures, running angrily in pursuit, as Avenger.”
Not every villain must play all three roles—but it can be intriguing when they do. Let’s look at villains who play the part of Predator, Holdfast, and Avenger in four different stories. (SPOILERS AHEAD)
1. Predator
“It wanders menacingly or treacherously through the world, seeking to force or to trick people into its power.” —Christopher Booker
📌 Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn
At the start of Sharp Objects, a reporter named Camille hears of a monster—a possible serial killer—who has killed a girl in Camille’s old hometown. Soon after Camille arrives in town and starts investigating the murder, the killer strikes again, murdering another girl and removing her teeth.
Meanwhile, another monster repeatedly claws at Camille: her own mother, who uses verbal jabs to shame Camille for bothering the town with her prying questions and for failing as a daughter.
🫎 Baby Reindeer by Richard Gadd
After bartender Donny kindly provides a free drink to down-and-out Martha, she turns obsessive, attacking him with an unending barrage of text messages and emails.
🦚 Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Wickham plays the role of “polite Predator,” poisoning Elizabeth against Darcy by telling her lies about their shared upbringing. Elizabeth, caught in a situation where she is pressured to marry for wealth but prefers to marry for love, almost misses out on both when she comes under Wickham’s sway.
🏰 Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling
Early in the final book of the Harry Potter series, Voldemort attacks Harry while he’s being transported from the Dursley’s house, failing only when his wand turns traitor.
2. Holdfast
“It sits in or near its lair, usually jealously guarding the 'treasure' or the 'Princess' it has won into its clutches. It is in this role a keeper and a hoarder, broody, suspicious, threatening destruction to all who come near.” —Christopher Booker
📌 Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn
The murderer hoards the teeth of its victims, which in turn keeps Camille from a vital clue to the murderer’s identity. Meanwhile, Camille’s mother insists on keeping Camille’s sister at home and dressing her like an innocent “princess.”
🫎 Baby Reindeer by Richard Gadd
When Martha finally stops contacting Donny, Donny starts to feel as if Martha is withholding from him the validation he craves as a failed comedian. Soon, he turns into the “Holdfast” himself, categorizing her voicemails and listening to them obsessively.
🦚 Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Wickham runs off with Elizabeth’s younger sister, Lydia; for days, no one knows where he has taken her or how to get her back. Lydia’s reputation, along with that of her family, is in danger even while Wickham stands to gain financially from “hoarding” this “princess.”
🏰 Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling
As we know from previous books in the series, Voldemort has hidden horcruxes in valuable objects. He doesn’t personally guard this “hoard” but he goes to great lengths to protect them. Now, he seeks another powerful treasure: the Elder wand.
3. Avenger
“When its guardianship is in any way challenged, the monster… lashes out viciously, stirring from its lair, bent on pursuit and revenge.” —Christopher Booker
📌 Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn
Camille’s mother tries to poison Camille to make her into the daughter she’s always wanted, one who is compliant and dependent. After Camille is rescued from this lair, the murderer feels threatened by someone who vies for Camille’s attention and murders a final victim.
🫎 Baby Reindeer by Richard Gadd
Martha covets Donny’s attention; when she discovers him on a date, she viciously attacks his girlfriend. Near the end of the series, after Donny “ruins” their “relationship,” Martha physically attacks him.
🦚 Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Wichkham returns to Longbourn with his new bride and ill-gained money. But since no one stands in his way, he has little need to “avenge.” He tries to disparage Darcy again, but Elizabeth no longer allows him too, having grown wise to the truth.
🏰 Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling
After Harry returns from the dead, having destroyed Voldemort’s final horcrux, Voldemort faces him in a final duel. Only Harry has the power to defeat Voldemort, in part because Harry himself is part of Voldemort’s hoard of horcruxes.
Your Turn
If you sense your story might benefit from a more “monstrous” villain, ask yourself these questions:
What might make my villain’s attacks more vicious? How does my villain identify my hero’s vulnerability?
What resource does my villain selfishly guard from my hero? Why is this resource important to both the villain and the hero?
How are my villain’s attacks a direct retaliation to my hero’s actions?
Workshopping The Monstrous Villain: Pride and Prejudice
Let’s revise a villain from Pride and Prejudice to make her loom larger as a Predator, Holdfast, and Avenger.
Pride and Prejudice is possibly my favorite novel of all time and I wouldn’t change a thing about it. Its subtlety is its strength. But I do enjoy when the nuance is occasionally punctuated by dramatic events, as when Lady Catherine de Bourgh arrives announced at Longbourn to accost Elizabeth and try to make her swear never to marry Darcy (which puts de Bourgh in the role of Avenger, stirring from her lair to protect her treasure—the man who she has intended for her own daughter).
But just for fun, let’s revise the story so that another villain, Caroline Bingley gets her own moments of over-the-top villainy.