Screenwriting : Protangonist and Antonist don't necessarily equate to "the good guy" and "the bad guy" by Brandy Camille

Brandy Camille

Protangonist and Antonist don't necessarily equate to "the good guy" and "the bad guy"

The Disney films "Maleficent" and "Cruella" are wonderful origin stories about two of my favorite Disney bad girls. But they are also excellent studies on how a protagonist isn't a "good guy" all the time, just the person the store sets you, as the reader or watcher, up to root for. Especially in the case of "Cruella" and "Maleficent," these are back stories for villains, characters who in previous stories you're actually discouraged from rooting for. I also think of the example of Darth Vader. I don't think Darth Vader is a "bad guy." I think he was the manifestation of Anakin Skywalker's profound grief. Feel free to comment on stores that you feel play with the notion of "good guy bad guy" and "protagonist antagonist"

Sandra Isabel Correia

For me, another great example is “Villanelle “ from KILLING EVE. She is the bad girl but at the same time the one everyone loves it! I believe the Antagonist became the Protagonist in KE! Have you see it?

Pat Alexander

Squidward in SpongeBob Squarepants is another example. The Squid just wants peace and harmony in the neighborhood so he can play his clarinet in peace, but SpongeBob, Patrick, and all the other characters are just constantly getting into crazy antics

Ewan Dunbar

Great way to discuss this. House of Cards is a great example of this and Rick in Rick and Morty is an interesting case of a character moving from protagonist/antagonist, good guy/bad guy and combiations of these throughout seasons and episodes.

Larry Guzman

The best example is U.S. Marshall Sam Gerard (Tommy Lee Jones) in "The Fugitive." He's definitely not the bad guy. He has the law on his side. He is the antagonist because he is trying to stop Richard Kimble from achieving his goal.

Brandy Camille

Excellent example Larry Guzman and Pat's example reminds me of "The Grinch." The Grinch didn't hate Christmas....he hated commercialism. And can ya blame him? lol

Mark Deuce

AntiHero Brandy Camille Walter White...John Wick.

Ewan Dunbar

Another good character to study for this is Michael Corleone in the first Godfather movie, where he starts as the good guy but becomes the coldest and most brutal character of them all.

Mark Deuce

Amazing anit-hero like Walter White Ewan Dunbar

Tom Norton

I've never seen Cruella but I liked Maleficent. Angelina Jolie had the malevolent charm that was required for the character but also made her 3 dimensional. Let's be honest, the Maleficent from the 1950's Sleeping Beauty (fun fact, I just learned that it spent almost all of that decade in development) was pretty bland, carried by a great design and voice actress but lacking a complex personality. Angelina Jolie's Maleficent was brought to life by a skilful actress on top of having a script that fleshed out the character to back her up.

Brandy Camille

The great Eleanor Audley. Also the voice of Lady Tremaine from Cinderella and the original voice of Madame Leota for The Haunted Mansion at Disneyland.

Brandy Camille

Ewan with the old school win! The way he did Fredo was colder than ice

Other topics in Screenwriting:

register for stage 32 Register / Log In