This came to me while arguing with a Pakistani friend over tropes.
Now, we all know that all villains need "presentation", a set way of acting and looking so that the audience can tell that they're evil without a single action of theirs.
This is not necessarily over looks. Lots of villains are disgustingly pretty. Nor over charisma, since many are charismatic as well.
But generally speaking, when we see a small and weak looking young boy fight a hulking titan with black armour and creepy eyes.....we don't even need to know the context to realise who the bad guy is.
However, let me pose an alternate scenario. One where the titan in above example is the hero and the beaten boy the villain (or another hero, for that matter).
Can, with just text, it be indicated that the hero (whom we know) is the bad guy....but without making them do anything to deserve the suspicion, at least at the point the decision to class them such arises?
Please state your opinion.
Now, we all know that all villains need "presentation", a set way of acting and looking so that the audience can tell that they're evil without a single action of theirs.
This is not necessarily over looks. Lots of villains are disgustingly pretty. Nor over charisma, since many are charismatic as well.
But generally speaking, when we see a small and weak looking young boy fight a hulking titan with black armour and creepy eyes.....we don't even need to know the context to realise who the bad guy is.
However, let me pose an alternate scenario. One where the titan in above example is the hero and the beaten boy the villain (or another hero, for that matter).
Can, with just text, it be indicated that the hero (whom we know) is the bad guy....but without making them do anything to deserve the suspicion, at least at the point the decision to class them such arises?
Please state your opinion.