Reasons To Make Your Antagonist Stronger Than Your Protagonist

Written by JJ Barnes

www.jjbarnes.co.uk

I’ll explain why, at the start of your story, you should make your antagonist stronger than your protagonist. The protagonist is the main character in your story and it’s their journey you’re following. This means it needs challenges and obstacles to make it interesting. This is the perfect use of the antagonist in your story.

Why Is The Antagonist Stronger?

You move your Protagonist from passive to active at the inciting incident. That’s the moment when the set out to go and get what they want, and are set in conflict with the Antagonist

If your Protagonist is stronger, and therefore more capable of succeeding, than your Antagonist it will be too easy. You want your Protagonist to have to struggle, fight, and learn. They need to be equally matched, or, ideally, outmatched. Make your antagonist stronger and those obstacles will be there. Your protagonist will be forced to fail and learn throughout your story.

Growing And Changing

Make your Antagonist the stronger character. When your Antagonist has a natural advantage, it forces your Protagonist to grow and change. Every time they are blocked from achieving their goals by your Antagonist, they have to learn and adapt. It will keep the conflict alive, and make your characters more interesting.

The Protagonist should only be able to succeed against the Antagonist in the climax. They will use everything they’ve learned throughout the story to finally be a match for them.

Moana Vs Maui

In Moana, in order to return the heart of Te Fiti, Moana and Maui must face off against lava monster, Te Ka.

Through the course of the story, Maui acts as an Antagonist to Moana. He is stronger and more experienced than Moana and constantly tries to disrupt her on her journey. At first, Moana is no match for him. She gets trapped in a cave, she can’t sail the boat alone, and she knows that without him she couldn’t win.

But Moana learns. She grows and changes, and becomes equal to him. Ultimately, he surrenders to her and agrees to do what she wants because she has proven herself. He then becomes an ally to her.

Moana Vs Te Ka

In facing Te Ka, Maui too must grow and change. Te Ka has long been an Antagonist to Maui, and he is frightened of her. He feels unable to face her without having control of his magic hook, but he too goes on a journey. He grows and changes throughout the story to find that inner strength.

At the beginning of the story, neither Moana nor Maui would be capable to standing up to Te Ka. By the end of the story, Moana is so strong and capable that she is able to part the ocean and approach Te Ka face on. She is able to return the heart to her and turning her back into Te Fiti.

What Your Character Learns When You Make Your Antagonist Stronger

To become capable of winning against their Antagonist, your Protagonist must learn. This could be learn to fight and increase their strength, it could be that they learn their Antagonists weakness and are able to use it against them, or information that allows them to win through intelligence.

The harder they have to work to get the information or ability they need, the better. The more the Antagonist blocks them and forces them to adapt, the better. At no point should your Protagonist find getting what they want easy. There should be no point should they have what they need to win until the climax. Make them work for it, make them learn, make them fight.

Conflict

If at the beginning of your story your Protagonist is unable to get what they want because the Antagonist is getting in the way, your story will have conflict. Conflict is what keeps your story interesting.

By the end of the story, at cost to themselves as they have had to learn, grow, and change, your Protagonist is finally able to face the Antagonist with a chance of winning. This win should still be a challenge, don’t let it become easy. Whatever it is they have learned should allow them the opportunity to win, but it shouldn’t just be handed to them.

The more conflict, the bigger the struggle, the greater the challenge, the more interesting your story will be.

More From JJ Barnes:

I am an author, filmmaker, artist and youtuber, and I am the creator and editor of The Table Read.

You can find links to all my work and social media on my website: www.jjbarnes.co.uk

Buy my books: www.sirenstories.co.uk/books

Follow me on Twitter: @JudieannRose