Villain Children
Idea: Character/Villain
Genre: Adventure
Pitch: In dangerous, action-filled worlds of fiction, children play many roles. Often, they are pinnacles of innocence that need protecting. Adult heroes defend children, while villains attack them. Other times, the audience gets to enjoy watching a child go on their own adventure and mature as they take on adult tasks. The child puts up with adults holding them back because ‘they’re too young’ and ‘they’re not ready,’ before blowing past everyone’s expectations and succeeding where the adults failed. In all cases, children are meantto be sheltered.
It’s delightful to see adult characters in a story react to small children. Some of them have the lovely ‘great with kids’ trope and will play peekaboo, while others are awkward and clumsy but still muster a soft spot for the little ones. Really, it’s practically impossible for a hero to not be good with kids on some level, even if it’s only fighting bad guys for the children. In all cases, protecting and caring for children is a noble, good trait. Not even villains can always resist some puppy eyes.
Truly evil villains won’t be moved by some adorable kids. A clever villain, though, would know to exploit this soft spot, a weakness that exists for practically all heroes in existence. Imagine a villain as clever and cunning as any, but who looked like an innocent little boy or girl? More likely a girl, as they are seen as the most harmless. She would not actually be, say, six years old, but could giggle, skip, and play like one. Anyone who met her would dote on her, while she easily slipped through a hero’s defenses to stab them in the back. If/when the heroes caught on, they would seethe in frustration as other non-villainous people stepped in to protect the child — because that’s what any remotely good person would do. This little girl would be practically untouchable. She could be as vile as a demon, but one innocent blink of her little eyes would wipe away all blame. Truly evil villains don’t care about the plight of children; this girl would exploitit. She’d have a childish smile and a wicked, satisfied smirk all in one.
There are several ways this little girl could be thwarted. Other children wouldn’t fall so easily into her innocent act. And she could be baited into dropping her pretense once in a while, whether through pride or greed. But for the most part, she would be a wolf in lamb’s clothing.